TIBET : IT IS TIME TO NEEDLE CHINA

SOURCE:
http://www.eurasiareview.com/05102017-the-dalai-lama-has-no-time-to-lose-oped/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+eurasiareview%2FVsnE+%28Eurasia+Review%29


                     IT IS TIME TO NEEDLE CHINA

       The Dalai Lama Has No Time 
                           To
                          Lose

The recent Doklam episode — where China tried to show its muscle power in the border with Bhutan, and India resisted it and finally China gave up its war cry — clearly indicates that China is now vulnerable.

State Of Chinese Economy

In the past, China has built capacity at a feverish pitch registering steady growth in production and GDP, which exceeded 7.5% at one stage.

China’s economy has grown by leaps and bounds in the last two decades and the present capacity build up in industries and infrastructure in China is much more than what China needs. In the case of some products and chemicals, the capacity build up in China is not only more than what China needs but also more than what the world needs.

However, China’s debt has now surpassed 304% of its GDP and debt fueled consumer demand accounting for 71% of China’s economic growth. With an inability to market the products produced in China in domestic and world markets due to the overcapacity build up, China’s GDP slowed down to 6.7% in 2016 from 6.9% in 2015 and is likely to drop down to around 6.2% in 2017.

China’s Dependence On World Market

In the above scenario, China is now dependent on the world market to sustain its growth and protect its economy from passing into a crisis stage due to the massive under-utilization of capacity built up in China at a heavy cost. China cannot afford to go for any conflict with any country or antagonize the world opinion, that would affect the prospects for marketing its products and services across the world.

Such conditions now faced by China explain as to why it backed out from a risking military conflict with India over the Doklam issue. This also explains as to why China is not ready to provide open support to North Korea in its present conflict with South Korea, Japan and USA.

It is well known that China is the only major trade partner for North Korea and most of North Korea’s supply needs are met by China, though it is not known as to what is the level of trade deficit between China and North Korea. Obviously, North Korea enjoys a sort of protectorate status in its relations with China and is an important ally for China in its plan for long term global domination. Even as President Trump threatened to wipe out North Korea (which appears to be a rhetoric) , China has been careful and has exercised great caution not to antagonize the USA by taking any stand in support of North Korea.

Further, in recent times, China has been inevitably integrating itself with the world market and global economy by investing in several countries in the world by way of overseas acquisition of projects and technical research collaboration. Therefore, China cannot have its own way in any issue unmindful of others and it has no alternative other than seeking and ensuring cooperation with all regions.

Time Now To Advance Tibet’s Cause

In other words, China is now vulnerable to international pressure and cannot anymore ignore world opinion. It has to shed its image as a bully and this is what the Chinese government is now trying to do with great effort.

In this scenario, it is necessary that the world should be reminded about the Chinese occupation of Tibet and how China forcibly entered Tibet, mercilessly put down the freedom fighters in Tibet and drove them out of the country. The world should be strongly told that China’s now occupying Tibet is immoral and unethical and China is an aggressor as far as Tibet is concerned.

The United Kingdom recognized Tibet as an integral part of China and India too has done this. This is unacceptable. This does not provide legitimacy for China’s occupation of Tibet. After all, who are the United Kingdom and India to recognize Tibet as part of China and what authority do they have to do so? It is the opinion of the Tibetans that should matter in asserting Tibet’s independence and the rights of Tibetans have to be recognized.

No Time To Lose

His Holiness The Dalai Lama commands great respect among a cross-section of people everywhere and it is largely recognized that he represents the voice of peace, wisdom and civilization. The Dalai Lama, despite his age, is active and should become more “aggressive” and open in voicing the need for winning freedom back for Tibet.

Considering the Dalai Lama’s advanced age and the present climate where China is vulnerable to international pressure and China desperately needs the goodwill across countries to sell its products to support its economy, there is unlikely to be a more conducive time to take the fight for the liberation of Tibet to a greater and ultimate height.

As a towering leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama needs to use his moral strength and gather the world opinion in favor of the Tibetan cause, so that China will be left with no alternative other than taking note of it and bowing to world opinion and come to negotiating table with Tibetan leaders.

