Tej Pratap Yadav, Lalu Yadav's Debutant Son, Repeats Oath After Flub

Patna:  Tej Pratap Yadav, the politically inexperienced older son of Lalu Yadav, was third in line to be sworn in today as a minister in Bihar's Nitish Kumar government.

He was asked by Governor Ramnath Kovind to repeat his oath after a flub; he had said "Upekshit (neglected)" instead of "Apekshit (expectations)". Even in his second attempt, he fumbled on another word.

Tej Pratap, who turns 28 tomorrow, has settled for a junior role compared to his younger brother Tejaswi, who is set to take charge as Deputy Chief Minister at 26.

Though both sons of Lalu Yadav are debutants and won their first election this time, Tejaswi is widely seen as his father's political heir since he campaigned with him for last year's national election.

Lalu's oldest Misa contested the Lok Sabha election but lost. She was present at the swearing in ceremony along with two more sisters.

Misa, Tej Pratap and Tejaswi are the only ones among Lalu's nine children to join politics.

Story First Published: November 20, 2015 14:31 IST

'Cow Killers Have No Right to Live in India', Says Uttarakhand Chief Minister

Haridwar:  Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat of the Congress is the latest to add to controversial comments on beef and cow slaughter. He has said that those who kill cows have "no right to live in the country."

"Anyone who kills cows, no matter which community he belongs to, is India's biggest enemy and has no right to live in the country," Mr Rawat said at a function in the holy city of Haridwar on Tuesday.

The Chief Minister said the law would deal sternly with those who kill cows in Uttarakhand, and the state government would do everything to protect cows.

His government, he said, had passed a proposal against cow slaughter. He went on to say that Uttarakhand is the only state which gives not only land for cowsheds but also helps in arranging for their fodder.

The Chief Minister's statement runs contrary to the stand of his Congress party, which has strongly protested against recent incidents and pronouncements linked to cow slaughter amid a swirling debate on "intolerance" in the country.

Last month, ML Khattar, the Chief Minister of BJP-ruled Haryana, had backtracked after appearing to suggest that Muslims in the country must give up beef. "Muslims can stay, but in this country they will have to give up eating beef. The cow is an article of faith here," Mr Khattar was quoted by a newspaper as saying.

Mr Khattar later amended that all he meant was "we should show respect for each other's sentiment." 

 

Story First Published: November 20, 2015 07:15 IST

KCR tears into Congress, TDP

WARANGAL: Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday tore into opposition parties in the state in an attempt to shred their credibility in the run up to the November 21 bypoll to Warangal LS constituency.

Addressing a public meeting at Hanamkonda, KCR minced no words in ridiculing Congress, TDP and BJP leaders who have been campaigning in the constituency for the past few days. The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi has fielded Pasunuri Dayakar as its candidate for the bypoll. The meeting was attended by several ministers and TRS legislators.

Though the chief minister spoke about various programmes taken up by the government such as Mission Kakatiya, drinking water supply and uninterrupted power supply to agriculture, he dwelt at some length on the issue of farmers' suicides. "Before the TRS came to power, farmers had to stand in long queues to buy seeds and fertilizers. This government ensured that these were freely available. The suicides are a result of the policies of the previous governments of Congress and TDP," KCR said.

He also accused the opposition parties of paying money to some cotton farmers and encouraging them to set fire to their crops in a bid to malign the TRS government. He blamed the opposition for the recent slipper-throwing incident during deputy CM Kadiyam Srihari's meeting. "Some media also has a role in this. The opposition resorts to such dramas to fool voters in Warangal," KCR said.

Calling on voters to elect Dayakar with a huge majority, he said Congress leader K Jana Reddy had sold himself for a ministerial berth in unified AP. "He (Jana Reddy) launched the Telangana Forum when he was denied a berth in the ministry by the then chief minister K Vijayabhaskar Reddy and sought my support. I sent him back saying you do not have the welfare of Telangana at your heart but only want to be a minister. Sure enough, a few days later, he was made agriculture minister and then disbanded the forum," KCR said. He also criticised former Union minister S Jaipal Reddy for not doing anything worthwhile for the Telangana cause during his term as central minister.

