During its recent deployment in Haryana, the Army was constrained to carry placards to identify itself since all Central Armed Police Forces (CASF) wear army-like uniforms, virtually making it indistinguishable from the others. The Army is the last pillar of state authority and it must inspire respect and awe in the citizens and fear in the enemies/rioters. If the CASF and others dress like the army, the latter loses its identity and with it this vital element of awe and fear.  The Army authorities must convince the central government to prohibit wearing of the army-like uniforms by the others. Even the Indian Penal Code makes wearing army-like uniforms a criminal offence.

Brig Harwant Singh (Retd), Mohali

PUBLISHED Today 27 Feb in The Tribune

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Friday ruled that only Pervez Musharraf should be tried for treason for subverting the Constitution in 2007, one day after the former president went to court to seek permission to go abroad for medical treatment. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa set aside a special court’s order calling for re-investigation of the high treason case against Musharraf. High treason is punishable with death if proved. Musharraf has pleaded non-guilty. The SC accepted former chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar’s appeal to exclude him from the investigation into the treason case launched against Musharraf in 2013 for imposing emergency in 2007, when he was president.

Both Modi and Sharif have accepted Obama’s invitation to attend the nuclear summit in Washington. File photo

Islamabad/New Delhi, Feb 19

India today said it was “disappointed” at the omission of JeM chief Masood Azhar from an FIR lodged by Pakistan authorities in connection with the Pathankot airbase attack. India has accused the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief of masterminding the attack.The FIR was registered at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) centre in Gujranwala, Punjab province, on Thursday against “unknown persons” after weeks of investigations into the assault that had led to the postponement of India-Pak Foreign Secretary talks.“It is a small step in the right direction. But it is disappointing that neither the name of Jaish nor Masood Azhar was incorporated in the FIR,” a senior government official said.“We fail to understand why Jaish and its chief’s names were not included in the FIR despite India giving adequate evidence about their involvement,” the official said.A CTD official said the FIR was required to start police and judicial proceedings on the basis of evidence collected in connection with the attack for which India has blamed Pakistan-based terror group JeM.India had identified Azhar as the mastermind of the attack, and blamed his brother Rauf besides five others for carrying out the attack.The FIR was lodged under relevant sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act. The FIR mentioned the telephone numbers contacted by the militants during the attack.The FIR was reportedly registered on the recommendations of a six-member special investigation team (SIT) probing the attack. The team had recommended to the federal government to lodge an FIR on the basis of information provided to National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua by his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.According to a document, the team held three meetings in which the information provided by the Indian side was evaluated and it partially confirmed the Indian version of the incident.Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif had formed the six-member team headed by Additional Inspector General of Punjab’s CTD Rai Tahir to probe India’s assertion that JeM was behind the attack.Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Punjab province Law Minister Rana Sanaullah today said India would be asked for more information. Sanaullah said in Lahore that the FIR showed Pakistan’s “commitment” against militancy. “We will seek more information from India,” he said.Sanaullah said anyone, including Azhar, found guilty of involvement in the attack would be prosecuted. “No one becomes guilty by naming him. I don’t want to name anyone at this stage. Let the probe be over and if Azhar is found involved, action will be taken,” Sanaullah said. — Agencies

Modi, Nawaz likely to meet in US next month

Islamabad, February 19Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi may meet next month in the US on the sidelines of a nuclear summit being hosted by President Barack Obama, a media report said today.The two have accepted Obama’s invitation to attend the nuclear summit in Washington from March 31 and April 1, Dawn newspaper said. “The chances are strong, very strong,” said a senior official who did not want to be identified.“But you know the history of India-Pakistan talks. You cannot be certain about an event until it has happened,” the official added.This is the first time that both leaders will attend the nuclear security summit, which Obama initiated in 2010.The summit, aimed at preventing terrorists from acquiring nuclear arms, brings leaders from across the world to discuss various proposals for attaining this goal. The first summit was held in Washington on April 12-13, 2010. Since this is Obama’s final year in office, the administration is pushing hard for achieving some concrete results during the fourth summit. — PTI

Andhra Pradesh: A tearful final farewell was given on Tuesday to four soldiers from Tamil Nadu, two from Karnataka and one from Andhra Pradesh who were buried alive in an avalanche on the hostile Siachen glacier on February 3.