The Dalai Lama has no time to lose.

WATER : In the Land of Seven Rivers, Our Rivers Are in Danger

SOURCE:
http://isha.sadhguru.org/rally-for-rivers/land-seven-rivers-rivers-danger/





                            WATER



                           [ https://youtu.be/k9dkhESbi5A ]

 
                              PROJECT SARASWATI




       [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRhJpFPTsz4 ]

                   

     In the Land of Seven Rivers, Our      Rivers Are in Danger




Though India has a long tradition of worshipping its rivers, these rivers are now under threat. Sadhguru explains that unless we act now, we will lose our precious water & the ability to generate food for our nation. If we allow this “land of seven rivers” to dry into a desert, it will cause a serious disaster.

                               Sadhguru:

 In the making of this civilization, ancient Bharat has always been referred to as the land of seven rivers. Rivers have been so significant for us to a point where people worship rivers. Worship we do, but we have not taken care of them.

The rivers have been flowing for millions of years in this land. But now we have come to a point where the rivers are under serious threat. We have been too focused on how to utilize the river, how to build dams, how to build canals, how to grow more food out of rivers – all this we have done. We have an incredible record that we have managed to produce food for a billion people. This is not a mean achievement. But in the process of this, we are ensuring that future generations will have nothing to eat or drink.

Today, our rivers are depleting at such a rate that they will become seasonal in 20 years’ time. Rivers which have flowed as perennial sources of water for millions of years are going to become seasonal in two generations. The Kaveri already does not reach the ocean for almost three months in a year, and two states are at war for this depleting river. The Krishna does not reach the ocean for almost four to five months and, like this, it is happening everywhere. All other uncertainties we can handle, but if we run out of water and the ability to generate food for our population, then we will have a serious disaster on our hands.

We are losing nearly 5.3 billion tons of topsoil per year. This is nearly a millimeter of topsoil per year. If we go at the same pace without replenishing it, in about thirty-five to forty years, all the topsoil in the country which can grow crops will be completely gone. So our ability to grow food is receding dramatically. Already about twenty-five percent of the topsoil has been lost in the last thirty to thirty-five years. If this continues, we are working towards turning this land into a desert.

Right from ancient times, the wisdom has been such that if we grew crops, we just took the crop – the rest of the plant and the animal waste always went back into the soil. But today, we are taking everything out and not putting anything back. We think things will happen just by throwing fertilizer. It doesn’t work like that. The quality and nourishment value of our food is coming down dramatically. And our ability to grow food itself could go away soon because we are turning this into a desert.

It may be very hard for you to imagine how this lush land will become desert. The Kalahari Desert in Africa, which is one of the harshest deserts in the world today, was a very lush land with rivers flowing at one time. Today, it is a very, very harsh desert. This can happen, and it has happened in the past for variety of reasons. While those were natural reasons, today, this is essentially caused by us.

[ Why to go all that  far to Kalahari Desert in Africa, look at River Ghaggar  aka   RIVER SARASWATI   in Haryana Rajasthan & via Anupgarh into Cholistan (Pakistan) finally ending into Rann of Kutch, on its drying up has produced one of the harshest Desert in the Indian sub continent. I know what I am stating because in my career I have walked in the bed of this dry river bed, technically Ghaggar is revivable but petty politics is rushing it to its final demise.  VASUNDHRA ]

This cannot be fixed just by individual enthusiasm. This is not going to happen if a few of us go and plant a few trees on the river bank and think we have done it. This is just personal satisfaction, not a solution. What is needed is enforceable government policy. In order to feed rivers, the soil around them needs to be moist. Most of our rivers are forest-fed. When the land was covered by rainforest, precipitation gathered in the soil and fed the streams and rivers which were then in full flow. People think because of water there are trees; no, because of trees there is water. If there is no forest, there will be no river after some time. But a large part of India now is farmed land, which we cannot convert to forest. The solution is that, for a minimum of one kilometer on either side of the river and half kilometer for tributaries, wherever it is government land, we plant forest trees. Wherever it is private land, we shift from soil-depleting crops to tree-based horticulture.