Turning his attention to the BJP, KCR asked state BJP president G Kishan Reddy to recollect what his party leader and Union minister Venkaiah Naidu had said recently. KCR said, "Venkaiah Naidu said that the central government, which was in power for the past 17 months, did not possess Alladin's magic lamp to solve all challenges instantly. So does Kishan Reddy expect the TRS government to have one? If the all-powerful central government says it cannot do everything overnight, how can a state government perform miracles?"

"If I have spoken lies, then punish me. If not, then teach the opposition parties a lesson by ensuring Dayakar's victory," he said.

BJP: Mani Shankar Aiyar, Salman Khurshid behaving as ISIS propagandists

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday labelled Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar and Salman Khurshid as propagandists for the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) following their very public criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"While the world is getting together against terrorism, the Prime Minister's words and agenda to fight terrorism have been accepted the world over. It is in this context the G20 summit has happened. 130 people have been killed in Paris on an open assault to civilization and it seems that these people (Congress) are behaving and conducting themselves as propagandists for ISIS and Taliban," BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi told media here.

"When it comes to condemnation atleast Azam Khan's statement was condemned by Samajwadi Party(SP) and they disassociated with it completely, but Congress party has chose to not do so in this context against Salman Khurshid and Mani Shankar Aiyar," she added.

Mani Shankar Aiyar who went to Pakistan before the Bihar assembly polls courted a controversy by saying that Islamabad should help India in defeating Prime Minister Modi and ensure that the Congress is back at the Centre.

Khurshid also during his visit to Islamabad said: "India has not responded to Pakistan's overtures for peace in South Asia the way it should have. If you look back at the first face-to-face between our PMs, your PM took a brave, farsighted decision. What we said and did made things uncomfortable for Pakistan after the visit of Nawaz Sharif at Modi's swearing-in ceremony."

I dare PM to resign, says Narendra Modi on 2G verdict

Mandvi:  Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had no right to continue in the office in view of the Supreme Court's ruling in the 2G spectrum case.

"When the Supreme Court has given a clear verdict, Manmohan Singh has no right to stay in the post even for a minute," Modi said, addressing a Sadbhavna fast meeting here.

"I dare the Prime Minister to give up his silence and resign," he said.

Modi also targeted Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, saying that "the court has established charges against Chidambaram. The Supreme Court has directed the lower court to hold a trial".

"After the apex court's directives, Congress has come out in the open to save him," Modi said.

"This raises a suspicion that entire Manmohan Singh-led government is making all these efforts not to save Chidambaram but all those people who are behind him and whose names have still not cropped up," Modi said.

"In the history of the country, we have not seen such a scam where the country's exchequer was looted to the tune of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore."

The apex court today cancelled 122 telecom licenses granted during the tenure of former telecom minister A Raja, saying that first-come-first-served policy was wrong. As to Chidambaram, the Court left it to the trial court to decide on the demand for investigation of his alleged role in the 2G scam. 

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Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/i-dare-pm-to-resign-says-narendra-modi-on-2g-verdict-172782?pfrom=home-otherstories&cp

Raja's first year in jail includes badminton, canteen snacks

New Delhi:  Having spent a year behind bars for his alleged involvement in the 2G scam, former communications minister A Raja seems to have adapted to life in Tihar Jail, officials said on Thursday.

"After a few weeks of initial sullenness and shock, Raja seems to have adapted to jail life. He was not talkative or interacting with other inmates, but now he seems to have become friendly with others in his ward," a jail official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Raja was arrested February 2 last year, taken into Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody and then brought to Tihar Jail on February 17.

Jail sources said Raja has never thrown any tantrum at any point of time.

"Raja is lodged in a 15 by 10 feet cell, ventilated with a grated iron aperture near the ceiling at jail number one, ward number six. He spends most of the time reading books, newspapers and prepares notes on his court hearings. He sticks to the routine," the official said.

Apart from watching television, Raja also plays badminton with other inmates in the evening.

