Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Jawans can now directly call up top brass at MHA, paramilitary to voice their grievances

The Millenium Post
 Shimontini Bhattacharjee  1 March 2017 New Delhi

Following two incidents in which a Border Security Force (BSF) soldier Constable Pramodh Kumar committed suicide and another BSF Jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav cried foul, the top officials of both MHA and all Paramilitary forces have jointly decided to provide the Jawans with their personal contact numbers to lodge grievances.  "During the two-day meeting of Parliamentary Standing Committee of Home Affairs Parliamentarians of TMC, Congress and Left have asked for reports from the ministry officials. Initially, they were refused but later officials of paramilitary forces enlightened the Rajya Sabha Chairman about their new initiative," said sources. 64 top MHA officials including Home Secretary Rajiv Meherishi and DIG BSF, DIG CRPF, DIG ITBP and other officials were present in the meetings. On Sunday, Kumar who was posted along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle. Following this, another BSF soldier Tej Bahadur Yadav belonging to the 29 battalion Seema Suraksha Bal released a video to oust the corruption present in the system. The video, released early this year, revealed the deeply ingrained corruption by saying that, "The troops were deprived of the basic necessity, food." Brushing aside the allegations put forward by Yadav, the BSF told the Delhi High Court that there were no such complaints. But, on Monday during the parliamentary meeting, the MHA officials admitted that they do not have any food and rashan policies for Jawans. Also, TMC MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Derek O'Brien, Congress MPs Adhir Ranjan Chowdhuri, P. Chidambaram and Left MP Sitaram Yechury have raised 21 questions regarding the border security management. The government is yet to answer few of them. Opposing the initiative, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhuri said, "It is complete eye-wash. The Jawans are afraid of the system and so they will never lodge complaints willingly." 

Read more at: http://www.millenniumpost.in/big-stories/jawans-can-now-directly-call-up-top-brass-at-mha-paramilitary-to-voice-their-grievances-217677

Four persons injured in BSF firing in Tripura

Agartala | Tuesday, Feb 28 2017

Four people sustained serious injuries while one had to be admitted to Gomati district hospital in Udaipur as BSF jawans opened fire allegedly on a group of ostensibly innocent people.

The incident has sparked resentment among the villagers.

Police said the backside of Rajnagar hospital in Belonia subdivision in South Tripura has still been unfenced and yesterday late in the afternoon a group of cattle smugglers took a number of cattle across the unfenced border.

The BSF jawans had been chasing them but failed to trace or rescue the cattle. At a stage, BSF opened fire upon a group of people sitting in front of a mosque who had claimed to be innocent. Four persons were injured and one of them, known as Farid Mia, had to be rushed to Udaipur hospital while the remaining three escaped with minor injuries.

However, BSF said that those fired upon had collaborated with the cattle smugglers while local people claimed that the unprovoked firing had occurred on innocent people. UNI BB AKM 1728

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-1168948.Xml

http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20170228/3064877.html

Kashmir: Pellet guns with deflectors, Force's new jugaad for stone-pelters

The BSF has made certain modifications in pellet guns that are used in Kashmir Valley to disperse protesters and stone-pelters. The new guns are being tested by the BSF. After successful testing, the CRPF will be using the new pellet guns, which is said to less lethal yet equally effective.

Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu | Edited by Prabhash K Dutta
New Delhi, February 27, 2017 |

