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New Delhi, Author <keyword id="621390" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="hussain-zaidi" source="Orion">Hussain Zaidi</keyword>, who has come out with a book on former NSG commando Lucky Bisht, says the story of a hero becoming a villain for a "crime he did not commit or could not be established yet" is something unique and needs to be told. "R.A.W. Hitman: The Real Story of Agent <keyword id="15735" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="lima" source="Orion">Lima</keyword>" looks at the life and career of Bisht, who also served as the personal security officer of Narendra Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. But in a cruel twist of fate, he was named as an accused in a twin-murder case and spent five years in jail before he was set free by a court due to lack of evidence. <keyword id="79524" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="zaidi" source="Orion">Zaidi</keyword> says Bisht's story is unique. "When you look at the man, you cannot think what he has gone through. To add, at the age of 16, he started his commando training and was one of the best commandos in the country. He was a real hero which is why he was appointed in providing securities to VIPs. Such a man gets accused of a crime like that and then goes through such a trauma of being shifted to 11 jails in the span of three years," he says. "So, a national hero becoming a nationally infamous gangster was something which totally flummoxed me. What was the turn of events? A hero becoming a villain for a crime which he has not committed or could not be established yet is something unique which needs to be told," Zaidi told PTI. "Hence, I started investigating it and found it has many layers to it, it was baffling and I've seen very few stories like this in my 25 years," he adds. Bisht says when he was imprisoned, he had a lot of time to reflect on his life experiences. "So, I began to write about my work and my life. In 2019, when I was released from prison, I decided to quit the agency and start a new career as a writer in the Indian film industry. In my quest to become a writer I ended up meeting a lot of producers and directors who were very intrigued by my life and my stint with the agency. "Almost everyone I met was more interested in my life than the stories I had penned and they convinced me to lend my life story to a book which the public at large would find fascinating," he says. On whether his book, published by Simon &amp; Schuster, is an effort to undo the wrong done to Bisht, who has worked with various government security agencies such as the Indian Army, <keyword id="144751" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="research-and-analysis-wing" source="Orion">Research and Analysis Wing</keyword>, <keyword id="6466913" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="special-forces" source="Orion">Special Forces</keyword>, and Assam Rifles, Zaidi says the former commando has "already gone through a protracted trial so how can we undo whatever the wrong he's been through". He says <keyword id="18191410" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bisht-didn" source="Orion">Bisht didn</keyword>'t open up at first because after all the trauma that he's been through he was not very willing. "But I realised that rather talk to him slowly and let him be natural. I think with passage of time he started opening up more and became more frank. It happened gradually," the author says. Bisht says he doesn't expect a book to change people's perceptions about him either way. "...If a book could change an individual's heart and mind then there would be no evil or harm in this world as envisaged in our holy books. So, this book is just a small effort on my part to tell my side of the story and I stand by my truth," he says. On how much real he has tried to keep the book, Zaidi says, "Normally in the craft of storytelling, you have to use all those devices that will captivate the attention of readers... Since I was not present when it happened, it was more out of his narration, talking to people and their interviews and information I got. "So, when it comes to putting all these in a story format, there might be some kind of exaggeration at some places. I've tried to keep it minimal but still I would say 1 per cent or a bit more than that might be unreal." The author says when he interviewed Bisht for the first time, he did not have the entire plot of the book in mind. "My teacher <keyword id="160167" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vikram-chandra" source="Orion">Vikram Chandra</keyword> taught me a very precious lesson about writing. Whenever you're approaching a book, don't approach it with a preconceived notion or plot in your head. Always start afresh on a blank piece of paper. Then when you start writing, the story will begin to unfold in your head," he says.

Former NSG commando Lucky Bisht's story needs to be told, says author Hussain Zaidi

