DEHRADUN: Lalit Thapliyal, who won the prestigious sword of honour that is given to the cadet for the best all round performance, says he worked hard during his training at IMA to achieve this feat.

VINAY SANTOSH KUMAR/HT PHOTOArmy chief General Dalbir Singh presents Sword Of Honour to Lalit Thapliyal in Dehradun.

“I feel elated at having won this prestigious honour and was motivated by my brother-in-law Gaurav Hriday who also won the sword of honour ion 2010,” said Thapliyal, whose father is the vice-principal of Rashtriya Indian Military College.

Giving a message to the aspiring youths who want to join the Indian Army, Thapliyal said there’s no replacement to hard work. “Strive for doing the best and you will achieve your goals,” he said.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 10

The mortal remains of Brig Sant Singh (retd), one of the country’s most highly decorated soldiers who had passed away on December 8 at the age of 94, were consigned to the flames with full military honours here today.A large number of relatives, friends and well-wishers attended the funeral. He had been decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra, the second highest gallantry award, twice for his actions in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars.A ceremonial guard was provided by his unit, 5 Sikh Light Infantry, which reversed arms as a mark of respect, while buglers sounded the Last Post. The Commanding Officer and the Subedar Major of the battalion were also present. As a Lieutenant Colonel, Brig Sant Singh had commanded this battalion that had played a key role in wresting the difficult OP Hill feature in Jammu and Kashmir back from Pakistan after the ceasefire post-1965 war. A contingent from a Dogra battalion based locally acted as the pall bearers.Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, KJS Cheema, represented Parkash Singh Badal and Brig JS Arora (retd), Director Defence Services Welfare, Punjab, represented Defence Services Welfare Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon.Brig Sant Singh, who hailed from a village near Kotkapura in Punjab had settled in Chandigarh after retirement and was actively engaged in welfare issues of ex-servicemen and gallantry awardees. He also served as a nominated member of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.Meanwhile, in his condolence message, Badal said Punjab had lost its brave son, who would always remain a source of inspiration for future generations. Recalling his gallant actions, the Chief Minister said everyone was indebted to this great son of the soil, who always remained on forefront to defend his border.

The mortal remains of Brig Sant Singh (retd), one of the country’s most highly decorated soldiers who had passed away on December 8 at the age of 94, were consigned to flames with full military honours here today.A large number of relatives, friends and well wishers attended the funeral to pay their last respects to the departed warrior. He had been decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), the second highest gallantry award, twice for his actions in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars.No representative from the Chandigarh Administration, however, was seen.A ceremonial guard was provided by his unit, 5 Sikh Light Infantry, which reversed arms as a mark of respect, while buglers sounded the Last Post.The Commanding Officer and the Subedar Major of the battalion were also present.As a Lieutenant Colonel, Brig Sant Singh had commanded this battalion that had played a key role in wresting the difficult OP Hill feature in Jammu and Kashmir back from Pakistan after the ceasefire post the 1965 war. A contingent from a Dogra battalion, based locally, acted as the pallbearers.Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, KJS Cheema, represented Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal while Brig JS Arora (retd), Director, Defence Services Welfare, Punjab, represented Defence Services Welfare Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon.Wreaths were laid on behalf of the Punjab CM, Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh, GOC-in-C, Western Command, Lt Gen KJ Singh, Colonel of the Sikh Light Infantry, Lt Gen NPS Hira, and other dignitaries.Former Chief of Army Staff Gen VP Malik, who is also the honorary Colonel of the Sikh Light Infantry, was also present.Lt Gen SS Sihota (retd), Brig KS Chandpuri (retd), Brig NS Sandhu (retd) and Capt Reet MP Singh (retd), all gallantry award recipients and officer-bearers of the War Decorated India, an association of gallantry awardees, of which Brig Sant Singh was a founder-member, also paid their tributes along with a number of other serving and retired officers.Brig Sant Singh, who hailed from a village near Kotkapura in Punjab, had settled in Chandigarh after retirement and was deeply engaged in welfare issues of ex-servicemen and gallantry awardees. He also served as a nominated member of the Chandigarh MC.In his condolence message, Badal said Punjab has lost its brave son, who would remain a source of inspiration for future generations. The CM said everyone would be ever indebted to this great son of the soil, who always remained on forefront to defend its border from the external invasions on the one hand and upholding the supreme traditions and glory of the armed forces on the other

