DOKLAM : China Expands Road In Doklam

SOURCE:
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/just-10-km-from-last-doklam-stand-off-china-works-on-a-road-again-1759103






     [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e8HzoKA0ds ]

[  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V54OnSWg-1k ]

With 500 Soldiers On Guard, China Expands                                 Road In Doklam

                                          BY

                                 Aby Vishnu Som 

HIGHLIGHTS

1. 
   
2. China starts expandig road in disputed Doklam Plateau
3. 500 soldiers accompanying construction workers
4. New construction in same area that India holds highly sensitive

Thwarted in its last attempt, China has now shifted its 

unused road construction material North and East of 

the Doklam face-off site.

October 05, 2017 23:21 IST

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

Barely a month after the winding down of an aggressive 

stand-off with India at the Sikkim border, the Chinese 

Army is back to building a road on the Doklam Plateau, 

just 10 km from the location of the last conflict. The 

Doklam Plateau is claimed by both Beijing and Bhutan 

as their territory. India backs Bhutan's claim.

China starts expanding road in disputed Doklam 

Plateau

In mid-June, Indian soldiers crossed the Sikkim border 

to stop the construction of a Chinese road near the 

"Chicken's Neck", a thin strip that links India to its 

northeastern states. After nearly 70 days of soldiers from

 both sides staring down at each other just 150 metres 

apart, the conflict, described as the worst in decades, 

subsided with both countries accepting that they were 

withdrawing their troops, though details were sketchy.

China pulled back its bulldozers and other road-making 

equipment, said officials in Delhi at the time. Chinese 

officers said the weather would be among the factors 

that would determine its plans for construction.

Now, barely 10 kilometres from the location of the stand-

off, China is expanding an existing track, reinforcing its 

claim to the disputed and remote Doklam Plateau. India 

backs Bhutan's claim to the region and has made it clear

 that it will not tolerate any infrastructure that would 

allow China access to the Chicken's Neck, located just 

south of Doklam.

Thwarted in its last attempt, China has now shifted its 

unused road construction material North and East of the

 face-off site. Road construction workers brought into 

the area are accompanied by upto 500 soldiers though 

there are no indicators that these soldiers will be 

permanently based in the area - the Chinese town of 

Yatung, which is less than 20 km away as the crow flies, 

is a few hours by road and accommodates them. Neither

 are there signs of permanent structures to 

accommodate Chinese soldiers in the area which is 

snow-bound and bitterly cold in the winter. 

Army officers NDTV has spoken to believe that the new 

road construction is meant to be a strong signal of 

Beijing's intent to prove its territorial claims. A month 

ago, Army Chief Bipin Rawat had warned, "As far as the

 Northern adversary is concerned, flexing of muscles 

has started. Salami slicing, taking over territory in a very 

gradual manner, testing our limits or threshold is 

something we have to be wary about. Remain prepared 

for situations that are emerging gradually into conflict." 

Construction in the same area that India holds highly 

sensitive

It is likely that the Army Chief was referring to these 

renewed Chinese efforts despite the de-escalation of the

 Doklam crisis which paved the way for the Prime 

Minister to travel to Xiamen for the BRICS summit last 

month.

Sources have told NDTV that fresh Chinese road 

construction activity in the area began shortly after 

India and China chose to deescalate tensions on August 

28. On August 18, the Indian Army, which dominates the 

area, moved into the Doklam Plateau from their base at 

the nearby Doka La (pass) and physically prevented the

 Chinese from stretching the track. China's goal had 

been to extend the track south across the Torso Nallah 

to the Jhamperi Ridge, a dominant feature in the area 

where the Bhutanese Army has a base. 

JAI JAWAN MODI BALWAN SWACH BHARAT MODI MAHAN

SOURCE:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/a-soldier-should-wield-the-gun-not-broom-veterans/story-gMKmdczHtee1Nwun3LkQDN.html











                         JAI   JAWAN MODI BALWAN

          SWACH  BHARAT MODI MAHAN

 

              A Soldier Should Wield the Gun,Not Broom: 

                     Veterans on PMO’s clean-up Orders

Debate over PMO asking the ministry of defence 

to clean up the waste left behind by tourists in 

high-altitude locations is only getting more lively

From an online petition collecting signatures against the move to furore on WhatsApp and Twitter, the debate over Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) asking the ministry of defence (MoD) to clean up the waste left behind by tourists in high-altitude locations is only getting more lively.

The latest argument is that when the Sri Lankan tourism ministry mooted a similar proposal to its armed forces, they refused, saying their soldiers won’t touch garbage.

A former army commander, who requested anonymity, said he had no bones to pick with the order if it is part of a national effort. “In the 1960s, the armed forces used to grow wheat and rice in vacant areas and even the bungalows as part of the ‘grow more food campaign’, but the ministry must clarify whether the army will do it physically or it will get funds for it.”

But he was quick to add that if the rumour that it was part of the central government’s efforts to get the pilgrim places cleaned was true, he would be very offended.

Lt Gen Harwant Singh (retd) feels the order is downright humiliating. “Soldiering is all about pride, such an order will lower the self-esteem of a soldier. It is unfortunate that our chiefs don’t stand up to such diktats,” he said, adding that there was a difference between helping out in an emergency and wielding the broom to make up for somebody else’s inefficiency.

There were others who said the order stemmed from the misplaced notion that the armed forces had nothing to do during peace time. Calling it an “idiotic decision” in view of the threat the country faces from two sides, Col Anil Raina (retd) said the army is busy every month of the year. “From January to March, we are doing in-house training and preparing for the next nine months. Then there is field firing, followed by inspections where a unit is told whether it is war ready or not.”

