Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, February 28
The Punjab Government’s C-Pyte will be providing training regarding physical training and written examination for recruitment in the army at ITI, Gill Road, Ludhiana, from March 1-April 30, 2016.Camp Commandant said the trials for training would be held on February 29. During training, applicants would be provided free boarding, ration and training.Interested applicants need to bring a character certificate from village sarpanch, no claim and unmarried certificate, residents proof from tehsildar and rural area certificate.They also need to bring 25 passport sized copies of their photographs, their age should be between 17-1/2 and 21 years, minimum height 170 cm, chest 77 cm, should have at least 45 per cent marks in Class X or have passed Class XII with arts discipline, all certificates should be in English language.He said applicants who have tattoos would not be eligible.
Srinagar, February 25
General Officer Commanding, 15 Corps, Lt Gen Satish Dua on Thursday took over as the Colonel of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment. He is the first General to hold both the vital appointments in the Valley concurrently. A defence spokesperson said Lieutenant General Dua took over in a simple, solemn ceremony held at the Regimental Centre in Rangreth, Srinagar. “Lt Gen Satish Dua took over as the 21st Colonel of the Regiment from Lt Gen Ravi Nair, Director General Recruiting, who is set to hang his uniform on February 29,” said the spokesperson said. — TNS
Tribune News Service
Dehradun, February 23
An former cadet of Sainik School, Ghorakhal, Vice-Admiral HCS Bisht, has been appointed the new Flag Officer Commanding In Chief (FOC-in C), Eastern Naval Command. Bisht spent his formative years in the school from 1967 to 1973.The Vice-Admiral was an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, Pune, and the Naval Academy, Kochi. He was commissioned in the executive branch of the Indian Navy on July 1, 1979, and is a gunnery specialist.He is a graduate of the 1992 batch of the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich (UK). He also attended the Naval Higher Command Course at the College of Naval Warfare, Karanja, Mumbai, in 2001 and completed the 47th NDC course in New Delhi in 2007.Vice-Admiral Bisht has held numerous important afloat, training and staff appointments which includes commissioning Commanding Officer of the Missile Corvette INS Kora, Commanding Officer of the Stealth Frigate, INS Tabar, and DA at the High Commission of India, Singapore. He is the submarine operating authority under whom Commodore Commanding Submarines (East) operate.Captain Rohit Dwivedi, Principal of Sainik School, Ghorakhal, complimented the Vice-Admiral on this prestigious appointment. He said it was a matter of pride not only for the school but also for the state. He added he was confident that the Vice-Admiral’s achievements would serve as a source of inspiration to the cadets.
शिमला,22 फरवरी (निस)
ओम प्रकाश की शहादत पर न केवल उसके पिता नेक राम बल्कि पूरे देश को गर्व है। नेक राम का कहना है कि अपने बेटे के अधूरे सपनों को अब वह खुद समाज के सहयोग से पूरा करेंगे और उनकी बेटियों को बेहतर शिक्षा देंगे। जम्मू कश्मीर के पम्पोर में आतंकियों से लोहा लेते शहीद हुए ओम प्रकाश का पार्थिव शरीर आज उनके गांव चिक्खर लाया गया।
उनकी पार्थिव देह चायल स्थित हेलीपैड तक हेलीकॉप्टर से लाई गई जहां से सेना और स्थानीय प्रशासन के अधिकारियों की मौजूदगी में उसे उसके पैतृक गांव चिक्खर लाया गया। शहीद ओमप्र्काश का आज ही उनके पैतृक गांव में पूरे राजकीय सम्मान के साथ अंतिम संस्कार कर दिया गया। इस मौके पर ज़िला प्रशासन की और से एस डी एम ने ओम प्रकाश को श्रद्धासुमन अर्पित किये जबकि सेना की टुकड़ी ने उन्हें सलामी दी। ओम प्रकाश के पिता नेक राम ने दैनिक ट्रिब्यून से कहा कि उनकी अंतिम बार 20 फ़रवरी को ओम प्रकाश से बात हुई थी और उसने 7 मार्च को छुट्टी आना था। ओम प्रकाश इससे पहले जब छुट्टी आया था तो अपना नया घर बनाने के लिए निर्माण का सारा सामान एकत्र कर गया था। इस बीच, राज्यपाल आचार्य देवव्रत और मुख्यमंत्री वीरभद्र सिंह ने लांस नायक ओम प्रकाश की मृत्यु पर गहरा शोक व्यक्त किया है।