The farmer is just working for his livelihood. He does not know anything about the unfolding ecological disaster. However, if you show the farmer the economics of this move, that by planting fruit trees he will earn more than he can by plowing the land, he will naturally take to it. But you have to subsidize the first few years for him till horticulture begins to yield. And once it comes to yield, you must incentivize private sector to set up allied industry to absorb these hundreds of square kilometers of horticultural produce. If you ensure this minimum tree-cover, in fifteen years’ time, our rivers will have at least twenty percent more water flowing.

The solution can only happen with government policy. It will take a nationwide enforceable policy if we want to bring about substantial change. We urgently need to shift from thinking of how to exploit our rivers to how to revitalize them. We have to make everyone in the country aware that there is an express need for action to save our rivers.

As a step towards this, for 30 days from September 3 to October 2, we will be doing a Rally for Rivers, where I will personally drive across 16 states and over 7000 kilometers, with events in 23 major cities to make a strong pitch for saving our rivers. This will culminate in Delhi, where we will be presenting a River Rejuvenation Policy Recommendation to the government. Until now, each state has been acting as if they were a separate existence by themselves. We need all the states to come together and work out a common policy.

The equation is simple. Adjacent to the rivers, there have to be trees. If we create vegetation, it will hold water and rivers will be replenished. If we spread this awareness to everyone in the country, arrive at a common policy, and start the implementation, it will be a huge and successful step for the future of our nation and for the wellbeing of generations to come.

ADM AFS : DOWNGRADATION OF DEFENCE PERSONNEL BY MOD BUREAUCRATS

SOURCE: IESM

26 Sep 2017

To

LETTERS FWD TO HON’BLE RAKSHA MANTRI AND 

THREE CHIEFS

Dear All,

            The following letters forwarded to Hon’ble Raksha Mantri and three Chiefs are enclosed herewith for your information and widest circulation please:-

(a)    Letter dated 26 Sep 2017 regarding Deliberate &

 Unaceptable Downgradation of Defence Personnel by 

MoD Bureaucrats with Malafide Intent.

(b)   Letter dated 26 Sep 2017 regarding Registration of

 Defence Personnel as Voters at the Place of Posting.

With regards, 

      

Yours Sincerely,

Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd)    


                                                                        
Advisor United Front of Ex Servicemen &    

                                                        

Chairman Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM)  


                                                                                        
 Mobile: 9312404269, 01244110570  

                                      
Email:satbirsm@gmail.com   

======================================================================


SOURCE: IESM







                                                                                    26 Sep 2017
To
Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman 
Hon’ble Raksha Mantri
 104, South Block, 
New Delhi-110011


DELIBERATE &  UNACEPTABLE  DOWNGRADATION OF DEFENCE PERSONNEL BY MOD BUREAUCRATS WITH MALAFIDE INTENT

Dear Hon’ble Raksha Mantri,


1. Please accept our heartiest congratulations on assuming charge of Ministry of Defence. We are certain that under your able stewardship the Defence Ministry will turn new milestones in meeting India’s Defence challenges. I am writing to you on behalf of Veterans fraternity regarding un-acceptable down gradation of Defence Forces personnel through misrepresentations by certain bureaucrats in MoD with malafide intent, to the extent that RRMhas been made to givefactually incorrect reply in Rajya Sabha, based on inputs fed to him by these conspiring officials. This one issue has hit the morale of Armed Forces personnel harder than anything else, creating a perception that the present Govt is only stirring nationalist emotions, but in reality is acting against the Faujis in its dealings. The details of issues are given below for your consideration.


2. Grant of Non Functional Upgradation (NFU). The NFU was recommended by VI CPC to compensate for stagnation in Group A Services. However, the Armed Forces Officers who face maximum stagnation have been left out. Despite Judgement by Principal Bench Delhi in OA No 802/2015, the Govt has refused to extend NFU to Armed Forces and instead approached SC. Since all Group A Services officers have now migrated to higher VII CPC Pay Levels due to NFU, it has resulted in unacceptable down gradation of Defence officers, resulting in serious functional problems in organisations where Defence Officers serve alongside other Group A officers. While the SC also appears to be rejecting the Govt contention, the MoD is now planning to downgrade the Status of Commissioned Offrs through a Committee and equate them with Gp B cadre to deny the NFU. Hon’ble RM therefore, needs to intervene and give directions for cancellation of Equivalence Committee and implementation of AFT Judgement for upholding the established Status of Armed Forces Officers.


