Monthly Archives: August 2018

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 25

US paraglider Barry Roberts, who had got stuck at a height of about 15,000 feet, in the Baijnath area of Kangra district, was rescued with the help of the Army in the wee hours today.CP Verma, DC, Kangra, said Barry Roberts had taken off from the Billing paragliding site.Last evening, the paraglider strayed from the regular path due to strong winds. He got stuck on the rock at an altitude of about 15,000 feet. Since there was no way to rescue the paraglider by foot, the Army help was sought. The Army rescued the paraglider and shifted him to Delhi, the Deputy Commissioner said.

IAF transport aircraft C-130J Super Hercules lands on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway during an IAF drill in Bangarmau. PTI

Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, October 24

Displaying its air prowess, 16 Indian Air Force planes performed touch-and-go landings on a 4-km stretch of the Agra-Lucknow Expressway today.The unique thing about the show was the landing of a C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft. As soon as the Super Hercules landed on the expressway, Garud commandos briskly got off from the aircraft on foot as well as on a Gypsy and took up positions along the expressway.This 35,000-kg transport aircraft can carry up to 200 Garud commandos. This is the first time that a transport aircraft has participated in such an air exercise in the country.The remaining 15 fighter jets touched down and took off at the same time without actually coming to a halt. Three Jaguars, two formations of three aircraft each of Mirage 2000 and two formations of three aircraft each of Sukhoi-30 performed touch-and-go landings while two Sukhoi fighter jets carried out a flypast.The finale was the C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft returning for another short landing. The exercise simulates an emergency when airbases, the first target of bombings, may not be available for air operations necessitating use of highways as landing strips.

New Delhi, October 22

The Army is finalising a plan to modernise around 2,000 military stations and develop them in line with the government’s Smart Cities initiative.Army officials said 58 military stations have already been identified as part of the pilot project to implement the ambitious initiative. They said all cantonments will be part of the project. “We are looking at developing the military stations as smart cities where all modern amenities will be made available. Developing state-of-the-art IT network will be a key feature,” said a senior Army official.The Army top brass had deliberated extensively on the implementation of the project during the recent commanders’ conference. “We are planning to develop all military stations across the country in a time-bound manner,” said the official. The initiative is part of the Army’s overall modernisation drive that envisages significantly ramping up infrastructure at all its military installations across the country.Another official said the Army is moving forward with the implementation of the reform measures recommended by the Lt Gen (retd) DB Shekatkar committee, which includes redeployment of nearly 57,000 officers and other ranks to enhance the combat capability of the force. — PTI

Col Manveer Bains

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 16

Col Manvir Bains, accused of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, has been denied bail, yet again. Initially booked for murder of Sector 37 resident Parveen Yadav after an incident of road rage, the chargesheet filed in the court did not include the charge of murder.Having been denied bail by the court once before, the Colonel filed a fresh bail plea after the filing of the chargesheet. It said Yadav was already suffering from a serious heart ailment and as proven in the medical report, he died of natural causes. However, the judgment says a precious life has been lost and mere filing of challan of a lesser offence is no ground for bail.Without commenting on the merits of the case, the bail plea was dismissed considering the seriousness of the offence. While dismissing the first bail application of Colonel Bains, the court had said he “knew the consequences of his actions”. The prosecution had stated that Colonel Bains had held Yadav’s neck, slapped and punched him after which he collapsed on the spot.The 48-year-old Mohali resident was arrested on September 2 and booked for murder after Yadav’s family alleged that he had been “beaten to death”. According to the police, the Colonel thrashed Yadav in an incident of road rage on the road separating Sector 34 and 35.

