Prez, PM Modi, CDS among 10,000 people under Chinese surveillance: Report

 Amid the ongoing standoff with the Indian Army in Eastern Ladakh and the back and forth through diplomatic channels, an investigation by The Indian Express has revealed that a Shenzen-based technology company with links to the Chinese government, and the Chinese Communist Party, is monitoring over 10,000 Indian individuals including PM Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and CDS Bipin Rawat.

The investigation released last night reveals staggering details of a "hybrid warfare" with foreign targets in India identified and monitored in real-time by Zhenhua Data Information Technology Co. Limited.

According to the report, "From President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi and their families; Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee, Ashok Gehlot and Amarinder Singh to Uddhav Thackeray, Naveen Patnaik and Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Cabinet Ministers Rajnath Singh and Ravi Shankar Prasad to Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, and Piyush Goyal; Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Singh Rawat to at least 15 former Chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force; Chief Justice of India Sharad Bobde and brother judge AM Khanwilkar to Lokpal Justice P C Ghose and Comptroller and Auditor General G C Murmu; start-up tech entrepreneurs like Nipun Mehra, founder of Bharat Pe (an Indian payment app), and Ajay Trehan of AuthBridge," are all under the radar of the tech company connected with the Chinese government.

ALSO READ: Ladakh standoff: India, China troops within shooting range at Spanggur Gap

The details were extracted by The Indian Express from the metadata of Zhenhua’s operations from the massive dump of log files that constituted what the company called the Overseas Key Information Database (OKIDB). The data was provided to The Indian Express, The Australian Financial Review, Italy’s Il Foglio and The Daily Telegraph, London by a source within the company.

The hybrid warfare refers to using non-military tools to achieve dominance or damage, subvert or influence. These tools include, in its own words, “information pollution, perception management and propaganda.”

Indian army convoy carrying reinforcements and supplies, drive towards Leh. Photo: BloombergIndian army convoy carrying reinforcements and supplies, drive towards Leh. Photo: Bloomberg

Apart from leaders and important individual, data revealed that the company also tracks relatives of, among others, Prime Minister Modi (wife Jashodaben); President Kovind (wife Savita Kovind); former PM Manmohan Singh (wife Gursharan Kaur and their daughters Upinder, Daman, Amrit); Sonia Gandhi (husband, the late Rajiv, son Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra).

Apart from political figures, the company also monitored media personalities, sports stars like Sachin Tendulkar, film director Shyam Benegal, classical dancer Sonal Mansingh, former Akal Takht Jathedar Gurbachan Singh among others.

The revelations hold significance in the backdrop of ongoing negotiations between Delhi and Beijing to curb the already flared up situation along Line of Actual Control in the Ladakh region.

Ladakh Standoff: India-China Brigadier-level talks inconclusive in Chushul

 To prevent the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh from further escalating, the armies of India and China held an interaction on Saturday where they discussed withdrawing forces from the points where there are in eyeball-to-eyeball situations.

Brigade commanders of both sides met at Chushul and held an interaction from 11 am to 3 pm but the talks remained "inconclusive".

Both the countries' military delegates are continuously in talks since September 7, the day Chinese People's Liberation Army made a provocative move to occupy Indian territory at the LAC that was thwarted by the Indian Army.

Both countries have now decided to hold their sixth round of top-level military talks within the next few days. The corps commanders - 14 Corps commander Lt-General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin have not met since August 2.

A senior government officer stated there is a complete breakdown of trust between both the militaries. China has mobilised thousands of soldiers, tanks and howitzers within shooting distance of each other in the Pangong Tso-Chushul area.

Indian soldiers then swiftly seized tactical heights on the ridge line stretching from Thakung on the southern bank of Pangong Tso to Gurung Hill, Spanggur Gap, Magar Hill, Mukhpari, Rezang La and Reqin La (Rechin mountain pass), and other height features near Chushul to pre-empt the Chinese army activities there.

The Chinese have since made multiple attempts to dislodge Indian troops from mountain heights.

India has also found that the Chinese side has started troop, artillery and armour build-up in three sectors of the LAC -- western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh).

India and China are engaged in a four-month-long standoff at the LAC in eastern Ladakh. Despite several levels of dialogue, there has been no breakthrough and the deadlock continues.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Ladakh: Govt says 'intricate' discussions on disengagement continue

After a 14-hour meeting in Ladakh between Chinese and Indian military commanders on Tuesday, the government said the two sides continue to discuss ways to disengage their troops that continue to face off in several locations.
“The two sides remain committed to the objective of complete disengagement. This process is intricate and requires constant verification. They are taking it forward through regular meetings at diplomatic and military level,” said a ministry of defence (MoD) statement.