जोगेंद्रनगर के राजकुमार राणा आंतकी हमले में शहीद
मंडी (निस) श्रीनगर-जम्मू राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग पर पम्पोर में सीआरपीएफ दल पर हुए आतंकवादी हमले में जोगेंद्रनगर के कांस्टेबल राजकुमार राणा शहीद हो गये।
सीआरपीएफ में बतौर चालक तैनात कांस्टेबल राज कुमार राणा सीआरपीएफ की रुटीन गश्त पर थे कि आतंकवादी हमले का शिकार हो गये। लगभग 40 वर्षीय राज कुमार राणा की शहादत का समाचार सुनते ही उनके घर में शोक प्रकट करने वाले नाते रिश्तेदारों व अन्य लोगों का तांता लग गया।
Hardik Anand
MANOJ DHAKA/HTThe damaged cars after a showroom was set ablaze by protesters in Rohtak on Monday.ROHTAK: The pampered town of for mer chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is now in a state of complete mess, after many people allegedly set the city’s major buildings on fire on Sunday, causing a huge setback to the well-developed city.
The model town area, which used to be the shopping hub of the city and used to be house glossy showrooms and stores, now looks black after most showrooms were burnt.
At least 30 stores, including electronic stores, bookstores, garment units, restaurants, were burnt.
Two stores of Rohtak’s signature sweet shop Gulab Rewri were burnt. The agitators also reportedly burnt two private hospitals.
Besides restaurants, people burnt down hotels in the city. Hotel Rivoli, where legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and other cricketers stayed during Tendulkar’s last Ranji trophy match in Lahli village, was also targetted. Other hotels, including the three-star Hotel Viceroy, were robbed and destroyed.
All major eateries where a majority of the Rohtak residents would turn to, for a fancy evening, were set ablaze. This includes McDonalds, Pappu Bakery and Blueberry Cake Shop. All the alcohol shops were robbed and burnt.
All the major car showrooms in the city were destroyed. Protesters burnt Cheverlet’s showroom on Sonepat Road while some robbed cars and burnt them on the road. Hyundai’s showroom on Jind Bypass was burnt with more than a dozen cars being destroyed. At the Toyota showroom, agitators burnt an Innova while destroyed three other cars and a motorcycle. Protestors wrecked more than 50 computers, among other furniture in the showroom. The newly-built showroom of Maruti Suzuki Nexta was burnt; the losses are yet to be ascertained. At the Honda showroom on Hisar road, the agitators destroyed four cars while burnt a motorcycle.
Vice-president of LPS Bossard, who also owned the franchisee of Honda showroom, Nikhlesh Jain, said, “My family in Delhi wants us to shift the business out of this city. The destruction happened while the police and the government did nothing. I have no hopes that the government will help us in any way.”
Rohtak’s Industrial Model Town (IMT), where Hooda had pushed for the setting up of many industries, was affected during the stir.
Sources said one of the subsidiaries of Asian Paints in the town was burnt. The industrial town had already drawn flak from industrial owners due to robberies.
This may further act as a barrier for other industries to set up their plants in Rohtak.
The only mall in the city, Merian Skytech Mall, in Sector 3 was robbed and burnt, so was the market in the Gandhi camp.
Non-Jat shop owners alleged they were specifically targetted by the Jats. Some said they were threatened by the agitators that their houses would be invaded at night. The markets belonging to Punjabis were attacked by the agitators. They robbed and burnt shops in Gandhi Camp, another Punjabi-dominated area.