British universities have called on the government for a "new immigration policy" to encourage international students to choose the UK, after recent figures showed a "worrying decline" in the number of students from countries like India. Universities UK, the representative body for <keyword id="6375224" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="higher-education">higher education</keyword> institutions, expressed concerns this week over a "worrying decline" in the number of international students coming to Britain due to a perception of being unwelcome. It urged the British government to drop international students from its annual target of immigration cuts. "While the UK government continues to count international students as long-term migrants in its target to reduce migration, there is a continued pressure to reduce their numbers, adding to the perception that they are not welcome here," said Dame Julia <keyword id="4416372" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="goodfellow">Goodfellow</keyword>, President of Universities UK and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent. <div type="embedgroup"> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="58177182" title="Exclusive: Mahesh Murthy&amp;#39;s Unique Art of Survival- From Being a Vacuum Salesman to an Ace Investor" rank="1.0" kind="RELATED" publishDate="Apr 14, 2017, 11:04 AM" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div></div>
 "If the UK wants to remain a top destination for international students, we need a new immigration policy that encourages them to choose the UK," she said. In reference to the realities of <keyword id="6355333" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brexit">Brexit</keyword>, she said: "As the UK prepares to exit the <keyword id="6355123" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="EU">EU</keyword>, it is more important than ever that we project a welcoming message to talented people from across the world." The most recent figures on international students in the UK showed a worrying decline in the number of new international enrolments over recent years, Goodfellow said. <div type="embedgroup"> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="58144238" title="Exclusive: Rajan Anandan, VP, Google India says that it is the Beginning of the Start-up Boom in India" rank="1.0" kind="RELATED" publishDate="Apr 12, 2017, 2:15 PM" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div></div>
 "At the same time, competitor countries such as the USA and <keyword id="6355478" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Australia">Australia</keyword> have seen increases. Both countries open their arms to international students and classify them as being non-permanent or temporary residents in their immigration systems." Her comments followed a new ComRes poll commissioned by Universities UK which found that nearly 73 per cent of the British public were in favour of international students coming to study in the UK. The poll released yesterday reveals that most members of the British public do not view international students as immigrants to the UK. The results show that only 26 per cent of the British public think of international students as immigrants when thinking about government immigration policy. <div type="embedgroup"> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="58062121" title="Exclusive: An Angel investor whose Midas touch with Crypto-currency is redefining the future of start-up investments" rank="1.0" kind="RELATED" publishDate="Apr 07, 2017, 5:30 PM" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div></div>
 Goodfellow added: "It is clear that the British public does not see international students as long-term migrants, but as valuable, temporary visitors. They come to the UK, study for a period, then the vast majority return home. "The UK could be doing much better than this. The UK has the potential to be one of the world's fastest growing destinations for international students, building on its current status as the second most popular destination for international students [after the US]." The public poll of over 4,000 adults conducted last month also found that 75 per cent of the British public agreed that international students should be able to work in the UK for a fixed period of time after they have graduated, seen as a major factor behind the drop in international student numbers in recent years. The latest <keyword id="909698" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Higher-Education-Statistics-Agency">Higher Education Statistics Agency</keyword> (HESA), UK's official agency for the collection, analysis and dissemination of quantitative information about higher education, had revealed earlier this year that while Indians remain the third-largest category of students from outside the <keyword id="6355110" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="European-Union">European Union</keyword>, they registered a decrease of 9 per cent in 2015-16 over the previous year.

UK universities want new immigration policy for international students

<keyword id="22167721" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tapan-Kumar-Deka" source="keywords">Tapan Kumar Deka</keyword>, known as the '<keyword id="22170179" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Superspy" source="Orion">superspy</keyword>' with commendable expertise in handling terrorism and radicalisation related cases, was on Monday given a one-year extension till June 2025 as the chief of the <keyword id="19927120" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Intelligence-Bureau" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Intelligence Bureau" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Intelligence Bureau">Intelligence Bureau</keyword> (IB). <keyword id="21835486" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="deka" source="keywords">Deka</keyword> is a 1988-batch Indian Police Service (<keyword id="48959" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPS" source="Orion">IPS</keyword>) officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Deka's extension as the Director, Intelligence Bureau, for a period of one year beyond June 30, 2024, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry said. His extension is "in relaxation of the provisions of FR 56 (d) and Rule 16 (1A) of All India Services (Death cum Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958", it said. The rules allow the central government to extend in "public interest" the services of the chiefs of IB and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary and others, beyond 60 years age of superannuation. Deka, known as the crisis manager in the power corridors and intelligence fraternity, was in June 2022 appointed as the IB chief for two years. His term was to end this month. He is considered an expert in 'operations' especially in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in the Northeast region of the country. Deka served as the head of the operations wing of the IB for over two decades before finally taking the reins of the agency. He was also in charge of the counter-assaults during the 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008. Adept in handling terrorism and Islamic radicalisation related cases, Deka had also led the operations against the terror group Indian Mujahideen, which was behind a series of subversive activities across the country in the 2000s. He was also deputed in his home state Assam to handle the volatile situation that arose following the large-scale violence after the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019. Deka has been the go-to man for the government on the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir as he has vast experience in handling Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the Union Territory.

