Latest news with #JSM
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
MP calls for delisting converted tribal people from ST category
1 2 3 Jaipur: In a significant move, Udaipur MP Mannalal Rawat has brought attention to a controversial demand in the Lok Sabha, calling for the removal of religious converts from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. Speaking in Lok Sabha Monday, the BJP MP advocated for applying the same criteria to STs as currently applicable to Scheduled Castes (SCs), where conversion to non-Hindu faiths leads to disqualification from constitutional benefits. Rawat, who has strong ties with the RSS-affiliated Janjati Suraksha Manch (JSM), highlighted what he termed a "legal loophole" that has persisted for 75 years. Quoting studies and reports, Rawat said converted tribals continue to receive reservation benefits in education, employment and welfare schemes despite abandoning traditional tribal customs and practices. "This is a direct blow to the rights of genuine tribal communities in Udaipur, Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh and across the country. Limited resources are being diverted to those who no longer preserve tribal identity, weakening socio-economic development efforts," he told TOI. Referring to Article 342 of the Constitution, which governs Scheduled Tribes, Rawat noted that currently does not include any disqualification clause related to religious conversion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo The MP, who took voluntary retirement from a Rajasthan govt service to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleged that Christian missionaries and other groups have been conducting forced conversions in tribal areas through financial inducements. "They have devised a formula: change your belief system but not your legal identity. This poses a serious threat to tribal culture and traditions," Rawat said. According to the 2011 Census, Rajasthan has approximately 97,000 Christians, primarily concentrated in Jaipur, Ajmer, Dungarpur and Banswara. As a key strategist for JSM's nationwide campaign, Rawat has been instrumental in organising rallies and outreach programs across several states with significant tribal populations, including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Rawat was hand-picked by senior RSS members from Udaipur to address several long-pending issues, including the contentious demand for the de-listing of converted tribal people from Scheduled Tribe benefits. The demand for de-listing converted tribal people has been a long-standing agenda of RSS-affiliated organisations, though it faces complex constitutional and social implications.
Express Tribune
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
March against 'landgrab, forced conversionof Hindu women'
The Jeay Sindh Mahaz organised an eight-kilometer-long march in Mirpurkhas on Saturday decrying corporate farming, plunder of Sindh's resources and alleged forced conversion of Hindu women. A large number of people from Hindu community also took part in the march which was led by the JSM's Chairman Riaz Ali Chandio and Nawaz Shah Badahi. Chandio reiterated that the corporate farming cannot be accepted in any form even if the Pakistan Peoples Party's Sindh government dubbed the initiative as Public Private Partnership (PPP). The JSM's leader said instead of supporting the poor farmers the provincial government is only facilitating the large corporations and that too to the detriment of the peasants. Chandio alleged that Sindh's coal, oil, water and other resources have already been sold. He rejected the proposal for constructing new dams on the pretext that Indus river's water is being released in large volume in the sea during the ongoing flood season. He deplored that Sindh's major cities like Mirpurkhas still lacked public sector universities but the Sindh govt is planning to build a university in Punjab from the funds generated by selling the state's land to Bahria Town Karachi. Chandio reiterated that the country's law does not allow marriage of underage girls yet Hindu girls aged 14 to 15 years solemnize marriages and change their religions. Chenab dam The convener of Save Indus River Movement Syed Zain Shah, who is also head of Sindh United Party (SUP) has condemned the federal government's proposal to build Chenab dam in Punjab. He asserted in a statement on Saturday that the govt's plan is yet another move to rob Sindh of its due share of Indus water. He blamed the PPP and PMLN for being hands in glove with the establishment in making such plans.
Express Tribune
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
JSM announces joint Sindhi-Baloch struggle
Jeay Sindh Mahaz (JSM) Chairman, Riaz Ali Chandio, announced, on Friday, that he and former Senator Nawabzada Mir Haji Lashkari Khan Raisani have agreed to join forces to protect the rights and resources of Sindh and Balochistan, through a joint political struggle. Chandio stated that the water, oil, gas, coal, islands, and other resources of Sindh and Balochistan are continuously being exploited, but that the people of the two provinces are not receiving any benefits. Additionally, he stated that, along with the JSM, other Sindhi nationalist parties will also join hands with their Baloch brothers in the struggle. Further, Chandio and Raisani argued that the elected provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan are not representing the voices of their electorate, allowing for the continued exploitation of the two provinces and their resources.