Picture for representation
Facing criticism over continued use of pellet guns to deal with stone-pelters in Jammu and Kashmir, the CRPF has come up with some modifications in its weapon.
The new pellet guns will have a deflector to make it less lethal yet equally effective. The modified guns are currently under production at Tekanpur Academy of the Border Security Force (BSF).
The CRPF uses the pellet gun in the Valley as its primary weapon in dealing with stone-pelters and protesters.
PELLET GUNS IN KASHMIR: THINGS TO KNOW
  1. The CRPF has come under heavy criticism for using these guns as over 100 people received serious injuries in their eyes during five months of protests following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July last year.
  2. Speaking at his farewell press conference today CRPF Director General K Durga Prasad said, "BSF has made modifications in pellet guns. We are testing it before using it in the field... We are working on introducing pellets guns with modifications that will make it less lethal."
  3. The new guns will have deflector to ensure that the bullets emanating from the barrel do not head upwards. Durga Prasad said, "A common complaint was that some of the protesters were hit in upper part of the body. Though the force has been advised to fire at the feet, the deflectors will ensure the pellet hit in lower part of the body when fired on protesters."
  4. CRPF IG (Training) Atul Karwal said the aim of deflector is to bring down the margin of error from 40 per cent to 2 per cent though hitting above the target may not be ruled out.
  5. Following an uproar over loss of vision of civilians including women and children after being hit by pellets during the 2016, an All Party Parliamentary Delegation visited Jammu and Kashmir. The members raised concerns over excessive use of pellet guns.
  6. Later a 7-member committee constituted by Union Home Ministry proposed use of PAVA shells. But on ground Pava shells were found to be ineffective, an aspect which was communicated to BSF factory in Takenpur.
  7. Speaking to India Today a top official said, "The PAVA shells were effective in closed environment and not in open one. The CRPF wanted to increase volume of chemical Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide to create nauseating effect on stone-pelters. Secondly the PAVA shell should impact immediately on hitting the ground without giving time for stone-pleters, who otherwise may lob it back towards security forces."
  8. DG Durga Prasad said "PAVA shell introduced as substitute to pellets gun is not the only solution. We need to use something else along with PAVA."
  9. According to CRPF DG, 47 incidents of grenade lobbing, three instances of firing from the crowd and 43 petrol/acid attacks on CRPF personnel were reported in Kashmir. There were 142 incidents of stone pelting reported on CRPF camps.
  10. "After Burhan Wani's encounter, 2,580 CRPF personnel were injured in Jammu and Kashmir. MHA will provide Rs 2,500 for minor injuries and Rs 7,500 for grievous injuries to CRPF personnel injured in incidents of stone pelting in Kashmir," Durga Prasad said.
  11. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kashmir-valley-stone-pelting-pellet-guns-crpf/1/892433.html

Seven runners from Rajasthan reach Wagah, meet BSF jawans

Updated: Feb 27, 2017

HT Correspondent
Hindustan Times, Amritsar

The team of runners with their supporters on their way to the Wagah border at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on Sunday.(Sameer Sehgal /Hindustan Times)

Initiating a run against terrorism, a team of seven runners started their journey from Jaipur on February 19 from where they claim to have run around 260 km till Delhi and further crossing various cities, they reached Amritsar on Sunday.

This team of runners is headed by a police inspector from Rajasthan Sunil Sharma, who along with hundreds of supporters reached the holy city and paid obeisance at the Golden Temple from where, they reached Jallianwala Bagh. From there, they moved towards Queens Road on vehicles and reached Attari border and two kms before Wagah, again started their run to give a message to the neighboring country asking them to ‘stop sponsoring terrorism’.

Standing on the international border, they interacted with BSF jawans telling them the feedback of people about jawans who are safeguarding our borders and sacrificing their lives.

Sharma said, “We have come to Wagah to send out a message to the neighbouring country to stop sponsoring terrorism and attacking Indian forces on border areas. India won’t be silent anymore.”

Sunil with runner Verinder Soni also raised a slogan ‘Atank mita denge nakshe se tumhara naam (Will remove the face of terrorism from the world map)’.

The team members belong to different professional streams such as doctor, cop and industrialist.

The team said during the run, they interacted with people to know their take on the neighboring country’s cheap terrorist activities and noted that people aggressively were ready to fight against terrorism.

This run was a big attraction in the city on Sunday as the runners donned trendy t-shirts with ‘Hunkar Daur’ printed on it and they hoisted the Indian national flag during their run.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/seven-runners-from-rajasthan-reach-wagah-meet-bsf-jawans/story-l6B2K8dPQiEhP6tE67EHBO.html

BSF arrests Chandigarh man who tried to cross India-Pakistan border to marry Facebook friend from Lahore

Sikandar Khan, 30, tried crossing the India-Pakistan border, without passport, to meet and marry his 'Facebook friend' from Lahore. He was arrested by the Border Security Force (BSF) after spotting him at the border under suspicious circumstances.

