India plans great wall between Pakistan, Kashmir border

From the newstribe.com

Jitender Singh

Nov 23, 2013

New Delhi: Border Security Force Chief (BSF) Subhash Joshi has said that India was planning to build a raised embankment along a 179-km stretch on the Jammu sector to pre-empt infiltration or shelling from across the Pakistan border. The embankment, or bund, will be around 135 feet (41 metres) wide and 10 metres high and accommodate bunkers and border outposts.
“The BSF is waiting for the state government to acquire land along the stretch we have identified. The embankment will be followed by fencing,” says Subhash Joshi, DG BSF. “There are a few riverine patches too along the border in Jammu. To secure them we are looking for technological solutions.”
An official said they were waiting for no-objection-certificates from at least 24 MLAs, a necessity under the state’s land acquisition laws.
“Land in 29 villages has already been acquired,” says R K Varma, divisional commissioner of Samba in Jammu. Similar exercises have been initiated in Kathua and Jammu districts.
“There are at least two villages in my jurisdiction, Chak Parthyal and Kazalkhurd, where the process has not begun,” says Varma. “This is because the border areas are rigged with mines planted during the 1971 war and again during the Kargil war in 1999. Officials cannot go there to carry out a survey.” The DG said the BSF will help the state administration to de-mine the areas.

http://www.thenewstribe.com/2013/11/23/india-plans-great-wall-between-pakistan-kashmir-border/

EVMs in strongrooms to avert Maoist ambush

From The Times of India
TNN | Nov 22, 2013
RAIPUR: EVMs — which will decide the fate of candidates on December 8 — have been placed under a three-tier security to avert Maoist ambush. As many as 300 personnel have been deployed on the premises of Sejbahar's government engineering college, where electronic machines of the Raipur district are kept in strong rooms under the surveillance of 35 cameras.

More than 300 CRPF and BSF jawans will provide round-the-clock security, not allowing anyone to enter the strong rooms, police sources said adding that the security would be tightened and increased on the D-day.The machines of seven Vidhan Sabha assemblies have been kept in different rooms, which are being monitored from the police control room. "It is usually said that people fiddle with EVMS after polls. This is the reason police have tightened security so that no allegations are made by any political party. No one can even venture around the EVMS within a radius of 300m," a police source said.

According to joint chief electoral officer DD Singh, counting would be done in 14 rounds on December 8, as Raipur (south) constituency has maximum number of candidates.

A projector or LCD would also be installed for the purpose.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/raipur/EVMs-in-strongrooms-to-avert-Maoist-ambush/articleshow/26172410.cms

Three tribal militants surrender in Tripura

From Business Standard

IANS  |  Agartala  

November 22, 2013 

Three tribal militants, who had fled from their hideout in Bangladesh, surrendered to the Border Security Force (BSF) in Tripura, police said here Friday.

The Bangladesh-trained extremists have deposited two AK-series rifles and large quantities of ammunition.

Three guerrillas -- area commander of the NLFT (National Liberation Front of Tripura) Pabanjoy Reang (25), deputy area commander Ananga Mohan Tripura (21), and sepoy Nripendra Tripura (20) -- had recently fled from their Satchari camp in Sylhet district of eastern Bangladesh before entering into Indian territory.

"The three NLFT rebels surrendered to senior BSF officials and deposited their arms and ammunition at bordering Sidhai camp Wednesday," police told reporters.

BSF have subsequently handed over the tribal guerrillas to the police.

3 held for trading in protected species

From The Times Of IndiaTNN | Nov 22, 2013

KOLKATA: Smuggling of endangered species seems to be the latest trend along the Indo-Bangla border. Early on Wednesday, officers and troops of the Border Security Force (BSF)'s 40 Bn were surprised when two Bangladeshi nationals, they nabbed while sneaking across the border from India near Bongaon, were found to be carrying lizards in a bag.

The BSF suspects that the 10 reptiles seized are spiny tail lizards - an endangered species protected under Schedule II of Wildlife Protection Act - which have high demand in the international market. Officials believe that the animals could have fetched up to Rs 20 lakh each.

Meherpur outlaw killed in mob beating in India

From The Daily Star,
Bangladesh
Friday, November 22, 2013
An underground operative, who fled to India around seven months ago to avoid arrest, was killed in mob beating in Nadia district of Pashchimbanga on Tuesday night.
The outlaw was identified as Safiqul Islam, 38, son of Babar Ali of Solmari village in Sadar upazila of Meherpur district. Indian Border Security Force (BSF) confirmed the death and identity of the outlaw at a flag meeting held on Kathuli border in Meherpur yesterday.
Receiving the death news from Safiqul’s relatives, BGB had earlier sent a letter to its Indian counterpart to hold the flag meeting.
Kathuli BGB camp Commander Fazlul Haq quoted BSF 85 Tinpur camp Commander Mahendra Kosh as saying that Safiqul went to a local bazar at Kagojipara village in Morutia Thana in Nadia on Tuesday night where locals caught him, suspecting to be a robber.
They beat up Safiqul mercilessly, resulting in his death on the spot, the BSF commander said.
Meherpur police said Safiqul was a cadre of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (Janajuddho faction).  He was wanted in four cases, including two for murder.
Safiqul fled the country 7/8 months ago and was living at Kagojipara village under Morutia Thana of Nadia district, they added.
At the flag meeting, the Indian border guards agreed to return the body of the outlaw after completion of procedures, BGB sources said.
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/meherpur-outlaw-killed-in-mob-beating-in-india/

BSF compensates firing victims’ families in Tripura

The Hindu
November 20, 2013

The Border Security Force has financially compensated two families who lost their kin in firing by its troopers in the Tripura frontier. The BSF said the financial support was given in compliance with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directive.

