Monthly Archives: August 2018

Lt Gen Baljit Singh (retd)

The skin prickles with a sudden rash of goose bumps, the heart pounds in the ears above the roar of engines straining to terminate the flight on the constricted, ad-hoc landing strip and when the aircraft comes to a juddering halt (momentarily in an exaggerated nose-down tail-up profile), one’s body is drenched in a shower of cold sweat; an indelible experience of every landing on the Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) at Mechuka. Anyone on the passenger flight who may hold a contrary view ‘is either a liar or a Gorkha’ — borrowing from Field Marshal Manekshaw’s inimitable exposition on the instinct of fear in battle.

But why in the first place go to Mechuka? Well, even though India and China had emerged as sibling republics, within days of the proclamation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the restive PLA first flexed its muscles to ignite war on the Korean Peninsula, and once Gen McArthur prevailed successfully, the PLA switched focus to annex Tibet. So, what for aeons had been the acknowledged as an open Indo-Tibet boundary was to metamorphose by 1954 into a bitterly disputed Sino-India border.

It was against this despondent backdrop that the policy of ‘showing the flag’ along our northern border was put in place, which in the extreme Northeastern segment translated into posts at Mechuka, Longju and Kibithoo, separated from one another by almost inaccessible terrain. As recent as 1987, it took soldiers marching from Sadia 12 to 16 arduous days to reach Mechuka.

Of course, none of these isolated posts sited on express security purposes would have been viable, but for the highly motivated and skilled crew of the IAF who manoeuvred their magnificent flying machines through highly challenging ground and aerial environment with aplomb. Even though the ALG at Mechuka is about 800 metres, its 30-km proximity to the Sino-Indian border and dominant mountaintops, inhibit pilots from making a circuit to descend and ease on the throttle. Nearing the middle of the strip, the aircraft ‘drops’ down with a thud in the hope that the brakes would hold fast!

My friend Air Marshal KC Cariappa (retd) confirms that it was a scary last 20 minutes to approach the Mechuka bowl. The valley was very narrow, steep and thickly wooded. ‘Whenever we flew in it was with a prayer that the engine and a/c would be ok….’

The takeoff is another magnificent experience, and at the same time, somewhat chilling. There is no apprehension of air violation of the international border, but uncomfortably close to the southern tip of the ALG is the looming wooded mountaintop. The takeoff is weirdly dramatic; as the engines of the aircraft in its stationery mode are revved to full throttle to develop maximum thrust, the AN 32 literally starts bucking upon the ALG like an unbroken rodeo horse, and on climaxing it zooms forward like a shooting star, lifting above the mountaintop within kissing distance of its treetops!

Our Correspondent

Anantnag, June 20

Army’s Northern Command Chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said on Thursday that operations in the state were being conducted in a professional and dedicated manner.

He was speaking after renaming an Army Goodwill School in Wuzur Kulgam after Ashok Chakra awardee Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani. Singh was answering a question regarding inconveniences caused to general public on the national highway during convoy movement and a recent incident in Srinagar wherein a traffic cop was ruthlessly beaten up by Armymen.

“We have a very strong code of conduct which values human dignity,” Singh told reporters in response to the question. “Our operations are being conducted in a very dedicated and professional manner”. He assured that whenever there are actions to be taken, they are taken at appropriate levels.

Earlier in his speech, Singh praised Wani and said the slain soldier was an example of bravery. He complimented Wani’s wife, also present at the function, for being strong and unflinching in the face of adversity. “It is a matter of great pride for all of us that we have assembled here today to pay homage to our martyr, Nazir Ahmad Wani,” Singh said.

Wani was killed on November 25 last year during an anti-militancy operation in Batagund village of Kulgam district. He became the first Kashmiri to be awarded the prestigious Ashok Chakra award on January 26 earlier this year.

Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh also made a reference of other achievers and heroes of Kashmir, such as Umar Faiyaz and Inspector Arshad Khan, SHO of Anantnag, among others.

Also present on the occasion was the family of Rauf Ahmad Dar, who died recently while rescuing tourists from a rafting mishap in Pahalgam. Singh said Dar was an example of what India stands for and the Indian Army saluted his bravado.