DW
25-06-2025
- Business
- DW
NATO summit: Rutte says US committed to mutual defense pact – DW – 06/25/2025
NATO chief Mark Rutte has said the US is "totally committed" to the alliance's key Article 5 clause on mutual defense. Rutte's comments come a day after Trump appeared to be ambiguous on the issue. DW has the latest. NATO allies are expected to agree on a historic defense spending pledge on the last day of the alliance's summit, currently underway in The Hague. Before the day's proceedings began, Secretary-General Mark Rutte stressed that the US was "totally committed" to NATO and its Article 5 clause. Germany is to buy new cruise missiles from Norway to arm the 35 stealth F-35 jets it has ordered from the US, the German Defense Ministry said. The agreement to buy the missiles for €677 million ($786 million) was signed on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague. "This arrangement implements what we have set as our goal in Europe and in NATO: joint procurements to reduce time, bureaucracy and cost," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said after the signing. "Thanks to this joint initiative, we will receive the first cruise missiles before the end of 2027. This is not just fast procurement — to be honest, it is almost supersonic speed," he added. The missiles concerned are known as Joint Strike Missiles (JSM). They can be used against both land and sea targets and are capable of flying under enemy radar and changing course in mid-flight, the ministry said. The purchase is to be financed both from a special fund to refurbish the Bundeswehr and the normal defense budget. US President Donald Trump has appeared to reinforce the US' commitment to NATO's mutual defense clause after casting doubt on it. When asked about the relevant Article 5 of NATO's charter, he told reporters, "We're with them all the way." Trump had earlier said there were "numerous definitions" of the clause. The US president made the remarks ahead of his appearance at a summit of the military alliance in The Hague, Netherlands. Finland's President Alexander Stubb said that Europe was undertaking a greater responsibility in the NATO alliance to deter Russia amid huge hikes in military spending which rival those of the Cold War era. "I think we're witnessing the birth of a new NATO, which means a more balanced NATO and a NATO which has more European responsibility," Stubb said. Polish President Andrzej Duda has said that NATO's Article 5 commitment to collective defense could not be disputed. "Article 5 is clear ... and means collective defense and there is no discussion about this article," Duda as he arrived at the second day of the NATO summit on Wednesday. Spain's Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said that his country does not expect any repercussions after refusing the 5% defense spending target that NATO member countries are mulling in The Hague. "Spain will be a responsible ally," Cuerpo told Bloomberg TV, stressing that the country would meet all its military capabilities commitments towards NATO. Spain has said that it would not spend more than 2.1% of its gross domestic product in defense because its military capabilities pledges towards the transnational military alliance do not require more. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "No repercussions should derive from making good on our commitments and from being a reliable NATO ally, covering for the capabilities that we did commit to and that are necessary to defend NATO from the different threats that have been identified by experts," Cuerpo added. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that there was no alternative to higher defense spending in view of ongoing threats. "Given our long-term threat of Russia, but also the massive build-up of the military in China, and the fact that North Korea, China and Iran are supporting the war effort in Ukraine, it's really important we spend more. So that will be number one on the agenda today," Rutte told journalists before heading to meet NATO leaders on Wednesday. The Dutch politician also stressed that the United States was "totally committed" to NATO's Article 5, the alliance's mutual defence clause. "For me, there is absolute clarity that the United States has totally committed to NATO, totally committed to Article 5," Rutte said. Rutte's remarks came after US President Donald Trump appeared to signal his doubts on the clause on the previous day. Trump had refused to comment on the key Article 5 clause, which says that an attack on one member is an attack on all. "Depends on your definition. There's numerous definitions of Article 5," he said while addressing reporters on Tuesday. The president added that he was "committed" to being a "friend." The ongoing NATO summit in The Hague has entered its second and final day. Yesterday, US President Donald Trump arrived in the Dutch city hoping for a breakthrough in his long-standing demand for European allies to increase defense spending. Members of the US-dominated military alliance are expected to hike their defense spending to 5% of their economic output. We'll be back tomorrow morning with the latest updates here. US President Donald Trump is in The Hague for the NATO summit, where defense leaders are expected to raise their defense spending to 5% of their national output. This could be a big win for the US president who has for years asked European allies to contribute to their national security. Trump has had a rocky relationship with NATO leaders, suggesting at times the US may not defend allies who do not contribute enough to defense spending. Asked whether the US remains committed to NATO's Article 5 clause, Trump told reporters on Air Force One (on his way to Europe) that: "Depends on your definition. There are numerous definitions of Article 5. You know that, right? But I'm committed to being their friends." Still, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised Trump in a personal letter the US leader shared to his Truth Social account. Another big topic will be Russia's war in Ukraine. Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were at the Dutch royal palace for dinner together earlier this evening as well. But Trump was seated next to like-minded Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. Their table is shared by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Mark Rutte. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he has no doubt about the US commitment to the alliance's Article 5 mutual defense clause. "I have no doubt that the US is totally committed to NATO, totally committed to Article 5," Rutte told reporters in The Hague. He made the remarks after President Donald Trump, on his way to a summit of NATO leaders, said there were "numerous" definitions of Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, Asked later to clarify, Trump said he was "committed to saving lives. I'm committed to life and safety. And I'm going to give you an exact definition when I get there." The EU's top foreign policy representative Kaja Kallas spoke to DW's Alexandra von Nahmen on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on Tuesday, where the diplomat said member states, "can help Ukraine more if they invest more in defense." Kallas said US President Donald Trump has been cajoling NATO states to spend more on defense, "for quite some time." But, she added: "Many didn't just listen, but now, we are in the security situation that we are. And most of the European countries have realized that we actually need to do this." "Times have changed," said Kallas when asked about the fact that Ukraine was not going to be at the top of the NATO agenda this week. "But for Europe, Ukraine is our top priority. And that's why we are committing to helping Ukraine. We are committed to putting more pressure on Russia so that they would also want peace." Asked why Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will be at the summit, won't play a larger role, she simply said, "you know why." Kallas also spoke of the need to put defense production into high gear. "We are also cooperating with the Ukraine defense industry because they have actually created the defense industry from scratch," said Kallas, adding that the Ukrainians have been "very creative and very innovative" and that "there's a lot we can learn from them." Ukraine has been keen on joining NATO as well as the European Union. Its NATO aspirations look highly unlikely to feature prominently in The Hague. Still, Kallas did not close the door on Ukraine's EU bid, saying: "We also have the European [Council] summit coming up this week. We should move with the enlargement track because that is the hope for the Ukrainian people. We need to show that Europe is their family." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video As NATO leaders increase defense spending, they must also commit to upholding human rights and international humanitarian law, Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard told DW. 'What counts is the safety and the security of the people, and that cannot just be done through an increase in defense budgets. It must be done by recentering NATO, the UN, and the international community on what matters: the protection of international law,' Callamard said during an interview with DW in The Hague. Member states are expected to agree on a target of spending 5% of gross domestic product on defense, with 3.5% allocated to core military expenditures and another 1.5% directed toward areas such as infrastructure and cybersecurity. Callamard emphasized that the financial burden should not fall solely on ordinary citizens. 'The brunt of this 5% increase must be carried by the corporate actors who are going to benefit from the increase in defense spending,' she told DW correspondent Jack Parrock. Amnesty International is participating in the NATO Public Forum, which runs parallel to the summit and brings together leaders, officials, security experts, academics, journalists, and NGOs. 'So far, here at the NATO summit, I have not heard one reference to the suffering of the people. Yet Ukrainians are suffering, Palestinians are suffering, Israelis are suffering, Iranians are suffering. We're counting deaths by the thousands and thousands,' Callamard said. US President Donald Trump says he is heading to the NATO summit expecting a calmer atmosphere than recent events in the Middle East. "Heading to NATO where, at worst, it will be a much calmer period than what I just went through with Israel and Iran. I look forward to seeing all of my very good European friends, and others. Hopefully, much will be accomplished!" Trump posted on the social media platform X. Germany's 2025 budget includes funding for 10,000 new military positions and about 1,000 additional civilian posts, the Defense Ministry has said. "We will invest massively in the Bundeswehr," Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. "After decades of neglecting the Bundeswehr, dangerous security gaps have emerged that we must continue to close." The minister called the news "today's message from Berlin" as he headed to the NATO summit in The Hague. "NATO partners' expectations of Germany are high, and quite rightly so," Pistorius added. He confirmed that major investments in air defense were planned. The defense budget is expected to more than double by 2029, rising to €152.8 billion, according to current budget planning. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said Berlin plans to turn its Bundeswehr into Europe's strongest army. Pistorius has previously said that Germany could need up to 60,000 more troops.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
German F-35s Will Be Armed With Stealthy Joint Strike Missiles
Germany plans to buy Joint Strike Missile (JSM) cruise missiles from Norway to arm its forthcoming fleet of F-35A stealth fighters. While these jets were primarily chosen as delivery platforms for U.S.