Intruding Pak Planes To Be Shot Down
Jagjivan Ram’s Assurance To Parliament
From Our Special Correspondent, NEW DELHI, July 23—Mr. Jagjivan Ram suggested today that the two “deliberate” Pakistani air intrusions over Kashmir on Tuesday, though detected, were condoned because of the “limitations imposed on us” by civil aircraft using Srinagar airport. However, he gave an assurance that orders had now been given to shoot down intruding Pakistani aircraft.
The Defence Minister, who was replying to anxious inquiries by members of both Houses of Parliament on identical motions calling attention to the intrusion by two Pakistani Mirages, told the Rajya Sabha that normal interception procedures had not been automatically activated because the authorities did not consider that sort of emergency” to have existed. In the Lok Sabha he said that the Mirages were noticed “as soon as they entered our airspace”, but did not elaborate.
It took the members of the Upper House an hour and a half’s close questioning to extract this information from the Minister. The announcement that intruding aircraft would henceforth be shot down came only when Mr. Gaure Murhari (SSP) specifically asked for an assurance to this effect.
In the Lok Sabha members wondered how and why the intruding aircraft were allowed to fly for eight minutes over the valley Pressed to give an assurance that further intrusions would not be tolerated, the Minister said that “Instructions will be given that efforts should be made to shoot down intruding Pakistani plances”.
Some Loke Sabha members called for a secret session of the House to enable them to get the full facts But Mr. Jagjivab Ram said that it would be advisable not to publicize certain things in the national interest. He, however, offered to meet some members in private.
“HYSTERICAL” MOVES
He agreed with the members that hysterical preparations-digging of bunkers and channels, military exercises and manoeuvres, and recruitments to the armed forces were being made across the border. All these factors were being taken into account in India’s defence-preparadness.
The Minister also admitted that Pakistan might be engaging in diversionary tactics on the western border. As the freedom fighters were intensifying their activities in Bangladesh, making the region “too hot” for the Pakistani Army, President Yahya Khan “is losing his ense of equilibrium and balance.”
In the Lok Sabha, Mr. Surendra Mohanty (Uktal Congress) described the Minister’s prepared statement as “a laconic reply shrounded in the mystery of national interest”. The statement reads:
“Two aircraft of the Pakistani Air Force intruded into Indian airspace over the Kashmir valley around 13-00 hours on July 20, 1971. A second intrusion took place north of Jammu around the same hour on July 21. The Pakistani aircraft were spotted by our observation system.
“There are clear and delberate violations of Indian airspace by Pakistani fighter aircraft. The Government takes a serious view of these violations and has lodged strong protests with the Government of Pakistan demanding effective stops to prevent recurence of such violations. The Government of India holds the Government of Pakistan fully responsible for any consequences that may flow from such hostile acts.
‘As the House is aware, the airfield at Srinagar is being used principally for civil purposes. Our obligations to civilian aircraft impose some limitations on us. Appropriate measures have been taken to deal with Pakistani provocations and threats. I trust the House will not wish me to deal with this matter at length. It will be appreciated that a detailed discussion will serve interests other than our own”.
Mr. Samar Guha (PSP) reminded the Lok Sabha of the lightning raids by Israel on the UAR putting 80% of the UAR planes out of action, and warned the Minister against a similar fate. Mr. Jagjivab Ram thought the comparison unfair, for “our efficiency and fighting quality is well known”. He told Mr. Guha that there had been 43 airspace violations by Pakistan this year, up to July 22.
Mr Vikram Mahajan (C-R) recalled an earlier official statement that Indian interceptors could bring down any intruding aircraft in three minutes and wondered why the system “failed” on the latest occasion. The Minister told him that soon after the intrusion he had a discussion with the three Service chiefs and the defence arrangements were being further stengthened. He reaffirmed that there was neither any human nor any mechanical failure in the warning system.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 24.7.1971