Newspapers which had carried salivating headlines on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cloak-and-dagger peace process with Pakistan had changed their tune following the jihadi terrorist attack on the Indian Air Force station at Pathankot, in Punjab, about 25 miles from the Pakistan border. The Telegraph front-page headline referred to a perceived ‘botch-up’ (January 4), which was an exaggeration. The purpose of the assault was to destroy the warplanes and other assets based there. Not a single such item suffered even minor damage. But three Indian personnel initially died in the encounter together with six jihadis.
The stand-off lasted some 17 hours. An organization calling itself the United Jihad Council based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir claimed responsibility for the attack, thus far, are the basic facts, but more are certain to follow as the dust settles. So it proved. When the last building at the site was blown up by an Army demolition squad, to flush out final pocket of jihasdi resistance, four corpses with suicide vests were discovered among the scattered debris, which would suggest that the total terrorist death toll was 10. (Telegraph January 7)
Security breaches
There were, however, security breaches that will need to be addressed. How were the jihadis able to infiltrate the border, and were they undetected? What was the reason for the delay before the full strength of anti-terror squads brought into play? Should there be a unified command for such anti-terror operations? Serious questions have been asked as to why NSG commandos were flown from Delhi, when crack Army units in the vicinity could have acted without loss of precious time. (Times of India, Hindu January 6)
Well trained. Well armed
According to Indian sources in the field, the jihadis were well trained, with a considerable stock of ammunition and weapons. The source told the Hindu newspaper (January 5) that the training came from a ‘professional armed force in Pakistan.’ Pakistan has offered to cooperate with India, if India supplied ‘ evidence’ available to it on the terrorist group, a standard statement after all such cases, including the 26/11/2008 attack on Mumbai. (Hindu January 5)
Consultations
The Indian Prime Minister has been closeted with the country’s intelligence chiefs, but the outcomes will be interesting when they emerge in the public space. So, too, was Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, who called in retired diplomats with considerable knowledge of Pakistan such as Shyam Saran, Shiv Shankar Menon, G. Parthasarathy and Satyabrata Pal et al. The current Foreign Secretary, S. Jaishankar was also present. Possibly a case of shutting the stable door after the horses had bolted (Times of India January 4)
Jihadi handlers
‘Jihadis made dry runs at Pakistan air base.’ This headline in a Times of India report (January 6) told of Indian intelligence intercepts and other evidence of a jihadi-Pakistani military axis were unearthed The plot thickens with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif calling his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi from Sri Lanka, where he was on a visit, to appeal that the India-Pakistan talks should continue. The United States with its accustomed double standards on terrorism lodged a similar appeal.
US dares not say its name
‘The US “strongly” condemned the terrorist attack in Pathankot, ‘stringing together a bunch of weasel words that did not zero in on the perpetrators and the country of origin of the terrorists,’ wrote Chidanand Rajghatta in the Times of India (January 4). Having been his paper’s US Correspondent over a number of years, experienced in American ways, there was no cause to be surprised. All terrorist may be bad but some are better than others, hence acceptable and worthy of US cash and arms flows.
Christine Fair tweet
Rajghatta quotes a tweeted comment by Christine Fair, an academic at Georgetown University, Texas, which read: ‘I cannot understand why my country keeps coddling this terrorist state.’ Having written the best book on the Pakistan Army and its workings – ‘Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Army’s Way of War’ - she is too intelligent not to know how deeply embedded the US and Pakistan have been, and continue to be. Their relationship stretches over the past 60 years and more.
Jihadi handlers
Indian intelligence has monitored intercepts of conversations between the jihadis and their military handlers in Pakistan. They have also got DNA samples of the jihadis and much else that is incriminating evidence. Intelligence sources have enough proof of the jihadis having made a dry run at Pakistan military bases. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has appealed to Narendra Modi to keep faith with the promised India-Pakistan talks. America, with its well known double standards has dittoed its Islamabad’s client’s appeal. ((Hindu, Times of India January 6, 8)
Restive Army
All, clearly, is not well in the Indian establishment. The India’s Army chief General Dalbir Singh has issued a robust statement: ‘As a defence officer , I can say that India needs to change its security policy towards Pakistan.
Every time Pakistan bleeds us by a thousand cuts….We just talk about it for a few days, we let it go as business as normal,’ he said. Retired Brigadier J.S.Sandhu echoed General Singh’s remark. ‘ The government needs to let the Army act against these terror groups We have always been lenient and soft towards Pakistan, but in return we have only been rewarded with attacks,’ he said. Lt General Mukesh Sabberwal said India had still not absorbed the lessons of the 26/11/ 2008 attack on Mumbai or the the more recent jihadi attack on Gurdaspur several months ago (Times of India January 6)
India to acquire Japanese planes
The Indian Navy is set to acquire 12 prized Japanese amphibious US-21 Seaplane Mark II aircraft from ShinMaywa Industries. India and Japan signed an agreement for their export to India.in a deal worth $1.65 billion. The agreement also provides for enhanced joint research between the two countries and technological cooperation. (Business Line January 4)
India, Russia energy pact
Indian and Russian companies ONGC Videsh Ltd and Rosneft have signed an agreement by which the former will buy a 15 per cent stake in the Russian oil major’s subsidiary Vankoneft for $1.25 billion. Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said: ‘We have a very privileged strategic relationship with Russia…Russia is an old and trusted partner of India.’ (Business Line December 23, 2015)
Tata in Russian energy deal
Tata Power has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Development for Russian Far East to explore and develop investment opportunities in the energy sector, ‘The MoU reflects the mutual intentions of the parties to cooperate for the purpose of realization of investment projects in the energy sector across the Russian Far East,’ said Tata Power in statement in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Cooperation
Under the agreement, Ministry of Development of Russian Far East will cooperate with and support Tata Power at all stages of investment projects, including assistance to the company’s communications with the Federal and regional authorities, state-owned companies and the private sector. (Hindu December 26, 2015)
Companies raise Rs 13,6000 crore
About 21 companies registered on the Bombay Stock Exchange raised Rs 13,600 crore in 2015 – the highest in five years – and an impressive pipeline worth Rs 14,000 is already in place for 2016. Adding to the depth of the IPO market, companies from diverse sectors such as renewable energy, QSRs, logistics, pharmaceuticals, electronics.
SMEs response
Small and medium-size enterprises (SME) companies are upbeat with dedicated platforms witnessing fund raising worth Rs 252 crore. ICICI Securities’ Executive Director, Ajay Saraf, said: ‘The retail investors on an average made a 17-20 per cent return in the current fiscal year. The trend of blockbuster response from retail investors in recent listings can be anticipated to continue in the forthconing issues.’ (indu December 26, 2015)
Science Congress derided
The recently concluded Indian Science Congress at Mysore has been dismissed by Chemistry Nobel laureate Venkataraman Ramakrishnan as a circus, which he swore never again to attend. He referred scathingly to last year’s session when certain speakers indulged in absurdist fantasies of atom bombs and aircraft in the Mahabharata. Several Indian scientists were equally dismissive, arguing for abolishment of the event.
Bhargava take Manjulal Bhargava, field
Medal winner (regarded as the Nobel prize for pure mathematics), the distinguished Indian mathematician at Princeton University thought differently. Mobbed by young Indians who, after interacting with him, wished to take up mathematics as a career, he said the experience was wonderful. Something great had been achieved, after all. Specialist scientists had their specialized conferences, but an open meeting, he said, had its own attraction.
Professor Bhargava was a consultant in the newly released film on the life of Srinivasa Ramanujan and his relationship with his Cambridge contemporary G.H. Hardy. (Times of India, January 4,7)