Families of Abu Hanif and Abdul Haq from separate villages in Sonamura of west Tripura received a sum of Rs. 7 lakh and Rs. 5 lakh respectively. Officers of the 19 th battalion of the BSF recently gave away the compensation in the presence of State government officials.

Shinde At BSF Function:Nation wanted greatest honour for Sachin

From Business Standard
Thursday, November 21, 2013

Amid the debate over Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said the highest civilian award had been conferred on him as "the whole nation wanted the greatest honour" for the celebrated cricketer.

Asked on the conferment of the award on the cricketer before hockey legend Dhyan Chand, Shinde said, "Since the whole nation wanted the greatest honour for Sachin..., Bharat Ratna was conferred on him."

The Union Home Minister, who was here to lay the foundation stone of the building of a BSF battalion in Baad area, said units of para-military forces were being set up wherever land was easily available.

Lauding the role of BSF in the 1971 Bangladesh War,Shinde said green signal had been given to set up at least one unit of the force in each state.

Two Sikh Yatris died at Nankana Sahib; Bodies handed over to BSF at Wagha; SGPC, DSGMC to start prior medical checkups

From sikhsiyasat.net

By PARMJIT SINGH

Published: November 19, 2013

Nankana Sahib/ Amritsar, (November 19, 2013): It is learnt that two Sikh Yatris to Sikh Gurdwaras in Pakistan died during their stay at Nankana Sahib. As per information Atma Singh, resident of Mukatsar and Shingara Singh resident of Tarn Taran died due to heart attack at around 2am on November 18.

As per recent reports bodies of the deceased had been sent to Wagah (Pakistan) border from where they would be handed over to Border Security Force ( BSF).

Land mine recovered, defused in Samba

From Business Standard

Press Trust of India  |  Jammu  

November 20, 2013

A land mine was recovered and later defused by the security forces in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said today. 

On the information of a farmer Balak Ram, the mine was found in his agriculture fields in Beingallar border area in the district last evening by troops of 126 Battalion of BSF, they said. 

It was later defused safely, they said, adding a tragedy was averted.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/land-mine-recovered-defused-in-samba-113112000374_1.html

BSF on alert with threat of infiltration at Bangladesh border

From ANI News
Siliguri, Nov 19 (ANI): Troops of India's paramilitary, Border Security Force (BSF) were put on high alert at the Bangladesh border with intelligence agencies predicting an increase in infiltration due to the growing political instability in the delta nation. Inspector General of BSF's North Bengal Frontier, S. K. Sood told a journalist in Siliguri that troops have been told to cover all gap areas along the border to counter any infiltration bid. The clash of ideologies could plunge Bangladesh into a cycle of violence as the two main political parties - ruling Awami League led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh National Party (BNP) headed by Begum Khaleda Zia, locked in decades of mutual distrust, exploit the tension between secularists and Islamists ahead of elections. In the recent months, Bangladesh has been hit by a wave of violent protests over war crimes convictions, presenting the government with a security and credibility challenge ahead of polls early next year.
http://www.aninews.in/videogallery9/17735-bsf-on-alert-with-threat-of-infiltration-at-bangladesh-border.html

Govt to replace Assam Rifles with BSF on Myanmar border

From First Post
Nov 19, 2013
New Delhi: In a major decision, government has decided to replace the Assam Rifles (AR) with BSF for guarding the porous Indo-Myanmar border notorious for movement of insurgents and smuggling of arms and narcotics. The decision in this regard was recently taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs and a Cabinet note will be soon prepared to be sent for final approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), country’s highest decision making body on security related issues. File photo of BSF officials. PTI “An in-principle decision has been taken to hand over the security duties on Myanmar border to us,” BSF chief Subhash Joshi told PTI. The decision will entail an expenditure of crores of rupees for the BSF which has been approved by the Finance Ministry. Apart from the new responsibility of guarding the Indo-Myanmar border, the Border Security Force (BSF) is at present deployed on the frontiers with Pakistan and Bangladesh. According to the blueprint prepared in this regard, at least 40,000 BSF personnel will be deployed for the porous border. The AR, sources said, will be inducted into fresh roles to undertake counter-insurgency operations in other theatres. The BSF will start the process of recruiting new manpower for the task after the approval of the CCS headed by Prime Minister. A decision in this regard has been pending for many years after the GoM on Kargil advocated the theory of ‘one border, one force’. PTI
http://www.firstpost.com/india/govt-to-replace-assam-rifles-with-bsf-on-myanmar-border-1238751.html?utm_source=ref_article

BSF reserve battalion to be established in Mathura

From Business Standard
Press Trust of India  |  Mathura  

November 18, 2013

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde will lay the foundation stone of headquarters of a reserve battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF) at Badh village in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district on Tuesday.     