'Superspy' Tapan Kumar Deka gets a one-year extension as Intelligence Bureau chief

Russia, on Wednesday, accused the United States of showing disrespect towards India, alleging interference in India's 2024 <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha elections</keyword> and attempts to disrupt the country's internal <keyword id="19930636" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="political-stability" source="keywords">political stability</keyword>. Speaking at a media briefing, <keyword id="20731532" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Russian-Foreign-Ministry" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Russian Foreign Ministry" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Russian Foreign Ministry">Russian Foreign Ministry</keyword> spokesperson <keyword id="20446998" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="maria-zakharova" source="keywords">Maria Zakharova</keyword> criticised the US for its report on <keyword id="20114410" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="religious-freedom" source="keywords">religious freedom</keyword> in India, suggesting a lack of understanding of India's national mentality and historical context. Zakharova reportedly alleged that America continues to make “unfounded accusations” about religious freedoms in India and the reason (behind the US accusations) is to unbalance the internal political situation in India and complicate the general elections. “They (the US) tried to unbalance the political situation in India in order to make it harder to have the general parliamentary elections. That is part of meddling into India's domestic affairs,” Zakharova was quoted as saying by <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/russia-claims-us-aims-to-destabilise-india-during-lok-sabha-elections-2024/articleshow/109968436.cms">The Times of India</a>. "Regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi of violating religious freedoms are a reflection of the United States' misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state and disrespect for India as a state. I am sure that this also comes from the neocolonial mentality, the mentality of the colonial period, the period of the slave trade, and imperialism," she said, as quoted by ANI. The report in question, drawn by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), raised concerns over India's purported infringements on religious freedom. It evoked a strong response from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which denounced it as biased and part of a recurring pattern of anti-India propaganda. Zakharova, in addition to criticising the US stance on religious freedom, also accused Washington of adopting a repressive attitude and failing to respect India's sovereignty. She suggested that such behaviour stems from America’s colonial mindset rooted in historical exploitation. Furthermore, Zakharova addressed allegations against an Indian official regarding an alleged "assassination" plot targeting pro-Khalistan leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The Washington Post had published a report implicating a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official in the purported assassination attempt on Pannun. India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the report as baseless and unverified, emphasising that the matter is under investigation. It also criticised the US media for publishing speculative and irresponsible information. Zakharova weighed in on the situation, stating: “According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable.” With accusations and counter-accusations flying between Russia and the US, tensions between the two over their respective stances on <keyword id="21592534" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indias-internal-affairs" source="keywords">India's internal affairs</keyword> continue to escalate. As India grapples with these external pressures, it will be a walk on the tightrope for the country as it attempts to maintain friendly diplomatic relationships with both global superpowers. (With inputs from TOI)

Is the US interfering with Lok Sabha elections? Russia accuses America of disrespecting India, influencing democratic processes