Sources close to the government admit there was no breakthrough in Tuesday’s fourth round of talks between India’s corps commander in Leh, Lieutenant General Harinder Singh and China’s commander of the South Xinjiang Military Region, Major General Liu Lin.
“The Senior Commanders reviewed the progress on implementation of the first phase of disengagement and discussed further steps to ensure complete disengagement,” stated the MoD.
Tellingly, the defence ministry was silent on New Delhi’s demand for China to ensure a reversion to the “status quo ante” of April, before troops of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) crossed the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at six points in Eastern Ladakh.
Nor was there any mention of “de-escalation”, which would involve both sides pulling back large numbers of troops concentrated behind the frontlines, as backup in case large scale fighting broke out.
ALSO READ: Disengagement is intricate, needs constant verification: Indian Army at LAC
So far only limited disengagement has taken place in the Galwan valley, where the LAC has effectively shifted one kilometre in favour of China; in Hot Spring and Gogra where China has made a slightly larger gain; and in the Pangong Tso sector where drawing the disengagement point at Finger 4 means the Chinese have gained eight kilometres.
In Depsang, near the Karakoram Pass, PLA troops are an estimated 15-18 kilometres inside Indian territory.
So far there have been no fruitful discussions on disengaging troops in Depsang.
Meanwhile, Chinese troops remain concentrated in large numbers on their side of the LAC opposite Demchok, Fukche, Pangong Tso, Khurnak Fort, Hot Spring, Galwan and Depsang.
In a separate statement on Thursday, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) rejected charges that India had effectively accepted a change in the alignment of the LAC. “There is absolutely no change with respect to India’s position on the Line of Actual Control. We are fully committed to observing and respecting the LAC. Any unilateral attempts to change the status quo along the LAC are not acceptable,” stated the MEA.
Since early June, India and China have engaged in discussions through military as well as diplomatic channels to defuse the on-going confrontation along the LAC. Talks have taken place over the phone between India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi on June 17; as well as between the latter and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on July 5 in their capacity as Special Representatives on the border question.
On July 10, a meeting was held of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs.
“The engagement (between military commanders on Tuesday) was consistent with the consensus reached between the Special Representatives of India and China earlier, on 05 July, to discuss complete disengagement,” stated the government.

Ladakh standoff: India-China to hold third round of Lt Gen talks today

Indian and Chinese militaries will hold another round of Lt General-level talks on Tuesday in an attempt to de-escalate tension in eastern Ladakh and finalise modalities for disengagement of troops from the sensitive region, government sources said.
It will be the third round of Lt General-level talks and it will take place in Chushul sector on the Indian side of Line of Actual Control. The meeting is scheduled to start at 10:30 AM, the sources said.

The first two meetings had taken place at Moldo on the Chinese side of the LAC.
In the second round of talks on June 22, the two sides arrived at a "mutual consensus" to "disengage" from all the friction points in eastern Ladakh.
On Tuesday, the two sides are expected to deliberate on the implementation of an agreement arrived at the first round of the Lt General talks on June 6, the sources said.
ALSO READ: First batch of 6 Rafale jets likely to arrive in India by July 27: Report
The Indian delegation at the talks will be headed by 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh while the Chinese side is likely to be led by the Commander of the Tibet Military District.
The tension between the two sides escalated after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 that left 20 Indian soldiers dead.
The Chinese soldiers used stones, nail-studded sticks, iron rods and clubs in carrying out brutal attacks on Indian soldiers after they protested the erection of a surveillance post by China on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control in Galwan.
After the clashes, the two sides held at least three rounds of Major-General level talks to explore ways to bring down tension between the two sides.

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The Army sources said they met one-to-one for almost three hours before engaging further at delegate-level talks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today hold an interaction with chief ministers of states such as Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and others, which are seeing a spurt in Covid-19 cases and death numbers.
In a steep escalation of the ongoing Sino-Indian border face-off in eastern Ladakh, soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) attacked and killed 20 Indian soldiers, including a colonel, on Monday night.
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Senior Indian, Chinese Army commanders in talks to defuse tension in Ladakh

High-level Indian and Chinese military commanders met at designated points along the LAC (line of actual control) on May 22 and May 23 to defuse the current situation in Eastern Ladakh. Sources told ANI that parallel diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Beijing were also working towards a peaceful resolution. Since the beginning of May, Chinese army has been involved in several incidents in Eastern Ladakh, along the LAC.
While the Indian and Chinese military commanders are talking face-to-face in Ladakh, diplomatic efforts are underway in the national capitals of the two countries to resolve the situation. The Indian Army has been effectively responding by building and deploying its own capabilities in Eastern Ladakh, including the Galwan sector. Sources have told ANI that no compromise will be made with regard to maintaining the sanctity of India's borders and that while India believes in peace, it is firm and resolute when it comes to the defence of its territory.
This has been reflected in spirit even in the four or more agreements between India and China, which have historically formed the mechanism for border management. The mechanisms are still in place and working at a bilateral level. Two of them are of 1993 and 1996 and there is a CBM (Confidence Building Measures) in place since 2005 and a border agreement since 2013.
These agreements form the framework under which border talks have been held between India and China and not resulted in a full-blown conflict. They have also figured in the summit level meetings held between PM Modi and President Xi and previous Prime Ministers and Presidents of the two countries. However, this is not the first time that the Chinese army has taken an aggressive posture in this region and provoked a face-off with Indian troops since the 1962 China-India war.
There was Sikkim in 2008, Depsang in 2013, Chumar in 2014, and Doklam in 2017. China has not been comfortable with the construction of the Darbuk-Shyok-DBO Road in the Indian side of the LAC. The construction of the 255km road began in 2000 and was to be completed by 2014, but after several hiccups, the entire road finally was ready for use recently.
The current face-off is believed to be in reaction to India steadily building infrastructure in Ladakh and the increase in local civilian activity on the Indian side of LAC. For China, this is an irritant because India is rapidly narrowing down the infrastructure gap in Ladakh. While India has not obstructed in any manner the activities of the Chinese on their side of the LAC, whether it is putting up of the pre-fabricated structures or an increase in their patrolling.
The Chinese patrol units have been aggressive in expressing their displeasure to the Indian army activity on the DBO road. This has manifested in their activity in Galwan sector, Pangong lake and other strategic areas. The Indian army has and will continue to respond as the need arises say sources.