All of them belonged to the Madras Regiment and their last rites were performed with full military honours. The bodies of Havildar M. Elumalai, Sepoy G. Ganesan, Sepoy N. Ramamurthy and Lance Havildar S. Kumar were brought to Chennai on Monday night and later taken to their native places.

Elumalai was laid to rest with full military honours in Adukumparai village in Vellore district. Ganesan was cremated in his native village Chokkathevanpatti in Madurai district, while Kumar was laid to rest in his home village in Theni district, while the last rites of Ramamurthy were performed in Krishnagiri district.

The Tamil Nadu government announced a solatium of Rs.10 lakh each to their families. In Andhra Pradesh, Sepoy Mustaq Ahmed waslaid to rest with full military honours in his native village in Kurnool district. A pall of gloom descended on Parnapalle village in Bandi Atmakur mandal of Kurnool as people bid tearful adieu to the soldier.

Military, police and civil officials and politicians paid their last respects to Mushtaq, who was buried at a village graveyard. Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishna Murthy and YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy were among those who attended the last rites.

The deputy chief minister later presented a cheque of Rs.25 lakh to the family of deceased soldier. The body of Mustaq reached the village late Monday night from Hyderabad, where it was brought from New Delhi on Monday by a special aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF). Mustaq, 30, is survived by his wife and aged parents, according to a defence statement.

He had enrolled in the 19th Battalion the Madras Regiment in 2004 and served as part of his battalion in counter insurgency operations in the North East and in Jammu and Kashmir. He had also served in the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) force in Jammu and Kashmir. A keen sportsman, Mustaq volunteered to be part of one of the most crucial posts in the icy Siachen Glacier.

In Karnataka, hundreds of people paid homage to two more victims from the state as they were laid to rest with state honours in Mysuru and Hassan districts on Tuesday. Sepoy P.N. Mahesha of H.D. Kote in Mysuru district and Subedar T.T. Nagesha of Tejuru in Hassan district were given a 21-gun salute to the sound of bugles before their bodies were buried at their native places.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who hails from Mysuru district, laid a wreath on the flower-decked casket of Mahesha and consoled his bereaved family. “The chief minister has assured Mahesha’s family of compensation, free farm land and a government job to one of its members soon,” an official told IANS.

Home Minister G. Parameshwara was present at Nagesha’s last rites amid heart-rending scenes as his family was inconsolable. A junior commissioned officer (JCO) and nine other ranks (ORs) were buried under nearly 30 feet of ice and snow when the avalanche hit the Sonam Post on the Siachen glacier at an altitude of around 20,000 feet.

Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad was the only one found alive even though he was trapped under the snow for about six days. He succumbed to multi-organ failure at the Army Hospital Research and Referral in New Delhi last Thursday. Koppad was cremated in his home town in Karnataka on Friday.

The bodies of the remaining nine soldiers were retrieved a week after the tragedy, and flown into New Delhi from the frontier Ladakh region on Monday. The mortal remains were later flown in IAF planes to Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Madurai, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram, for sending them to the native villages of the deceased soldiers.

The other soldiers were Lance Naik Sudheesh B. of village Monroethuruth in Kerala’s Kollam district and Sepoy (nursing assistant) Suryawanshi S.V. of village Maskarwadi in Maharashtra’s Satara district.

– See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/tearful-farewell-to-soldiers-who-died-in-siachen/16961235#sthash.7xNmExri.dpuf

(a) Death if due to accident or unnatural causes should always be
reported to the Police Station in whose jurisdiction the area falls.
It avoids lot of troubles later on. In such cases get the autopsy done
to establish proper cause of death.

(b) Do obtain two ink signed copies of Medical certificate
specifying cause of death from the Hospital or the authorized Medical Practitioner. One of these is required by the authorities at the cremation/ burial ground. The other is required by the authorities (Registrar of Deaths & Births) who issues Death Certificates. Obtain cremation / burial certificate from the cremation/burial ground.

(c) A close relative should apply for issue of Death certificate
within 15 days of the death of the pensioner/ deceased. Obtain at
least 20 ink signed & equal number of Photostat copies duly attested by a class one officer.