<ul><li>The government maintains that this is necessary in view of the ICJ's ruling in June last year, in which it had asked Pakistan to give <keyword id="4434811" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jadhav-consular-access">Jadhav consular access</keyword> while hearing an appeal filed by India against the death sentence handed to him through a military court trial process. </li><li>However, the opposition parties describes the ordinance as an attempt to facilitate a reprieve for Jadhav, who they call an Indian spy working for Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in a sneaky manner through a suspected secret deal. </li><li>Major opposition parties are geared up to strongly oppose the ordinance in the Senate, the upper house of parliament, calling it a matter of "national security". </li></ul>The <keyword id="6824371" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="imran-khan-government">Imran Khan government</keyword> is expected to table <keyword id="4533921" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-International-Court-of-Justice">the International Court of Justice</keyword> (ICJ) Review and Re-consideration Ordinance 2020 in the National Assembly on Monday, even as it faces intense heat from the opposition on the issue. The ordinance seeks to allow alleged <keyword id="4016237" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-spy-Kulbhushan-Jadhav">Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav</keyword> the facility to file an appeal in a high court against his conviction. The government maintains that this is necessary in view of the ICJ's ruling in June last year, in which it had asked Pakistan to give Jadhav consular access while hearing an appeal filed by India against the death sentence handed to him through a military court trial process. However, the opposition parties describes the ordinance as an attempt to facilitate a reprieve for Jadhav, who they call an Indian spy working for Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in a sneaky manner through a suspected secret deal. Major opposition parties are geared up to strongly oppose the ordinance in the Senate, the upper house of parliament, calling it a matter of "national security". Passing the ordinance in the lower house has become a major issue for the government as it has failed to present it at least twice in May, due to strong opposition. "We want to be on the right side of the history. The government faces compulsion; we don't have any compulsion," said opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif. Asif reminded that Prime Minister <keyword id="14676" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Imran-Khan">Imran Khan</keyword> was quick to accuse former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of making a secret deal with Indian businessman Sajjan Jindal on Jadhav during his meeting with him in <keyword id="1958456" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Murree">Murree</keyword>. "Purely political announcements were made by Imran Khan before coming in power in 2018. He did not realise the consequences of his accusations back then," he said. "In May 2017, Imran had told a political gathering at Ayub Stadium in Quetta that the execution of the convicted Indian spy had been withheld after Jindal visited Pakistan and met Nawaz Sharif," he said adding that Imran Khan had even asked the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) constituted to probe the Sharif family's foreign assets to also trace their business interests in India. On the other hand, the government will be taking the matter up in a cabinet meeting before the ordinance is sent to the National Assembly for approval. Federal Law Minister Dr. Farogh Naseem called on the opposition parties to avoid politics on the matter, insisting that "India will gain if an ordinance in line with the ICJ verdict is not passed". "This issue is highly sensitive and a matter of national importance. Promulgation of the ordinance is neither a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) nor an appeal," he said. While the government has a compulsion to abide by the ICJ ruling, opposition parties are adamant at not allowing the measure easy transit through the legislature. Opposition parties do not have majority in the lower house but they have a clear majority in the upper house, and warn that if the government succeeds in passing the ordinance in the lower house, they will ensure the upper house rejects it. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/coovid-vaccine-from-oxford-serum-institute-and-astrazeneca-shows-promising-immune-response/articleshow/77069321.cms">The COVID-19 vaccine from Oxford and AstraZeneca shows 'promising' results in early human trials</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/dil-bechara-kissing-booth-2-and-other-movies-you-can-watch-on-netflix-amazon-prime-disneyhotstar-this-week/slidelist/77142498.cms">Dil Bechara, Kissing Booth 2 and other movies you can watch on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+Hotstar this week</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/work-from-home-effect-these-companies-are-shelling-out-for-employees-power-bills-internet-cost-and-more/articleshow/77139229.cms">WFH effect – These companies are paying for employees' power bills, internet cost and more</a>

