Armed forces should always be ready for unpredictable, uncertainties: Rajnath to top commanders
New Delhi, Oct 11: Amid a lingering border row in eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday addressed top commanders of the Army and expressed confidence in the force in dealing with "any contingency" even as he said the ongoing talks with China for a peaceful resolution "will continue at all levels".
The first phase of the second Army Commanders' Conference (ACC) of this year began in a forward area in Sikkim's Gangtok, a location that holds significance for the Indian Army given its proximity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
"War preparedness should be a continuous phenomena and we should always be ready for unpredictables, for the uncertainties that may crop up any time. We should always be strengthening our fighting skills and weapons technologies so as to act effectively wherever called for," Singh said.
The nation is proud of its amy and the government is committed to facilitate the the force in their forward movement, "on the road to reforms and capability modernisation", he added.
During the event, the Indian Army's apex leadership comprehensively deliberated upon all aspects of existing security scenarios, situation along the borders and in the hinterland and challenges for the present security apparatus, the defence ministry said in a statement.
Singh was scheduled to address this gathering of commanders in person. But, due to bad weather at Gangtok, he addressed them via a weblink from an Army location at Sukhna.
Sources said he is likely to go to Gangtok from Darjeeling Saturday morning.
Singh reasserted the faith of the entire nation in the Indian Army, as one of the most trusted and inspiring organisations in the country.
He highlighted the significant role being played by the Indian Army in "guarding our borders and fighting terrorism apart from providing assistance to the civil administration in every need of the hour".
On the current situation along the northern borders, the defence minister "expressed full confidence in the Army for any contingency", though the ongoing talks for peaceful resolution "will continue at all levels," the statement quoted the minister as saying.
The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a standoff since May 2020 and a full resolution of the border row has not yet been achieved though the two sides have disengaged from a number of friction points.
Several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have taken place between India and China, with New Delhi maintaining that peace and tranquility along the LAC is essential for normalisation of bilateral ties.
The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.
Singh in his address also referred to the situation along the western border.
He complimented the Indian Army's response to cross-border terrorism, however, the proxy war by the adversary continues, the statement said.
"I compliment the excellent synergy between the CAPF, police forces and the army in tackling the menace of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The synergised operations in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are contributing to increased stability and peace in the region which was also evident in the recently conducted elections in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, and for this I again compliment the Indian Army," he said.
The defence minister stressed upon the present "complex and ambiguous world situation" which affects everyone globally.
"Unconventional and asymmetric warfare, including hybrid war will be part of the future conventional wars and the same is evident in the recent conflicts happening in various parts of world. This necessitates that armed forces should keep all these facets in consideration while planning and formulating strategies,"he said.
The force must keep learning from the incidents, including the global ones, that happened in present, as also in past, so as to avert the damage.
"Be alert, regularly modernise and prepare continuously for various contingencies," the minister said.
He complimented the efforts of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which has led to the incomparable improvement of road communication in the border areas.
In addition, the conference is also focusing on issues pertaining to organisational restructuring, logistics, administration and human resource management, the ministry said.
Singh also complimented the Army's approach on the infusion and absorption of cutting-edge technology.
Modernisation of weapons for every soldier through 'atmanirbharta' is the key focus of the government and the government is completely with the armed forces in this aspect, he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
===================
The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