Tearful adieu to Indo-Pak war hero Brig Sant Singh

5 SIKH LI TO WHICH HE BELONGED RENDER MILITARY FUNERAL HONOUR; NO HIGH-UPS FROM UT, MC PRESENT AT CREMATION

on the second day of the Army Service Corps’ 10th Reunion and 255th Anniversary, a colourful ceremonial parade was held at the ASC Centre and College in the City.

Nine marching contingents, one horse-mounted contingent and one animal transport pack column of smartly dressed soldiers, horses and mules participated. Daredevilry performed by the Tornadoes left the audience spellbound.

Lieutenant General R P Rai, Director General Supplies and Transport, and Colonel Commandant of Army Service Corps reviewed the parade. Brigadier Minocha, Commandant ASC Centre (South) was the Parade Commander and Capt Aarti Rawat was the Parade Adjutant.

Veer Naris

General Rai also honoured eight Veer Naris – Sunena Devi, wife of Naib Subedar Binod Kumar; Sampa Gain, wife of Naib Subedar Mahadev Gain; Birmati Devi, wife of Naik Mahendra Singh; Snigdha Maiti, mother of Sepoy Pallab Maiti; Kamlesh, mother of Sepoy Manoj Kumar; Satyakala, wife of Sepoy Chollangi Ramakrishna; and Gora Bai, wife of Sepoy Ram Sanehi – by presenting gifts and a cheque.

A special reunion postal cover was also released. The ASC Tornadoes led by Capt Bunny Sharma performed various acts, followed by the “Pyramid Corps Song.”

In the “5 Obstacle” peformance two men on Enfields broke though a brick wall, two others rode through iron rings on fire and another smashed out of a glass wall.

Spectators stared in awe when the Tornadoes performed the “Scissor Cross” and the “Parallel Crossing” where riders in two speeding columns cross through each other. In the “Tornado Jump” three riders jumped over 22 men lying on the ground. Lieutenant General S P S Katewa, Commandant ASC Centre and College, Lieutenant General Balbir Singh Sandhu, Director General Information and Technology and others were present.

The celebration will come to a close with a grand finale on Wednesday with the equestrian display, trick riding, dog show, micro light display, mass PT, para motor show and Taekwondo display.

Tornadoes spice up ASC celebrations

The nippy Tuesday morning might have been indolent hours for many denizens but it was the most enthusiastic time for members of the coveted Army Service Corps (ASC) of the Indian Army in Bengaluru celebrating their 255th year of existence.

It was truly a spectacle at the ASC Centre and College in Agaram, as nine marching contingents, a mounted contingent and an animal transport pack column took out a parade.

The event, presided over by Lieutenant General R.P. Rai, Colonel Commandant of Army Service Corps, was led by a marching contingent and a team of retired ASC men put up a captivating experience to the audience.

Tornadoes, a motorcycle stunt display team of the ASC, performed for the occasion. Daredevil acts on two wheels left the audience awestruck and became a delight for lensmen who had gathered. A brief downpour made movement difficult for the motorcycling mavericks but they braved all and brought down the curtains for the day with a moving human pyramid on motorcycles.

Earlier nine men of the ASC, who lost their life in the line of duty, were feted and their family members received the awards. The final day of the ASC’s anniversary on Wednesday will showcase various events including a canine display, mule trick riding and also show of strength by soldiers of the unit.

ASC men, who lost their life on duty, feted and their families receive awards

Sources said the committee has stated that the only thumb rule should be that operational and strategic issues must not be discussed on social media.