At Quilla road, where protestors burnt two shops, Punjabi shopkeepers had joined hands to protect their shops. The agitators also attacked the stores and hotels of Baniyas and Sainis. Residents of Sector 1 said they heard agitators mob deciding not to burn the Mahindra car showroom on the Delhi bypass as it belonged to a Jat.
HISAR: Curfew was imposed in Hisar town and five villages of Hansi sub-division of the district and shoot-on-sight orders issued after Jat protesters indulged in violent protests in the area on Monday.
HT/PHOTOSecurity personnel patrolling the streets of Rohtak town where a large number of shops and other private properties were damaged by Jat protesters.More than 150 protesters with covered faces turned up at the Red Square market at Hisar town at about 5.30pm and went on a rampage. They vandalised many shops in market, following which most of the shopkeepers downed their shutters. The youths fled the spot only after army and police personnel reached the spot to control the situation.
Deputy commissioner (DC) Hisar Chander Shekhar Khare ordered curfew in Hisar town and 5 villages of Hansi sub-division where Jat protesters had a face-off with members of other communities.
A large number of Jat protesters, carrying lathis and hockey sticks, entered Sisaya, Baulan, Kalirawan, Sainipura and Dhani Pal villages to attack non-Jats in the area. Besides, heavy police force the army was called in to control the situation. The DC also ordered ‘shoot-at- sight’ orders in these areas.
RAIL, ROAD TRAFFIC REMAINS SUSPENDED
Meanwhile, road traffic on various national and state highways from Hisar to various destinations, including Delhi, Chandigarh, Sirsa, Siwani and Bhiwani is disrupted. Railway traffic from Hisar to various destinations including Delhi, Ludhiana, Bhiwani and Sadulpur also remained suspended.
All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti spokesman Ram Bhagat Malik said, “We have decided to take-back our stir from Ramayan and Mayyar villages after we came to know that protesters are lifting their dharnas at Rohtak and Sampla. We will lift our blockades by tomorrow morning.”
He added, “No Jat youths are now creating problems for anyone in Hisar. We don’t know which community indulged in rampage in Hisar city and Hansi villages.”
FLAG MARCH IN FATEHABAD, HISAR
Army and police personnel took out a flag march in Hisar town and Fatehabad to maintain the law and order situation. Fatehabad assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Gangaram Punia said, “We took out a flag march on Sirsa-Hisar road, old bus stand, Lal Batti Chowk, MM college road and Ratia chungi areas.”
PEACE MARCH BY ‘36 BIRADARI’
The district administration formed a Chattis Biradari (36 communities) team, which took out a peace march in Fatehabad city.
KARNAL: As thousands of people were left stranded on the Delhi-Ambala national highway (NH-1) by road blockades put by Jat protesters for two days, city residents responded with overwhelming generosity, offering them food and shelter.
RAVI KUMAR/HTPeople walking during a blockade by Jat protesters at Ladsoli village in Sonepat district on Monday.But an impromptu gesture by dozens of teams of Sikh volunteers who ran a round-the-clock community kitchen (langar) stood out.
Sikh youths car ted free snacks, cooked rice and hot tea in copious quantities to feed stranded travellers, including a team of HT journalists.
“Sanu taan sangatan di seva da chauv hai ji (we derive pleasure out of serving humanity,” gurdwara head Baba Joga Singh said, adding that people of all ages, castes and religions were welcome to partake of tea and meals.
The gurdwara volunteers laughed away questions on the quantity of food and other eatables used in the langar over the past two days.
“I would not know how many quintals,’’ the gurdwara head said with a smile.
Other volunteers, including Joginder Singh and Sardul Singh, recalled how Baba Joga Singh politely convinced the police who initially objected to the long queues of vehicles around the gurdwara.
