From: gnreddy@cbnewsf.att.com (G.Narotham Reddy)
Subject: India's INSAT-2A Switched on, Ready for Operational Traffic
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 92 12:01:33 GMT


Source	: Indian Express ( COURTESY: AIR INDIA )
Date    : Aug 13, 1992
Country : India

Topics:
* INSAT-2A placed in orbit, Switched on, ready for operational traffic
* Babbar Khalsa Chief, 71 other surrender in Punjab (Headlines)

                          * * * * * *

* INSAT-2A placed in orbit, Switched on, ready for operational traffic

New Delhi Aug 13: India's first indigenously built second generation,
multi-purpose geo-stationary satellite, INSAT-2A has been successfully
placed in its orbital position and all the pay-loads have been
switched on, the lok sabha was informed on wednesday.  The 1,906 kg
satellite was launched by the Arianne launch vehicle on July 10, and
was injected into a geo-stationary transfer orbit, the minister of
state for scinece and tech, Mr.Kumaramangalam, told the house.

Making a statemnt, the minister said, immediately following the
launch, several critical manoeuvers had been carried out using the
systems on board the satellite. 

The stellite was commanded from INSAT master control facility at
Hassan in Karnataka.  It was first placed in near geo-synchronous
orbit, nearly 36,000 km above the earthr, by firing the liquid apogee
motor, he said.

Then the space craft was allowed to move slowly towards it final
orbital position at 74 degree east longitude and all the deployments
were carried out smoothly.

The minister said, INSAT-2A achieved its fill in -orbit configuration
ahead of schedule, on account of the excellent performance of all the
systems on board.  He said all the deplyoments took place without any
hitch.  The space-craft was then placed in the three-axis stabilised
configuration using the momentum wheels.  The pay-load switched on,
commenced on July 27.  Since then, all the pay-loads on this unique
multi-purpose satellite had been switched on, one by one and have been
found to be functioning normally, he said.

Trim manoeveres were carried out and the satellite was positioned at
its parking slot on July 31st this year.  

INSAT-2A carries 18 C-band transponders including 6 in extended
C-band, two hi power S-band transponders, A very high resolution
radiometer for meteriological imaging, a data relay transponder and
search and rescue payload. 

He said a series of extensive checks and characterisation of all
payloads had been carried out and the spacecraft was ready for
operational traffic.


* Babbar Khalsa Chief, 71 other surrender in Punjab (Headlines)

Chandigarh: Aug 13 - Seventy two militants, including the UK-based
Chief organizer of the overseas unit of the militant outfit, Babbar
Khalsa International (BKI), Gurdeep Singh Sibia, surrendered before
Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, at two separate functions in the
State on Wednesday.
	Gurdeep Singh Sibia had recently crossed over from Pakistan
and was mainly organizing supply of arms to militants in the state.
	In his 40-minute emotional speech before his surrender in the
presence of the entire Punjab cabinet, CPI, CPI(M) and Janata Dal
leaders here, Gurdeep Singh Sibia said the time had come to "forgive
and forget" as about a decade-old pro-Khalistan movement had achieved
nothing except the bloody killings and mystery of those for whom they
were fighting".
	"It's time for self-retrospection.  I appeal to the leaders
and the youth of Khalistan movement to giveup their anger, lay down
their arms and surrender since there are positive indications from the
Government to treat them well and solve the problem through dialogue.
Our goal will remain the same but our approach should change as
enought blood has been shed", he said.
	The remaining 71 militants, including three area commanders of
two militant outfits, surrendered at a function in Amritsar. All of
them were handed over to their parents.
	
Pakistan Wont wage War:  Gurdeep Singh Sibia, who quit his job of an
engineer in England in the wake of the 1984 Blue Star Operation in
Amritsar, said:  "It is all a myth that Pakistan will wage  a war
against India to help the Sikhs.  I appeal to the government of India
to adopt a proper attitude towards the Sikhs.  Consider them as their
own and integral part of the nation.  It is time to sit back and 
ponder as to why our youth preferred to sit in enemy camps."