A Committee set up by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has favoured “constructive usage” of social media in the defence services and frowned upon the curbs — like application forms introduced by the Army recently for permission to use social media — calling them “intrusive” and “not in tune with reality”.
The Indian Express had earlier reported that the Army had issued detailed instructions severely restricting the use of social media by its personnel, and had also brought out a form that sought details of the use of social media sites from them.
The committee on reduction of litigation in the MoD and improvement of the mechanisms of redressal of grievances, which submitted its report to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar last week, has made certain important recommendations related to the use of social media and methods of interaction between seniors and juniors in the military.
The committee, comprising High Court advocate Major Navdeep Singh, Lt General Mukesh Sabharwal (retd), Lt Gen Richard Khare (retd), Major General T Parshad (retd) and war disabled officer Major D P Singh, has recommended that constructive use of social media should be encouraged while “immature usage” should be discouraged.
Sources said the committee has stated that the only thumb rule should be that operational and strategic issues must not be discussed on social media.
The committee has disagreed with the “application forms” introduced by the Army for “permission” to use social networks, underlining that such formats are “intrusive and not in tune with reality”, and are not prescribed for any other service or employees.
The committee has stressed on issuing advisories in the form of ‘Dos and Don’ts’ and capsule courses in military academies to sensitise personnel on responsible use of social media.
The members of the committee have rather endorsed proactive use of social media by official bodies to counter rumour-mongering or misinformation.
In another suggestion, out of the total 75 recommendations, the panel has observed that senior commanders must maintain participative and interactive blogs with proper security checks to provide a grievances outlet to the rank and file since physical interaction at times becomes difficult in the military due to long distance and a stratified structure. The committee has asked all services to emulate the blog of the GOC-in-C, Western Command in this regard.
It has also recommended that an online forum, on the lines of the one introduced by the Indian Air Force, be adopted by all three services where personnel can seek answers to queries related to official policies.
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/army-curbs-on-social-media-intrusive-panel-on-mod-reforms/#sthash.if2Tkwcw.dpuf

by Saurabh Vaktania

Ahead of Navy Day, the Western Naval Command chief explained the efforts to ensure they are prepared to quash future attacks similar to 26/11

Forty-four years ago on this very day, the Indian Navy dealt a paralysing blow to Karachi Harbour, destroying ships at anchorage — a key victory that resulted in India’s victory in the conflict with Pakistan, leading to the liberation of Bangladesh.

Over four decades later, the Indian Navy remains a formidable force at sea, said Vice Admiral Surinder Pal Singh Cheema, the flag officer of the Western Naval Command. Ahead of Navy Day — marked by the nation in honour of the 1971 naval triumph — Cheema had invited media persons aboard INS Vikramaditya, the country’s largest aircraft carrier, to highlight the Navy’s accomplishments.

As we took to the sea from the Gateway of India, the question on everybody’s mind was ‘Are we prepared for another 26/11-type attack?’ In the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the terrorists had invaded the city’s shores in a fishing boat.

“The Navy is now prepared to prevent another such episode,” said Cheema, adding, “We are constantly in touch with the Coast Guard, marine police, shipping and customs authorities, Mumbai Police and local fishermen. We have high-end technologies and radars and are virtually monitoring each and every part of the sea. To avoid a 26/11-like incident, we have focused on fishermen. We have maximum interaction with them through festivals, medical camps, etc.”

A senior naval officer said efforts were on to register all Indian fishermen to ensure quick identification whenever needed.

“We have asked fishermen to register for biometric chips with all their information and are offering a diesel subsidy as an incentive so more of them come forward. In Maharashtra, there are over 30,000 fishing boats; over 10,000 fishermen have registered so far.”

Just two months ago, the Navy conducted extensive invasion drills at 37 points across the western coastline as part of the Sagar Kavach exercise. Naval officers were divided into two teams – one tried to invade, while the other attempted to block them.

