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Indian Express
6 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Turned Adivasi assertion into a political force that birthed state': Shah to Rajnath, Mamata to Stalin — tributes pour in for Soren
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief Ministers and other leaders across the political spectrum paid tribute to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha co-founder and former Chief Minister Shibu Soren who died Monday. Shah said in a post on X that Soren 'struggled for decades for the rights and empowerment of the tribal community in Jharkhand'. 'With his simple personality and humble nature, he connected with the masses,' Shah wrote. Singh said Soren was counted among the towering leaders of Jharkhand who struggled throughout their lives for the rights and empowerment of the weaker sections of society, especially the tribal community. 'He always remained connected to the land and the people,' he said. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said Soren's death has brought a chapter of Jharkhand's history to an end. BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Soren's life was dedicated to the well-being of the deprived, tribals, and labourers. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin wrote on a social media post, 'Thiru Shibu Soren's life was defined by relentless resistance against exploitation and an unshakeable commitment to social justice. As one of the key architects of Jharkhand's statehood movement, he transformed decades of Adivasi assertion into a political force that gave birth to a new state.' Telangana Chief Minister and Congress leader Revanth Reddy hailed Soren's struggles for the formation of Jharkhand and his efforts to address the problems of tribals. JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Soren's 'significant contribution to Jharkhand's politics is noteworthy'. 'His passing has caused an irreparable loss not only to Jharkhand but also to the political and social spheres of the entire country,' Kumar wrote. RJD president Lalu Prasad spoke of 'memories of our joint struggles' for achieving 'social justice and empowerment of deprived classes'. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the former Jharkhand chief minister dedicated his life to the upliftment of tribal society. BJD chief and former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, said Soren would be remembered for his dedicated fight for the rights of tribal and marginalised people. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said Soren was a towering figure in Indian politics and a dedicated statesman who served the people with unwavering commitment.
India.com
6 minutes ago
- India.com
How The U.S. Rewired Pakistan's Air Force; Why That Legacy Still Matters Against India
New Delhi: When Indian jets pounded Pakistani positions under Operation Sindoor, Islamabad's narrative tried to flip the script. Claims of tactical success echoed through Pakistani media, even as damage reports told a different story. But behind these optics, Pakistani defence analysts are pointing to a system that did not come from China, but from the United States nearly 70 years ago. Defence portal Quwa highlighted how the foundations of Pakistan's air force still rest on operational practices and doctrine handed down by the United States as far back as the 1950s. The report claims that what many today call 'software', mindset, structure and operational culture, was installed in the early days of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) by American advisors. That legacy has shaped PAF's command philosophy to this day. It even influenced the decision to move the Air Force Headquarters from Rawalpindi to Peshawar, giving the force its own command ecosystem, distinct from the army's shadow. How America Gave PAF Its Operational 'Software' According to Quwa, in the early 1950s, Pakistan's air force lacked both equipment and a professional framework. The turning point came with the 1950 Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement with the United States. Under this, Washington not only provided F-86 Sabre aircraft to Pakistan but also embedded an entire operational doctrine into the PAF. Considered the architect of a modern PAF, then Air Marshal Asghar Khan recognised that the United States was sending jets as well as exporting a full system. This included depot-level aircraft maintenance, rather than the traditional squadron-level model; strict safety regulations, based on U.S. Air Force protocols; and clearly separated departments for operations, maintenance and administration. This model replaced the older British system and gave Pakistan's air force an American-style command structure that is still in use today. According to Quwa, this is the backbone that allows the PAF to integrate foreign fighter jets, including the Chinese J-10CE, into its arsenal smoothly. The report argues that this inherited mindset enables faster pilot adaptation and more coherent training cycles, which translates into better performance during real combat situations. A Quiet Nod to the U.S., Not China While Pakistani media has hyped up the role of Chinese-origin J-10CE fighter jets in countering India's Rafales, Quwa takes a more nuanced position. It suggests that the real enabler was not Chinese technology, but American methodology. The systems laid down decades ago by the United States, it claims, allow the PAF to function as a streamlined and adaptable air force, something its regional rivals have had to build from scratch. This legacy also explains the PAF's ability to quickly operationalise new platforms. Pilots transitioning to newer aircraft often show higher mission-readiness because the doctrine standardises procedures across the force. And it was this very consistency, Quwa argues, that allowed Pakistan to mount any kind of coordinated air response during India's strikes. What Really Happened in the Skies? Despite Pakistan's claims, the outcomes of the recent aerial confrontations tell a more complex story. Islamabad managed to shoot down one Indian aircraft, but failed to intercept or prevent Indian strikes on nine strategic sites in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Indian Rafales inflicted heavy damage. In military terms, Quwa concedes, these results raise questions. One of the contributing factors was a misjudgement by Indian forces regarding the range of China's PL-15 missiles, a gap in calculation that Pakistan used to its advantage. Even then, say Indian analysts, PAF's performance could only be counted as successful if it had prevented India's deep-penetration airstrikes, not merely retaliated after the fact. A Legacy That Still Shapes Air Battles Pakistan's narrative of victory, critics say, may not hold up under scrutiny. But the story that emerges from Quwa's reporting is not about flashy dogfights or headline-grabbing missile launches. It is about how a 70-year-old framework continues to define one of South Asia's most professionalised air forces. In the end, as Quwa puts it, it was not Chinese, but American 'software' (a system of discipline, structure and long-term strategic thinking) that made the real difference.
NDTV
35 minutes ago
- NDTV
Evicted People Should Not Be Given Shelter: Assam CM
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said people should not give shelter to evicted persons, else the "position of our people", which has improved through evictions and other measures, will become "bad again". He asserted that the government will continue with its anti-encroachment drives to protect the 'jati' (community) if people continue to cooperate with it. "Our people are conscious now. I don't think they will cooperate a lot," Sarma told reporters on sidelines of progammes in Bodoland territorial Region (BTR) when asked if the evicted people will settle down in other parts of the state. He said the encroachers should return from where they came from and the government has no objection to it. Urging the public not to help the evicted people, he said, "Our people should not give them shelter. Otherwise, our position which has become little good through evictions and other steps, will become bad again." The chief minister said about 29 lakh bighas (more than 9.5 lakh acres) of land is still under encroachment in the state. "A lot of work is to be done and if people cooperate with us, we will be able to do it and protect our 'jati' (community)," he added. On last week's eviction drive in Uriamghat area along inter-state border with Nagaland, he said, "There is no Naga aggression there. The Naga people and government have helped us in the eviction." Without naming any community, he accused the alleged encroachers of being the root of several issues. "By turning our forest into betelnut plantations, fishery, they are harassing us. Who is doing 'love jihad'? It is happening on us. Who has done 'land jihad'? It is happening on us. We are the ones who should cry but they are shedding tears," Sarma said. The chief minister had earlier said 1.29 lakh bighas (over 42,500 acres) of land have been cleared of encroachment in the last four years, claiming that these huge tracts were under possession of "illegal Bangladeshis and doubtful citizens". He had asserted that all unauthorised occupation of VGR (Village Grazing Reserve), PGR (Professional Grazing Reserve), Satras, Namghars, forest land and other public areas would be cleared in a phased manner. On Sunday, he had said that the government will never evict "any Indian or Assamese people", a day after he stated that unauthorised occupation of public land by indigenous people is not considered as encroachment.
