Our Correspondent

Abohar, December 24

An Army jawan was killed and eight persons were injured in road accidents as dense fog engulfed Abohar and neighbouring Sriganganagar region on Monday.

Driver Rattan Singh (45) of Rajputana Rifles was killed as a Rajasthan Roadways bus hit Army Gypsy at 8.30 am near Rojari village while overtaking a truck that was parked on the roadside.

Major Rohit and Sepoy Jitender Singh, who sustained injuries, were shifted to the military hospital at Suratgarh. The police impounded the bus and the Army vehicle. A case has been registered against the bus driver. Deceased Rattan Singh belonged to Dhani Kotputali village.

In another mishap, Nand Lal and Sher Singh of Indira Nagari in Abohar and Manga Singh of Muktsar were hurt as two trucks collided head-on due to fog near Gidderanwali village on the Abohar-Sriganganagar stretch of the highway. The doctors at the Civil Hospital here referred Sher Singh to Faridkot.

Later, Ajit Singh of Tarmala sustained injuries as a car collided with a truck at the same place due to fog as the trucks involved in the previous mishap were not removed.

Pawan Kumar and Aladdin of Hisar were hurt as a pickup van collided with an SUV that carried the name plate of a government official based at Chhattisgarh in Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, power supply to some segments in Sriganganagar district was disrupted for a few hours as 220-kV power grid sub-stations in Padampur and the industrial focal point at Sriganganagar developed snag due to fog, officials said. The supply was suspended at 4 am and could be restored by 11 am. The Peelibanga segment in Hanumangarh was also affected due to the same reason. Officials said the fault was detected at 9 am and remedial measures were immediately initiated.

Can’t lose sight of caution when it comes to Pakistan and its army

Capt Amarinder Singh
Chief Minister, Punjab

IT is strange that two weeks after the ceremony of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor at Dera Baba Nanak, it dawns on five-time Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to insinuate that I am attempting to sabotage its opening. Had he read reports of my speech that day, or my letter to the Pakistan Foreign Minister, declining his PM’s invitation to their ceremony on November 28, it would have been crystal clear to him why I did so.

At Dera Baba Nanak on November 26, I made it clear that it was part of every Sikh’s ardas each morning that we should be united with our gurdwaras which remained in Pakistan after 1947. I welcomed this initiative between the governments of India and Pakistan, and said Punjab would do everything to hasten its construction. We have since set up Dera Baba Nanak Development Authority and will start acquiring land once the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways gives us its requirement.

To Mr Badal goes the credit for the 35,000 deaths in Punjab during the 80s-90s, and the destruction of our economy. Using gurdwaras for his politics, demolishing every vestige of constitutional propriety, creating massive unemployment, and putting himself before Punjab and our people has been his sole contribution — history is witness to it. 

For me, to be CM at a time that this corridor has come about, to open access to pilgrims from India to visit one of our holiest shrines, is a singular honour. My grandfather Maharaja Bhupindra Singh rebuilt Kartarpur Sahib from 1920 to 1929, after floods in the Ravi destroyed it. My father Maharaja Yadvindra Singh, in 1932, did sewa at Punja Sahib. In 2004, the then CM of Pakistan Punjab, Parvez Elahi, and I laid the foundation stone for a road linking Nankana Sahib to Wagah, for easy access to pilgrims from India.

However, I cannot forget that it is my duty as head of Punjab Government to secure my State against any agency or individuals who attempt, yet again, to create disturbed conditions. Punjab has been through terrible times from the 70s through the 90s. It was our security forces and the people who finally ensured an end to the prevailing madness. Having lived through that period, I was determined that I would never allow such a situation to again engulf my State. I therefore decided not to visit Pakistan, regardless of my personal loss in not visiting Kartarpur Sahib, till that country stopped its nefarious activity in my State and country.

Do we see light on the horizon? I think not. If the Pakistan government and its army want better relations with India, why not start by stopping cross-border fire, killing or wounding Indian soldiers every day? Why not rein in the ISI, which continues to weaponise and train terror outfits in Kashmir? Why attempt to start terror activities again in Punjab? Referendum 2020 is ISI’s new game. The frontman is a decrepit US-based lawyer called Pannu, who professes a peaceful referendum for Khalistan, which finds contradiction in a recently neutralised terror module’s confession to owing allegiance to this organisation.