The ramping up of national security apparatus post Kargil that included the eastern sector has been a cause of vexation for the Chinese. The heightened interference with Indian patrolling along the LAC by the Chinese post-2000 saw it become hyper-aggressive in the Doklam stand-off.
If this face off in Eastern Ladakh is a similar strategy then sources indicate that the Indian army is well prepared for bringing in the required forces to ensure that its national security is not compromised even for a minute. China has built up its forces along its side of the LAC as is evidenced from satellite imagery available in open source intelligence data.
It has not hesitated in pushing its troops back and forth in the LAC to provoke a response from the Indian side. These mind games are often played by troops when they are at eyeball-to-eyeball levels in non-demarcated borders like the LAC. However, sources indicate that this time the Chinese side seems to be playing more than normal eye games. Hence the Indian army has moved men and material as much or more than is required in clear view of the Chinese army.
It is incorrect and naive to assume, say sources, that the Indian army was caught napping due to Covid-19 conditions. Those conditions prevail on both sides of LAC, in fact probably more on the other side, hence to say that troops levels are low or lower is an inaccurate assumption say sources. The Indian armed forces are prepared for a scenario that this standoff could not be a short-termed one. If anything the Doklam episode has been a learning experience for India in that China doesn't back down easily, no international badgering works on them and they like to keep testing India on how long and how much pressure it can withstand. Sources indicate that contrary to some reports; Indian frontline commanders have been quick in their response and firmness and continue to hold their ground at the LAC.

A new 'LA' registration tag to be assigned for vehicles in Ladakh

A new registration tag 'LA' has been assigned for vehicles to be registered in Ladakh, the government has said.
The Centre had on August 5 abrogated Article 370 provisions in the Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, bifurcating the state into two Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which came into being on October 31.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by ... the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the Central Government hereby makes the following further amendments in the notification of Government of India in the then Ministry of Surface Transport number S.O. 444(E), dated the 12th June, 1989, namely :- 1. In the Table to the said notification, after serial number 17 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entities shall be inserted, namely:- "17A. Ladakh LA"," a gazette notification by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said.
Ladakh, is the second largest union territory. It consists of two districts of Kargil and Leh.
The Leh district of the new UT of Ladakh has been defined in the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties) Second Order, 2019, issued by the President of India, to include the areas of the districts of Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilhas and Tribal Territory of 1947, in addition to the remaining areas of Leh and Ladakh districts of 1947, after carving out the Kargil District.

Govt releases maps of newly-created UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh

The goverment on Saturday released the maps of newly created Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh and the map of India depicting these UTs.
In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the UT of Ladakh consists of two districts of Kargil and Leh while the rest of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir is in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.

In 1947, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir had the following 14 districts - Kathua, Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi, Anantnag, Baramulla, Poonch, Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Leh and Ladakh, Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilhas and Tribal Territory.
By 2019, the government of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir had reorganised the areas of these 14 districts into 28 districts.
The names of the new districts were - Kupwara, Bandipur, Ganderbal, Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Shupian, Kulgam, Rajouri, Ramban, Doda, Kishtivar, Samba and Kargil. Out of these, Kargil district was carved out from the area of?Leh and Ladakh district.

PIB India
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@PIB_India
Maps of newly formed Union Territories of #JammuKashmir and #Ladakh, with the map of #India
Details: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1590112 …
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The Leh district of the new UT of Ladakh has been defined in the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties) Second Order, 2019, issued by the President of India, to include the areas of the districts of Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilhas and Tribal Territory of 1947, in addition to the remaining areas of Leh and Ladakh districts of 1947, after carving out the Kargil District.
ALSO READ: Restrictions lifted from Srinagar, normal life remains affected in Kashmir
The maps prepared by Survey General of India depicting the new UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, as created on October 31, 2019, along with the map of India, are released, the statement said.
On the recommendation of Parliament, the President effectively dismantled Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and gave assent to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and supervision of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has been reorganised as the new Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the new Union Territory of Ladakh on October 31, 2019, the statement said.