“We have been offering roundthe-clock langar in the memory of Mata Sahib Dev Kaur here for three decades and our volunteers come in large numbers whenever such situations arise,’’ the gurdwara head said.
Amidst the click-clack of the rifle stock and the barrel, and the three-shot volley, the mortal remains of Sepoy N. Ramamoorthy of Madras Regiment were laid to rest with full military honours here in his village of Gudisaadhanapalli on Tuesday. After close to a fortnight-long wait by the family, the coffin bearing the mortal remains of 28-year-old Ramamoorthy arrived at Gudisaadhanapalli at 10.45 p.m. on Monday from the Bengaluru airport.
Less than 12 hours later, the cortege–flanked by the Madras Regiment, the parent regiment of Sepoy Ramamoorthy and the Army Supply Corps, Bengaluru–was slowly led to the family’s own agricultural plot for a burial. The coffin draped in the tri-colour was opened briefly for the sepoys of the Madras Regiment to have a final glimpse of the martyr
Sunitha, the 22-year-old wife of Ramamoorthy was inconsolable as the coffin was lowered into the six-feet deep grave pit, while the father Nanje Gowdu, clenched the neatly folded tricolour that until minutes ago had adorned his son’s coffin tightly. The solemn funeral, well attended by the entire village, was punctuated by heart wrenching moments. Words failed a uniformed soldier of the Madras Regiment after he lost his composure and broke down into sobs as he embraced the grief-stricken mother of Ramamoorthy. The state government had handed over a solatium of Rs. 10 lakh to the family on Monday.
Like father, like son
A narrow lane off Arni Road twists and turns to end at a single-storey house that has been waiting for its owner’s return. It is from this house that 38-year-old M. Elumalai’s final journey began on Tuesday morning.
The mortal remains of the soldier reached his home at Adukkamparai, nearly 10 km away from the Fort City, during the early hours of the day. Relatives and villagers poured in to have a final glimpse of Havildar Elumalai and pay their respects. Havildar Elumalai was laid to rest at Adukkamparai close to 10.30 a.m. with full State and military honours.
The youngest of seven children, Elumalai was just seven years old when his father Muthu, an ex-serviceman, died. This was more than enough to inspire Elumalai to join the Army at the age of 18 years.
“He had completed Class X and wanted to join the Army like our father. He was passionate about working for the country, and at the same time, wanted to support the family,” his eldest brother M. Rajendran said.
The family hails from Melanur near Arni in Tiruvannamalai district, and Elumalai had moved to Vellore after getting married to Jamuna Rani. He had constructed a house at Adukkamparai before marriage. The couple has two sons – Kaviarasu (6) and Sri Priyadarshan (4).
Havildar Elumalai was a “highly intelligent” Non-Commissioned Officer, who had high level of initiative and was always willing to carry out any task assigned to him, a note about the Siachen martyrs from the Press Information Bureau (Defence Wing) said.
He joined the 19th Battalion of the Madras Regiment on October 28, 1996. He had displayed high degree of courage and was part of several successful small team operations against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and North East during nine years of field service. His ability to motivate his juniors and lead them earned him a place at the Sonam Post that required men with nerves of steel and high level of physical fitness.
He went on to obtain instructor grading in Weapon Course at Infantry School, Mhow and was posted as instructor at The Madras Regimental Centre, Wellington. Here, he trained several recruits. Prior to induction of the unit to Siachen Glacier, he was also part of the Unit Training Team. In fact, he had passed his promotion tests and was about to pick up the rank of Junior Commissioned Officer. School Education Minister K.C. Veeramani along with Collector R. Nanthagopal paid homage to the soldier. The Minister handed over the State government’s solatium of Rs. 10 lakh to his wife. Army officers and personnel were present during the soldier’s final journey.
Schoolchildren join final march
The body of Lance Havildar S. Kumar (38) was laid to rest at Kumananthozhu, his native village, with full military and state honours here on Tuesday.