"He usually takes a one-hour walk from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. inside the ward premises. Initially, he used to talk only to jail guards from the Tamil Nadu battalion, but now he speaks with everyone in broken Hindi," the jail official said.

Raja is also much more disciplined as compared to other high-profile prisoners.

"The only special demand he made was for some Tamil newspapers, which have been provided to him," the official added.

Sources added that his ward is changed every two days for security purposes, as he is a former minister.

Raja, who was initially getting home-cooked food, is now eating meals prepared in the jail.

"He is eating jail food and two times a week, he gets home-made south Indian dishes and shares it with other inmates," the official told IANS.

Raja seems hooked to snacks from the Tihar canteen, which he shares with fellow inmates as well.

"He usually gets omelette, biscuits and namkeens from the canteen," the official said.

Raja became the communications minister in 2007. He is accused of cheating, criminal conspiracy and corruption in the selling of scarce second generation (2G) telecom airwaves to favoured companies at a fraction of their actual cost, causing huge losses to the exchequer. 

For NDTV Updates

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Uttar Pradesh polls: Congress manifesto counters BJP's promise of building temple in Ayodhya

Lucknow:  An accent on youth and technology, with a big Rahul Gandhi poster dominating a crowded stage. A focus on education and health, minority quota, better law and order. A counter to the BJP's promise of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya by saying "stick to the court order on the Babri Masjid." So where are the freebies in the Congress' UP manifesto ? Union Minister Kapil Sibal put it succinctly when he said in Lucknow today, "Just vote us back after this 23-year exile. You'll get everything."

The Congress promises a school in every village, one intermediate college for every 2,500 families, residential schools for the very backward, and 500 model schools.  The 20 lakh jobs that its vision statement released last week envisaged. It also promises doctors available at walking distance for all, upgraded district hospitals, a health lokpal (ombudsman) at the state level to ensure implementation of health schemes.

In fact, there will be focus on full and timely implementation of the UPA government's policies - that includes the 4.5 per cent sub-quota for backward minorities that the Centre has pushed through. The party also promises to explore the idea of having a sub quota for very backward Dalits.

Clean UP is the mantra and the Congress says that does not only mean physical cleanliness. It promises action against the corrupt and says it will bring the Chief Minister under the Lokayukta.

So no free or cheap laptops for UP's students, a la the BJP or Samajwadi Party? No, says Mr Sibal, "we would rather provide the information highway." Fittingly, the Congress pulled out technology man Sam Pitroda to accompany Mr Sibal at the party's UP manifesto launch.

"We are a nation of a connected billion. We are now making connected universities and are connecting 250,000 panchayats. Technology will play an important part in UP too," said Sam Pitroda, who is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's technology and innovation adviser and was a prominent part of the team that gave shape to Rajiv Gandhi's technology dreams.

Minister and the man in charge of the party's manifesto drafting committee Salman Khurshid came late, blamed his helicopter and said the right men - Mr Pitroda and Mr Sibal - were there as the manifesto is focused on education.

BJP, Congress spar over Taslima Nasreen's book

New Delhi: A war of words ensued between the BJP and the Congress on Wednesday over the cancellation of the official release of controversial author Taslima Nasreen's book in Kolkata with the former accusing Congress of driving the country towards a dangerous mindset and the latter saying fanaticism was intrinsic to the Opposition party's DNA.
"We condemn it. Congress is driving the country towards a dangerous mindset," senior BJP leader Murali Manohar Joshi said reacting to the cancellation of the release of the seventh part of Nasreen's 'Nirbasan' (Exile) at Kolkata Book Fair.
Reacting to BJP's attack, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said that BJP has a tendency of "tilting at windmills".
"Fanaticism is intrinsic to the DNA of BJP and its affiliate organisations," Tewari said asking the Opposition party to "purge itself from fanaticism" and look within before levelling "false allegations" against Congress.

BJP on the attack after SC order, Cong says no setback

The Supreme Court judgment setting a three-month deadline for the government for sanctioning the prosecution of public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act was a slap in the government's face, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Tuesday.