-owned nuclear gravity bombs, under a long-standing NATO agreement, Germany is increasingly viewing the F-35A as part of an expanding conventional long-range strike arsenal. Plans to arm German and Norwegian F-35As with the JSM, which is manufactured by Kongsberg, were announced today by Norwegian Minister of Defense Tore O. Sandvik. According to a statement from the Norwegian Ministry of Defense, a contract for the missiles is expected to be signed with Germany in the first half of this year. The deal is expected to be worth around $645 million, but the total number of missiles involved was not disclosed. Germany will become the fifth country to acquire JSM, after Norway, Japan, Australia, and the United States. In the past, we have discussed the attributes of the JSM and how it differs from the related Naval Strike Missile (NSM): 'JSM is an enlarged air-launched derivative of the sea and ground-launched Naval Strike Missile (NSM), which has been steadily growing in popularity, including in the U.S. military. The JSM, which Kongsberg developed in cooperation with U.S. defense contractor Raytheon (as they also did with NSM), has a stated maximum range of around 350 miles. This is cut roughly in half when the missile is employed in its low-altitude penetration mode.' The JSM, which has a 260-pound warhead, can use GPS, INS, and terrain mapping to navigate its way to a designated target area. The terrain mapping component of the guidance suite gives the missile a valuable additional way to get where it is going, even in GPS-denied environments — something that the war in Ukraine has shown is an ever-more likely possibility in future conflicts. The agile JSM, which has reduced signature (stealthy) features, also has an imaging infrared seeker giving it very precise targeting capability in the terminal phase of flight. The seeker works passively, which also makes it immune to radiofrequency jamming and detection. A two-way datalink means JSMs can receive additional targeting information during the mid-course portion of their flight or be re-tasked entirely. Critically, the JSM is sized so that it can be accommodated internally in the F-35A's weapon bays, allowing the jets to employ these weapons while staying as stealthy as possible. In the case of the U.S. Air Force, which has also bought JSM for its F-35As, the missile was ostensibly acquired as an interim stand-off anti-ship capability until the jets get the larger AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). However, the JSMs can also engage targets on land. In the German context, the JSMs will therefore provide a powerful conventional long-range strike capability against ground targets, but they will also reintroduce an anti-shipping strike capability that was lost when the Luftwaffe retired the Kormoran missile. This Cold War-era weapon had previously armed German Tornado IDS swing-wing strike aircraft. With growing tensions with Russia, especially in the highly strategic Baltic region, maritime missions and anti-surface warfare are making something of a resurgence. In choosing the JSM, Germany is getting a missile that has already been developed, with the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) funding its integration onto the F-35A. In late April of this year, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the first JSM had been delivered to the RNoAF at Ørland Air Station. At the same time, it was announced that all 52 F-35As ordered by Norway had been delivered. With this, Norway became the first country to receive all of its planned F-35s. Under the JSM deal announced today, Norway will purchase the missiles from Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace on behalf of Germany. The Norwegian Defense Materials Agency and its German sister organization BAAINBw will serve as the contracting parties in the government sale, bringing closer strategic cooperation with Germany. The joint JSM plans announced today extend an existing bilateral Naval Defense Material Cooperation agreement between Germany and Norway. This agreement was previously used for the NSM and the forthcoming 3SM — a supersonic naval 'super missile' to arm warships belonging to both countries. It also covers joint acquisition, operation, and maintenance of the new Type 212CD submarines for both countries. In the case of Germany, there are also plans to acquire the AGM-158B JASSM-Extended Range, or JASSM-ER. This is a land attack cruise missile, but unlike the JSM, it will not fit in the internal weapons bays on the F-35, and it is not capable of engaging ships. The JASSM-ER has a publicly stated range of at least 575 miles, compared to a range of around 330 miles for the initial AGM-158A JASSM. In March 2024, Reuters reported that Germany had begun the process of acquiring 75 JASSM-ER missiles at a cost of around $8.67 billion. It's been suggested that these weapons could ultimately replace the Taurus air-launched conventional cruise missile, now used by German Tornados, and which have long been suggested could be transferred to Ukraine. That transfer hasn't happened, with Berlin so far having blocked such a move, despite Kyiv's requests for them. Regardless, the Taurus will need to be replaced in the future. So far, it seems that Germany has not signed a contract to buy JASSM-ER missiles. Last October, Germany announced plans to acquire 600 examples of a new version of the Taurus, known as the Taurus Neo. While the missile would require a significant redesign to fit in the F-35A's internal weapons bays, it may well be adopted as external armament, either in addition to the JASSM-ER or as an alternative. Germany may also decide to have the Taurus Neo arm the Eurofighter EF2000, which can only carry external stores. Either way, new standoff weapons combined with the F-35A will bring a major boost to Germany's long-range strike capabilities. This is in addition to the nuclear role for which the F-35A was chosen, in favor of different combinations of the Eurofighter, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and EA-18G Growler. Germany has said it aims to replace the Tornado with 35 examples of the F-35A by 2030. Already, Germany's decision to buy the F-35A was a significant one, demonstrating a new willingness to spend on military modernization and otherwise improve its readiness after years of decline since the end of the Cold War. The country's push to drastically expand its standoff strike capabilities has also seen it sign an agreement with the United Kingdom to develop a new 'deep precision strike' weapon with a range of over 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles), as you can read about here. This is a project that reflects growing ambitions among various European NATO members to field long-range strike capabilities, faced by a growing Russian threat on the alliance's eastern flank. Now, with the JSM lined up to arm its F-35As, potentially to be joined by the JASSM-ER, Germany will have a highly flexible and survivable — albeit small — force of stealth jets that can undertake nuclear and conventional strike as well as anti-shipping. Contact the author: thomas@