Pakistan to reconsider Kulbhushan Jadhav Ordinance in the National Assembly on August 3

<ul><li>India and Bangladesh are set to inaugurate a new railway line that will resume trans-border railway connectivity between the two countries after 55 years. </li><li>It will also serve as a way for India to bolster its connectivity to Chicken’s Neck, also called the <keyword id="1088089" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Siliguri-corridor">Siliguri Corridor</keyword>, that connects the rest of the country to the eight northeastern states. </li><li>The slender transit zone is flanked by China, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.</li></ul>India and Bangladesh are set to inaugurate a new railway line that will connect West Bengal to Chilahati across the border on December 16. On paper, the route will serve to improve trade and trans-border railway connectivity will resume between the two countries after a gap of five decades. But, on the ground, the 75-kilometre long railway line will bring the rest of India a little closer to the ‘Chicken’s Neck’, also called the Siliguri Corridor, to counter China’s <a href="https://theprint.in/defence/chinese-pla-patrolling-in-arunachal-time-for-action-on-the-border-bjp-mp-tapir-gao/443248/">growing aggressiveness</a> in the North East. According to the <a href="https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/twisting-india-s-chicken-s-neck">Lowly Institute</a>, it’s integral that India saves its Chicken’s Neck from China — especially considering that it’s already locked in a face-off against the dragon in Eastern Ladakh. <div type="image" title="chicken&amp;#39;s neck" msid="79750861" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Chicken&amp;#39;s Neck that connects the rest of India to its eight northeastern states&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The thin stretch of land gets its name from being only 22-kilometres wide. And, it will be less than 100 kilometres from the new railway line. The narrow bridge of land is the only connection between the rest of India and its eight north-eastern states. At the same time, the slender transit zone is flanked by China, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. ‘Chicken’s Neck’ is a point of strategic anxiety for India In the past, Nath-La Pass and <keyword id="4708082" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="doklam">Doklam</keyword>, have served as the stage for the two Asian giants to battle their claims. And, for China to take over Chicken’s Neck, it would only have to move its army inland by 130 kilometres. The strategic anxiety around the region is only heightened by China’s continued road and airstrip construction activities on its side of the border, which could allow it to mobilise rapidly in the region. Cognizant of the threat, the area is constantly patrolled by a number of entities including the Indian Army, the Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force, and the West Bengal Police. India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is also known to closely monitor activity in the region as well. India is also looking at fast-tracking the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India Nepal (BBIN) initiative which will boost connectivity among the South Asian neighbours through rail and road. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-and-reliance-industries-mukesh-ambani-spoke-but-had-no-chemistry/articleshow/79739547.cms">Zuckerberg spoke to Ambani but there was no chemistry — even with a multi-million dollar partnership between them</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/hdfc-bank-ceo-aditya-puri-says-banks-must-change-every-3-4-years/articleshow/79734617.cms">"Banks must change every 3-4 years," says Aditya Puri, the recently retired chairman of HDFC Bank, dubbed as 'the world's best banker'</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/pornhub-adult-video-streaming-website-deletes-over-9-million-videos-to-remove-child-porn/articleshow/79732612.cms">Two in every three Pornhub videos are gone after a purge to remove child porn</a>