IndiaToday.in | Written by Sanjana Agnihotri
New Delhi, February 27, 2017
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Picture for representation
A 30-year-old man was hoping to cross the India-Pakistan border from Lakho Ke Behram village in Ferozepur, Punjab, to reach Lahore only to meet his 'Facebook friend' and marry her.
But, Sikandar Khan, a resident of Sector 49 in Chandigarh, was nabbed by the BSF for "moving under suspicious circumstances" and trying to sneak out of the country.
"A patrolling team of Border Security Force (BSF) caught Sikandar Khan who wanted to go to Pakistan to meet a woman whom he loved," said Ferozepur DSP Balwinder Singh as reported by PTI.
When inquired, Sikandar said that he wanted to meet and get married to his lover who lives in Faisalabad, Pakistan and hence planned the escape. He also told the BSF that his lover, who he met via Facebook, works in a bank in Pakistan and he chose the route through Fazilka because it is closer to Lahore. They started talking to each other two years ago and he claims that they soon fell in love.
Sikandar worked with the matrimonial website shaadi.com till last year and has previously worked with the Lalit Hotel, Chandigarh. The police has booked him under section 12 of the Passport Act, 1967 and presented him to court to take a two-day custody.
He was taken to the joint-interrogation centre in Amritsar for inquiry. Moreover, secret service authorities too where informed because the police believes that Sikandar is hiding something. 
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bsf-arrest-man-trying-to-cross-border-meet-facebook-friend-marry-lover/1/892393.html

BSF sends back Pakistani national who crossed over to India

From HT: Feb 27, 2017
PTI
BSF

A 50-year-old Pakistani national had crossed over to India on Sunday.(Reuters/ Representative Photo)

In a goodwill gesture, a 50-year-old Pakistani national was sent back to his home country on Monday, a day after he inadvertantly crossed over to the Indian territory in Punjab.
“On Februray 26, BSF troops of Border Out Post Kassowal, Gurdaspur Sector apprehended one Pak National namely Sabir Hussain, son of Fazal Hussain, resident of Narowal (Pakistan) while he inadvertently crossed International Boundary and entered inside the Indian territory and reached near Border Security Fence,” a BSF official said here.
He said the Pakistan Rangers were contacted on Monday and Sabir was handed over to them on humanitarian grounds.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bsf-sends-back-pakistani-national-who-crossed-over-to-india/story-0REPfG8nBAeJef9B0BPWhK.html

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Rotary Club and BSF organize car peace rally

The Sentinel
Silchar, Feb 28, 2017

A peace car rally was organized by Rotary Club of Green Land Silchar in association with the Border Security Force (BSF) on February 26, 2017 from Masimpur Frontier Headquarters BSF, Silchar, to ICP Sutarkandi in Karimganj, Assam, to spread a message of peace and brotherhood. The Rotary International has been actively functioning all across the globe for more than half a century and sponsoring training in the promotion of peace in seven Institutes across the world. Amidst loud cheering, heart throbbing and scintillating moment, the rally was flagged off by N S Jamwal, Inspector General, Frontier Mizoram and Cachar Border Security Force in the presence of BSF senior officers, jawans, families, dignitaries of different Civil organizations and members of Rotary Club, Silchar.

Addressing the gathering, N S Jamwal appreciated the idea of spreading the message of peace through Car Rally and desired to energize the efforts of BSF and the Rotary Club to work for a common cause of peace and communal harmony in the border area and hinterland. Dr Prosenjit, President Rotary Club shared the joint vision of the BSF and the Club and pledged to work together for a common objective of spreading peace. A cavalcade of 17 vehicles, which comprised 13 civilian and 4 of BSF, moved towards their destination, ICP Sutarkandi via Badarpur - Bhanga - Karimganj town –ICP Sutarkandi, Karimganj, Assam. En route people cheered the participants and enjoyed the event. Some Rotarians from Sylhet, Bangladesh joined the rally at ICP Sutarkandi Border and conducted a joint meeting. Ergo, Club flags were exchanged to spread the message of friendship. Sh Akhileshwar Singh, DIG (Ops), Sh Om Parkash, DIG, SHQ Silchar, Sh A Asthana, DIG (G) and Sh Raj Kumar Basatta, Commandant, SHQ Silchar participated from BSF in Car Rally.

http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/story.php?sec=2&subsec=12&id=300102&dtP=2017-03-11&ppr=1#300102