“This is what all of us stand for. He laid down his life without even thinking who the tourists were or where they had come from. He is a role model for all of us,” Singh said. The ceremony was attended by the students of Goodwill School, Wuzur. Singh advised the children to work hard and do something worthwhile for Kashmir and the nation.

Tribune News Service

Ropar, June 8

Paratrooper Karamjeet Singh, who was killed in an accidental fire from his own gun in Kashmir, was cremated with full military honours at his native Hafizabad village near here on Saturday. Karamjeet was attached with the 23 Para Regiment.

On Friday, when he, along with a party of his regiment, was returning from patrolling in Shopian in a Gypsy, a bullet fired from his weapon accidentally led to the tragedy.

His father Satnam Singh had died four months ago. Karamjeet is survived by his mother and two sisters.

Local MLA and Cabinet Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and SAD leader Simranjit Singh Chandumajra also reached the village to pay tributes to the martyr.

Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa on Wednesday received the baton of Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee from outgoing Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires on Friday. The Chiefs of Staff Committee comprises chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and the senior most member is appointed its chairperson. “Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa will be the Chairman COSC with effect from May 31 consequent to relinquishment of charge by Admiral Sunil Lanba upon superannuation,” a defence ministry spokesperson said. The Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee is tasked with ensuring synergy among the three services and evolve common strategy to deal with external security challenges facing the country. Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa is a Kargil war veteran and top rated fighter pilot with over 3,000 hours of flying experience. An alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College and the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned in the flying branch of Indian Air Force in June 1978. The Air Chief Marshal has primarily flown the MiG-21 aircraft with flying experience across the entire spectrum of fighter aircraft of the IAF. During the Kargil war in 1999, he was the Commanding Officer of a frontline ground attack fighter squadron. He has led many coveted operational and staff assignments that include command of a frontline fighter base and director of the fighter operations and war planning at Western Air Command. He was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of South Western Air Command and has also been the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 4: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Bipin Rawat today reviewed security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and exhorted troops to remain vigilant against the nefarious designs of anti-national elements.
General Rawat had accompanied Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on his first visit after taking charge of the new Ministry to Siachen Glacier and Srinagar yesterday for high-level review of security situation in the State.
The Army chief visited the White Knight Corps headquarters along with Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh to review the operational preparedness of the troops in the Corps Zone today, an official said.
The Army chief also visited operational formations in Kishtwar and Reasi sectors, wherein he was briefed on actions being undertaken to ensure peace and stability. Kishtwar has been rocked by three major militancy-related incidents during past about seven months including the killings of BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar, top RSS functionary Chanderkant Sharma and his PSO Rajinder Kumar and snatching of rifle from a PSO.
Army and police have launched massive search operations in hilly areas of Kishtwar to track down the militants. In a recent encounter, two Special Police Officers (SPOs) were injured but the militants had managed to escape.
General Rawat also interacted at length with soldiers who are deployed on the Line of Control (LoC) and obtained ground feedback on operations, training, weapons, equipment and administrative issues.
He commended all ranks for their unwavering dedication to duty, selfless devotion and high standard of professionalism.
The COAS was appreciative of the measures and Standard Operating Procedures instituted by the units and formations in the Corps Zone to ensure safe and secure environment.
He exhorted all ranks on the need to remain vigilant to counter the nefarious designs of anti-national elements.

Lt Gen Raj Kadyan (retd)

In January 1965, I was evacuated from Ladakh after being found suffering from pulmonary oedema. After being discharged from hospital, I was placed in a low medical category for a year and posted to our Regimental Centre in Delhi Cantonment. A few weeks later, the Army Headquarters asked me whether I would be willing to be posted as ADC to the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra or Rajasthan. Apprehending that most Governors, who are highly learned and eminent, may not treat an Army officer in a befitting manner, I conveyed my unwillingness.

In May 1965, a new General took over the command of the Delhi and Rajasthan area and wanted an ADC temporarily. Out of the panel of several officers, I was picked. I consoled myself that being an ADC to a General is different because having himself gone through the ranks, he would give a Captain his due. Also, it was only for two months or so.