(d) Write to the Pension paying Bank Intimating them of demise
of the pensioner, asking them to discontinue the pension of the
pensioner and payment of the family pension of the spouse l N O K
(give name). Enclose ink signed death certificate & copy of the
original P P O having joint photograph of the pensioner & spouse/ NOK. Also state PPO and pension S /B A/C numbers..

Sample Application form as at Annexure.

(e) If the Pension A/c is a joint account or the spouse is a
nominee in it Then it is simpler to operate the same A/C for family
pension, otherwise a fresh S/ B A/C is to be opened in the same bank.
It requires proof of Identity and proof of Residence. Photo copy of
voter I Card! PAN card will suffice- with three copies of attested
photographs.

(f) Write separately to Pension sanctioning Authority, PCDA ( P)
to start family pension, on demise of the pensioner and enclose ink
signed copy of death certificate:-Sample Application is at Annexure

(g) In the case of Retired Army Pensioner Write to the A Gs branch
(MP-5, CW 4) to update their records. & to Pay Platinum Grant if
Applicable As per Annexure.

(h) If the age was less than 70 years write to Army Group Insurance
Fund (AGIF) to Make payment of life insurance amount. Application Performa at Annexure.

(i) Return Retired Officers I Card to Area HQ (lnt Br.) for
further Disposal.

(j) If there are other Insurance Policies write to them to pay Insurance amount.

(k) Write to all banks wherein the pensioner has his accounts to
transfer closing balances to the spouse / N O K giving bankers
address, a/c number.

(I) Write to Regional Transport Officer to transfer the Automobile
to the NOK.

(m) Write to Arms Licensing Authority to transfer the weapon (if
any) to the NOK meanwhile deposit the weapon(s) in concerned Police Station Arms Dealer for safe custody. The NOK should apply forArms License at the earliest.

(n) Write to Electricity Providing Agency to transfer the meter in
the name of spouse/NOK and start further billing against that name.

(o) Write to the Telephone providing Agency to Change the name of the subscriber, transfer the connection to the name of the Spouse/NOK for further billing (p) Apply to AWHO to transfer the dwelling unit to the spouse/NOK. Performa for Application should be obtained from the AWHO / Welfare Society . The Society has to render No Objection Certificate (NOC).stating that there is No encroachment of common land, No major modification to theApproved design and all Dues to the Society has been cleared. If not already done you may have to do it before they issue NOC.

(q) Write to all the clubs & societies to transfer the membership
to the spouse/NOK (r) Write to all Debtors to clear all dues and make payment to the Spouse/NOK.

(s) Clear the outstanding dues if any of the Creditors and credit
cards and loans taken if any. Return the credit cards to the Bank
concerned.

(t) Some of the banks may have issued Insurance certificate for the
amount of FD/Bank Balance then claim it.

(u) Write to Income Tax authorities to intimate death of the
Pensioner to close his Income Tax file and open Income Tax file in the name of the Spouse/NOK Quoting PAN number of both.

(v) Write to the Municipal Authorities to Close Property case file of
the deceased person and open it in the name of the spouse/NOK.

(w) Approach the district Courts for Probate of the WILL, if it is
in possession, otherwise obtain a Succession Certificate. From the
District Judge. (x)

These Instructions are repeated at the end to be used as a check list.
******************** *************** ************ ********************

—————————————————————————-
Annexure — DRAFT LETTER FOR FAMILY PENSION

From Name.
Address Tele No.
Date To,
The Manager Name of Bank Address
Sir,
Subject:- GRANT OF FAMILY PENSION ON DEMISE OF PENSIONER.

1. Reference- Our Joint Pension SB A/C No. held in your Bank.

2. I regret to inform you that my husband,

IC No,…………….. Rank ………….. Name…………………………….
has expired on at due to Certificate of his death is enclosed for
ready reference. He was drawing his pension through your bank. Kindly, stop his payment of his pension with effect from and Start payment of family pension at the rate prescribed vide Annexure three to 6th Pay Commission Report i.e. Rs; 15630/= + DA @ 51 % or as applicable to me through the same Pension SB A/C No. Held in your Bank. We have no dependent children.

