Air power has huge role to play in any integrated battle roles: IAF Chief
New Delhi: Air power has a huge role to play in any of the integrated battle roles, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said on Friday, asserting the Indian Air Force was "fully committed" to the theaterisation of the armed forces.
Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria's comments on air power came soon after Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat talked about the IAF's air defence charter as well as its role as a supporting arm to the ground forces just as the artillery or engineers support the combatants within the Army.
Referring to the situation in eastern Ladakh, the Chief of Air Staff said China has bolstered its infrastructure in the past few months though the two sides have carried out a disengagement process in Pangong Tso areas.
Gen Rawat's comments about the supporting role of the Air Force came at a conference when asked about the growing perception that the Indian Air Force was not keen on setting up the proposed theatre commands integrating the capabilities of the three forces.
Elaborating on the IAF's role, the Chief of Defence Staff talked about its air defence role and said one of the theatre commands will look at the overall management of the air space in the country.
"Do not forget that the Air Force continues to remain a supporting arm of the armed forces, just as the artillery or engineers support the combatants within the Army. They have an air defence charter and support the ground forces in time of operations," Gen Rawat said, adding the force has to understand its basic charter.
Both Gen Rawat and Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria were speaking at separate sessions of a conference organised by the Global Counter-Terrorism Council (GCTC) -- a think-tank.
When asked about Gen Rawat's comments, the Air Chief Marshal said: "It is not a supporting role alone. The air power has a huge role to play in any of the integrated battle role."
Asked about the IAF's views on the theaterisation of the armed forces, he said it was fully committed to the proposed setting up of the integrated theatre commands.
At the same time, he added, "We must get it right."
To a question on argument that IAF could have reservations for the theaterisation process as it does not want to split its assets which are fewer, Gen Rawat referred to the five operational commands of the force that manage its resources.
"In an overall assessment, it is a known fact that there is resistance to change. One needs to be conscious of that and fight that inherent resistance. The nature and character of conflicts will continue to change," Gen Rawat said.
According to the plan, theatre commands will have units of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and all of them will work as a single entity looking after security challenges in a specified geographical territory under an operational commander.
At present, the Army, Navy and the Air Force have separate commands.
The theatre commands are being set up under a larger mandate of ensuring synergy among the three service chiefs to deal with future security challenges.
Gen Rawat took over as India's first Chief of Defence Staff on January 1, 2020, with a mandate to bring in convergence among the three services and restructure military commands to effectively deal with future security challenges.
When asked about the situation in eastern Ladakh, Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said the Chinese side has enhanced its infrastructure in the region.
"After the initial disengagement which has happened, there is virtual kind of status quo. Many of the infra that were developed particularly from the perspective of air assets... except for some aircraft that they have taken back from forward deployments, rest of infrastructure has been strengthened," he said.
The Chief of Air Staff said the IAF has been carefully monitoring the situation in the region.
"We are monitoring across very carefully and very closely. We are aware of what kind of assets are there and what needs to be done from our point of view; deployments and whatever action needed to be taken have been taken," he said.
India and China were locked in a military standoff at multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh since early May last year. However, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong lake in February following a series of military and diplomatic talks.
The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points. India has been particularly pressing for disengagement of troops in Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang.
India has been insisting on returning to the status quo of April 2020 in the region.
According to military officials, each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control in the sensitive sector.
There was no visible forward movement in disengagement of troops in the remaining friction points as the Chinese side did not show flexibility in their approach on it at the 11th round of military talks.
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Not having memorial for Manmohan Singh deliberate insult to India's 1st Sikh PM: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi, Dec 27: The Congress on Friday said that not finding a location for the cremation and memorial for Manmohan Singh is a deliberate insult to the country's first Sikh prime minister.
The Congress raked up the issue after the Union home ministry said in a statement that Singh's last rites will be held at New Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat at 11:45 AM on Saturday with full state honours.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to conduct Singh's last rites at a location where a memorial could be built to honour his legacy.
"The people of our country are simply unable to understand why the Government of India could not find a location for his cremation and memorial that is befitting of his global stature, record of outstanding achievements, and exemplary service to the nation for decades," Ramesh said in a post on X.