3. Committee on Equivalence set up by MoD. MoD has set up a three Member Committee headed by Addl Secy (Def Production) for establishing Equivalence between Defence Services Officers and AFHQ Civil Services (CS) Officers. Since AFHQ CS is a Group B secretarial service in Services HQ, similar to Central Secretarial Services (CSS) in other Ministries, this amounts to equating the Commissioned Officers of Armed Forces with a Group B Service, thereby creating very strong resentment amongst the Services officers. There exists no precedence of establishing Equivalence between any of Group A Services and Group B Services. This Committee therefore, needs to be cancelled forthwith.



4. Unaceptable communications Downgrading the Status of Defence Personnel. A number of mischievous communications have been issued in the past by MoD/ its constituents/ other Ministries at the behest of MoD, equating JCOs of Armed Forces with Gp C employees, Capts & Majors with Gp B posts and Lt Cols with Dy Directors (lowest Gp A designation). These have been issued based on various fictitious/unsubstantiated documents. Itcannot get more humiliating and shameful for Defence personnel than such degradation in Status. However, instead of enquiring into such irregular communications, the MoD bureaucracy is now using these very letters for down grading the established Status of Defence personnel. Such actions by MoD bureaucrats are likely to create serious unrest and resentment in Armed Forces. Hon’ble RM is therefore, requested to issue directions for cancellation of all such letters and restoration of established Status of Armed Forces at the earliest.


5. Setting Up High Powered Committee (HPC). The PMO vide its Directive dated 28 Dec 2008 had ordered for setting up of HPC, based on recommendations of GoM, for resolving Status equivalence and command & control issues between Armed Forces, CAPF and civilians including AIS. However, the MoD bureaucrats have not allowed setting up of this HPC till date, despite repeated requests by Services HQ. For permanent resolution of issues involved, it is essential that HPC be set upat the earliest. The PMO/ Cab Secy therefore, need to be approached for implementation of PMO directive for setting up of HPC without any further delay.


6. Rectification ofPay Commission Anomalies affecting Status of Armed Forces. There are number of outstanding Pay commission anomalies which have downgraded the status of Uniformed personnel, but remained unaddressed since long, the most prominent being incorrect fixation of Pay Gdes and Pay Levels. Since the Armed Forces personnel cannot form any Association and do not have the privilege of JCM mechanism, Govt appears to have simply abdicated its responsibility towards them. It is incumbent upon the Govt to form a High Level Committee to look  into all the anomalies of Defence personnel as well. Hon’ble RM is therefore, requested to issue directions for resolving all outstanding anomalies of Defence personnel affecting their status at the earliest.


7. Restructuring of MoD. Presently MoD is almost completely manned by civil bureaucracy with insignificant number of Defence personnel. The decision making in MoD is completely devoid of professional inputs from Defence personnel. Over a period of time, the civil bureaucrats in MoD have started to aggressively compete with the Defence Forces for the status and various privileges, unmindful of the differences in Service conditions, resulting in dishonest advise to senior hierarchy. This has been getting manifested in unilateral decisions based on factually incorrect inputs, which in turn have been generating a feeling of desperation and anger amongst the Defence personnel. The MoD therefore, need to be restructured at the earliest to include more number of Defence personnel in the decision making. I would like to quote an example that a USA which is super power has a tradition of def sec who are ex-Military officers, you are in-fact dealing with def sec USA, a retired Lt Gen Mattis of US Army. No doubt USA is a super power.


8. Veterans would be failing in their duty, if I on their behalf do not mention here that Morale of Indian Army is in their boots and it is likely to go down further with this new equivalence being suggested by MOD. If this unacceptable equivalence is pursued, there is every possibility of strong resentment from serving officers/JCOs and ORs.