3. You are requested to forward the attached copy of this letter along with Copy of his Death certificate duly endorsed for its correctness.

Yours faithfully ,

Signature &n bsp;

;
(Name)
Copy to :

PCDA (P), Dropadi Ghat, Allahabad 211014: for
similar action.

***************** ******************************* ****

Annexure ::
DRAFT LETTER FOR ARMY GROUP INSURANCE EXTENDED POLICY

From: Name
Tele No : Mob ………………..

Address…………………..………………….. &n bsp;
Date

To,
The Chairman,
Army Group Insurance Fund,
AGIF House, Rao Tularam Marg, NEW DELHI – 110010

Sir,

Sub:- ENCASHMENT OF EXTENDED ARMY GROUP INSURANCE POLICY Ref.

Extended Army Group Insurance Certificate No. issued to IC No.Rank
Name of Corps of signals. (Encl in original)

1. I regret to inform you that my spouse, I C. No. Rank Name
has expired on……. at………. His/Her Death Certificate
issued by …………… is enclosed for ready Reference.

2. I am enclosing the Extended Army Group Insurance Certificate for
encashment duly completed in all respect. His date of birth
is………………………... Kindly send the cheque of the sum
assured to me on my address as given above. My Bank details are as
under:-

SSB A/C No. Name and address of my Bank.

Thanking you in anticipation,

Yours Faithfully,

Signature

(Name)
************ ************ *********************************

Annexure-
DRAFT LETTER FOR ARMY OFFICERS BENOVELENT FUND – RS 50,000/-

From; Name House No./Sector Locality TeleNo. City& PIN File No. Date

The AOBF (Accts Sec), AG’s Branch, IHQ of MOD (ARMY) Room No 279a,
South Block DHQ PO, New DeIhi110011
Sir,

Subject:- Payment of Platinum Grant (AOBF) On Demise of IC No ………………. Rank………………………….Col Name (Late) of Corps of Signals.)

Reference PPO No. ……………….. (Photocopy enclosed)

1. I regret to inform you that my husband, IC No. Rank Name has
expired on ( date) at (Name of Hosp) , Address(Place) , Due to (Cause
of Death) The Certificate of his death Issued by (Civil Authority) is
enclosed for ready reference.

2. You are, kindly requested, to send me his Platinum Grant on his
demise. Hisdate of birth is Photo Copy of his Retired Officers’
Identity Card is enclosed for ready reference. The cheque may please
be issued to me on the Address given on top of this letter. My Bank
details are as under: Name of Bank Address SBA/C No

3. We have XXX / do not have dependent Children.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours Faithfully,

Signatures ( Name- Mrs xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx xx) W/O Late xxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx

Copy to:- MOD IHD, Army/HQ AG ( MP 5/ CW 4) For Similar Action

***************** ***************** *************** ******************

CHECK LIST — ACTION TO BE TAKEN ON DEMISE OF PENSIONER.

1. In case of death due to accident lodge an FIR with the nearest
Police Station, and get theirwritten permission before last rites are
performed.

2. Arrange last rites even in cases of natural demise only after
getting Medical Certificate of cause of Death from a doctor
(Authorized Medical Practice nor). Intimate time of Funeral and
CHAUTHA/UTHALA/ Prayer meeting to all concerned preferably through an insertion of obituary in News Papers(s).

3. Apply for and obtain Death Cetificate-20 or more copies from the Office of Registrar of Births and Deaths/ Municipal Authority. These are required to be submitted with all claims.

4. Forward the information with certified photocopy of Death Certificate To the following:

(a) PCDA (Pension), AG’s Branch MP 5 (b) and PS4.
(b) Army Officer’s Benevolent Fund for Payment of Platinum Grant.
(c) AGIF For settlement of life Insurance cover as applicable
(d) Station HO To surrender Identity Card of the deceased Officer and Issue of CSD Canteen Card.