“Communication between all the agencies is so strong that through our co-ordination, a suspect will be found and destroyed within minutes,” said another top officer, adding that the Navy also taught 65 cops from the Sagari police station how to swim, so Mumbai Police is also better prepared for any eventuality.

Protecting the Seas

Cheema also highlighted the Navy’s other, equally impressive feats. “The navy is not meant only for war. India has a strong maritime presence; not a single pirate incident has taken place in our jurisdiction since 2008, which is a big achievement. 60 per cent of the nation’s wealth comes from trade across the Indian Ocean and safeguarding this is our priority,” he said.

Send your daughters to fight for India, appeals Indian Army Chief

New Delhi: Stressing on the need to empower girls, Indian Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag on Saturday said that he wants maximum girls to join armed forces.

Give your daughters the best education and opportunities that are at par with boys to prepare them as future soldiers of the country,” Suhag was quoted as saying by Time of India during his first visit to his native village Bishan in Haryana’s Jhajjar district after assuming the office of Indian Army chief.

Well received by his fellow villagers, Suhag also sought blessings from his clan deity. He was accompanied by his wife and children.

Suhag said that if he could become army chief after studying under the trees in Bishan, then they could achieve anything in life. Suhag said that he wants to see more defence officers from the village on General rank. He also announced to institute two scholarships of Rs 2,100 each which would be given to the meritorious students of the school every year. The scholarship would continue till his lifetime, TOI report stated.

Former Army Chief OP Malhotra passes away at 93

Sandeep Dikshit,Tribune News Service,Chandigarh, December 29

General Om Prakash Malhotra, a warrior to the core who was never shy of fighting for principles even out of uniform, passed away today in Gurgaon. He was 93 and is survived by his wife Saroj, son and former diplomat Ajay and a daughter who lives in London, said sources close to the family.The General was part of that exceptional band of Indian Army officers whose field experience spanned continents and epochs. He was part of a still rare breed of men and women who chucked sinecures on the matter of ethics, as he did as Governor of Punjab in 1991, when his opinion and efforts were overlooked by the Centre.In the pages of military history, Punjab remembers Gen Malhotra with gratitude for the ‘Battle for Sialkot’ during the 1965 war. The thrust by the 1 Artillery Brigade under his command forced Pakistan to thin forces from its main attack column that had overrun Khemkaran and was making a bid to drive a wedge through the heart of Punjab.But in the annals of political Punjab, Gen Malhotra’s commitment to ethics and morality of governance stands tall over his military exploits at a time when a sharp wedge was again being driven through the state’s heart. It was 1990 and Punjab needed a firm and bipartisan person as Governor to battle militancy and navigate the state to democracy at the same time.This Srinagar-born soldier, who had done field service on both of India’s unruly flanks of North Western Frontier Province and the Burma border even before Independence, fitted the bill.Gen Malhotra was not just another officer with a glittering career in the military. He had served as Defence Attache in Moscow and as Ambassador to Indonesia after retiring as the Indian Army’s 13th Chief of Staff.Taking over as Punjab Governor, Gen Malhotra brought about operational seamlessness among difference security forces deployed in the state. He also ordered an amnesty that allowed militants with weapons to surrender. The initiative helped at least some who had picked up the gun to get absorbed into the mainstream.At the same time, the General nudged the state towards elections and tested the waters with municipal polls. Encouraged, the Chandra Shekhar government sought conduct of Assembly elections in Punjab and Chief Election Commissioner TN Seshan gave the go-ahead. As Punjab went into the election mode, the political scene in Delhi changed. PV Narasimha Rao as Prime Minister didn’t want the elections to take place because his party had already announced a boycott. Seshan seemed to have sensed the political wind and cancelled the polls.“I have been through three wars, I have been a General in the wars, but I have never felt as defeated as I feel today after this announcement by the EC that the elections have been postponed,” commented a dejected Gen Malhotra while walking out of his office into the sunset and to lasting acclaim.He then took to charitable causes. “He lived a full life. No regrets. It was only in the last three-four days that he had stopped eating,” said a family source.