After 55 years, India will inaugurate a new railway line with Bangladesh to save its ‘Chicken’s Neck’ from China

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In late August, Indian and Chinese troops clashed on their disputed border high in the Himalayas, another brawl in a summer of heightened tensions.</li><li>The latest clash killed one soldier and wounded another from <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s <keyword id="321996" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Special-Frontier-Force">Special Frontier Force</keyword>, a secretive unit made up largely of ethnic Tibetans, many of whom oppose <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>'s control of their home region.</li></ul>At the end of August, tensions between India and China flared with another <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/08/31/india-captures-chinese-camp-disputed-ladakh-violence-erupts/" target="_top">brawl</a> between their soldiers high in the Himalayas.The brawl around Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh, along the disputed border known as the Line of Actual Control, reportedly involved over 500 men and lasted about three hours.India claimed it was responding to a Chinese incursion and that an Indian special-operations battalion seized a Chinese camp in a stealth operation a few days later.<div type="image" title="India fighter jet Ladakh" height="1666" width="2500" msid="78038830" hostid="261"></div>This incident comes slightly more than two months after a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1563892" target="_top">similar clash</a> in the same region killed 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops.No casualty figures have been released for the latest brawl, but one Indian commando was <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-china-tibet/tibetan-soldiers-death-near-tense-india-china-border-sheds-light-on-covert-unit-idUSKBN25T2JN" target="_top">killed</a> and another wounded when they ran into a minefield.Those soldiers were part of the Special Frontier Force (SFF), an Indian special-operations unit composed almost entirely of ethnic Tibetans.The episode thrust the secretive unit into the spotlight. Now, almost six decades after its founding, it's fulfilling what many members and other Tibetans in India feel is its main purpose: to challenge China.<h2>Establishment 22</h2><div type="image" title="India soldiers troops Special Frontier Force" height="1406" width="2100" msid="78038834" hostid="261"></div>The SFF, units of which are known to Indian soldiers as Vikas battalions, was established during India and China's 1962 border war. Losing that war made India realize that it needed dedicated mountain troops capable of conducting reconnaissance and strike operations at high altitudes.The best candidates came from India's large Tibetan refugee community, many of whom fled to India with their leader, the Dalai Lama, after a failed <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rebellion-in-tibet" target="_top">u</a><a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rebellion-in-tibet" target="_top">prising</a> in <keyword id="6364076" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="tibet">Tibet</keyword> in 1959.The refugees were acclimated to the high altitudes and motivated to fight Chinese communist forces. Some were veterans of the uprising, and a few were previously <a href="https://www.historynet.com/cias-secret-war-in-tibet.htm" target="_top">trained</a> by the CIA in guerrilla warfare.The unit was created by India's domestic intelligence agency, the Intelligence Bureau, before being taken over by the Research and Analysis Wing, India's foreign intelligence agency.It was originally called "Establishment 22" before being renamed the SFF in 1967. The CIA assisted with training and equipment until the early 1970s.They were dedicated mountain troops and masters of patrolling and fighting in the unforgiving climate and altitudes of the Himalayas.<h2>A history of dedication and service</h2><div type="image" title="India army soldiers Special Frontier Force" height="1666" width="2500" msid="78038838" hostid="261"></div>The SFF was not created in time fight the Chinese in 1962, and although a central reason for its creation was to confront China, it was rarely put in a position to do so — possibly because the Indians worried its members, <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3100153/rare-spotlight-indias-mysterious-special-frontier-force-amid" target="_top">passionate</a> about countering China, might escalate tense situations.But the SFF has served in battle numerous times. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, 3,000 SFF commandos were <a href="https://www.thedailystar.net/wide-angle/phantoms-the-hills-168325" target="_top">dropped</a> behind Pakistani lines in Bangladesh, capturing strong points and preventing Pakistani soldiers from retreating into Burma. Fifty SFF commandos were killed and 190 wounded.They fought against Sikh insurgents in <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/1984-operation-blue-star-amritsar-1251681-2018-06-06" target="_top">Operation Blue Star</a> and helped <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/operation-meghdoot-34-years-ago-how-india-won-siachen-5135429/" target="_top">secure</a> Indian control of the Siachen Glacier in 1984 and then fought in the Kargil War in 1999.SFF commandos also secretly assisted the CIA in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/04/13/cia-put-nuclear-spy-devices-in-himalayas/61cf72f2-dfdc-4586-a695-11a6d823a097/" target="_top">tra</a><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/04/13/cia-put-nuclear-spy-devices-in-himalayas/61cf72f2-dfdc-4586-a695-11a6d823a097/" target="_top">cking</a> China's nuclear weapons program by <a href="https://www.wired.com/2013/04/cia-himalayan-spies/" target="_top">helping</a> install and maintain advanced monitoring devices along the Sino-Indian border.Gurdip Singh Uban, the son of the SFF's first commander and a veteran of the Indian military who fought with the SFF, <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/special-frontier-force-china-line-of-actual-control-lac-ladakh-jawaharlal-nehru/article32532182.ece" target="_top">recently described</a> them as "fearless" and said they "never, ever hesitate."<h2>A message to China</h2><div type="image" title="India army soldiers Special Frontier Force" height="1695" width="2500" msid="78038842" hostid="261"></div>The SFF reports directly to India's Cabinet secretariat and is not a part of the Indian military. Estimates put the unit's numbers between 3,000 to 5,000 troops.Indians and Nepalese fighters known as Gurkhas are now also in the SFF, but its identity is still distinctly Tibetan; the unit's insignia, for instance, is a Tibetan snow lion — the same kind found on the Tibetan flag.Because of their origin and mission, the unit has largely been kept secret. Indian officials asked the family of Tenzin Nyima, the 33-year veteran commando killed in the August clash, not to talk about his service.But recent events have given the unit renewed attention. Its members took the Chinese camp in late August, and <a href="https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/tibetans-give-warm-send-off-to-special-frontier-force-on-way-to-indo-china-border-136267" target="_top">video</a> has emerged of Tibetans in India giving warm send-offs to SFF soldiers heading to the border — part of a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/world/asia/india-china-troops-border.html" target="_top">massive buildup</a> of forces by both India and China.<div type="image" title="India Special Frontier Force soldier funeral Tibet" height="1666" width="2500" msid="78038845" hostid="261"></div>The new focus has led to hopes that the SFF, and the Tibetan community in India as a whole, will get the recognition and attention they deserve. It has also stirred the emotions of some Tibetans living in India, who see a chance to face their archenemy."Most of us Tibetans join the unit because this is our only chance to fight the Chinese," one SFF veteran recently <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3100153/rare-spotlight-indias-mysterious-special-frontier-force-amid" target="_top">told</a> the South China Morning Post.Those factors give their deployment more than military significance, melding a long-standing territorial dispute with much deeper ethnic and political tensions that the Chinese Communist Party has suppressed at home for decades."China's position is very clear," a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said earlier this month. "We firmly oppose any country providing convenience in any form for the 'Tibet independence' forces' separatist activities."