(e) Bankers for family Pension, FD’s Loans (if any), PPF and Locker:
(f) Clubs For transfer of membership or refund of security deposit as applicable.
(g) Municipal Authority/AWHO/DDA/NDA/GNDA/HUDAILOCAL Development
Authority For transfer of House /Apartment to a single name of the surviving spouse as per WILL of the deceased.
(h) MTNUBSNUTELECUM COMPANEY For transfer of tale connection and future billing.
(i) BSES/NDPULOCAL ELECTRICITY DEPARTMENT For transferring of electric connection and future billing in the name of the house owner.
(j) ITO For closing of file of the deceased and linking up with the
files of the beneficiaries and for wealth Tax assessment.
(k) Licensing Authority for motor vehicles, Personal Arms and Tractors etc For Transfer of Ownership.
(I) LIC/GIC/Insurance Companies/Banks for insurance policies covering Life, Medical, Vehicles and property etc. (m) Secretary Zila Saink Board For issue of Ex-Servicemen widow’s Identity card.

5. Obtain Probate of WILL (if held) otherwise succession certificate
is required from the District Judge under Indian

A generation of officers has grown and won awards, laurels and promotions doing counter-insurgency operations. With all present generals having donned the uniform after the last full-scale war of 1971, war-preparedness has become an elusive concept

Speaking recently at the Counter-Terrorism Conference in Jaipur, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, alluding to Pakistan, said, “Some countries have used non-state actors (terrorists) for 15 years to achieve political and strategic objectives, with counter-productive results.” The truth is, far from being counter-productive, the Pakistan army has achieved substantive results against India through this strategy.On the one hand, it has increased India’s policing commitments on the land and coastal borders. The 1999 Kargil conflict forced the Indian Army to deploy a division (12,000 troops) round the year at 15,000 to 18,000 feet to ensure no reccurrence of mischief. After the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the Indian Navy, made responsible for coastal security, has been flogging its expensive warships, at the cost of war preparedness. On the other hand, Pakistan’s strategy has, to its own amazement, rendered the Indian Army unfit for conventional war. After Operation Parakram (the 10-month military stand-off from December 2001 to October 2002), where India failed to militarily coerce Pakistan, the Indian Army was expected to learn the right lessons. Since no insurgency which enjoys an inviolate sanctuary has ever been defeated, it was, since 1990, argued that the Indian Army should build capability to hit terrorists’ bases in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir rather than fight the elusive terrorists on its soil. Instead, it did the opposite. Once the November 26, 2003, ceasefire, at Pakistan’s initiative, was accepted, the artillery guns on both sides fell silent. With long-range firepower to hit Pakistani bunkers no longer an option, raids by Special Forces to thwart the proxy war was the natural choice to keep the Pakistan army on tenterhooks. Calling it a war-avoidance measure, this option was closed by the Army Chief, Gen. NC Vij by fencing the Line of Control in July, 2004.The argument that the fence is cost-effective and prevents infiltration continues to be made by senior officers who are unwilling to concede its biggest drawback: It has instilled the Maginot mentality, (a line of defensive fortifications built before World War II to protect the eastern border of France but easily outflanked by German invaders.). Any worthwhile military commander the world over will attest that a fortification induces a false sense of security and stifles the offensive spirit and action. Today, the fence denotes the Indian Army’s physical, mental and psychological limit of war-fighting. It gives respite to the Pakistan army and encourages it to continue with the proxy war, without fearing Indian retaliation. The initiative has passed completely into the hands of the terrorists and their Pakistani handlers. The latter dictate the rates of engagement, infiltration, areas to be activated and to what purpose, including methods of initiation. This is the reason that even with the strength of over 12 lakh, the Indian Army fails to deter the six lakh Pakistani army from cross-border terrorism. The Pakistan army refuses to hand over Hafiz Saeed, Dawood Ibrahim, Masood Azhar and others to us. Each