9. Hoping for a positive response on all above mentioned issues.


With regards, 


                                                      Yours Sincerely,





Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd) 
Advisor United Front of Ex Servicemen & Chairman Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM)
 Mobile: 9312404269, 01244110570 
Email:satbirsm@gmail.com



Copy to:-

General Bipin Rawat, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM Chief of the Army Staff Integrated HQs of Ministry of Defence (Army) South Block, New Delhi-110011 For information and request to take up with the Govt the above issues.


Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa
PVSM AVSM YSM VM ADC
Chief of the Air Staff
Integrated HQs of Ministry of Defence (Air Force)
Vayu Bhawan, New Delhi 110011 Our request as above.


Admiral Sunil Lanba
PVSM, AVSM, ADC
Chief of the Naval Staff &
Chairman Chiefs of Staffs Committee (CoSC)
Integrated HQs of Ministry of Defence (Navy) 
South Block, New Delhi -110011









===============================================



                                                                                    26 Sep 2017
To
Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman 
Hon’ble Raksha Mantri
 104, South Block, 
New Delhi-110011


DELIBERATE &  UNACEPTABLE  DOWNGRADATION OF DEFENCE PERSONNEL BY MOD BUREAUCRATS WITH MALAFIDE INTENT

Dear Hon’ble Raksha Mantri,


1. Please accept our heartiest congratulations on assuming charge of Ministry of Defence. We are certain that under your able stewardship the Defence Ministry will turn new milestones in meeting India’s Defence challenges. I am writing to you on behalf of Veterans fraternity regarding un-acceptable down gradation of Defence Forces personnel through misrepresentations by certain bureaucrats in MoD with malafide intent, to the extent that RRMhas been made to givefactually incorrect reply in Rajya Sabha, based on inputs fed to him by these conspiring officials. This one issue has hit the morale of Armed Forces personnel harder than anything else, creating a perception that the present Govt is only stirring nationalist emotions, but in reality is acting against the Faujis in its dealings. The details of issues are given below for your consideration.


2. Grant of Non Functional Upgradation (NFU). The NFU was recommended by VI CPC to compensate for stagnation in Group A Services. However, the Armed Forces Officers who face maximum stagnation have been left out. Despite Judgement by Principal Bench Delhi in OA No 802/2015, the Govt has refused to extend NFU to Armed Forces and instead approached SC. Since all Group A Services officers have now migrated to higher VII CPC Pay Levels due to NFU, it has resulted in unacceptable down gradation of Defence officers, resulting in serious functional problems in organisations where Defence Officers serve alongside other Group A officers. While the SC also appears to be rejecting the Govt contention, the MoD is now planning to downgrade the Status of Commissioned Offrs through a Committee and equate them with Gp B cadre to deny the NFU. Hon’ble RM therefore, needs to intervene and give directions for cancellation of Equivalence Committee and implementation of AFT Judgement for upholding the established Status of Armed Forces Officers.


3. Committee on Equivalence set up by MoD. MoD has set up a three Member Committee headed by Addl Secy (Def Production) for establishing Equivalence between Defence Services Officers and AFHQ Civil Services (CS) Officers. Since AFHQ CS is a Group B secretarial service in Services HQ, similar to Central Secretarial Services (CSS) in other Ministries, this amounts to equating the Commissioned Officers of Armed Forces with a Group B Service, thereby creating very strong resentment amongst the Services officers. There exists no precedence of establishing Equivalence between any of Group A Services and Group B Services. This Committee therefore, needs to be cancelled forthwith.



4. Unaceptable communications Downgrading the Status of Defence Personnel. A number of mischievous communications have been issued in the past by MoD/ its constituents/ other Ministries at the behest of MoD, equating JCOs of Armed Forces with Gp C employees, Capts & Majors with Gp B posts and Lt Cols with Dy Directors (lowest Gp A designation). These have been issued based on various fictitious/unsubstantiated documents. Itcannot get more humiliating and shameful for Defence personnel than such degradation in Status. However, instead of enquiring into such irregular communications, the MoD bureaucracy is now using these very letters for down grading the established Status of Defence personnel. Such actions by MoD bureaucrats are likely to create serious unrest and resentment in Armed Forces. Hon’ble RM is therefore, requested to issue directions for cancellation of all such letters and restoration of established Status of Armed Forces at the earliest.