The question arises: why did Pakistan army agree to the corridor now, after rejecting consistent attempts made over the years? For any student of ISI functioning, the reason is obvious: create a universal euphoria among the Sikh community and gain as much sympathy by any disgruntled youth or citizen, and thus widen its terror base with the objective of gaining support for the referendum.

Do not for once believe that the Pakistan army has any love lost for India. The army calls the shots in all spheres of government. Behind the figurehead civilian rule is the gun, and the gun today in Pakistan has a warped strategy. Its army today is engaged, in the north and west, in a war with the tribals, in what used to be the NWFP; in the south the Balochis keep it engaged; in the northeast it is Kashmir; and to the east it wishes to engage Punjab. Arrogance in the extreme — a four-front war!

In Pakistan, the army is the largest corporate body built from the post-war reconstruction fund, running virtually everything. The corps commanders, PSOs and the COAS, who call the shots, are more interested in furthering their monetary interests as retirement approaches. The COAS gets a million dollars as bonus on retirement, apart from land and housing on his way up the ladder. And all this while the core of the country is on the verge of collapse.

In our Punjab, each village is linked by a hard-top road, is electrified and has drinking water. Each village is connected by buses, and now each village is being provided piped gas, and CNG stations for gas-operated vehicles. Pakistan has none of the above. Karachi has become a slum, gas pipes were recently removed as gas could not be provided, and Lahore is close behind. The country be damned, the generals must survive, therefore divert public opinion away from these miseries. What better way than to rope in Punjab as well!

General Bajwa should understand that the Punjab he sees in India today is not the Punjab of the 70s. The Pannus of the so-called pacifist movement, or ‘Happy PhD’ advisers to terror outfits are of no consequence. Do not underestimate the Punjab of today. When trouble started in 1978, our police force was a fledgling one with a strength of 20,000, employed mostly in routine policing duties. Today, we have a 81,000-strong, highly professional and motivated force, prepared for any eventuality. In addition, we are backed by our paramilitary and defence services.

My suggestion to you, General, is that you should consider a hand in friendship, which would pay greater dividends, rather than continue with the current belligerence your ISI is executing. We have, since my government took charge in 2017, neutralised 20 ISI modules, arrested 95 operatives and seized caches of arms and explosives.

SFJ’S ISI LINK EXPOSED, SAYS AMARINDER

“If Pakistan Prime Minister is truly in favour of opening the doors for long-lasting peace with India through this corridor he should not only unequivocally condemn the SFJ statement but should also ensure that their soil is not used by the anti-India outfit to further its campaign,” he said.

Punjab is today much better equipped than it was in the 1980s and 1990s when Pak-backed terrorism had swept the state, the chief minister said.

Jalandhar, December 8

The 2016 surgical strikes were a successful tactical operation which conveyed a clear message to Pakistan to stop any misadventure along the LoC, Army’s Northern Command Chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh told mediapersons here on the sidelines of his visit to Kapurthala Sainik School, his alma mater, on Saturday.

His comments came a day after Lt Gen DS Hooda (retd), who was associated with the operation, said it was natural to have initial euphoria over the success, but the constant hype around the surgical strikes was unwarranted.

Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said all actions by the Army along the LoC were carried out in an extremely professional manner to meet the national aspirations and achieve military objectives.

However, he said, “As far as politicisation of the surgical strikes is concerned, I would not like to comment. That is in political domain.”

On whether the country could carry out surgical strikes again to counter the spate of recent infiltrations, he said there were many other options to check infiltration of terrorists. Surgical strike was only one of the options.

On possible attempts to revive militancy in Punjab, Lt Gen Singh said Pakistan was trying to extend the “arc of terrorism” beyond Kashmir and the Army was taking measures to arrest the spread. — TNS

The controversy over the Narendra Modi government’s decision to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jet aircraft from the French company Dassault Aviation has been dominating India’s political discourse for the last several months.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the main Opposition party Congress are at loggerheads over the deal. According to the Congress, the government has violated procedure and bought aircraft at a price which is three times higher than what the Manmohan Singh government had negotiated.