time our political and military leaders warn Pakistan, it challenges us to a war.The Indian Army Chief, Gen. VK Singh wrote a letter (leaked to the media) to the Prime Minister in March, 2012, saying the Army was unfit for war. Media reports routinely decry the unpreparedness of the Army. What little the Army has as war reserves, for example, equipment, vehicles, spares and ammunition, is merrily being using to raise more units — two divisions (each with 12,000 troops) between 2009 and 2011, and a Mountain Corps (90,000 troops). Since 2012, the Army’s annual defence spending ratio of capital (for acquisitions) and revenue (pay and allowances) has been 40:60, instead of the other way round. This means more manpower costs and less war preparedness.Unfortunately, the present state suits both the political and the Army leadership; the former does not want to understand military power and is petrified by nuclear weapons, the latter is comfortable with counter-insurgency operations (CI ops). The Army has honed its skills in it for 25 years. About 40 per cent of the Army is in the Jammu and Kashmir theatre doing CI ops, while an equal number prepares itself to replace those. A generation of officers has grown and won awards, laurels, promotions and status doing CI ops. With all present generals having donned uniform after the last full-scale war of 1971, war-preparedness has become an elusive concept. The irony is that the people of India do not know what the Army is supposed to do. The nation regularly pays homage to soldiers who die fighting terrorists inside the Indian territory rather than fighting Pakistani soldiers on the border. Few bother to think that if the Army does CI ops (which should be the paramilitary’s job), who would do its job of fighting the war? Should the nation be spending huge amount of money building a military force when what the Army wishes to be is to become a glorified paramilitary force?The idea of a fence on the LoC came from the BSF, which had erected one on the India-Pakistan border from Gujarat to Rajasthan and another on the India-Bangladesh border. But the Army was never receptive to the idea of erecting a fence as it was found effective only against illegal immigrants and was considered a police tactic. The Army chief, General S. Padmanabhan (General Vij’s predecessor) told me: “When Vij asked my opinion on the fence, I told him that this idea had been there since 1993. The reason why it had not been implemented so far was that it was unsuited for the terrain along the LoC. Moreover, a fence would instil a defensive mindset in our troops.” What should the Army do? The Army Chief, Gen. Bikram Singh invited me to his office in January, 2013, and asked my opinion. I suggested four-pronged action: The fence on the LoC should be dismantled; troops should be reoriented to the conventional war role from the present anti-infiltration role; CI ops should be handed over to the paramilitary and the police in Jammu and Kashmir in a phased manner; and the Army should go back to its core competency — preparing to fight a war.These are the actions that the Army would take during war; taking them in peacetime would help deter Pakistan from continuous trouble across the LoC. Adopting an offensive-defence posture does not imply war; it means peace and stability on the LoC as it would spur the Army to equip and train itself for war. These actions will also help the Army to reduce its strength by nearly 2,00,000 troops in five years; a must for a professional Army desiring to prepare itself for present-day warfare. The Modi Government, which projects itself as more muscular than the previous regimes, has not helped matters. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on  July 22, 2014, the then Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley praised the Army for CI ops by concluding that, “innovative troops deployment, efficient use of surveillance and monitoring devices and fencing along the LoC have enhanced (the Army’s) ability to detect and intercept infiltration.” Encouraged, the Army decided to upgrade the fence. The northern Army Commander, Lt Gen. D.S. Hooda told the media in August, 2015 that, “The new fence will be twice as effective as the existing one. It will be hard to breach.” The Pakistan army will continue to allow the Indian side to repair the fence damaged by vagaries of nature each year, without resorting to small-arms firings. The writer is Editor, FORCE, a newsmagazine on security & defence.