As ADC, I was expected to manage the General’s professional and social calendar. In Delhi, many sought appointments. The General was too polite to refuse a meeting, but I could read his reluctance. Therefore, on my own, some 10 minutes into the meeting, I would walk in to announce that his conference was waiting. This made the “unwanted” visitor scurry off.

Since the ADC has also to interact with the family, I started with trepidation. The General’s family carried all the finesse and polish. In contrast, hailing from a rural village further increased my anxiety.

His elder son, Uday, was around my age and a graduate. Raghu, a year younger, was still in college. Since Uday was not doing anything, he spent long hours with me. He would even accompany me to spend weekends in my village where he enthusiastically learned the Haryana way of living.

The General was a remarkable person. He became my role model in honesty and integrity. In a dinner he hosted, the then Army Chief was an invitee. As he alighted from his car, the Chief handed a pay-book to the General, saying: “He is a soldier from your command. Shoot him.” The General passed on the pay-book to me. I did all the checking. It turned out that the “accused” was an Army lorry driver, who had overtaken the Chief’s staff car at a roundabout. Infuriated, the Chief got him out of the vehicle slapped him and took his pay-book. I reported my findings.  “What?” the General said, “The Chief slapped a soldier? Very unbecoming of him. Tell the man to go home and relax.” To my young mind, the Army Chief had a larger-than-life persona and his directions could not be ignored. I assumed that the General would change his mind by morning. But I was wrong. The next morning, he asked me to inform the soldier’s commanding officer that the man had already been overly punished and nothing more would be done to him.

In September 1965, our headquarters moved to Jodhpur to handle the war. We stayed in the MES Inspection Bungalow. The General occupied the first floor and I stayed in one of the two rooms below. The proximity living increased our interaction.

Later, Uday and his mother too joined us. Uday shared my room. The four of us ate our meals together. She was very caring and would point out if she thought I had not eaten enough. While Uday naturally addressed her as ‘Maa’, I followed the Army protocol and referred to her as Mrs Rajwade. Doing so regularly left me feeling awkward. I asked Uday to check with her if I could also address her as ‘Maa’. She was delighted. Over the years we became one family. It was a deeply emotional moment when at the General’s funeral I was one of the pallbearers.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the present capacity available with HAL is adequate to fulfil the existing orders/projects in hand.

Indian Air Force’s top fighter Sukhoi Su-30MKI and indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas are among the aeroplanes which Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is currently manufacturing. Apart from the Su-30 MKI and Tejas, the HAL has firm orders to manufacture Dornier DO-228 aircraft, Advanced Light Helicopter-Dhruv (ALH), Chetak and Cheetal choppers.

While giving the above information on Monday in a written reply to Dr T Subbarami Reddy in Rajya Sabha, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh added that the present capacity available with HAL is adequate to fulfil the existing orders/projects in hand.

HAL has also been paid Rs 8,140 crore from January 2019 to June 2019 from defence services and the PSU defence major also borrows from banks to meet its working capital requirements as and when required.

“Dues of vendors including HAL are paid depending on the availability of funds, prioritization of schemes and advances/payments that fall due to the vendors including HAL. The amount of arrears of payment to other contractors outstanding with HAL is Rs 868.14 crore,” said Rajnath Singh.

HAL has initiated various productivity improvement measures through:

1) Developing robust supply chain eco-system by partnering with the emerging Indian Defence Manufacturing Private Sector including Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to enable HAL to focus on its core activities.

2) Introduction of Digital Technology, Software Tools in the areas of Product Life-Cycle Management(PLM) and Product Data Management (PDM) to convert the Design Data to the Production Data, Design Simulator and Analysis to optimise development cost and time. Enhancing capability and improving the processes through introduction of new manufacturing technologies.

3) The company implemented an integrated software solution i.e., Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to encompass all areas of Production, Planning, Finance, Materials, Marketing and Human Resources Development (HRD). This facilitates implementation of uniform procedures and practices as well as providing on-line information for decision making for Management.

4) Strengthening the network connectivity to improve the communication and collaboration services across the Company.