Ex-army chief, Punjab governor, OP Malhotra dead

At the height of militancy in Punjab, general Malhotra was appointed as governor in 1990. His son Ajay Malhotra recalls that within 24 hours of joining the gubernatorial post, he went to pay obeisance at Golden Temple despite some groups boycotting his visit.

During his tenure, he also visited the Durgiana temple in Amritsar, and later Bhikhiwind — a border town, which had witnessed large-scale migration. He resigned from the post in protest against the delay in conducting the state polls. Malhotra is survived by his son and daughter. His wife died three years ago.

His son Ajay, who was the Indian ambassador to the Russian Federation between 2011 and 2013, told Hindustan Times that for the last sixteen years, his father’s life was dedicated to charity and social work.Inspired by him, we started two charity programmes — Chikitsa and Shiksha — which have served a large number of people in the fields of health and education,” Ajay said. His father, he said, was a man of action and preferred to be on the field, working for the society.

Lt Gen DS Hooda, GOC-in-C, Northern Command, called on Governor NN Vohra here today. Lt Gen Hooda just returned from a visit to China, where he had led an Indian military delegation.They discussed issues related to security management along the international border, Line of Control and Line of Actual Control and counter-terrorism operations. — TNS

and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged… —Genesis 8As soon as the idea of the Deluge had subsided,/A hare stopped in the clover and swaying flowerbells, /and said a prayer to the rainbow,/through the spider’s web…. Gush, pond,– foam, roll on the bridge and over the woods; /black palls and organs, lightning and thunder, rise and roll; /waters and sorrows rise and launch the floods again. — Arthur Rimbaud: ‘After The Flood’There is a gentle calmness, and great sense of relief that presides over the simple statement concluding the Genesis account of the Flood. God, we are told, made a covenant with man after the Flood, undertaking never again to visit such a cataclysm upon him in punishment for his sins, and the rainbow was the symbol, and the reminder, of this compact. The understanding, of course, was that, for his part, man would have learnt never again to give cause for another Flood. But in Rimbaud’s poem, it is an animal and not man that expresses gratitude to the rainbow, while the latter returns to his own old ways, causing the poet to invite Nature to unleash her fury again upon the earth. There is a frightening contrast between the soothing Genesis account of the end of the Flood and the violence of Rimbaud’s imagery of what might come to pass after ‘the idea of the deluge has subsided.’ It is a warning to be constantly conscious of what led up to the Flood and of the pain and suffering it caused; an invitation to introspection and stock-taking; and an injunction against easy forgetfulness of both cause and effect.There is then a case for such introspection now, after the flood in Chennai, in a mood of some humility and soberness that abjures edgy defensiveness toward, and angry rejection of, criticism in favour of receptivity toward messages of lessons that must be learned and warnings of mistakes that must not be repeated. The worst and most self-defeatingly insensitive response would be one that seeks a punitive insistence on the court-room requirements of impeccable proof and evidence for every adverse assessment made, as opposed to a patient allowance of criticism, or even recrimination, from a citizenry that has lived through a hellish experience. The state and society alike must accept the wisdom of a stock-taking — one that covers aspects of both state functioning and societal response —that is informed by such an attitude of patient objectivity. It is in this spirit that the following comments on governance and social behaviour in a time of crisis are offered.Casualties directly attributable to the flood in southern India and Sri Lanka are estimated to be in the region of 400 deaths, the destruction of a hundred thousand structures, and losses amounting to Rs.20,000 crore. This is a crushing blow for any region in a country in the low-to-middle-income range. A further major human loss is that due to morbidity – principally in the form of gastro-intestinal disease unleashed by the impact of the flood on public hygiene and sanitation, a situation compounded by the damages suffered in the flood by the public and private health facilities.There are obvious lessons in this for governance and state policy. The state cannot embark too soon on efforts aimed at the systematic maintenance of tanks and canals, the prevention of deforestation, the regular repair and cleaning up of drainage outlets, the upkeep of roads that should be built to withstand the routine phenomenon of rains in a tropical country, the clearance of