Questions have been raised over why Hindustan Aeronautics Limited wasn’t given the offset contract for the Rafale jets. (Source: Twitter)

The Congress has also accused the Modi government of ‘gifting’ offsets to the tune of 3.9 billion euros to Reliance Defence — a company that has no experience of making jets or defence equipment and in the process inflicted massive losses on Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

On September 23, the Congress released a video featuring Dassault Aviation chairman Eric Trappier. The party claims the video was shot on March 25, 2015, just 17 days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the new Rafale deal.

The purported video shows Trappier talking about responsibility sharing on the Rafale contract in the presence of Air Force former chief Arup Raha and HAL chief KL Raju.

To explore this aspect and HAL’s role in the deal, India Today filed a series of Right to Information queries with the public sector undertaking (PSU).

The question India Today asked:

a) What kind of understanding HAL had with Dassault Aviation regarding Rafale fighter jets?

b) Did HAL chairman visit the Dassault facility in March 2015?

In response to the first question, HAL said, “HAL is not party to Rafale procurement”.

Dismissing the Congress’ charge, the PSU said, “The chairman of HAL did not visit the Dassault facility in March 2015.”

India Today further filed an RTI and asked about meetings between HAL officials and Dassault Aviation officials in the last five years. The details that the RTI query sought included dates, agenda and venue of each meeting. It also sought the names of representatives from HAL and Dassault who (if at all) attended these meetings.

The RTI response India Today received from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

The HAL reply read: “Marketing Dept HAL, Corporate office has coordinated 2 Nos of meetings between HAL officials and Dassault Officials during the last five years. (sic)”

“The meetings coordinated by Marketing Dept HAL, Corporate office were held on 22nd June 2014 and 27th July 2014. The meetings were led by Off. GM (MMRCA) and Offg. GM (Offsets) respectively from HAL side and by VP (Intl Coop) from Dassault Aviation side. (sic)”

Though HAL did not divulge the agenda and venue of these meetings, it said that meeting were held between the HAL and Dassault officials in 2014.

In response to the projects on which HAL and Dassault Aviation are working on and have worked on, the PSU’s response read: “Mirage upgrade and overhaul projects.”

In another RTI India Today asked, “How many projects is HAL working on in the field of manufacturing aircraft under licence”

The reply said: “HAL is currently manufacturing the following three aircrafts/helicopters under licence: Su-30, Dornier Do -228 & Chetak Helicopter. (sic)”

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 25

As the government gives an impetus to the private industry to manufacture equipment for the Armed Forces, the quantum of contracts awarded to Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) has fallen by about 33 per cent over the past three years.

The value of capital contracts bagged by DPSUs in 2015-16 was Rs15,617 crore, which came down to Rs12,374 crore in 2016-17 and further fell to Rs10,475 crore in 2017-18, according to information placed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Parliament this month.

On the other hand, the number of contracts awarded to DPSUs has flip-flopped from 22 in 2015-16 to eight in 2016-17 and 15 in 2017-18, the MoD data revealed.

There are nine DPSUs in the country that function under the Department of Defence Production in the MoD that manufacture weapons, ammunition, armoured vehicles, heavy vehicles, aircraft, helicopters, warships, submarines, missiles, electronic equipment, earth moving equipment and special alloys.

“The government is pursuing initiatives to achieve higher levels of indigenisation and self-reliance in the defence sector. This is sought to be achieved by harnessing the capabilities of both public and private sector industries in the country,” the ministry stated.

Towards this end, the number of items requiring an industrial licence has been reduced. A total of 394 licenses have been issued to 239 Indian companies for manufacture of defence items since 2001.

DPSUs and Ordnance Factories, which also function under the same department, have, as a policy, been outsourcing many of their requirements to medium and small-scale enterprises apart from large-scale industries.

However, based on Budget allocation to the Armed Forces for revenue expenditure, there has been a reduction in procurement of supplies by the services, which has resulted in proportionate reduction in procurement of input materials. Consequently, some supply orders placed in micro, small and medium enterprises have been cancelled or short-closed.

Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 17

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday welcomed the conviction of Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 riots, terming it a case of justice finally delivered to the victims of one of the worst instances of communal violence in independent India.

The reversal, by the High Court, of the earlier acquittal of Sajjan by a trial court had once again proved that the judiciary in India continued to stand tall as a pillar of the nation’s democratic system, said the Chief Minister.