A secretive unit India sent to its disputed border with China is more than just a military challenge to Beijing

A special court in India today sentenced <keyword id="6398539" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="chhota-rajan">Chhota Rajan</keyword> to a life sentence, for ordering a hit on journalist <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/j-dey-verdict-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/63997333.cms">Jyotirmoy Dey’s (J-Dey)</a> seven years ago. The court also sentenced eight other accused who were involved in the conspiracy. Rajendra S. Nikhalje, aka Chhota Rajan, has been linked to <keyword id="6357714" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dawood-Ibrahim">Dawood Ibrahim</keyword> in the past, the most wanted criminal in India. He has also been linked to multiple other crimes, including murder, extortion and drug trafficking. Here’s a brief history of Rajan’s life, his eventual arrest and recent conviction. Rajan’s Entry into crime <ul><li><keyword id="19113" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ranjan">Ranjan</keyword> started out his criminal career by committing petty crimes, before his mentor Bada Rajan brought him into black marketing of cinema tickets at Sahkar Cinema, near Chembur in Mumbai, in the 1980s. </li></ul><ul><li>Under the mentorship of Bada Rajan and Yadagiri of Hyderabad, he learnt the tricks of the trade. </li></ul><ul><li>His friends and colleagues addressed him as ‘Nana’.</li></ul>Entry into organised crime <ul><li>Chhota Rajan ascended to the throne after the death of his mentor, Bada Rajan.</li></ul><ul><li>For a short period, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawood_Ibrahim">Dawood Ibrahim</a>, Rajan and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arun_Gawli">Arun Gawli</a>, a well known politician and underworld don in the country, worked together. </li></ul><ul><li>Gawli's elder brother Papa Gawli was assassinated over a drug deal and a rift formed.</li></ul><ul><li>Later, Rajan fled to <keyword id="6354539" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dubai">Dubai</keyword> and never returned.</li></ul><ul><li>After the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Bombay_bombings">1993 Bombay bombings</a>, Dawood and Rajan fell out. There were even reports that he tipped off India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) about Dawood's network. </li></ul>The split <ul><li>Rajan formed his own gang after the split, sometimes called Nana Company.</li></ul><ul><li>Reports of bloody shootouts between Rajan and Dawood’s henchmen were common after the split.</li></ul><ul><li>The Dawood-Rajan party was over, the messy end coming in September 2000, with Dawood Ibrahim’s left-hand man, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chhota_Shakeel">Chhota Shakeel's</a> attack on Rajan in his Bangkok hotel room.</li></ul>The capture <ul><li>On 25 October 2015, he was captured in Bali, Indonesia with the help of a tip-off by Australian police stating that Rajan had travelled to Bali under the alias Mohan Kumar. </li></ul><ul><li>Rajan was then caught at the airport and was extradited to India on 6 November 2015.</li></ul><ul><li>He was then transferred to <keyword id="56350" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tihar-jail">Tihar Jail</keyword> in the country’s capital, awaiting trial in almost 70 cases.</li></ul>Convictions <ul><li>He has been convicted in two cases till date. The first one being fake passport case - <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/verdict-in-chhota-rajans-fake-passport-case-on-april-12-1674550">convicted on 12 April 2017</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>The other being the J-Dey murder case (convicted on 2 May 2018) wherein he ordered a hit on a journalist J-Dey who reported that Chhota Rajan was the mastermind behind a murder attempt on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawood_Ibrahim#Family">Dawood's brother, Iqbal Kaskar</a>, in Mumbai. Upset with his report, Chhota Rajan ordered a hit on the journalist.</li></ul><ul><li>The hit was carried out on 11 June 2011 by four motorcycle-borne gunmen in Hiranandani Gardens in Mumbai’s Powai neighbourhood. The murder was linked with Chhota Rajan by the police.</li></ul>