“BJP welcomes Supreme Court's judgment. This judgment is a slap in the face of Manmohan Singh government,” senior party leader Balbir Punj told reporters.

"It is a a judgment which will have far reaching consequences, in the citizens' fight against corruption and in empowering the citizens," he said.
He called it the second major embarrassment for government, and said the first was the Supreme Court striking down the appointment of PJ Thomas as chief vigilance commissioner.
“The first embarrassment this government faced was when prime minister had cleared Thomas's candidature as the CVC chief,” he said.
Punj also accused the government of not taking action against those involved in major corruption cases.
“Many people who are guilty and accused of acts of omission and commission are going scott free,” he said. “In the 2G case, so far only (A) Raja has been sent to jail, other people who occupy more important posts in government and were equally responsible are free”.
“I am sure, this latest judgment will help the law catch them,” he said.
The government, however, insisted that the Supreme Court's observation on sanction of prosecution in 2G case was not a setback to it and said it has taken a number of "proactive" anti-corruption measures that includes removal of discretionary powers for ministers.
Minister of state in PMO V Narayanasamy told PTI that the observations by the apex court did not "reflect upon" the functioning of the government and cannot be used as an instrument to "settle political scores."
"It is not a setback. It is not an issue where one can settle political scores...It is one of the observations made by the Supreme Court. Several matters come before the Supreme Court and the court gives its observation on those issues," he said.
He was responding when asked to comment on the Supreme Court holding that filing of a complaint under the Prevention of Corruption Act is a constitutional right of a citizen and the competent authority should decide within a time frame on granting sanction of prosecution of a public servant.
The minister said the UPA government has taken a number of "pro-active" measures on the anti-corruption front by introducing legislations like Lokpal and Citizens Charter.
"We proactively removed the provision for sanction to prosecute officials. This has been done in Lokpal. We have been taking a number of steps in this regard," he said.
The petitioner, Subramanian Swamy welcomed the Supreme Court verdict saying it has "simplified the issue" in graft cases lodged under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).
Terming the ruling as a "victory for the Constitution and the war against corruption", Swamy said it has also "empowered all of us who are fighting against corruption."
"It has empowered the citizen to go directly to the court to seek an inquiry against any act of corruption without seeking a sanction," he said.
Swamy also lauded the apex court for fixing a four months' deadline for the sanctioning authority to take a decision on a plea for grant of sanction to prosecute a public servant, failing which the sanction would be deemed to have been given.
"The delay won't be accepted beyond three months as the government has to decide on sanction and if they want to consult the Attorney General, then one month more. So, maximum within four months, it (government) has to decide, else it will be treated as deemed sanction," he said.
He also urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to issue an ordinance amending section 19 of the PCA, which deals with grant of sanction for prosecution of a public servant.
"I urge the Prime Minister (PM) to atone for his past delay by issuing an ordinance amending section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act," he said.
Swamy said that the PM can now be approached directly by any private person seeking sanction.
"Anybody can (now) get inquiry conducted by the court without needing any sanction. Sanction is required only at the stage of trial and not at the stage of inquiry," he further said.
The Supreme Court Tuesday gave the government a three-month deadline for sanctioning public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The apex court said this while allowing a petition by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy saying the prime minister was sitting on his application seeking sanction to prosecute former telecom minister A Raja for his alleged involvement in the 2G scam.
An apex court bench of justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly also said the time period would be extended by another month if the government wanted to take the opinion of the attorney general.  
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)

Shame UPA's pandering to the Taliban

So, our dear leaders have caved in to the politics of vote banks yet again in election season. I use the term "dear leaders" advisedly, after all, we are taking a leaf out of the book of North Korea to prevail upon Salman Rushdie not to visit the Jaipur lit festival.

This gnomic fascist mindset of the Congress party does not do the minorities any credit. Do they really believe that the Taliban fringe of the Deoband speaks for all Muslims? And, why the closing of the Indian mind with ridiculous cases against Google and Facebook.