There was no point in treading the same path which had led the Sikhs
no where despite loosing about 70,000 live and rendering thousands of
families destitute during the last ten years, he said.

He said the militants would be groping in the dark if they think that
the USA or the UK or Afghanistan or Pakistan would rush to their help.
By the reports of Human Rights Organizations like the Amnesty
International against the Indian Government it should not construed
to mean they were expressing solidarity with the Sikhs on their demand
for the so-called Khalistan.

Talks with Government: Sibia said the fate of the "Sikh quom" has got
tide up with our decisions.  "Therefore, it was their responsibility
to protect its future", he said. 

"We should not hesitate or feel shy in separating the myth from
reality.  The decisions are finally the off-shoots of negotiations,"
he said.

"We may be holding diametrically opposite views but we should keep
doors of dialogue open. The indications by the government asking the
militants to come to the negotiating table are not only a step in a
right directions, but the start of a new begnining", he said.

He said he sneaked into India at the instance of Pakistan's intelligence
officials to smuggle arms into this country from the Gujrat border.
He said he had found Sikhs living in the other parts of the country
prosperous and leading a respectable life.  There was no discrimination 
against them. "Our movement for independence has become movement for 
terrorism", he said.

He said the people of Punjab now want peace and end of bloodshed to
pave the way for a longterm political solution.

Pak Involvement: Sibia, was operating from Pakistan for the last two
years, said Pakistan was providing arms and training to the militants
and also treating their leaders lavishly.  But, their assistance to the
Sikhs was limited to sustain militancy and not for the establishment
of Khalistan. 

"By this way they are killing two birds with one stone - avenging the
Bangladesh creation from India and the 1947 events from the Sikhs.
The battle is being fought in Sikhs' courtyard and those being killed
are also the Sikhs," he said.  If Pakistan would not wage war against 
India on the issue of Kashmir, it simply could not do so for the 
establishment of Khalistan, he said.

Chandigarh - The "dramatic" surrender by the "Chief organizer" of the
Babbar Khalsa international Gurdeep Singh Sibia before the Punjab
Chief Minister, here on Wednesday, betrayed elements of a stage managed 
show.

Virtually all the ministers and Congress MLAs besides senior officers
and media persons and a retinue of party workers, assembled at the
Punjab bhawan for the first surrender of its kind in the state. Though
the Police and the public relations department, which had left no
stone unturned to ensure the impressive gathering, attempted to shroud
the identity of the "top militant" in mistery, it turned to be an open
secret that such an event was in the offing was hinted by none else than 
the Chief Minister two days ago when he had asked media persons not to
miss the function.  All the party legislators were especially invited
and the customary slogans in favour of "shere-e-Punjab" Biant Singh
were raised from time to time.

Interestingly, none of the news persons covering the state over the
past decade could recall having heard the name of Sibia in the past.
No one mentioned whether he was involved in killings or not. There was
no surrender of arms or ammunition and there was no clue to his future
role. 

After a brief introduction by the Chief Minister, the stage was handed
over to Mr.Sibia, who said that his real name was M.S Bhatti and that
he was settled in the U.K for over two decades.

It took Sibia no less than forty five minutes to read out his twenty
page type-written speech which he delivered without displaying any
emotion.

Copies of the speech, both in English and Punjabi, were distributed
among news persons on the spot.

As if to keep an edge to the drama, Sibia was whisked  away by Police
personel soon after function even as the audience was invited to
sumptous lunch.

Delhi cops, raid ultra' hide-outs:

New Delhi - Delhi police on Wednesday raides scores of suspected
militants' hide-outs all over the city and simultaneously launched
a massive combing operation in certain areas of the city following
specific intelligence reports that a number of Babbar Khalsa militants
had sneaked in.  Delhi Police Commissioner M.B.Kaushal told UNI on
Wendesday evening that the raids and the combing operations were still
continuing.

The combing operation was mainly confined to west Delhi, particularly
Tilak Nager locality, Mr.Kaushal said.

Nobody had been arrested so far, but an unspecified number of people
had been picked up for interrogation and screening, Police said.

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