Reacting to the Delhi High Court judgement awarding life term to the former Congress MP, Captain Amarinder said the conviction vindicated the stand he had been taking since those dark days of the violence perpetrated on thousands of innocent Sikhs in the wake of the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

He had been naming Sajjan Kumar, along with a few other former Congress leaders, including Dharam Das Shastri, HKL Bhagat and Arjun Das, for the past 34 years, based on the information he had personally received from victims in refugee camps in Delhi during the riots, said Captain Amarinder, hailing the long-awaited verdict.

Incidentally, Sajjan Kumar was the only surviving former Congress leaders implicated in the riots, as the others had since passed away.

The name of Sajjan Kumar had repeatedly cropped up in his interactions with the victims in the refugee camps, said Captain Amarinder, who had last month also welcomed the first death sentence awarded in the 1984 riots case.

Captain Amarinder had, through the years, been calling for the strictest of punishment for the handful of individual Congress leaders who had been involved in instigating the riots. These leaders, who included Sajjan Kumar, did not have any official party sanction and deserved to be punished for their horrendous crime, the Chief Minister had maintained all along.

The Chief Minister, however, reiterated his stand that neither the Congress nor the Gandhi family had any role to play in the rioting and lashed out at the Badals for continuing to drag their names into the case at the behest of their political masters – the Bharatiya Janata Party, who were clearly shaken by the clear mandate given by the people to Rahul Gandhi’s leadership in the recent Assembly elections in three states, said Captain Amarinder.

There was no Congress conspiracy behind the violence and the names of the Gandhis did not come up even once during his visits to the refugee camps, said the Chief Minister, adding that it was vested political interests that had been trying to draw the Gandhi family into the controver.

Chandigarh, December 8

While information warfare has assumed a central space in the spectrum of conflict, involving military as well as civilian establishments, India remains dependent on foreign countries for its information warfare requirements.

Stating this while moderating a session on ‘Information Warfare — The New Face of War’ at the Military Literature Festival here today, former Vice Chief of the Army Staff Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi stressed the need for indigenous equipment to counter the danger of subversion through electronic means. Today every piece of equipment has an electronic component that can be targeted.

Stating that artificial intelligence and robotics will increasingly influence lives, Lt Gen Oberoi said information warfare was not just about gadgetry but also about what military people did in battle or what civilians did or didn’t do in their day to day lives. Just like air superiority was the dominating factor in war, electronic or information superiority will be the winnable factor in the next war, he added.

Lt Gen RS Panwar, former Commandant, Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, said we needed to come up with the requisite doctrines and structures to conduct information warfare. Besides skill development of personnel, we needed to develop capabilities in tune with what was happening in the world, he said.

Lt Gen SP Kochar, former Signal Officer-in-Chief, said information warfare should be embedded with other operations of war.

In a recent interview, chief of army staff General Bipin Rawat spoke at length about why the Indian Army is not ready for women combat officers.

Women in combat is not just a contentious subject, it is also one which brings out passionate reactions from both aspiring women who wish to shatter yet another glass ceiling and Indian Army officers fiercely holding the ceiling in place, lest it starts to crack.

While both the disruptors and the resistance have valid arguments, Gen. Rawat strangely chose the most chauvinistic, illogical and factually untenable points to insist why the Indian Army would not have woman combatants any time soon.

From “…there are orders that we have to cocoon her separately. She will say somebody is peeping, so we will have to give a sheet around her” to “I make her a commanding officer. She is commanding a battalion. Can that lady officer be away from her duties for six months? Do I put a restriction on her to say that in that command tenure you will not be given maternity leave? If I say that, there will be ruckus created,” his arguments were infantilising women at best and ridiculous at worst.

Also read: Dear Bipin Rawat, Let’s Talk About Strong Women

Take the first point. Why would a woman officer complain about men peeping inside her hut/cabin/room, unless somebody is indeed peeping inside? And if somebody is peeping inside a woman’s room without her consent, then it is not the woman’s problem; it is a problem of discipline. And as any military leader would agree, indisciplined troops are a nightmare for any commander.

Taking the same argument forward, Gen. Rawat said that since a majority of Indian soldiers (people below the rank of officer) still come from villages, they will have a problem taking orders from a woman commander.

There are two flaws with this excuse. One, soldiers are trained to follow orders given by their superiors in rank. Period. They are not trained to take orders from a ‘male’ superior. In military, a rank is what matters, which is why it is worn on the shoulders. Now if trained soldiers chose to look at the breast of their commanding officer instead of the rank on her shoulder, then in addition to being a problem of indiscipline, it represents the breakdown of command too.