A brief history of one of India’s most famous gangsters

<ul><li>On August 2, thousands of <keyword id="44352" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amarnath-Yatra">Amarnath Yatra</keyword> pilgrims were asked to leave <keyword id="6354495" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="kashmir">Kashmir</keyword> immediately. </li><li>Since then, section 144 has been imposed, internet services have been suspended, political leaders like <keyword id="19464" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Omar-Abdullah">Omar Abdullah</keyword> and <keyword id="6375812" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="mehbooba-mufti">Mehbooba Mufti</keyword> have been placed under house arrest. </li><li>Union Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly held a meeting to discuss the recent developments in Kashmir.</li></ul>On Friday (August 2) evening, the Indian government asked <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-india-pakistan-border-in-kashmir-is-simmering-again-thousands-of-amarnath-pilgrims-have-been-sent-back/articleshow/70500904.cms">thousands of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims</a> to leave Kashmir immediately citing a terror threat. Since then, the state has been in confusion and chaos. Making matters worse is a series of speculation by both <a href="https://twitter.com/SankarshanT/status/1157987037938511872">news outfits as well as on social media </a>that has led to people fearing the worst and hoarding food and necessities. The radio silence from New Delhi, while building up troops in the valley, in the face of rampant speculation has added to the unease, particularly in the Kashmir valley. The speculations range from the abrogation of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/what-is-article-35a-of-the-indian-constitution-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/69684605.cms">Article 35A</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/what-is-article-370-of-the-indian-constitution-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/69684790.cms">Section 370</a> of the Indian Constitution to the splitting up of the state into 3 parts – Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh. However, there has been no clear evidence to suggest any of the above. Let us look at all that has happened over the last three days that have intensified tensions in Kashmir leading to warnings from Pakistan too. Security beefed up The state of <keyword id="23412" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jammu-Kashmir">Jammu &amp; Kashmir</keyword> has been under President’s rule since December 2018 and now, section 144, which prohibits an assembly of more than 4 people in an area, has been imposed. "As per the order, there shall be no movement of public and all educational institutions shall also remain closed. There will be a complete bar on holding any kind of public meetings or rallies during the period of operation of this order. Identity cards of essential services officials will be treated as movement passes wherever required. However, there is no curfew in place as reported in a section of media," an official statement said as reported by IANS. The government had already deployed an additional paramilitary personnel of 10,000 in the state. According to <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/security-deployment-at-vital-installations-in-kashmir-increased-political-parties-hold-meeting-top-developments/articleshow/70524096.cms">reports</a>, riot control vehicles too have been deployed in the state. <keyword id="7948376" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="leaders-under-house-arrest">Leaders under house arrest</keyword> The state’s top political leaders were placed under house arrest late Sunday night. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to write about the imminent house arrest. “I believe I’m being placed under house arrest from midnight tonight &amp; the process has already started for other mainstream leaders. No way of knowing if this is true but if it is then I’ll see all of you on the other side of whatever is in store. Allah save us,” he wrote on Twitter. His rival, and a former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti wrote, “How ironic that elected representatives like us who fought for peace are under house arrest. The world watches as people &amp; their voices are being muzzled in J&amp;K. The same Kashmir that chose a secular democratic India is facing oppression of unimaginable magnitude. Wake up India.” Life comes to a standstill Internet services have been suspended since Sunday night in the state. Meanwhile, education institutions in the state too have been asked to remain shut from today until further orders. Kashmir university exams which were supposed to take place from August 5 to 10 have been postponed, according to IANS. BSNL will be giving satellite phones to media persons at the steep price of ₹1 lakh a piece to file stories from the Valley, said an IANS report. However, according to ANI, schools and colleges will reopen today in Ladakh as restrictions under Section 144 CrPC have not been imposed in the region. Security meeting in Pakistan In Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan called for a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1498058/nsc-meeting-pakistan-to-respond-to-any-misadventure-aggression-by-indian-forces">meeting</a> of the National Security Committee to discuss the developments along the border and reportedly, react to any steps taken by the Indian military. While Pakistan alleged that the Indian army used cluster bombs along the Line Of Control, the Indian army has said it was to foil an attempt by Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT) to cross over to the Indian side of the border. "Pakistan army regularly attempts to push terrorists through infiltration and opens up with multitude of weapons to assist them. India, during numerous Directorate of Military Operations-level talks, has maintained the right to respond. Such responses are only against military targets and infiltrating terrorists who are aided by Pakistan Army. Allegations of firing of cluster bombs by India is yet another Pakistan's lie and deception," <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/indian-army-pakistan-cluster-bombs-ammunition-loc-kashmir-1576890-2019-08-03">the Indian army said in a statement.</a> Cabinet meeting in India Meanwhile, in Delhi, Union Minister Amit Shah is said to have held a security meeting including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to discuss the situation in Kashmir. Other senior officials at the meeting included, Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Intelligence Bureau chief Arvind Kumar, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Kumar Goel. According to an IANS report, Shah is reportedly planning to visit the state. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/all-the-restrictions-imposed-on-the-kashmir-valley-starting-monday/articleshow/70529211.cms">All the restrictions imposed on the Kashmir valley starting Monday</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/omar-abdullah-mehbooba-mufti-are-placed-under-house-arrest/articleshow/70529476.cms">Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti are placed under house arrest</a>

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