The Congress has a standard knee-jerk reaction to always play the nanny state. It is shameful that a great author who is a proud possessor of a Person of Indian Origin card and who by any reckoning has brought insight, delight to readers and glory to our country is not welcome as a supine Congress party quivers at the dictates of the loony fringe.

Isn't it curious that Rushdie has been a regular visitor for years and yet when elections in UP are a fortnight away, the Deoband decides to test its mettle.

Despite, the fact that the fatwa on Rushdie also came about because of a similar jelly like approach to ban his novel, as India was the first country in the world to do it, Rushdie still finds his creative wellsprings here. Shame on us then. Remember another great democracy the United Kingdom spent millions protecting Rushdie from the fatwa.

The politics of bans, quotas and appeasement of all kind of every lunatic fringe is in the DNA of the Congress party.

Even the diminishing returns of the politics of appeasement have brought no realisation. So libraries are burnt down, books banned and yet we still piously and smugly proclaim our democratic credentials. The Economist newspaper has repeatedly pointed out that the Indian censors zealously guarding Indian maps beat China hollow.

When are we going to understand that dissent is the essence of a mature country? Does the Congress party really want to act as a thought police and cave in every time a special interest group wants to flex its muscles?

A responsible government would have spurned the call to deny Rushdie a visa, yet Ashok Gehlot still engulfed in the Bhanwari Devi sex murder tries to pressure the organisers to ensure that Rushdie stays away.

The Muslims should punish the Congress party for insulting their intelligence with these gimmicks, complete with Rahul Gandhi's flexi beard.

For all you know, the meeting of minds between the Taliban and the Congress party might have some interesting results.

But, Shame.

Maheswar Mohanty Attacked: Odisha Minister Maheswar Mohanty Injured In Attack By Youth

Odisha Panchayati Raj Minister Maheswar Mohanty was seriously injured after being attacked by a youth at a poll meeting in Puri district on Monday ahead of the panchayat elections in the state.
Mohanty was addressing the meeting at Alandia village under Chandanpur police station when the youth dressed as a woman appeared on the dais from back side and hit the minister on his head with an iron pipe, the police said.
“Mohanty received injury on his head and is now undergoing treatment in the district headquarters hospital”, the sources said.
The senior BJD leader was found profusely bleeding and brought to the hospital by local MLA Sanjay Dusburma and other party workers.
The attacker identified as Balbhadra Bhoi alias Mahari was overpowered by BJD workers and handed him over to the police. The youth was being interrogated.
Political rivalry was suspected to be the cause of the attack.

IAS BP Acharya Arrested: AP Home Secretary IAS BP Acharya Arrested In Emaar Scandal

One of Andhra Pradesh’s most senior bureaucrats, IAS officer BP Acharya has been arrested in Hyderabad on charges of corruption. Mr Acharya is the Principle Home Secretary. He has been sent to the CBI custody till February 1.
The case involves Emaar Properties, a real estate giant headquartered in Dubai, which built a high-end hotel, golf course and luxury villas on close to 500 acres in Manikonda.
Emaar in 2002 partnered with the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) which says the developer has cheated it of crores of profit by siphoning money to Dubai. The CBI is investigating the case.
In 2005, Mr Acharya was the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the APIIC. The charges against him include cheating and criminal conspiracy under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Some of the land for the township had allegedly been acquired by farmers who were told that their property was needed to set up industrial projects. The villas, which were bought by local film stars and A-list entrepreneurs were reportedly under-valued in documents, costing the government thousands of crores.
Mr Achrya is the third person arrested so far for this case. In recent days, an industrialist named Koneru Prasad and Sunil Reddy, who is a close aide of politician Jagan Mohan Reddy, have also been jailed. Jagan’s father, YSR, was Chief Minister when the state’s controversial partnership with Emaar was forged.
YSR died in 2009 in a helicopter crash. Those close to Jagan claim the case exemplifies political vendetta. They believe the Congress government is using it to undermine the popularity that Jagan enjoys among voters who swear allegiance to his father even today.