5) With an objective to enhance the productivity, quality and customer satisfaction, through Skill upgradation, Skill Development Policy was notified in July 2016. Skill Mapping of the employees has been conducted for necessary training based on Skill Gap Analysis. The Company has also implemented globally acclaimed training methodology, “Training Within Industry (TWI)”, to improve efficiency and productivity.  It has resulted in upgrading the skills of the employees, reduction of rejection and rework, reduction of cycle time.

6) Promoting Quality Circles, Suggestion Scheme, implementation of Performance Based Incentives, etc.

7) The Company has regularly monitored the Performance of Production and related activities to identify areas for improvement, corrective actions as necessary for implementation as a continuous measure for companywide efficiency and productivity improvement.

According to the residents, this has become a routine manner of checking by the police. Photo courtesy screenshot

Badaun (Uttar Pradesh), June 24

Policing in Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh has become “hazardous” and “humiliating” for the common man.

In a video that has gone viral on the social media, cops are seen making people hold up their hands at gunpoint while they check their vehicle.

The video was shot at the Bagren outpost in Wazirganj police station area and the outpost in-charge Rahul Kumar Sisodia is seen in the clip, intimidating people.

According to the residents, this has become a routine manner of checking by the police.

Dharmendra Yadav✔@MPDharmendraYdv

https://twitter.com/MPDharmendraYdv/status/1143070351938560000

‘हाथ ऊपर वरना गोली मार देंगे’ अपराध रोकना तो दूर, निर्दोषों के साथ अपराधियों जैसा सलूक।बदायूँ में वाहन चेकिंग के नाम पर आम जनता से अपराधियों जैसा व्यवहार नाक़ाबिले बर्दाश्त! वोट लेकर सत्ता पर क़ाबिज़ भाजपाइयों का ये रिटर्न गिफ़्ट हैं।

710 people are talking about this

“If you are driving and the cops want to stop you, they will do that with a gun in hand. The method is so intimidating and humiliating for the common man. The cops make no concession even if the driver is a woman,” said Raj Kumar Agarwal, a businessman.

A police official in Badaun, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Badaun is a crime-prone area and we keep our guns out because you never know which vehicle is bringing criminals. We have to remain prepared.” When contacted, DGP’s office said that they would probe the incident and take action, if needed. — IANS

r Correspondent

Una, June 19

The mortal remains of Rifleman Anil Kumar Jaswal, who died fighting militants in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, were consigned to flames at his native village Saroh in Bangana subdivision today.

The encounter took place on Monday. Jaswal succumbed to his injuries at the Army hospital on Tuesday morning.

The body was flown in to the Air Force base in Chandigarh from where it was taken in an Army vehicle to the soldier’s ancestral house. It was kept at the house for some time for family members and relatives to perform the rituals.

The soldier’s mother, wife and sister were inconsolable. His wife Shweta kept calling Anil Kumar to wake up, while sister Sapna demanded revenge, saying the Army should kill those who killed her brother.

Draped in the Tricolour, Army personnel later carried the martyr’s body to the cremation ground, where wreaths were placed by Rural Development Minister Virender Kanwar, Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar and Army officials.

The atmosphere remained charged as youths chanted ‘Anil Kumar amar rahe’ and ‘Vande Mataram’, besides raising slogans against Pakistan.

The soldier was accorded full military and state honour as a posse of Army men fired in the air before the last bugle was blown in respect of the slain soldier.

His five-month-old son Varun’s hands were made to touch the bamboo stick which was later used to lit the pyre. Anil’s cousin Sandeep Jaswal performed the last rites.

The slain soldier’s father, Ashok Kumar, had also served in the Army. He said Anil was a third generation Army man in the family. Ashok Kumar said he would inspire his grandson too to join the Army like his father. “Our close combat weapons have failed to match the new challenges”, he said, adding that he was sure that PM Narendra Modi would do the needful to provide advanced weapons to jawans to save their precious lives.

Virender Kanwar assured all help and assistance from the state government to the family and presented a cheque for Rs 5 lakh. As per the norms, the family would be given an assistance of Rs 20 lakh, besides a government job to one member.

Vice-Chairman of the HP Industries Corporation Ram Kumar was also present.