5. Setting Up High Powered Committee (HPC). The PMO vide its Directive dated 28 Dec 2008 had ordered for setting up of HPC, based on recommendations of GoM, for resolving Status equivalence and command & control issues between Armed Forces, CAPF and civilians including AIS. However, the MoD bureaucrats have not allowed setting up of this HPC till date, despite repeated requests by Services HQ. For permanent resolution of issues involved, it is essential that HPC be set upat the earliest. The PMO/ Cab Secy therefore, need to be approached for implementation of PMO directive for setting up of HPC without any further delay.


6. Rectification ofPay Commission Anomalies affecting Status of Armed Forces. There are number of outstanding Pay commission anomalies which have downgraded the status of Uniformed personnel, but remained unaddressed since long, the most prominent being incorrect fixation of Pay Gdes and Pay Levels. Since the Armed Forces personnel cannot form any Association and do not have the privilege of JCM mechanism, Govt appears to have simply abdicated its responsibility towards them. It is incumbent upon the Govt to form a High Level Committee to look  into all the anomalies of Defence personnel as well. Hon’ble RM is therefore, requested to issue directions for resolving all outstanding anomalies of Defence personnel affecting their status at the earliest.


7. Restructuring of MoD. Presently MoD is almost completely manned by civil bureaucracy with insignificant number of Defence personnel. The decision making in MoD is completely devoid of professional inputs from Defence personnel. Over a period of time, the civil bureaucrats in MoD have started to aggressively compete with the Defence Forces for the status and various privileges, unmindful of the differences in Service conditions, resulting in dishonest advise to senior hierarchy. This has been getting manifested in unilateral decisions based on factually incorrect inputs, which in turn have been generating a feeling of desperation and anger amongst the Defence personnel. The MoD therefore, need to be restructured at the earliest to include more number of Defence personnel in the decision making. I would like to quote an example that a USA which is super power has a tradition of def sec who are ex-Military officers, you are in-fact dealing with def sec USA, a retired Lt Gen Mattis of US Army. No doubt USA is a super power.


8. Veterans would be failing in their duty, if I on their behalf do not mention here that Morale of Indian Army is in their boots and it is likely to go down further with this new equivalence being suggested by MOD. If this unacceptable equivalence is pursued, there is every possibility of strong resentment from serving officers/JCOs and ORs.


9. Hoping for a positive response on all above mentioned issues.


With regards, 


                                                      Yours Sincerely,





Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd) 
Advisor United Front of Ex Servicemen & Chairman Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM)
 Mobile: 9312404269, 01244110570 
Email:satbirsm@gmail.com



Copy to:-

General Bipin Rawat, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM Chief of the Army Staff Integrated HQs of Ministry of Defence (Army) South Block, New Delhi-110011 For information and request to take up with the Govt the above issues.


Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa
PVSM AVSM YSM VM ADC
Chief of the Air Staff
Integrated HQs of Ministry of Defence (Air Force)
Vayu Bhawan, New Delhi 110011 Our request as above.


Admiral Sunil Lanba
PVSM, AVSM, ADC
Chief of the Naval Staff &
Chairman Chiefs of Staffs Committee (CoSC)
Integrated HQs of Ministry of Defence (Navy) 
South Block, New Delhi -110011


==============================================


                   Press Information Bureau
         Government of India Ministry of Defence 
                   10-March-2015 15:56 IST


       Voting Rights of Armed Forces Personnel


Issues relating to further facilitation of voting by defence service personnel had been taken up with Election Commission of India. Meanwhile, the Hon’ble Supreme Court passed an interim order on 24.3.2014 in Writ Petition (C) No.1005 of 2013 (Neela Gokhale versus Union of India & Another) with Special Leave Petition (C) No.6554/2014 (Rajeev Chandrasekhar versus Union of India & Others), inter alia, giving directions regarding registration of Service personnel posted in peace stations as general voters; not insisting on Election Commission of India’s order dated 28.12.2008 wherein certain conditions for registration of Service personnel as general voters have been prescribed; furnishing of details of peace stations to Election Commission of India and providing assistance to Election Commission of India for making Postal Ballot effective. 