The second flaw is that men from rural areas have been taking orders from women for several decades now, whether as security guards, domestic helps, office assistants and even in the military. After all, except for combat, women officers are already serving in the military. Aren’t they giving orders to their juniors, including jawans? And aren’t those orders being obeyed?

As far as the country not being ready to receive the body bag of a woman officer is concerned, is anyone ever ready to receive a body bag of their loved one?

His most facetious argument was about women asking for maternity leave during their command tenure. In India, even the male officers who get approved for command tenure rarely do so before the age of 40. Given this, which woman, especially after enduring physical and mental rigours of military training to get commissioned as a combatant, would decide to have a child at the age of 40 or more? Even in the civil sector, the percentage of women opting to have children at 40 is miniscule. What’s more, of every ten officers, only half manage to command a unit. A woman who reaches this position is hardly likely to throw it all away because she belatedly decides to have a child. And even if she does, she would know that this would involve a compromise as far as her military career goes. This should worry the woman concerned, not the army chief.

Gen. Rawat, please look at the social profile of the officers you are commanding. Most have more than one child even before they hit their 30s; almost a decade and half before they can have a shot at commanding a battalion. Why would women be any different?

And as far as the country not being ready to receive the body bag of a woman officer is concerned, is anyone ever ready to receive a body bag of their loved one? It’s not about being ready. It’s about hoping and praying that your loved one does not return in a bag, yet accepting it when that happens.

Clearly, Gen. Rawat was caught off guard by the intrepid journalist. And the misogynist banter which usually happens in the army messes found its way into the interview.

Watch: Why General Bipin Rawat’s Remarks Were Unbecoming Of His Office

Contrast this with the press conference the chief of naval staff had a few weeks prior to this infamous interview, on December 3, at Kota House in Delhi. In response to a question on women officers being inducted in the combat role, Admiral Sunil Lanba said, “Navy is a gender-neutral service. We have already commissioned women officers in combat. They are flying the P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, which is a combat platform.”

According to Admiral Lanba, women officers have been trained to release weapons from P-8I, which is combat in the navy.

In response to another question, he added that all the modern under-construction warships are being designed to accommodate women officers. The only reason women have not been deployed on surface ships so far is because the naval training ships are not equipped to train women officers. “We are working on this. As soon as we have new training ships, we will train women for deployment on combat ships,” he told the assembled journalists.

Admiral Lanba offered no timelines and none were asked. A new training ship could start training women officers next year, or it may not do so for another five years. But at least the chief conveyed that the navy has no prejudice against women, instead of belabouring the fact that a woman officer may have to be alone on the ship with male colleagues for several months on operational deployment.

Inducting women in combat is a serious subject, which is why very few armed forces in the world induct women in the fighting arms. It deserves a serious and well-considered response. If he was not giving so many interviews at a breakneck speed, perhaps Gen. Rawat would have had time to consider his responses and he wouldn’t have exposed his regressive mind-set.

Surely, the head of the largest volunteer army in the world could have done better.

Ghazala Wahab is executive editorFORCE newsmagazine.

An aura of sombreness and serenity generally prevails around war memorials the world over. There is an unwritten code of conduct for the visitors. It is sacrilegious to talk loudly, shout and laugh or have picnics at these monuments. But not so at India Gate. We need to have a code of conduct.

Lt-Gen SR Ghosh (Retd)
Former GOC-in -C, Western Command

RECENTLY, I visited India Gate in New Delhi to show the “Amar Jawan Jyoti” to an American visitor on his first trip to our country. India Gate, an architectural masterpiece, was constructed in honour of our gallant soldiers who had laid down their lives during World War I and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. The names of 13,218 of these soldiers are inscribed on India Gate. Designed by Edwin Lutyens, the 42-metre tall memorial was inaugurated on February 12, 1931 by the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin, who said in his inaugural speech, “The stirring tales of individual heroism, will live forever in the annals of this country. This tribute to the memory of heroes, known and unknown, will inspire future generations to endure hardships with similar fortitude and no less valour”.

Four decades later, and after many more deaths of Indian soldiers, the Amar Jawan Jyoti was created under India Gate to commemorate the memory of those who had lost their lives during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. Since then, the Eternal Flame and the reversed rifle with a helmet on top, stand in mute remembrance of the immortal souls of all Indian soldiers who “gave their today for the nation’s tomorrow”.