Shoe Thrown At Rahul: Shoe Thrown On Rahul Gandhi In Rally In Dehradun

A shoe has been thrown at Congress General Secretary and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi during an election rally in Dehradun. One person has been detained for throwing the shoe.
Rahul Gandhi said that such attacks were not going to deter him.
“If some people think that throwing a shoe will deter me and force me to run away, them they are mistaken. Rahul Gandhi will not run away,” he said.
This is not the first such incident that took place during Rahul Gandhi’s campaign this election session.
On Saturday, January 21 two youths raised black flags and shouted slogans against corruption when Rahul Gandhi was addressing a poll rally at tribal-dominated Duddhi in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.
Soon after their act, they were beaten up by some people attending the Adivasi Sashaktikaran Dhanyawad rally.
Police detained one of the youths Ajay Kumar Singh, who is said to be the supporter of yoga guru Ramdev.
Two days before the black flag incident, Rahul Gandhi On Thursday had to abruptly end his speech at a rally in Banda after some youths demonstrated with banners and posters demanding bringing back of black money stashed abroad.
Moreover, this was the second shoe attack that took place in Dehradun within a week.
On Saturday, January 21 a person hurled a shoe at Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal at a public meeting in Dehradun itself. The shoe was hurled when Kejriwal was on his way to the stage, but before the team could realise anything, the attacker was whisked away by the police.
The man, identified as Kishan Lal, has been arrested. Lal said, allegedly this was in response or a reaction to Anna Hazare’s comment on the slap at Sharad Pawar, and he was reacting to that comment, which he perceived to be very insensitive.