In compliance of the ibid interim order of Hon’ble Supreme Court, list of peace stations was furnished by the Ministry of Defence to Election Commission of India for registration of Service personnel working in those locations as general voters. Election Commission of India, in compliance of aforesaid interim orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, issued instructions on 26.3.2014 to all Chief Electoral Officers of all States with reference to Service personnel who have been posted at peace stations on 1.1.2014 and continue to be posted there on the date of the commencement of the election process in the concerned Assembly Constituency. Even after completion of General Election to Lok Sabha 2014, the Commission have extended these instructions for further period till any further order is given by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. Internal instructions were issued by the Ministry of Defence to the Services Headquarters for taking all necessary steps and provide necessary assistance to Election Commission in making Postal Ballot for Service personnel effective. 



This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar in Rajya Sabha today.


 DM/NAMPI/HH/RAJ













Block, New Delhi -110011

DEGRADATION OF ARMED FORCES : INDIAN ARMY IN THE PROCESS OF BEING PROVISIONED WITH STATE OF THE ART NEW LETHAL WEAPON SYSTEMS

SOURCE:
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/NewsDetail/index/1/11810/Is-This-The-Job-of-the-Indian-Army-Or-Of-The-Inept-Civil-Administration




 DEGRADATION OF ARMED FORCES INDIAN ARMY   IN THE PROCESS OF                 BEING PROVISIONED WITH 
                 STATE OF THE ART 
NEW  LETHAL  WEAPON SYSTEMS

Defence Minister Falls To A New Low With                       Ridiculous 

              'Clean The Garbage'

                Order To The Army

                    Lt GENERAL VIJAY OBEROI

Friday, September 22,2017

In just three weeks, the new Raksha Mantri has moved from the top of the charts to below the mid-way point.

Unless she understands and applies her mind to the legitimate tasks of the armed forces and their pride and ethos, she is unlikely to be accepted fully and the charts will keep sliding south.

Her latest and only ridiculous order, so far, is asking/tasking the army to clean up garbage and litter in the high altitude areas, left behind by uncaring and uneducated tourists. Preposterous comes to mind immediately, but let me not jump the gun, so that the reader fully understands what I am talking about.

The media had dubbed the recent cabinet reshuffle as the BJP plan for the 2019 General Elections and the appointment of the new Raksha Mantri (RM) more in gender terms rather than abilities! Maybe so, but my take, as well as the bulk of the military fraternity, was a sense of relief that this government has stopped treating the Defence Portfolio as a temporary pastime for its cabinet ministers.

It seemed that after three years of governance, the Prime Minister had at last learnt that Defence was neither a part-time portfolio, nor one for a light-weight leader, who had to struggle/muddle through the maze of the entrenched party members, who thought only about their own clout and the powers they wield.

They had become carpet –baggers, with their own agendas; and were prone to look down on light-weights as a species to be sent back to their small fiefdoms. They had no time or inclination to change the entrenched system.

Unlike a political novice like me, seasoned punters of the political scene were convinced from day one that an IIT graduate like Manohar Parrikar would not be allowed to last in the rough and tumble political system of Delhi, where power and pelf combined with the Indian Crab Syndrome had prevailed for decades and continues to flourish, irrespective of changes in the ruling parties. But let me not digress!

Prime Minister Modi, despite being a seasoned politician rewarded a loser at the elections with the two most important portfolios, viz. Finance and Defence, possibly because of political compulsions and maybe inadequate talent. He glossed over the well-known fact that the incumbent did not like the military, as he blamed them for his losing the only election he fought in his long political career!

However, when he brought back the gentleman again as a temporary stand-in, it was clear that he did not understand the importance of the defence portfolio! If he had gone back in time, he may have realized that giving two major portfolios to one person are fraught with danger. Let me amplify.