The coffin was kept on the campus of government higher secondary school at the village to enable family members, relatives and villagers to pay homage. Collector N. Venkatachalam, Superintendent of Police J. Mahesh, and officers from the Army, Madras Regiment and NCC paid their respects. Director General Recruitment Brigadier Sangram Dalvi, Coimbatore Station Commander Col. Sandeep Saxena Satpathy, 44-Field Commander Lt. Col Ravichandran, Lt. Col Thomas Mathew of MRC Wellington and 11 joint commissioned officers and 60 Jawans conducted the funeral parade.
After rituals, the army men carried the body to the burial ground. School children and local people took part in the funeral procession. He was laid to rest around 10.45 a.m
with a 21-gun salute and full state and military honours. Later, the collector handed over a cheque for Rs.10 lakh to his family members. Ex-Servicemen appealed to the Centre to honour all 10 deceased army men with highest military award.
Earlier, the body was flown to Madurai from New Delhi and brought to Theni on road around 2.30 a.m. It was kept in Theni Government Medical College Hospital near Gandamanur pass till this morning as per request of the family members. Hundreds of youth, mostly friends, thronged the hospital late night to see the body. The handful of policemen at the GH struggled to control them. Doctors in the GH too paid homage to him.
Mr. Kumar joined the service while he was doing his higher secondary course. He is survived by his father Srinivasan, a small farmer, and mother Panjammal.
His wife Kavitha is working in a private school at Mayiladumparai. He has a six-year-old son Riyas.
Villagers honour their hero
The body of Lance Havildar G. Ganesan (25) was cremated with full military honours at his native village Chokkathevanpatti near Usilampatti here on Tuesday morning.
Ganesan’s body was kept near his house briefly on Tuesday morning for the local people to pay homage. Later, the body was taken by military personnel to the cremation ground in a procession in which District Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao, Superintendent of Police Vijayendra S. Bidari, senior army officials and hundreds of people from Chokkathevanpatti and nearby villages joined. At the cremation ground, army personnel gave a 21-gun salute. Students from Valandur Panchayat Union Middle School, who had come for the cremation, sang a patriotic song as homage to the martyr. The villagers handed over Rs. 65,000, which they had collected, to Ganesan’s family. Similarly, the army personnel, who had collected Rs. 1.3 lakh, also handed over the money to the family.
Earlier on Thursday night, state Minister for Coperation Sellur K. Raju handed over Rs. 10 lakh to Ganesan’s family.
R Sedhuraman,Legal Correspondent,New Delhi, February 15
The Supreme Court today endorsed the government’s command exit policy for promotions in the Army in order to reduce the age profile of commanding officers and achieve optimal combat effectiveness, as suggested by The Ajay Vikram Singh committee in the light of the 1999 Kargil war.“There is nothing perverse, unreasonable or unfair about the policy that the age of officers serving in combat arms and combat arms support will be lowered by creating additional vacancies to be allotted on command exit model,” a Bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Kurian Joseph ruled in a 58-page judgment.The court delivered the verdict on appeals by the Centre challenging the Armed Forces Tribunal’s March 2, 2015, order quashing the government’s January 20, 2009, policy circular.Citing the lower age profiles of commanding officers in Japan, China and Pakistan, the government had sought to ensure quicker promotions for such officers in combat arms and combat arms support in India by creating additional posts for them. The affected officers in other units had gone to the AFT, challenging the circular.The SC ruled that all Army officers could not be treated as belonging to a single cadre as in the case of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or the Indian Police Service (IPS). While hearing the appeals, the court had framed a question: “Do officers serving in arms and arms support services constitute a single cadre?”“We have no difficulty in answering the question in the negative and holding that officers in service streams do not constitute a single cadre with those serving in arms and arms support for purposes of allocation of additional vacancies created pursuant to the recommendations made to the government by the AV Singh committee,” the Bench said.As a result, it refused to accept the contention of the affected officers that the policy had denied them their “legitimate expectation for batch parity”.