Agreeing with him, the former army commander said a soldier has to account for every hour in his day. “From training and refresher courses to administrative work, he is kept physically and mentally busy. It is peace time that prepares you for war.”

Col Raina said a soldier is so busy even during peace that if you were to ask him how many nights he gets to sleep, he will reply “2- 3 nights a week”.

Brig Baljit Singh (retd) of War Decorated India, however, chose to interpret the order more cautiously. “I think the PMO implies that the army will get the work done, not that it will do it physically.” The officer went on to explain that the chief executive officer of the cantonment board, who is an employee of the defence ministry, has both staff and funds at his disposal. “He can use both to clean up areas in high altitude with scanty civil population.”

But most veterans found the order hard to swallow. Slamming it as “very stupid” Brig Harwant Singh (retd) of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, bristled, “The army does not need any ‘swacchta abhiyan’. They are asking us to clean up. It amounts to gross ill-treatment of the soldier. Don’t reduce him to a safai worker.”

Seconding him, Brig Onkar Singh Goraya (retd) said the PMO can boost the cleanliness campaign by sending his people to cantonments for a tutorial in cleanliness. “Visit any military station and you won’t find a brick out of place. We do the job with minimum effort. Learn from us, don’t hand us the broom.”

Clearing Garbage is not the Job of Army

SOURCE;
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/clearing-garbage-is-not-the-job-of-army/477842.html




Should the Army be used to clean trash left behind by tourists and others? It depends on whom you ask. According to the government, this is a key part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which includes all citizens and therefore includes the Army as well. On the other side, senior veterans of the Army feel this is part of an effort to downgrade the importance of the armed forces and make them do something that they neither trained for nor signed up to do. Either way, an order has come. Some of the places where this is happening are Kedarnath, Rudraprayag, Joshimath, Harsil and Gaurikund in Uttarakhand.




Is it fair to ask the Army to clean up garbage left behind by tourists in high-altitude areas?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBfu3xSx8V8

                    Clearing  Garbage

              is not the Job of Army

          Lt-Gen Harwant Singh (Retd)







A soldier walks into the very jaws of death when needed. But, clearing garbage hits the sense of dignity that is bestowed upon him by his profession.

A sanitation drive in progress after the Amarnath yatra in Baltal. File photo
THE recent order by the PMO delivered through the Defence Ministry to the Army to remove garbage etc left by climbers on Mount Everest and pilgrims going to various shrines in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, has caused much dismay and disquiet both amongst the veterans and the serving men. 

Troops always pitch in

1 The Indian Army has always responded with alacrity to any call from the civil administration for help during floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

2 Similar has been the response when called upon to restore order: when matters get out of hand of the police and other central police organisations. In remote areas, many a time the army has come to the help of the local population even when there has been no such request from the civil administration. The well-being of the people of the country has always been foremost with the Indian army. 

3 Soldiering is a profession apart. When called upon, soldiers walk into the very jaws of death without a demur. It is so because of self-respect and pride in the profession of arms, regimental spirit and, above all, love for the country and its people. In all this, lingers a sense of dignity embedded in the profession. 

Lankan army said no to cleaning

In no democracy of the world has there been a case where soldiers have been asked to undertake the cleaning of garbage generated by the public.  The Sri Lankan army refused to carry out such a task. Soldiers keep cantonments, military stations and their posts neat and clean and these stand out as example of orderliness and cleanliness in the midst of abundant filth seen in the surrounding towns etc.  

The new breed of soldiers is different from those of yore. Most of them have no family tradition of soldiering and are there merely for the sake of employment. Therefore, there have been cases in the recent past where soldiers deployed as 'sahayaks' (orderlies to officers) have termed tasks such as washing their officer's car or picking up his child from school or buying vegetables from the market for his officer, as menial. Such complaints made the Army Chief contemplate employing civilians in place of 'sahayaks.'

‘Lawful command’ issue

Assume that a group of soldiers is ordered to clean up garbage and muck at a particular place, be it Badrinath or Base Camp of Mount Everest and the troops simply do not react to this order. Such a situation arose when Central India Horse (CIH) was ordered to mount the train for eventual move to North Africa, during World War I and one squadron (Sikh Squadron) did not do so, even when the order was repeated. Then as per the military law, it was a mutiny. Court martials followed, with half a dozen awarded the death sentence and some varying terms of imprisonment. 

The case of the failure to react to order to clear garbage will be no different. Except at such a court martial, the issue of 'lawful command', which is the principle content of an order in the military, will surface. Defence will contend whether such an order is a lawful command. How such a situation will impact discipline in the military as a whole is not difficult to visualise. 

It would be unwise to continuously push the military against the wall. It maintains its own areas in a spick and span state one need leave it at that. 

Ginger up civil administration

There is a need to ginger up the civil administration, which has the necessary wherewithal to take on all such tasks entirely on its own, without calling in the military. Even in such and other tasks, the tendency to call the military at the drop of a hat shows the civil administration in poor light. If at present there are nearly 130 districts in the country where the government's writ does not fully run, the element of poor civil administration is a substantial contributory factor.  

Those who take it upon themselves to pass such uncalled for instructions to the military have little knowledge of soldiering. They are unaware of the fact of how pride in oneself, discipline and officer-man relationship leads them to attempt the impossible, as they did in Kargil. No one need push the military to a position where troops resent or disapprove of tasks being assigned to them. The Swachh Bharat movement is a people's movement and those on pilgrimage should be motivated to clean up such places as part of their pilgrimage. Elsewhere, the district administration should actively involve itself and get people as a whole to participate in this movement.  Holding a broom as a photo-op is not enough. 

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.