When the then RM, during PM Vajpayee’s time was forced to resign and Jaswant Singh, the competent Minister of External Affairs was given temporary charge of the Defence Ministry, the disastrous Agra Summit took place, possibly as there was one less adviser at the cabinet level!
The importance of a permanent Raksha Mantri is obvious, as (s)he is a member not just of the Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS), but also of the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs (CCPA) and Economic Affairs (CCEA), the three most important policy-making committees of the Executive. (S)he is also a member of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. Independent advice is therefore essential, so that major policy decisions are taken after due consultations.

With the above background, let us now talk about the new RM. My initial reaction to her appointment was positive – as in my view she was a professional; was intelligent; dedicated; and possessed common sense.

The last is most important for an RM, as it is the ‘men behind the gun’ who are the most important part of the military and there is need for application of mind before issuing orders and instructions that affect them. I had observed these talents in her, initially when she was the official spokesperson of her Party, and later when she was given the important commerce portfolio. She had handled her portfolio well and not only used her considerable abilities to good effect, but built up a positive reputation of a feisty lady who kept the rapacious bureaucracy in line and carried out her assignments quietly, without the usual fanfare that our political leaders revel in.

I therefore welcomed her elevation to head an extremely important Ministry, especially as the indolent MoD officials, including four Secretary-level officials, need a strong leader to keep them in line. I earnestly hope that she is able to deflate their egoistic image of themselves!

Let me now come to the main purpose of this article. Many military and other analysts have offered their advice about defence and military affairs. Initially I had also planned to do the same, but before I could do so, the new RM has given me an opportunity to highlight the incorrect orders she has issued to the MoD (read armed forces) relating to handling litter.

Apparently this was done at the behest of PMO to clean up garbage left by tourists in high altitude areas and other sundry instructions regarding cleaning up military stations, cantonments and bases. These orders are absurd, to put it mildly.

Obviously, no one has reflected on some similar orders that had been issued in the late 1950’s that eventually resulted in the 1962 fiasco, as outlined in the succeeding paragraphs.

Project Amar (construction of barracks and family accommodation by troop labour) was carried out at the behest of the then RM-Krishna Menon, despite objections by the then Army Chief – General KS Thimayya, and were implemented by the ambitious Bijji Kaul, then GOC 4 Infantry Division at Ambala. The result was no training by the Division for war.

Even when the Division had been ordered to move to NEFA (now part of Arunachal Pradesh), plans were made by the then RM for Project Amar II, which were mercifully jettisoned at the behest of the Army hierarchy. When the war with China erupted in 1962, it was this very division that was annihilated. One need not go into any more details, except to say that if you use the armed forces for carrying out non-military tasks, the result is catastrophic.

Our northern borders continue to be in dispute. Hopefully, the sterling role played by the army in handling the over 70 days stand-off with China’s troops in the area of Dokalam only recently must be fresh in everyone’s mind. It ended well as our troops were well trained and well lead. Everyone agrees that till the border problem is solved, such incidents will continue. Yet, the mandarins sitting in the PMO have issued a stupid and illogical order stating that the army will clean litter left behind by uncaring tourists in high altitude areas, obviously abandoning their operational tasks and training. It is the dumbest order I have heard in the last half a century, if not more. The MoD as usual has acted as postmen and forwarded it to the armed forces and the new RM has publicly announced it during her maiden visit to Western Command!

The authority of the civil administration extends to the remotest corners of the country and includes the entire stretch of all land borders of India. It is the job of the civil administration to administer all assigned areas under their control. Why are they first not ensuring that no tourists leave any litter and if they fail to do so, they have the resources, funds and authority to clean up. The armed forces, both in field areas, peace stations and different types of bases have always kept their habitat clean, green and hygienic. They are actually models for the civilians to emulate. So why have such orders/instructions been issued?

I must also point out that in the last Pay Commission, despite vehement opposition by the armed forces, high altitude allowances for civil officials of all categories have been decreed to be more than the soldiers! Are they earning them?

It appears to me that since the Swach Bharat Abhiyan has made little headway, the government wants to boast of at least cleaning up the litter of tourists so that their propaganda machinery can at least save face by tom-toming this!

I would urge the RM, the PMO and the MoD to rescind this absurd order immediately.

(The writer is a former Vice Chief of Army Staff)