News Analysis India

Tag: Galwan Valley

  • India honours Galwan Valley heroes with gallantry awards, Maha Vir Chakra for Col B Santosh Babu

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Acknowledging the bravery of the Indian Army soldiers who fought with the Chinese PLA in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, the bravehearts have been conferred with the highest awards given only in ‘warlike situation’.

    Col Bikumalla Santosh Babu (16 BIHAR) has been awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (Posthumously) and six others who were part of the same operation in Galwan have been given the Vir Chakra. While the Vir Chakras are awarded for acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy on the battlefield, never have an Indian soldier received the Maha Vir Chakra after the Kargil conflict in 1999.

    Wing Commander Abhinanadan Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra in 2019 for his fortitude while in the enemy territory.

    The five who have been given the Vir Chakra are Nb Sub Nuduram Soren (16 BIHAR), Hav K Palani (81 Field), Hav Tejinder Singh (3 Medium), Nk Deepak Singh (16 Bihar), Sep Gurtej Singh (3 Punjab). Except for Tejinder Singh, all have been given the award posthumously.

    The Vir Chakra series of awards are given for action in the face of the enemy across the Line of Actual Control and Line of Control whereas the Chakra series of awards are given for actions within and internal security.

    ALSO, READ | SP Balasubramaniam, Shinzo Abe among seven Padma Vibhushan awardees, here is full list

    Colonel Babu and his Unit was deployed in Galwan (Eastern Ladakh) and were tasked to establish an Observation Post when attacked by the Chinese soldiers. Colonel Babu and his men fought till their last breath. A total of 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action and all have been conferred with gallantry awards which include the 14 Mention in Despatches.

    Subedar Sanjiv Kumar (4 PARA (SF)) was awarded the Kirti Chakra posthumously while three soldiers received Shaurya Chakras. A total of 134 Sena Medals for gallantry were announced of which four personnel received it for the second time.

    The Indian Navy honoured Commander Gaurav Kumar Saini with Nau Sena Medal for his service in a classified operation.

    Four officers of the Indian Air force — Squadron leader Vivek Gairola, Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Preji Raju, Wg Cdr BDSK Jena and Flt Lt Anand Singh– were conferred with the gallantry medals for their bravery shown during operations.

  • Republic Day 2021: Indian Army to showcase MBT Bhishma, deployed from Rajasthan to Galwan

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Indian Army’s Main Battle Tanks (MBT) T-90 are fortressed in Eastern Ladakh against the armoured columns of China. But this time, the same T-90s will be showcased at Rajpath as part of the Republic Day Parade 2021.

    For the first time the most potent tanks of the Indian Army were moved to such heights ranging upto 16000 ft. 

    Talking about the qualities of the tank, Tank Commander Captain Karanveer Singh, said, “It is a 3rd generation T-90 tank, also called as Bhishma. It has a 125 mm gun which had the capability to fire varied kinds of ammunition, being singular in the Army to fire a guided missile.”

    “This can neutralise any target upto 5000 meters of distance. And it can range 50 to 60 km per hour on land and it even goes under water. 5 meter of water it can tread and for aerial targets it has 12.7mm NSVT gun. It can bring down any chopper any drone which comes under its vicinity,” he added. 

    These tanks also have night fighting capabilities.

    Ballway Machine Pikate (BMP- II) armoured personnel carrier, Pinaka multiple launch rocket system, Shilka anti-aircraft gun system and Brahmos land-attack missiles will also be included during the 72nd Republic Day parade on January 26 being held amidst the Covid pandemic. 

    Due to Covid-19 protocols, there will be six marching contingents from the army. Each contingent will consist of 96 troops. Earlier, there were 144 soldiers.

    China since May 2020 allowed their military helicopters fly closer to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and used drones to conduct surveillance close to borders.

    Keeping the tactical requirements in mind while the Infantry soldiers have occupied heights of mountains, Indian Army has deployed the Russian-origin T-90 and T-72 tanks at several locations in the eastern Ladakh. Depsang plains in Daulat Beg Oldie sector on the northern bank of Pangong Lake and on the southern bank, tanks were moved forward to plug the flat valleys and plane areas like Spanggur gap area and the Chumar-Demchok sector to counter the China’s PLA.

    Russian origin T- 90 tanks were inducted into the Indian Army in 2001 with contract of 310 T-90 tanks.

    After initial contract for induction of 310 T-90 tanks in 2001, India signed a contract for licence production of 1,000 vehicles in 2004.

    In 2007, a third agreement for 347 vehicles was finalised. Two years back, in November 2019, a $2.8 billion deal order was placed with the Ordnance Factory Board to licence-produce 464 more T-90s tanks. OFB manufacturers them at its heavy vehicle factory (HVF), Avadi in Tamil Nadu.

  • Relations with China disturbed by bloodshed last year, says S Jaishankar

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said the relationship between India and China has been profoundly disturbed by the bloody face-off along the LAC in June last year.

    “After 45 years, you’ve had bloodshed on the border. And that’s had a huge impact on public opinion and politically…really the impact on trust and confidence in India where China and their relationship is concerned.

    ALSO READ | China moves troops at rear, but no change in deployment along LAC

    That has been profoundly disturbed,” Jaishankar said referring to the violent skirmish at the Galwan Valley in which death 20 Indian soldiers had died.  The minister added that China was yet to offer an explanation for deploying a large number of troops along the LAC.

    “Now last year, for reasons which are not clear to us, the Chinese brought an enormous military force to one part of the border. And then at the LAC, obviously we moved up when we saw them coming,” Jaishankar said. On relations with the US, the minister said the ties were on an upward swing.