"This is nothing but a deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh," the Congress leader said.
Kharge wrote the letter after speaking to Modi about setting up a memorial for Singh, who was a two-term prime minister revered by the people of the country.
"Apropos our telephonic conversation today morning, wherein I made a request to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for memorial of the great son of India.
"This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge said in his two-page letter.
The Congress chief said Dr Manmohan Singh holds a highly revered place in the psyche of the country and the people of this nation, and his contributions and achievements were phenomenal.
He also said that Dr Singh's erudition on economic and fiscal matters came from his vast experience as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, chief economic advisor to the government of India and in various other capacities in several organisations, and the respect and regard that world leaders had for him bears testimony to this fact.
Kharge said Singh's wise counsel, leadership and contribution in mitigating the global economic financial crisis is well-acknowledged. He also recalled President Obama's words when as the US president, he mentioned that "whenever the Indian prime minister speaks, the whole world listens to him".
He also said that when the nation was in the throes of a grave economic crisis, it was Dr Manmohan Singh, along with former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, who took India out of the crisis and also led the country towards economic prosperity and stability.
The nation today reaps the benefits of the robust economic foundations built by them, Kharge noted.
"Coming from a humble background and having experienced the pains and sufferings of the Partition, it is through his sheer grit and determination that he rose to become one of the leading statesmen of the world. I hope and trust that befitting stature of Dr Manmohan Singh, request to have the funeral of Dr Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, will be acceded," Kharge said in the letter.
Congress Legislature Party leader in Punjab assembly Pratap Singh Bajwa also separately urged Prime Minister Modi to have Manmohan Singh's funeral at a place where a memorial could be built later in his honour.
"I urge Prime Minister @narendramodi to honour Dr Manmohan Singh, one of the most towering Sikhs of modern times, with a memorial befitting his immense contributions to our nation. Rising from humble beginnings in a historic state, representing a community that has always stood steadfast for India's unity and progress, Dr Singh's life is a testament to intellect, integrity, and selfless service," he posted on X.
Bajwa said Punjabis across faiths and political lines unite in their heartfelt plea to recognise this son of Punjab, who played an instrumental role in shaping India's destiny, with the respect he deserves.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed the Centre has "declined" the request of Manmohan Singh's family for performing the funeral and last rites at a place where an appropriate memorial may be built.
There is no official word from the government on Kharge's request.
However, Badal took to X to post, "Shocking and unbelievable! It is condemnable in the extreme that Union Govt has declined the request of Dr Manmohan Singh Ji's family for performing the funeral and last rites of the highly distinguished leader at a place where an appropriate and historic memorial may be built to commemorate his unparalleled services to the nation."
He further said this place should be Raj Ghat.
"This will be in keeping with the settled practice and tradition followed in the past," Badal said.
He said it is "inexplicable" why the government is "showing such disrespect to the great leader who was the only member of the Sikh community to rise to become the Prime Minister".
"As of now, the cremation is slated to be performed at the common cremation ground at Nigambodh ghat. I am unable to believe that the BJP govt's bias would go to such extremes in utter disregard of the towering global stature which Dr Manmohan Singh ji enjoyed and will always enjoy," Badal further said in his post.
He said Singh took the country to great international heights.
"Our political differences with the Congress apart, we have always held Dr Manmohan Singh in the highest esteem as he transcends politics and political affiliations. He belongs to the entire nation.
"Dr Sahib showed great sensitivity and compassion in his dealings with Shiromani Akali Dal over Sikh and Punjab issues," said Badal urging Modi to "intervene personally to change this deplorable decision of the government".
Singh passed away on Thursday night at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at the age of 92.
आज सुबह कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष ने प्रधानमंत्री को पत्र लिखकर प्रस्ताव दिया था कि पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह का अंतिम संस्कार ऐसे स्थान पर किया जाए जहां उनकी विरासत का सम्मान करने के लिए एक स्मारक बनाया जा सके।
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) December 27, 2024
हमारे देश के लोग यह नहीं समझ पा रहे हैं कि भारत सरकार उनके वैश्विक…