SUNIL Jakhar has notched up an impressive victory margin in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha byelection. It was, in many ways, an inconsequential election; the outcome does not make any substantial difference to the Lok Sabha numbers. In any case, the ruling parties tend to prevail in byelections and the Congress has registered an absolute victory. Still, a Congress defeat would have rendered the Amarinder Singh government deeply wounded; the Congress, it appears, has not yet run afoul of the voter; on the other hand, Punjab remains curiously indifferent to Narendra Modi’s charm and charisma.Ever since 2014, a negative vote has been a recurring theme, contributing to a despondency among the voters over political choices. All major contestants in Gurdaspur had an opportunity to redeem themselves; all of them gave it a miss. The Congressmen, instead of pushing the “delivering CM” image of Capt Amarinder Singh that they have been trying to build, were content with sticking the sleaze charge on the rivals. The SAD, instead of demonstrating some humility in the wake of the Assembly drubbing, fielded the same old discredited and arrogant campaigners, who this time did not have the advantage of the “official machinery”. The BJP, in a constituency with a significant Hindu presence, could not prove it had anything other than Vinod Khanna’s star power for nearly the past two decades. The limits of its self-styled Chankayas and their political wizardry have been made evident.The Gurdaspur contest is not without certain lessons. The Congress high command needs to sit up to the sharp divisions within the party, which required a leader from the other end of the state to come in and contest. AAP may try and register its presence the next time. The Akalis, of course, need to send some of their star leaders to the cleaners, and wake up to a new level of voter awareness, especially in the time of social media. But the most important and urgent lesson is for the BJP. It was its doings at the Centre — demonetisation and GST — that have actually handed the victory to Sunil Jakhar on a platter.

Angrez Kaur (R) with her grandchildren in Faridkot. Tribune photo

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, October 13

Over the past four decades, every time an Indian prisoner was released by Pakistan, Angrez Kaur looked forward to a reunion with her husband Surjit Singh, a BSF jawan who was reportedly captured by the Pakistan army during the 1971 war. However, her hopes were dashed every time.Now, the never-say-die Angrej Kaur (67) is optimistic again after the Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday issued a notice to the Centre on her plea seeking his release.Having run from pillar to post in the past over 20 years, she had filed a writ petition in the High Court.After Surjit went missing, she repeatedly went to the Indo-Pak border at Hussainwala and Attari to meet Pakistan Rangers and request them to help trace her husband. But she got this reply: “There is no prisoner named Surjit Singh in Pakistan’s jails.”“In July 1972, Surjit was listed as killed by the BSF authorities. A death certificate was issued, but I refused to believe that he was no longer alive,” said Angrez Kaur.“Seven years ago, my son met former Pakistan Federal Minister for Human Rights Ansar Burney in New Delhi and appealed to him to track down Surjit,” she added.

A soldier walks into the very jaws of death when needed. But, clearing garbage hits the sense of dignity that is bestowed upon him by his profession.

A sanitation drive in progress after the Amarnath yatra in Baltal. File photo

Lt-Gen Harwant Singh (Retd)

THE recent order by the PMO delivered through the Defence Ministry to the Army to remove garbage etc left by climbers on Mount Everest and pilgrims going to various shrines in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, has caused much dismay and disquiet both amongst the veterans and the serving men. 

Troops always pitch in

1 The Indian Army has always responded with alacrity to any call from the civil administration for help during floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters.2 Similar has been the response when called upon to restore order: when matters get out of hand of the police and other central police organisations. In remote areas, many a time the army has come to the help of the local population even when there has been no such request from the civil administration. The well-being of the people of the country has always been foremost with the Indian army. 3 Soldiering is a profession apart. When called upon, soldiers walk into the very jaws of death without a demur. It is so because of self-respect and pride in the profession of arms, regimental spirit and, above all, love for the country and its people. In all this, lingers a sense of dignity embedded in the profession. Lankan army said no to cleaningIn no democracy of the world has there been a case where soldiers have been asked to undertake the cleaning of garbage generated by the public.  The Sri Lankan army refused to carry out such a task. Soldiers keep cantonments, military stations and their posts neat and clean and these stand out as example of orderliness and cleanliness in the midst of abundant filth seen in the surrounding towns etc.  The new breed of soldiers is different from those of yore. Most of them have no family tradition of soldiering and are there merely for the sake of employment. Therefore, there have been cases in the recent past where soldiers deployed as ‘sahayaks’ (orderlies to officers) have termed tasks such as washing their officer’s car or picking up his child from school or buying vegetables from the market for his officer, as menial. Such complaints made the Army Chief contemplate employing civilians in place of ‘sahayaks.’