Almost every country that has lost soldiers in a military campaign has created war memorials, many of them constructed and maintained through private funding by residents of that area and who look after these with care and pride. In the UK, France, Canada and Australia, war memorials have been constructed in hundreds of villages and towns by residents in honour of their fallen. In Russia, newly married couples traditionally pay homage at a war memorial immediately after their wedding in remembrance of the great sacrifices made by the soldiers of the Soviet Union in previous wars. 

Washington DC memorials

The US has some of the finest war memorials in Washington DC which are visited by almost five million people every year. 

• The famous Vietnam Memorial is a place of sorrow and memories, where the names of over 58,000 dead are etched on the highly polished, black granite Wall.
• The Korean War Memorial comprising 19 statues of US soldiers on a patrol represents more than 36,000 American military personnel killed in that war.
• The  World War II Memorial, constructed in 2004, honours the spirit and sacrifice of the over 4,00,000 dead.

Just across the Potomac river lies the National Arlington Cemetery, cradling over 4,00,000 graves, including that of President John Kennedy, and the Tomb of the Unknown.

War memorials are silent symbols of heroism, sacrifice and patriotism and are looked upon with utmost reverence across the world. When a soldier stands in homage at a memorial, a sea of silent emotions flows through his body and mind, as he remembers battles fought and fallen comrades. Citizens come here to remember and honour the sacrifices made by the soldiers, or to grieve for a father, a brother, a husband or a son who has laid down his life for the country.

These memorials are also historical touchstones which link generations of families and remind them of their forefathers who fought and died for their country.

Interestingly, each year, more than 300 “Honour Flights” are organised by non-profit American organisations to bring World War II, Korean and Vietnam War veterans, many of them on wheelchairs, to these Washington DC memorials, at no cost to the retired soldiers.

An aura of sombreness and serenity, therefore, generally prevails around these monuments. There is an unwritten code of conduct for the visitors. It is sacrilege to even talk loudly, let alone shout and laugh or have picnics at these monuments.

Shocking scene at India Gate

I had not visited India Gate for many years and it was with these sombre thoughts that I stepped on to Rajpath and walked up to the Eternal Flame. But what greeted me was something that shook my sensibilities. While the enclosed segment of the Amar Jawan Jyoti was immaculate, the entire area around it was a huge “tamasha”, with hordes of men, women and children shouting, laughing and making merry. Children were having rides on mini cars behind the memorial, while vendors and hawkers sold ice creams, bhelpuri and other eatables. Dirty paper plates, water bottles and plastic packets littered the area and the stench of food and waste hung around like a shroud. Stray dogs roamed around or basked in the afternoon sun. It was shocking that this national monument of sacrifice, valour and patriotism had been reduced to such levels…..a sacrilege to the memory of the fallen soldier.

Who was responsible for this? Was it the fault of the government agency tasked for the upkeep and sanctity of the area, or was it the general apathy of the citizens?

Take steps to restore dignity

It is imperative that we take steps to restore the dignity of the immortal soldier and the sanctity of the memorial.

• At the outset, there must be strict enforcement of the rules or code of conduct in and around the memorial.
• This could be done through education, monitoring, levying of fines and infrastructural changes.
• We need to make the circular road around India Gate into a no-horn/no-parking zone.
• Hawkers, vendors and all other commercial activities must be banned in the road and no food items allowed to be carried by visitors.
• Strict enforcement should be put in place against littering, defacing or urinating.
• Visitors must also be educated by official guards and through notice boards to maintain silence and decorum within the memorial area.
• And finally, we need a dedicated organisation to manage and take care of the National War Memorial area. Nobody can do this better than the military itself as can be seen in the manner that they maintain the upkeep and sanctity of war memorials within cantonments.

It would, therefore, be in the fitness of things to hand over the responsibility of the National War Memorial to the Territorial Infantry Battalion located just across India Gate. This unit, with a little reorientation, training and reorganisation will be ideal for this vital job.

As we wait for the Prime Minister to inaugurate the National War Memorial in the coming months, let us start now and put in place some urgently needed rules, regulations and codes of conduct so that the spirit and dignity of the soldiers who have laid down their lives in the defence of our nation is honoured for all times to come.