Photo from Twitter handle of All India Radio News.

Ramamohan Rao,New Delhi, January 30

In the passing away of General KV Krishna Rao, the nation has lost an eminent Army officer who played an eminent role in the Army as also in putting down insurgency in Tripura, Nagaland and Manipur, and later in Jammu and Kashmir.During my stay in the Defence Ministry and later as Principal Information Officer, I was in close contact with him. When I took over as Director of Public Relations in the Defence Ministry in 1981, he was the Chief of Army Staff. I had asked him that I would like to cover the Prime Minister’s address to the Army Commander’s Conference. But he told me that only the Army Commanders, Defence Minister and Prime Minister’s team were permitted. He said the release would be given to me by the Army Headquarters by 5 pm.After the meeting, I called on then Defence Minister Venkataraman about the meeting. He gave me the details, the text of his speech, and what the Prime Minister had told the Commanders from the notes he had taken down.I prepared a release, had it cleared by HY Sharada Prasad in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Alexandar and with clearance from the Defence Secretary, released it at 5 pm as the Army Headquarters had not sent their copy.I was summoned to the Army Chief’s Office. Gen Krishna Rao seemed annoyed. When I narrated as to how I had got the facts and got these cleared, he replied: “Ram, you have done a good job. My blokes would not have done as good a release as you have.” He also told me to approach him directly any time I wanted to see him.I was the DPR (Defence) till he retired. My office in the South Block was below his office on the ground floor and he would drop by in the evening. My association with him continued when he was Governor in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir . When PM Rajiv Gandhi appointed him Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in July 1989, after a study, he sought a few battations of the paramilitary forces to put down the insurgenc. When suggested by Home Minister Buta Singh that he could use the Army as CRPF units were required for national elections which were due shortly, he replied that he did not want the Army to be used in Jammu and Kashmir.The situation turned worse when the Congress lost power at the Centre and VP Singh took over. Following the release of militants in exchange for Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of then Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and the deteriorating situation, he sought an appointment with the Prime Minister. There was a delay in getting the appointment and he resigned and Jagmohan was appointed Governor. He was replaced by GC Saxena. General Krishna Rao was reappointed Governor when the Congress returned to power and Rajesh Pilot was appointed Minister of State in the Home Ministry.By that time, I had taken over as Adviser to the Governor of J&K. I worked closely with him and the credit for preparing the ground for the national elections and the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir should go to General Krishna Rao.He gained the confidence of the people of the state, dealt effectively with the police agitation and the Hazratbal crisis when militants took refuge in the holy shrine. Following the swearing in of a democratically elected government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah, he remained in his post for a short while. — ANI

PM Narendra Modi with Maj Gen GS Chima (left), Additional Director General, and other cadets during the Prime Minister’s rally in New Delhi on Thursday. A Tribune photo

Tribune News Service,Chandigarh, January 28

The Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh NCC Directorate has bagged the Prime Minister’s Championship Banner for the second consecutive year.The regional directorate defeated 16 other directorates from across the country in overall performance throughout the year and other competitions held during the Republic Day camp in the national capital.The banner was presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Maj Gen GS Chima, Additional Director General, during the Prime Minister’s rally in New Delhi today. Last year, this directorate had won the top place after a gap of 38 years.During the Republic Day competitions, the directorate won the Overall Best Air Trophy and Best Naval Trophy for the first time since its inception. As many as 47 cadets were selected for the guard of honour and Rajpath marching contingent.In addition, the directorate came first in aero-modelling, national integration awareness competition, general proficiency and mandatory competitions and second in social service activities. In various other competitions, cadet Ojaswi Sharma, Sgt Nitya Mahajan, Preeti Chaudhary and Amandeep Kaur, Shivam Sharma, Asavari Vaid, Jashan Pradeep Singh, Mahesh Rawal, Amit Sharma, Mohit and Amit Kumar emerged winners.

When war calls, Sikhs answer. With 72 Battle Honours, 15 Theatre Honours, 2 Param Vir Chakras, 14 Maha Vir Chakras, 5 Kirti Chakras, 67 Vir Chakras and 1596 other gallantry awards, the Sikh Regiment is one of the most feared units of the Indian army.

The history of the regiment spans over 154 years and numerous unparalleled stories of valor that will never be forgotten. The first battalion of the regiment was brought together just before the annexation of the Sikh Empire in 1846 by the British. A fact that’s vastly believed is that the regiment’s heritage has its roots in the teachings and sacrifices made by the Sikh Gurus and has imbibed the fearlessness of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Khalsa Army.

© wikimedia

© nam (dot) ac (dot) uk

The Sikh Regiment fought with extreme gallantry during the 1st and 2nd World Wars under the Royal British Army. Then came the Kargil War of 1999 and the futile mission to capture the Tiger Hill. No points for guessing, the Sikh regiment was called upon for the fatal mission. With the immaculate efforts of sepoys Rashwinder Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Jaswinder from the 8th Sikh battalion, key heights surrounding the hill were secured and enemy fire was neutralized. Eventually, despite the extremely harsh weather conditions and unending Pakistani fire, the Hill was completely isolated from all the three directions and was soon recaptured. 10 Jawans made the supreme sacrifice during the mission and 48 others were wounded. Tiger Hill has ever since been under the Indian Army’s control. This is just is one of the many wartime bravery stories from the treasure chest of the Sikh regiment.

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What started from only 2 battalions is now a regiment of 19 regular infantry and two reserve battalions. We salute these men!