structures that are unauthorised (or ought never to have been authorised) standing on water-ways and flood outlets, and attentiveness to environmentalists who have for long been warning against compromising the ecological status of marshlands. These are aspects of long-term policy. In the short term, it would appear that the official machinery was found wanting in its ability to deal quickly and effectively with the flood crisis. Indeed, a major issue that has arisen is the manner and timing of the release of water from the Chembarambakkam tank in Chennai. A substantial body of opinion maintains that the water should have been released in stages over time, in manageable quantities, and not all at once in a crisis response to the possibility of a breaching of the reservoir’s walls, with little warning to the citizenry or regard for the carrying capacity of the reservoir’s flood outlets. With more considered state action, Chennai might well have been spared the drowning it actually ended up experiencing. It is just as well that the written, visual and social media, and political parties, were on the spot to facilitate the flow of information and opinion on the rains and how they were dealt with. What Amartya Sen said in the context of famine is clearly valid also for other natural disasters which are aided by human intervention: the role of parliamentary democracy and a free Press cannot be overemphasised. Amartya Sen also pointed out, in the context of famine, that starvation is largely a matter of what he called ‘entitlement-failure’. In a time of floods or famine or cyclones, the most vulnerable are those equipped with the poorest entitlement structures. In Chennai, the greatest suffering was visited upon those without access to even semi-pucca dwelling units (an aspect of capability-failure that is seldom taken into account in assessments of money-metric poverty). Our favourite pathology, caste, again raised its ugly head as an aspect of societal response to the floods. In parts of the state, upper-caste people diverted relief supplies intended for Dalits, thus ensuring for them exposure to both the greatest initial vulnerability and the least subsequent redress. Tellingly, the job of cleaning up the garbage — ranging from animal carcasses to human excrement – was left to safai-karmacharis of predictable caste affiliation: these have been requisitioned from other parts of the state to clean up Chennai, with apparently little attention paid to the amenities of gloves, boots, masks, or even proper arrangements of accommodation and food for the workers.Religion, too, has had an interesting part to play in the sociology of the flood. By all accounts, the Muslim community has quietly and unflamboyantly played a magnificent role in rescue and relief operations conducted in Chennai, with countless accounts related of mosques offering shelter and food to thousands of people rendered homeless in the floods. It bears particular mention that the flooded temple in the Kotturpuram area of Chennai was restored by Muslim volunteers. Christian churches, too, played a stellar role in throwing their doors open to men, women and children in need. Amongst the many lessons to be learnt after the flood, surely one signal lesson should be that of calling into question the ambition that some of us harbour of sending certain people off to Pakistan!

Washington, December 22

India has sought from the US 100 latest unmanned aerial vehicles, both armed and surveillance versions, worth $2 billion to bolster its arsenal amid recurring incursions by Chinese soldiers.Industry sources familiar with New Delhi’s interest and ongoing talks between the two governments said, “India has requested for the latest Avenger drones, which is basically an unmanned combat air vehicle, and is mainly being sought with an eye on China.”It has also sought Predator XP category which is a surveillance version for internal security issues and terrorist threats.According to industry sources, India is looking for about 100 drones worth $2 billion.However, while talks in this regard have accelerated in the past few months, the US has not made any formal commitment or given a public indication pending India’s application to joining Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).Italy, which is upset with New Delhi’s treatment to its marines, appears to have currently blocked India becoming a member of MTCR.However, both Indian and US officials are confident that they will be able to get through the last hurdle in the next few months, thus making them possible to take the defence trade, which will include armed drones, to the next level.“Yes, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) is aware of India’s interest in Predator-series Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA),” said Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of the US and International Strategic Development of General Atomics. — PTI