‘Lawful command’ issue

Assume that a group of soldiers is ordered to clean up garbage and muck at a particular place, be it Badrinath or Base Camp of Mount Everest and the troops simply do not react to this order. Such a situation arose when Central India Horse (CIH) was ordered to mount the train for eventual move to North Africa, during World War I and one squadron (Sikh Squadron) did not do so, even when the order was repeated. Then as per the military law, it was a mutiny. Court martials followed, with half a dozen awarded the death sentence and some varying terms of imprisonment. The case of the failure to react to order to clear garbage will be no different. Except at such a court martial, the issue of ‘lawful command’, which is the principle content of an order in the military, will surface. Defence will contend whether such an order is a lawful command. How such a situation will impact discipline in the military as a whole is not difficult to visualise. It would be unwise to continuously push the military against the wall. It maintains its own areas in a spick and span state one need leave it at that. 

Ginger up civil administration

There is a need to ginger up the civil administration, which has the necessary wherewithal to take on all such tasks entirely on its own, without calling in the military. Even in such and other tasks, the tendency to call the military at the drop of a hat shows the civil administration in poor light. If at present there are nearly 130 districts in the country where the government’s writ does not fully run, the element of poor civil administration is a substantial contributory factor.  Those who take it upon themselves to pass such uncalled for instructions to the military have little knowledge of soldiering. They are unaware of the fact of how pride in oneself, discipline and officer-man relationship leads them to attempt the impossible, as they did in Kargil. No one need push the military to a position where troops resent or disapprove of tasks being assigned to them. The Swachh Bharat movement is a people’s movement and those on pilgrimage should be motivated to clean up such places as part of their pilgrimage. Elsewhere, the district administration should actively involve itself and get people as a whole to participate in this movement.  Holding a broom as a photo-op is not enough. 

Commandant Lt Gen S K Jha lays a wreath at the IMA War Memorial in Dehradun on Wednesday. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 4

The Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, celebrated its 85th Raising Day today.  Addressing the gathering, Lt Gen S K Jha, Commandant, IMA, conveyed his appreciation to the Academy’s fraternity for their dedication and contribution towards transforming it into a world class military institution.He reminded that the IMA had rendered outstanding service to the nation by nurturing thousands of well-trained officers.  Lt Gen Jha said the IMA had grown its training capacity from 40 Gentlemen Cadets to 1,800 Gentlemen Cadets ever since it was formed in 1932. Till date 59,932 Gentlemen Cadets have passed out from the portals of the Academy as officers, including Foreign Gentlemen Cadets from 30 friendly foreign countries.Earlier, he also laid a wreath at the war memorial in the Academy. 

An astounding video featuring continuity drill presented by the IMA. Set against the majestic backdrop of Chetwode and accompanied by the IMA brass band with some truly memorable martial music,  here is a spellbinding and spectacular performance by our cadets. Synchronisation, ingenuity, precision, physical fitness and creativity combine to make this an awesome example of the pursuit of excellence. This was an outstanding effort involving 64 cadets of the 140th Course in Dec 2016.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after inaugurating the Pratham-Shyok bridge in Leh on Saturday.

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 30

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today inaugurated a strategically important bridge on a road to China border that will help the Army in better manoeuverability and communication in case of exigency.The minister, who concluded her two-day visit to the state today, also visited the world’s highest battlefield, Siachen base camp, and reviewed the security situation in the area.The Pratham-Shyok bridge on the Indo-China border in Leh will connect the region to Karakoram in north-eastern Ladakh thus providing vital connectivity on the axis of Road Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie for military use. The Chinese army had carried out two major incursions in the area in 2013 and 2014 and the sector remains strategically important for the Army.An officer of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) said the construction of the bridge on the 255-km-long road was a part of a major road project, envisaging construction of seven major bridges on which the work was already in progress. The deadline for the completion of these bridges is 2020. These will give further boost to the Army in transporting heavy equipment to the Line of Actual Control.While addressing BRO officers and jawans, Sitharaman said the construction of bridges and roads at a high-altitude terrain was a miracle.“This state-of-the-art bridge will connect people of the region as well as increase travel and communication for strategic transport,” the minister said.Complimenting Army jawans, the Defence Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government were for fully supporting jawans who protect the nation in all circumstances.She met Army commanders, who extensively briefed her about the strategic locations and the continuous vigil by the soldiers to protect the nation.