New Delhi, January 21

In the wake of the recent attack on an IAF base at Pathankot, a committee is being set up by the government to review security at defence bases in the country based on the “risk factor”.Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar while giving this information today said the government has also asked the officers commanding the bases to do a thorough security assessment and fix any loopholes. Parrikar, who was speaking to reporters during his visit to the NCC Republic Day Camp here, declined to give details about the likely composition of the committee but said a notification in this regard should be out in two to four days.“A specific team is being made. Maybe in another week’s time it will be active. It will visit (the bases) and look into priorities like the risk factor  and assets,” he said. — PTI

Keeping watch on Pak probe: India

Tribune News Service,New Delhi, January 21

India today said it was following the progress being made into investigations by Pakistan in the Pathankot terror attack, emphasising the country expects Islamabad will take action to bring perpetrators of the January 2 attack to justice.“We are looking for the credible and comprehensive action to bring all the perpetrators of the Pathankot terror attack to justice,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said at his weekly media meet while rejecting as “baseless” allegations of India being behind the attack at a University in Charsadda in Pakistan on Wednesday.Asked about the proposal by Pakistan to send a special investigation team to probe the Pathankot attack, Swarup said India had welcomed the move but New Delhi had not heard after the official statement from Islamabad.“In principle, we have welcomed the decision of Pakistan government to consider sending a SIT team… Rest is a matter of details. What they can see? Where they can go? What will be terms of reference? Those need to be worked out by agencies on both sides provided the Pakistan government firms up its decision to send the team,” he said.Swarup also said National Security Advisors and Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan were in touch with each other and that a formal meeting between Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and his Pakistan counterpart will take place at a date mutually convenient to both sides.

Ravi Dhaliwal,Tribune New Service,Pathankot, January 16

Senior officials of the Ministry of Defense visited the air force station today and took cognisance of the innumerable gaps in the security of the base, including the all important 11- foot high perimeter wall.Six militants had entered the base in the wee hours of January 2 and started firing from the outskirts of the technical area which houses the hangars of a fighter squadron, helicopters and other equipment.The number of officials was kept a secret and the media was also not informed of the visit. The perimeter wall caught the attention of the officials as on January 1 the terrorists had entered the airbase from the western periphery wall where a clump of eucalyptus trees tower over the 11-foot high wall. The rear wall is near Akalgarh gurdwara and is also adjacent to the point from where the militants are suspected to have infiltrated into the complex.Six Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were gunned down by the security forces after a four-day gun battle. Seven Indian security personnel also lost their lives.The ease with which the terrorists penetrated the base carrying a huge cache of weapons has raised several questions on the safety and security of the air base.After the inspection, a senior MoD official signalled that the IAF staff, including senior officers, may face action over the security lapse.Ministry officials, however, confirmed that no insider was involved in the terror attack. Earlier, officers investigating the case had found that three fence floodlights at the base were pointing upwards while every other light there was in the right direction.An MES employee was questioned on this count.

Cop flees with 4 rifles, ‘joins’ militants

Two of his childhood friends reported to be missing for last couple of days

Suhail A Shah,Bijbehara, January 16

A police constable posted as an escort of a police officer in Bijbehara town of south Kashmir has decamped with at least four rifles.He is believed to have joined militant ranks, said police sources. Two of the constable’s friends are reported to be missing along with him.The absconding constable, 23-year-old Shakoor Parray, is a resident of Kundalan Shopian. He was posted in Bijbehara as part of the escort of Irshad Rather, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Operations).Rather was seriously injured in an attack by militants on December 24 last year and was being treated for his injuries at the Army’s Base Hospital in Srinagar.“The constable is missing with weapons. We believe that he may have joined militant ranks,” said a police officer from the area on the condition of anonymity.The sources said Parray fled from his place of posting on Friday night. They said two other persons from Parray’s village, believed to be his childhood friends, were missing for the last couple of days.The duo has been identified as 20-year-old Gazi Fayaz Dar and 17-year-old Aqib Ahmad Dar, both of whom are school dropouts.“The matter is being investigated. We are questioning the families of the missing trio,” the police officer said. This was not the first such incident in the militancy-infested Kashmir valley.In March last year, a security guard of Altaf Bukhari, then Minister for Roads and Buildings, decamped with two rifles and joined the Hizbul Mujahideen. He is still is an active member of the militant outfit.In November last year, a policeman was reported to be absent without official leave two days after joining the police in Pulwama. He joined militants, but did not take any weapon with him.

New Delhi: Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year in recognition of Lieutenant General (later Field Marshal) KM Cariappa’s taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 15 January 1949.

On January 15, 2016, India celebrated 68th Indian Army day.

1. Indian Army, the biggest component of Indian armed forces, is headed by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), a four-star General. At present Genral Dalbir Singh Suhag is COAS.

2. So far only two officers from Indian Army – Sam Mankeshaw (in 1973) and K M Cariappa (1986) have been conferred the rank of Field Marshal, a five-star rank, which is a ceremonial position of great honour.

3. The Indian Army originated from the armies of the East India Company, which eventually became the British India Army and finally the Indian Army after independence

4. Indian Army is the 2nd largest standing army in the world, with about 1, 129, 900 active troops and 960,000 reserve troops.

5. The Indian Army is a voluntary service and although a provision for military conscription exists in the Constitution, it has never been imposed.

6. Headquartered at New Delhi, the Indian Army fields 35 Divisions within 13 Corps. The army operates 6 operational commands and 1 training command.