Chinese Attack On June/July 2012: China To Attack India In June/July 2012

It is time the ministry of defence got cracking in building up the Indian Army’s military capability to face the Chinese threat, warns Colonel Anil Athale (retd).
Last year when this author wrote about a Kargil- style foray by China in the near future, the idea was more in the realm of speculation. But the events of the last few months seem to move the likelihood from the speculative to the possible.
But it seems that New Delhi is in deep slumber or has no time to pay attention to such ‘minor’ issues like national security when all attention is focused on the upcoming assembly election in Uttar Pradesh.
It is, however, unfair to blame the government alo#8800 even the Opposition is equally busy in its perennial game of one ‘UP-manship’ and has never effectively taken up the issue of defence preparedness in Parliament.
The media is frivolous as ever and is chasing TRPs; unfortunately there are no TRPs to be gained on defence issues.
This is an attempt by a student of history to give a wake-up call.
Colonel (Dr) Anil Athale (retd) is coordinator of the Pune-based think-tank, Indian Initiative for Peace, Arms-control & Disarmament and co-author of the official history of the 1962 India-China conflict.
What makes matters even worse than ‘normal’ in Delhi today is the inefficiency that has crept in all decision-making due to the ‘Diarchy’ that prevails in Delhi.
For those unfamiliar with the term — this was the system in British India when the rulers of the princely states had all the trappings of power but the British resident exercised the real power.
In its second avatar, the United Progressive Alliance resembles that model with real power in the hands of the Gandhi dynasty while the prime minister has all the trappings of power.
What this has done is the pivotal position of the Prime Minister’s Office and its job of co-ordination and enforcement of the will of the government on the State machinery is severely compromised.
In case of vital decisions on security issues, this can lead to disasters.
The portents indeed are ominous. On December 14, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Parliament that his government does not share the view that China plans to attack India.
Exactly half a century ago, another Indian prime minister stuck to a similar view, until November 21, 1962.
Broadcasting to the nation that day, that prime minister lamented that in this hour of peril, our heart goes to the people of Assam!
As Jawaharlal Nehru spoke to the nation, the civil administration in Tezpur had begun to burn documents and currency in the government treasury, prison doors were thrown open, and everyone made a beeline to get across the Brahmaputra by whatever means.
The stage was being set for surrendering all territory north of the Brahmaputra to the Chinese.
To the people of my generation, the memories of that day give goose pimples even today. The unfortunate similarities do not end there.
Just a year before that, in 1961, the then defence minister V K Krishna Menon had a scrap in public with the highly esteemed army chief, who resigned and then took back his resignation on the prime minister’s advice.
The prime minister then went on to humiliate the general in Parliament. As a consequence, the morale of the army was badly affected.
As someone who has studied that conflict, including the famed Henderson Brooks Report, one can say without any contradiction that ‘loss of morale’ was the single biggest cause of our debacle in 1962.
It is incredible that exactly after half a century we have a similar confrontation between the army chief and the defence ministry bureaucracy.
One of the horror stories of the 1962 conflict with China was the way India made a frenzied effort to arm the soldiers with modern weapons. The insistence on ‘indigenous’ production of arms and inability of the local R&D/factories starved Indian soldiers of tools of war.
So, what do we do?
Brand new rifles (the 7.62 SLR) were airdropped at Dirang Zong, of course without ammunition! As if the soldiers are robots who can instantly master new weapons and begin using it!
Our army’s modernisation is stuck in red tape of the deepest hue.
Import of the critical lightweight howitzer, so important to provide artillery support to infantry in the mountains, is stuck in the courts/CBI clearances and what not.
Anyone familiar with the armed forces remembers the phrase often used by superiors while giving orders, ‘I do not care whether you beg, borrow or steal! I want this done!’
It is time to remind the defence minister that the country expects him to deliver security and efficiency.
His primary job is to ensure honour and safety of the country, and not his honour, that must come last, always and every time (a sort of modified version of the Chetwood pledge that all newly commissioned officers take).
It appears that China is carefully choreographing incidents with India. First, there were several instances of Chinese troops crossing the border, marking their presence. We have dismissed these as ‘minor’ incidents.
Then there was the verbal spat and exchange of notes over the Indian foray into oil exploration in Vietnam waters. The new year saw ill-treatment of an Indian diplomat. Earlier, there were cases of Indian diamond merchants being imprisoned in China. All these could well be dismissed as minor incidents that involve local officials.
If similar incidents were to take place on the India-Pakistan border, they are not to be taken seriously because in Pakistan nobody is in control of the armed forces or civilian officials.
But China is NOT Pakistan — the People’s Liberation Army, the media (including the Internet) are all under tight party/government control in China.
India would be making a grave error of judgment if it considers these incidents as non serious. There seems to be a design behind these orchestrated events, especially the forays by the PLA.
It is time India woke up. Luckily, we do have some time.
At the moment the Himalayan passes are frozen and no military operations are possible.
The likely threat will only emerge in June/July 2012. It must be made clear that one is not talking of an all-out war.
What we must accept is a short, sharp, attack by the Chinese, more in the nature of a slap!
To those who claim that Indo-Chinese trade is too big — one needs to remind them that as a proportion of overall Chinese trade with the world, it is of very little consequence!
It is time the ministry of defence cleaned up its act got cracking in building up the Indian Army’s military capability to face the Chinese threat.

Russian Missile Factory: Russian Lana Sator Sneaks In Missile Factory PHOTOS

These incredible pictures were taken by a young Russian woman after she crept inside a factory belonging to one of the world’s top manufacturers of liquid-fuel rockets.
Lana Sator found her way into one of NPO Energomash’s huge factories outside the Russian capital Moscow, without coming across a single security guard – or indeed any other employees at all.
But she could now be in some serious trouble with the Russian government.
The young blogger and her friends were able to simply jump over the fence surrounding the complex, climb the ladders surrounding the outside, and find their way right into its heart through a series of gangways, tunnels and pipes.
But this apparently decrepit factory is far from abandoned. NPO Energomash builds rockets that power the modern Soyuz, the Zenit 3SL, and the Angara and Baikal launch vehicles.
Their RD-180 engine powers the first stage of the Atlas V, an American rocket, and they have strong ties to the Russian military – which has one of the biggest arsenals of nuclear armed ballistic missiles in the world
The Russian government has already responded to Ms Sator’s adventures in the strategically important site. Officials have sent her letters warning that her situation will get ‘much worse’ if she keeps posting photos from the factory online.
For her part, Ms Sator has been undeterred and simply posted the letters on her own blog – lana-sator.livejournal.com – for the world to see.