As a policy, no new regiment is to be raised on the basis of a class, creed, community or religion. The Indian Army has a pan-India representation.

Ishfaq Ahmad, holds his six-month-old son after the Passing out Parade of new recruits in Srinagar, at the headquarters of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry. PTI

This is as a counter to the article, “The country needs more Muslims in armed forces,” by Col Ramesh Davesar (retd.) published in The Tribune. Davesar has touched a very sensitive issue, which has been discussed threadbare a number of times earlier and has been settled with the present arrangement. The Indian Army is the only organisation in the world in which soldiers from all castes, creeds and communities are recruited. There are no reservations for any category. Why should the issue of “more Muslims in the Army” be kindled? The Indian Army is the best example of national integration where all festivals and religious functions are organised, based on the ethnicity of the soldiers. All officers, irrespective of their religion, participate wholeheartedly in all the religious functions organised by the jawans. Raising the issue of recruitment of more Muslims in the Army at this juncture is uncalled for as they are recruited according to merit and there is no bar on their recruitment in the armed forces. Muslim officers can join any service of the armed forces they desire, depending on their qualifications and merit. But the eligible and fit Muslims are not coming forward to join this service. It is a tough life, one that entails separation from families and a highly disciplined lifestyle that which only highly motivated people can survive. However, a number of Muslim soldiers have done extremely well during the Indo-Pak wars. The reason for the Muslim under-representation in the Indian Army, or the over-representation of Sikhs is something that lies partly in history. Sikhs form 1.86 per cent of India’s population and have a representation of around 8 per cent in the Indian Army. Muslims form 13 per cent of India’s population and about 2 per cent of the population is in the Army. Just as Muslims are under-represented in the Army, so are the Bengalis, Biharis, Oriyas, South Indians or Gujaratis. And just as Sikhs are over-represented, so are the Jats, Dogras, Garhwalis, Kumaonis, Gurkhas, Marathas, and Punjabis. The Indian Army’s recruitment pattern was set 150 years ago by India’s 1857 uprising. Traumatised by the rebellion, the British army adopted a recruitment policy that punished the groups which rebelled and rewarded the ones that stayed loyal. Because the Muslims of Awadh, Bihar and West Bengal led the uprising, the British army stopped hiring soldiers from these areas.Also blacklisted from these places were high-caste Hindus, whose regiments in Bengal had also mutinied. In contrast, the British raised the recruitment of castes that had stood by the British to put down the uprising. These castes were Sikhs, Jats, Dogras, Garhwalis, Kumaonis, Gorkhas, Marathas and Punjabis, both Hindus and Muslims. Honoured as martial races, they received preferential treatment in army recruitment for the next 90 years. Like any institution, the Indian Army is a prisoner of the past. Even today, it favours enlisting men from the martial races. According to the figures of last three years, large numbers came from four “martial” states, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. So these states, which account for 5 per cent of India’s population, provided 15 per cent of soldiers in the Indian Army.In contrast, the fewest recruits came from “non-martial” West Bengal, Bihar and Gujarat. These three states account for 30 per cent of India’s population, but they provided only 14 per cent of the Army’s soldiers in this three-year period.  About the Muslim under-representation in the Indian Army, there are three reasons. Firstly, Partition caused this. Before Independence, Muslims were around 25 per cent of the Indian Army and 25 per cent of undivided India. When India broke up and Muslim soldiers were asked to choose between India and Pakistan, they joined Pakistan en masse. So Muslim numbers in the Indian Army dropped so drastically that they were only 2 per cent in 1953. Jawaharlal Nehru himself expressed concern that “hardly any Muslims” were left in the Army. And Muslim numbers never really picked up in the last 67 years for obvious reasons. This discrimination is a natural phenomenon of India and Pakistan’s bitter hostility over 67 years. In similar situations, the same thing happens all over the world. The Israeli army doesn’t trust its Arab soldiers in jobs related to defence security. The Buddhist-Sinhalese army under-recruits it’s Hindu Tamils lest their sympathies lie with the Tamil Tigers. After 9/11, US army recruiters would probably screen a Muslim American volunteer more thoroughly than a Christian American one. Despite these reasons, India still has two to three Company’s strength of Muslims in Grenadiers, Mahar Regiments and Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry battalions that too are not getting their full quota of Muslims. In all other arms and services, Muslims are not deprived of the recruitment if they are qualified and are fit to serve in the Army. Secondly, the cause of Muslim under-recruitment is their relatively poor education. When they try to enlist as soldiers, they lose out in the competition to better-educated Sikh, Hindu, and Christian youths. Efforts should, therefore, be made by the Muslim leaders to impart proper education to them in schools other than madrassas. Thirdly, in life, however, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. The under-representation of Muslims and other caste or regional groups benefits the over-represented ones. The composition of the Indian Army is totally askew numbers’ wise. West Bengal’s population is eight times that of Uttarakhand. But Uttarakhand provides almost the same number of Army recruits as West Bengal. Compare a “martial” Punjab with a non-martial Gujarat. Punjab’s population is half that of Gujarat. But it provides four times as many people to the Indian Army as Gujarat. The Indian Army hired far more recruits in Rajasthan than in Tamil Nadu, even though Tamil Nadu’s population is higher. Essentially, the Indian Army is dominated numbers’wise by Sikhs and Hindi-speaking Hindus of North India, since they are highly motivated, ready to take challenges, and prepared to sacrifice for the nation. The current status quo suits them perfectly.The Army has strongly rejected calls for raising new “single-class” units like the Gujarat, Kalinga, Dalit, Ahir, Paswan or Tribal regiments as well as attempts to tinker with its “time-tested” regimental system. The policy since Independence is not to raise any new regiment on the basis of a particular class, creed, community, religion or region but to have a force in which all Indians have representation. This is the well-defined position of both the Defence Ministry and the Army. Politics should not be played with the apolitical armed forces. The Army is an inclusive and secular force open to all. The Sachar Committee for that reason even opposed the religious headcount in the armed forces in 2005-06. The writer is a former Professor, International Trade, ICFAI University, Hyderabad. 