A 59-acre plot has been acquired along the Delhi-Agra Highway for the purpose, government sources said.    

Shinde will meet BSF soldiers and regional leaders after the inaugural ceremony.

Arrangements to accommodate around 1,200 soldiers have been made for the occasion, Assistant Commandant P C Sharma said.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/bsf-reserve-battalion-to-be-established-in-mathura-113111800499_1.html

Selected for NBA, coach dreams of India faring better in sport

From The Hindustan Times

Sanjeev Bhalla  Jalandhar, November 18, 2013

After attending second training workshop organised by the National Basketball Association (NBA) at Orlando, Florida (US), from November 3 to November 9, Paramdeep Singh (34) is back in India and is determined to bring back the glory to the sport. Paramdeep is the only coach from India who has been selected for the coaching workshop organised by NBA. He had attended second workshop; the earlier one in Texas, US, in 2011.

"My selection came as a surprise to me and it was an honour also as no Indian coach has ever been selected for this training workshop. Observers from the NBA were present at the Mumbai workshop, which was organised by the Indian chapter of NBA in 2011, when they spotted me and selected me for the prestigious workshop in US," said Paramdeep Singh.

After playing for Punjab and his employer BSF for 12 years, Paramdeep opted for coaching and passed one-year diploma in basketball coaching from National Institute of Sports, Patiala, in 2009-10.

BSF asks road institute to fence border in Gujarat

From Indian Express

VijaitaSingh : New Delhi, Mon Nov 18 2013

After failing to get help from the IITs, the BSF has approached the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) to fence an over 100-km area along the 340-km Pakistan border in Gujarat.

Since Independence, the area has remained unfenced due to adverse weather and the swamp in the Rann of Kutch.

"We have to also construct BOPs, roads and install floodlights along the border. This has not been possible due to adverse weather and a difficult terrain," said a senior BSF official.

The Central Public Works Department and National Building Construction Corporation, which had been tasked with the construction, have expressed inability. The agencies had approached IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur on behalf of the BSF to come up with a concrete solution to fence the border. "When the IITs failed to come up with a solution, we approached the CRRI. They are yet to submit a report," said the official.

In the absence of a fence, BSF jawans keep a constant vigil in the area braving extreme weather conditions.

SIT likely to exonerate BSF

From Greater Kashmir

Gool massacre

GK NEWS NETWORK

Ramban, Nov 17: Paramilitary BSF men– accused of killing four villagers by opening indiscriminate fire outside a camp in Gool area of this mountainous district, are likely to get benefit of “right of self defence”.

Informed sources, associated with the investigation of case, told Greater Kashmir that officers associated with the Special Investigation Team have made up their mind to give benefit of “right of self defence” to the BSF troopers and arrest of an Imam and his brother for alleged conspiracy and desecration was part of the “plan”.
“The SIT investigation is its final stage and it is now almost certain that the BSF personnel will get right of self defence”, an official said adding, “Under the provision of right to self defence available under Ranbir Panel Code the BSF personnel will not charged with the culpable homicide”.

Gursharan Kaur inaugurates BSF mela

From The Times Of India

Saloni Bhatia, TNN | Nov 17, 2013

The three-day BSF (Border Security Force) mela, hosted by the BWWA (BSF Wives Welfare Association), saw performances from BSF jawans who shed their uniforms to don some colourful costumes and showcase their dancing and singing prowess. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur inaugurated the mela and visited the various stalls. 

Gursharan Kaur inaugurates BSF mela

1 of 3

The three-day BSF (Border Security Force) mela, hosted by the BWWA (BSF Wives Welfare Association), saw performances from BSF jawans who shed their uniforms to don some colourful costumes and showcase their dancing and singing prowess. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur inaugurated the mela and visited the various stalls

On the second day, Malini Awasthi was the guest of honour at the mela and enjoyed the various acts. On the second day, the BSF jawans performed bhangra and even turned jokers, much to the amusement of the crowd, and performed to Tinku Jiya! The women were not far behind - some women constables and wives of BSF jawans put up a gidda performance and brought a Rajasthani touch to the evening with their ghoomar dance too. 
The musical evening concluded with a performance by Awasthi, who sang a few folk songs. She told us, "There's such a sense of pride one feels after seeing them on stage. These people are great artistes. Not only are they brave and courageous, but also fine performers. I have seen some great choreography and good costumes. Such events represent the culture of our country." 
This year, the SHIPKS (Simanto Paribar Kallyan Samiti) of Border Guard Bangladesh also participated in the mela and exhibited their wares - saris, handicrafts and leather goods from Bangladesh.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/events/delhi/Gursharan-Kaur-inaugurates-BSF-mela/articlephotos/25888064.cms?imageid=25888502#slide1