Dr Rajeev K Sharma

Most of us have seen elderly people in the family or neighbourhood suffering from debilitating bone fractures of the arm, leg or hip due to osteoporosis. However, in what is an alarming new trend, cases of such osteoporotic fractures are now being observed in relatively younger people.Complete lack of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle is the reason behind the reduction in average age of osteoporosis. Shilpa, 37, bent her ankle while walking to her car from office. What she initially considered a mild sprain turned out to be a hairline fracture of the ankle bone. A bone density test revealed her bones were as brittle as that of a 69-year-old woman. Living a largely sedentary life for many years, the only walking she did everyday was the walk from home to the elevator and then to the car in the morning, and the same from her office cabin to the car parking in the evening.As a part of the normal ageing process, both men and women lose their bone density by 0.3 per cent to 0.5 per cent after the age of 35 years. Known as osteoporosis, the condition of extremely weak or ‘porous’ bones results from decrease in bone mass due to loss of bone mineral density. While due to anatomy and other physiological factors, the condition is more prevalent in women than in men, due to the change in lifestyle, there is an increase in incidence of osteoporosis in young urban.

Causes of early osteoporosis

Primarily, deficiency of calcium and vitamin D is the root cause of osteoporosis. Therefore, low intake of calcium, low sun exposure and a resultant deficiency of vitamin D, lack of physical exercise and poor habits such as smoking increase the risk of osteoporosis in young urban.With technology making life easy, habits like walking to the neighbourhood store everyday or cycling to work are no longer practiced. Elevators have ubiquitously replaced stairs, common instruments like hand-pumps that required hard work are no longer needed with easy availability of water, and the facility of home deliveries has done away with the need to carry groceries home every day. All these conditions have drastically reduced human physical activity levels. Besides consumption of a bone-friendly diet, exercising is crucial to maintain bone health in the long run. Since bone is a living tissue, it becomes stronger when subjected to exercise. Loss of bone mineral density that begins during the 30s can be prevented by exercising regularly. People who exercise have greater peak bone mass as compared to people who do not. Weight-bearing exercises are ideal for the bones.

Weighty issue

Weight-bearing exercises are ideal for the bones. These put extra stress on the bones, making them to respond by building their strength. Any activity that forces your body to work against gravity can be called weight-bearing. These exercises help build bone strength and achieve a higher peak bone density. However, the intensity of weight bearing exercises should be decided according to the body’s strength and capability. Weight training: This involves lifting heavy weight and should be done by healthy people. It not only builds muscle but also increases bone health and density. Hiking: If you are an adventure lover, go ahead and indulge in hiking, trekking and mountaineering. This will not only fulfill your penchant for fun, but also help build your bones.  Dancing & aerobics: For those who love to dance, there is nothing better than practicing every day. It will also be extremely good for your bones and muscles.Running: Running is a good exercise for several reasons. It helps manage weight and keep the heart in good condition, and it also strengthens bones and muscles. Climbing stairs: This is another healthy way to strengthen bones and muscles and build stamina. Shunning elevators and climbing stairs every day is a life-long healthy exercise.Brisk walking: For those who are not fit enough to perform any of the above due to health or other reasons must certainly do brisk walking for 30 minutes every day. This is a low impact weight-bearing exercise but has good effect on bones and muscles.The writer is a senior consultant, orthopaedics & joint replacement surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi