he demand for a new uniform has basis. But replacing it with military-like attire was improper
The marshals want to be equated with the dignity and authority that the army and policy uniforms demand PTI
Shumsher K Sheriff
On the opening day of the winter session, Rajya Sabha marshals were seen in a new uniform — blue, with shoulder insignia and peak caps among other additions — which resembled that of the armed forces. Amid criticism from former army officers and politicians, Rajya Sabha chairman, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, promptly, to his credit, took note of the sentiment and said the uniform would be reviewed.
I was the secretary general of the Rajya Sabha from 2012 to 2017. When the news of the new uniform emerged, its specifics notwithstanding, I was not surprised. The demand for change of uniform by the marshals had been voiced by some, particularly regarding the headgear. Many felt the headgear was cumbersome to maintain, colonial in spirit, and was associated with the lower echelons of a subordinate bureaucracy of the past. Some state assemblies have already made changes to their uniforms, to resemble the police. This was done to equate the nature of the work of the police with the marshal who handled tumultuous assembly sessions.
The issue is not just of a military uniform, but something far deeper. I say this with hindsight. It is the desire to equate marshals with the dignity and authority that the army and police uniforms demand
The role of the Parliament security service in general, and that of the marshals in particular, needs to be understood. While marshals are the eyes and ears of the chairpersons in their respective Houses when sessions are in progress, the parliamentary service covers a wider ambit. They guide and assist the Members of Parliament (MPs) within the precincts of Parliament at all times.
It must be mentioned that the overall safety of the Parliament is the responsibility of government. And within the building, the Parliamentary security service is responsible for the safety and security of the MPs and of the building itself. It requires close coordination among the Parliament secretariats of the two Houses, the ministry of home affairs, and the Delhi police.
The genesis of this issue goes back to the creation of this service to “watch and ward”. Over the years, as threat perceptions rose, the presence of the police increased. The attack on Parliament in 2001 was a turning point, after which central police forces were deployed to guard the Parliament.
Over time, the demand for the “watch and ward” unit to be treated as a security service with a specific profile and duties vis-à-vis the uniformed police (which were also now present in Parliament) grew. This led to the inception of the Parliamentary security service, which until then was the “watch and ward” unit. However, for smoother coordination and efficiency, the heads of this service in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were appointed from the police on deputation. And this issue is periodically placed before cadre reviews.
The new uniform, which drew focus last week, emanated from the desire of these officers to seek recognition on par with the uniformed services for their discharge of duties (which are not necessarily alike). What baffled people most was the headgear akin to the military (and not even the police). Something seemed amiss. Was it simply ignorance about military uniform or did it have more to do with the sanctity of a peak cap?
Marshals, unlike army personnel, are not expected to salute or parade. The correct salutations for the security staff was to say Jai Hind when greeting seniors, and they felt proud doing so even without the headgear. Marshals don’t even salute in Parliament, but greet with folded hands or stand in attention. So, why the peak caps?
This issue reminded me of a meeting at the threshold of 40 years of independence. While suggestions for the celebrations were being given, one was to revise the direction of the march past on Republic Day from India Gate to Raisina Hill. It was then that a senior official from the defence ministry pointed out that the saluting dais would then be on the right side of Vijay Chowk, and the heavy armour tanks would then point towards Parliament for the salute. This was deemed inappropriate and was rejected.
What is optically not acceptable outside should not be so within Parliament. It sends the wrong signal to the public.
It also must be realised that the uniform of the armed forces is held in high esteem. It represents the honour, discipline, dignity and trust that people have in the forces. This isn’t in India alone, but is a global truth. When it is denigrated or misused, it causes deep hurt. The views of General VP Malik, who was critical of the new uniform, must be heard, understood and respected. This holds true for the public and the armed personnel, so much so that even wearing parts of their mess attire as headgear on talk shows and other civilian occasions isn’t right. These are badges of honour, and are worn for national occasions with their medals proudly displayed. It is through disrespecting the uniform that other such problems will repeat themselves. This aberration must be corrected without delay.
Change the uniform by all means, and even remove the headgear. But respect the Parliament and its stature, while, at the same time, respecting the armed forces, and their distinct space.
Shumsher K Sheriff was secretary general,
Rajya Sabha, and has served two vice presidents
Neutralsing The Lone Wolves! By Col NN Bhatia (Retd)
Neutralsing The Lone Wolves! By Col NN Bhatia (Retd)
Mar 22, 2019
The ‘lone wolves’ are reckless deranged individual militants highly motivated to carry out acts of terrorism alone without remorse and material support from any individual or group following the radical ideology and sympathetic to a particular cause like establishment of Islamic state world over governed by the Shariat laws. They get indoctrinated by the terrorist organisations like the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Elam (LTTE), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Al Qaida, Jaish-e- Muhammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and so on who are highly radicalized. Though they are loner but sometimes work in a pack called as the ‘pack of wolves’.
On 15 March 2019, the suspected 28 year Australian gunman named Brenton Tarrant attacked two mosques in Christ Church, New Zealand wearing a head mounted camera on Friday during mid day prayers killing 50 Muslims. The Muslims comprise less than 1% of the New Zealand population rated as the world’s second most peaceful nation that is mourning the worst terrorist attack in its modern history. The country is also fiercely debating the prevalent gun laws and sudden overtones of religious intolerance.
In India every terrorist attacks in the Kashmir valley supported, trained and equipped by the Pakistani Army and the dreaded Inter Service Intelligence or the ISI are common by such lone or packs of wolves. Recently, on 14February 2019, a convoy of vehicles carrying Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were attacked on Pathankot- Jammu- Srinagar National Highway by the local vehicle-borne lone suicide wolf bomber Adil Ahmad Dar, member of the Pakistani based JeM terror outfit trained and operationalised by the Pakistani army and the ISI near Lethipora in the Pulwama district killing, 40 CRPF personnel. The JeM took the responsibility for this dastardly attack. On 26 February, the Indian Air Force (IAF) retaliated targeting Balakot a training camp of the JeM group in Balakot across the Line of Control (LoC), killing large number of JeM terrorists. Both the countries were almost on the brink of war, amidst India getting ready for the general elections shortly.
The dastardly mass killing at Pulse Night Gay Club in Orlando is not a case in isolation killing 50 people and seriously injuring other 53 but a repetition of the shootings in San Bernardino some years back. In another harrowing incident suspected gunman Gokmen Tanis killed 3 and wounded another 9in an unprovoked attack on a streetcar in the Dutch city of Utrecht on 18 Mar 2019.
Lone wolf is a complex dual personality individual- on one side, he is outwardly a respectable family man or woman, mostly married with a family, transformed from a friendly teenager to generally growing as a loner, keeping aloof and an introvert, yet the other side of the coin, with split personality, he is ruthless sadist, without remorse, defiant pervert or sort, who after pumping hundreds of bullets at a crowded place, killing innocent men, women and children have a last laugh even if killed in the shootout melee. Mateen, the lone wolf of Orlando who worked as a security guard was inspired by the ISIS. Some reports suggest he was himself a perverted homosexual and visited the gay club but was infuriated when his young son saw a couple kissing intimately. It is believed shortly before Orlando nightclub shoot out, he called 9/11 pledging his support to the ISIS. His dual split personality was not even known to his parents of the Afghan descent. Unfortunately, though he was on the radar of the FBI and investigated thrice for the suspected terror links with the American suicide bomber Moner Abu and making hate speeches, yet not much was done to nip the evil in the bud. After the ghastly Orlando tragedy, the ISIS has claimed the responsibility for the dastardly act of cowardice swallowing so many innocent lives high lighting threat of lone wolves lurking every where all the times.
Why can Lone Wolves attacks cannot be stopped?
Easily available guns are the major problem in the US, Canada, the UK, most of the European Union countries, Australia and the New Zealand. If you have the money, you may get away buying any small arms with bags full of ammunition without impunity. With an assault rifles, he pumped bullets at hundreds of rounds per minute (rpm). It is time the US tightens gun laws in the country and so also all other countries like the UK, France, Australia and New Zealand. Another issue is, if you have a strict gun control regime, the lone wolves would use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to kill people as a lone suicide bomber in a busy public place as was done by JeM terrorist Dar on 14 February 2019 in Pulwama in India.
After every lone wolf action, more military and security personnel are deployed and restrictions imposed on the Muslim community, mosques and madrassas which are counterproductive. Sudden restrictions imposed on the travel within the US or other affected countries and migration of the Muslim refugees to the US or similarly affected other countries put even the innocent Muslim women, children and sick elderlies under tremendous difficulties and suspicion while the lone wolf either dies in his deadly suicide attack or if alive watches fun of the administration and the government getting in a spin.
All Jihadi terrorists are fluent in English and operate IT to their advantage but how many citizens of the attacked country and officials read, converse and communicate in Arabic imposing impenetrable threat of the lone wolves. Often they carry satellite phones for secrecy.
Since lone wolves attack singly, very many less people are in contact with them leaving behind fewer leads making it difficult to capture them.
Internet, WhatsApp and other social media has played critical role in the spread of lone wolves. With billions of messages originating in multiple languages, often in encryption and cipher codes, it is difficult to collect, collate and interpret them. Lone wolves though work alone but they do brag on social media and give out their blogs just before the terror attack making it difficult for the security agencies to nab them.
The conventional security forces while maneuvering leave clear signals of impending operation or reacting to deadliest lone wolf attacks but lone wolves if survived, easily merge with population with minimal tell tale signs and are not traceable. Massive conventional forces against a lone wolf are counterproductive and poor strategy.
Lone wolves’ community provides shelter and the ISIS like radical groups give training, motivation and money for such ‘leaderless attacks’ making that much difficult to prevent such attacks or apprehend such lone wolves. No wonder, it had given enough ammunition to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to ban entry of Muslims, putting Democratic Party’s candidate Hillary Clinton on the back foot.
Night Clubs/Pornography/Gay clubs and liberal boozing, drugs and dancing with strangers are dens of criminal activities and local administration, police and intelligence agencies need to keep a close watch on such outlets. Vandalism is common at such places along with other criminal activities conducive for lone wolves to operate easily.
Too much individual freedom and liberties and human rights groups’ intervention are counterproductive.
What are the answers?
All countries need to keep surveillance and security top most in their minds and each act of such terror taken seriously and ruthlessly curbed. The US regime need to control over 300 million guns with the people and country like India needs to sanitize porous borders and check on smuggling of drugs, arms and ammunition and explosives. More guns with citizens do not make country safer. Obama’s conviction that gun control in France left country helpless after November 2015 attacks helpless has no grounds. It has given enough leverage to Trump to attack Democratic Party and its Muslims’ related policies. Trump supporters must know that one bad Muslim will not rot the society as a whole. In the liberal countries and the US ‘Wild West and ‘Cow Boy’ culture must be ended.
We need to monitor and create mechanism to check IT and social media and scrutiny on madrassas and mosques and similar radical institutions of other faiths and religions. Monitoring IT and social media is easy said than done and indeed is a Herculean task. Individual freedom and liberties if curbed becomes counterproductive. This aspect is difficult to implement with endless people communicating and chatting on Internet and WhatsApp and other social media generating billions of messages every day.
Intelligence gathering and sharing, specially the real time actionable intelligence must be faster, secure and fool proof. ‘Need to know and need to go’ principle should be the cardinal principle of intelligence and security agencies.
Character and antecedents (C&A) verification data bank need to be created in each locality’s police station of all suspected people especially of those suffering from certain key character deficiencies like 3Ws (wine, women and wealth), drug abuse or radical leanings. Such persons should be denied freedom to acquire fire arms and ammunition even for self defense.
Concept of ‘Beat Constable’ whereby police constable of each locality maintains close liaison with all its residents and keeps discreet eye on the new arrivals and those who have left it is obligatory. Involvement of citizenry in locality security needs to build in brick system upwards to form an integrated security networking and pyramid.
Corruption free good governance is need of the hours. In the Indian context, with small bribes, smuggling of guns, narcotics, hawala transactions and terrorists is feasible compromising national security.
Fourth Estate is very powerful medium to tackle terrorism. Media both print and electronic should be more responsible in reporting and avoid high lighting jihadi actions. Imagine psywar being played with every individual with hundreds of national and international channels 24×7 blaring lone wolf Mateen’s killing. Jihadis and terrorists are publicity hungry and unwittingly we lose the game giving them avoidable publicity.
World community must resolve Muslims’ problems from Afghanistan to Syria and Sudan. We should let them form governments as per their aspirations and welfare and security of its people and refrain imposing our ways of life on them. This will curb vendetta.
All nations need to ensure that common citizens irrespective of their caste, colour, creed, religion and culture are treated alike. There are no all good or bad Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Blacks or Whites. They are all citizens of that particular nation and must live without any discrimination. If in India, all the Hindus, Muslims or Christians were good, then there would not have been Godse who shot Mahatma Gandhi. Likewise. Lone wolves like Oswald shot President Kennedy, while the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the lone terrorist Thenmozhi Rajaratnam nicknamed Dhanu who was the member of the Srilankan terrorist organisation LTTE and likes of Mateen, who massacred innocent people in Orlando or Kasab, who did mass killings in Mumbai 26 /11 attacks pose serious challenges to civilized societies all over the world. If Osama bin Laden, the world’s most wanted terrorist of al-Qaida was eliminated by the US Marines, Masood Azhar of the LeT and Hafiz Muhammad Saeed of JeM living and sheltered in Pakistan are declared global terrorists and need to be neutralised through the diplomatic, economic, political and militarily operations isolating Pakistan, terrorism can be greatly controlled in the South Asia. All terrorists are bad and there are no good and bad terrorists as per the Pakistani thinking.
To catch a thief, create a thief is an old saying. The governments and those responsible for the management of the violence need to think ‘lone panthers’ like highly trained, motivated sharp shooters / commandos to suddenly spring and neutralise the ‘lone wolves’.
Each country has specific, security issues but the above guidelines high light the lone wolves menace and awareness, good governance, stringent weapon laws, self defence training of the citizens, international cooperation and sharing of real time intelligence, effective policing, eye on the radical organisations and fundamentalists and self/civil defence are some of the measures to contain the lone wolves attacks. With this food for thought, let us find the way ahead to tame and eliminate the lone wolves attacks.
The Kargil War underlined the need to have the ability for a swift and devastating response to an adversary’s misadventure. Tribune file photo
Vijay Mohan
In the age of information, 20 years is a long enough time to dissect and lay bare a military operation which, though confined to a small corner of the country, had wide ranging implications at the strategic and geopolitical levels.
The Kargil War was fought along the Line of Control in the remote, icy heights in northern Jammu and Kashmir. While it brought out some serious shortcomings in higher defence management and intra-government interplay, it reaffirmed the grit, valour and legacy of our soldiers. The conflict that had taken the nation by surprise also set the ball rolling for implementing much-needed defence reforms, some of which have still not been implemented.
Every war, conflict and operation has many secrets and untold stories. The Kargil conflict is no different. In the past two decades much has been written and deliberated on this subject, yet, there are a few facets that may still be not known to public.
This book talks about some lesser known facts and accounts of the intrusions and the counter-action, known as Operation Vijay, under various commanders and officers. Some of these officers had held key military appointments during the conflict, while others had served in important positions or are pursuing military matters.
Containing 20 essays, the book is divided into five parts. The first section, Blood, Guts and Glory, briefly discusses the battles fought in Dras, Mushkoh, Batalik, Kaksar and the Turtuk sub-sectors, to evict the Pakistani intruders from the heights dominating National Highway 1-A, the crucial link to Ladakh.
The second part analyses the supporting forces which synergised the effort to victory, with writers discussing operations by the Air Force and the Navy as well as the role played by the artillery, engineers, army aviation, air defence, signals and logistics.
The section on perceptions and opinions deals with personal experiences. The then Army Chief, Gen VP Malik, shares his views on the military strategy adopted during the conflict, the build-up and subsequent operations and the lessons learnt.
Lt Gen Mohinder Puri, under whose command 8 Mountain Division had played a crucial role at that time, reminiscences about those days. Colonel BM Carriappa, who was in command of a Parachute battalion, details some operations carried by paratroopers in Batalik.
War heroes like Capt Vikram Batra and Lt Manoj Pandey, the two posthumous awardees of the nation’s highest gallantry award, Param Vir Chakra, find a place in the section on Motivation.
The last section deals with the emerging challenges that the nation faces and the way ahead that needs to be defined in the emerging world order. Former GOC-in-C, Central Command and at present Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies, Lt Gen VK Ahluwalia, along with Colonel Rajeev Kapur, a veteran of Op Vijay, puts it succinctly that lasting peace with Pakistan seems unlikely. At best what can be expected is an armed truce dictated by Pakistan’s internal fault lines and economic constraints.
The message being sent out by the writers is that considering future threats and challenges, India must build up its comprehensive national power whose edifice should be sustained through economic growth.
Simultaneously, it should progressively build capabilities of hard military power, soft power and demonstrated power which can deter threats to internal security, stability and territorial integrity from potential adversaries. Cosmetic changes will not help and the military should have the ability for swift and devastating riposte to an adversary’s misadventure.
The Kargil War had stirred patriotic fervour across the country but is gradually fading away from public memory, with the new generation having little or no idea of what had happened. It was institutional amnesia, lethargy and a situational disconnect that led to the conflict and the book underlines the need to be prepared at all times and look at national security with a national outlook.
Wisdom is the sixth river of Punjab: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar :Acknowledging Punjab’s role in the progress and defence of the country,
AMRITSAR : : spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, on Sunday, stated that the knowledge and wisdom spread by Guru Nanak makes for the sixth river of the state which is known for the land of five rivers.
He was addressing an event held on the golden jubilee of Guru Nanak Dev University at Dashmesh auditorium here. Academicians, scholars, students and eminent personalities participated in these celebrations at various venues in the University campus.
Sri Sri said the contribution of Punjab in the existence of Bharat could not be denied. “Punjab is land of five rivers but its sixth river is the river of wisdom and knowledge which began to flow when, 550 years ago, Guru Nanak blessed this land,” he pointed out. He said Guru Nanak gave the message of oneness as a time when evils such as casteism, gender inequality and degraded values prevailed. Scientists are struggling to find today was preached by Guru Nanak many years ago.”
He said that instead of searching for peace one should meditate for a couple of minutes every day for the mind to reconnect with the soul and become one.
“Irrespective of social differences in religion one should search peace in their consciousness. Guru Nanak brought wisdom into experience while living a social life,” he added.
On the occasion, Chiranjiv Singh, former ambassador of India, UNESCO-Paris, also delivered an academic lecture. “In the modern era of Google, a teacher’s biggest challenge is to impart education, be the real architect of a new generation and build the personality of modern citizens. So I advise teachers to identify their roles as to how they will do the needful while maintaining teacher-student relationship,” he said.
On the occasion, the folklore exhibition and painting exhibition were the main attractions. In the evening, special kirtan darbar (congregation) at the University gurdwara was held followed by langar.
Defending Pragya BJP complicit with MP in insulting Gandhi
Pragya Thakur is controversy’s child, duly adopted by the BJP. The Bhopal MP proudly claims to have been among the ‘kar sevaks’ who demolished Babri Masjid. Soon after the saffron party welcomed her into its fold in April this year, the Hindutva proponent fired an outrageous salvo. She declared that anti-terror squad officer Hemant Karkare was killed during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks as she had ‘cursed’ him for torturing her in custody. The 2008 Malegaon blast accused then called Gandhi’s killer Godse a ‘deshbhakt’, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to proclaim that he could never forgive Pragya from the heart, whatever that meant. Disciplinary proceedings were apparently initiated against her, but the matter was swept under the carpet amid the post-poll celebrations. Six months later, the ruling BJP has condoned all her indiscretions in one go by appointing her to a 21-member parliamentary consultative committee on defence.
In a bid to defend the indefensible, the party has argued that Pragya can help in framing the right methodology so that innocents are not victimised the way she was (by the UPA government). The top brass is convinced that she remains untainted in the terror case, even though the court is yet to acquit her and she continues to face trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. This unstinting support has emboldened her to put her foot in the mouth on a regular basis. In July, the MP told a gathering of party workers that she had not become a lawmaker to clean drains or toilets, a disparaging allusion to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Modi government’s flagship programme dedicated to the Father of the Nation. Recently, she was the lone BJP MP in Madhya Pradesh who skipped the launch of a padyatra to commemorate Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.
Pragya has repeatedly got away with insulting the Mahatma in one way or the other. Rather than showing her the door or keeping her on a tight leash, the BJP has let this Godse supporter run amok. How her curses and ‘maarak shakti’ will help to fortify the BJP’s politics is anybody’s guess.
Detained Kashmiri leaders allowed to visit home, some may be released soon
Security personnel stand guard during shutdown, in Srinagar. PTI
Srinagar, November 24
Some of the Kashmiri political leaders who have been under detention since August 5 may be released soon, with the Union Territory administration already easing restrictions on their movement, officials said on Sunday.
As many as four leaders belonging to various political parties were allowed to visit their houses for few hours on Saturday after they requested for it, they said.
Some of the political leaders who are detained in their houses may be allowed to move out of the Valley on health grounds, the officials said.
There was a possibility of some of the detainees being released from the MLA hostel but a final plan will be worked out by the Union Territory administration with the Centre, they added.
The leaders had been under detention since August 5 when the Centre announced abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and splitting the state into two Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Union Territories came into existence on October 31.
Among those detained are three former chief ministers—Farooq Abdulalh, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. While senior Abdullah was slapped with the stringent Public Safety Act on September 17, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been detained at different locations in the city.
Thirty-four political detainees were shifted to MLA hostel from Centaur hotel on November 18 as Srinagar reeled under harsh winter conditions and the hotel lacked proper heating arrangements, the officials said.
The winter chill took a toll on the health of the detainees—National Conference, PDP and People’s Conference leaders and prominent social activists—and the security personnel guarding them.
Mehbooba Mufti was earlier shifted to a government accommodation in the city from a tourist hut located at the foothills of Zaberwan range. — PTI
An ex-servicemen reach-out programme was organised by DAH Eagles of DAH Division here today. The main aim of the rally was to boost the morale of the veterans and understand difficulties being faced by them.
Over 400 ex-servicemen and a large number of military and civil dignitaries participated in the rally. Its focus was to resolve various problems being faced by ex-servicemen, Veer Naris and war disabled veterans. The event was held in close coordination with the Zila Sainik Board and the civil administration.
A separate stall for the Canteen Stores Department Smart Card, Army Welfare Education Society, Ex-Servicemen Contribution Health Scheme (ECHS) and the Veteran Sahayata Kendra was set at the venue. — OC
Powers of Technical Edu Director clipped : Right Step but too Late
Charanjit Singh Channi, Tourism and Cultural Affairs and Technical Education Minister
Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 23
Principal Secretary, Technical Education, Anurag Verma has clipped the powers of Special Secretary-cum-Director, Technical Education, Parveen Thind, whose role is under the scanner for allegedly giving undue benefit to a private university.
The IAS officer is in the dock for issuing an NOC to change the affiliating authority of Chandigarh Polytechnic College, Gharuan, from the Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training to Chandigarh University, Gharuan, under Principal Secretary’s stamp without his knowledge. Verma subsequently withdrew the permission and sought explanation from the officials concerned.
The Principal Secretary after nod from Technical Education Minister Charanjit Channi has curtailed powers of the Special Secretary and ordered that files of the department be routed to him through the Under Secretary, bypassing Thind.
The IAS officer is learnt to have clarified to the government that the NOC had been issued after seeking Channi’s approval. However, no FIR has yet been lodged against any official over disappearance of a note from the official record written by Verma’s predecessor DK Tewari, advising Channi to withdraw his consent given on the official file to issue the NOC.
Alert after 7 Pakistan-based terrorists enter via Nepal
Seven Pakistan-based terrorists have managed to enter India through the porous India-Nepal border and are currently holed up in UP’s Gorakhpur and Ayodhya districts, sources said on Saturday.
These terrorists are making attempts to enter J&K. Intelligence and security agencies have sounded an alert and are making all attempts to trace the terrorists, who have gone out of radar as of now. — IANS
WHY MAKING A WILL IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR VETERANS
YOUR-WILL DOCU (DO IGNORE THIS AT THE PERIL OF YOUR WIFE)
WHY MAKING A WILL IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR VETERANS
It is unfortunate that most of us have no understanding of the importance of making a WILL . They keep pending or simply ignore. PLEASE REMEMBER that after the death of the officer all his properties will be distributed equally among his wife and children. The wife is not the only Natural Heir of the person. It is equally valid in case of the wife as well. The Indian succession Act a copy of which is available on this site is very clear on this distribution.
However the said Act gives the right to any person to dispose off his own assets the way he likes. For this the
document called ” WILL OF SUCH AND SUCH” written by hand on a plain sheet of paper expressing his wish to bequeath his/her assets after his death as per his free will, to any other per or persons who may or may not be his relations, duly signed by him in good senses in the presence of minimum two witnesses, who too attest the document with their signatures.
The will must be made without any delay. If it is in manuscript ie in the hand writing of the person it becomes most authenticated document. It may be unregistered the ACT does not make any difference in the Registered or Unregistered will.
A learned Lawyer once told me , the shortest will with one sentence is all what is accepted in Law of our land. Just write My Will.. “All for My Wife” Sign in the presence of two witnesses. There is thus no format or any legal language necessary mere expression of your will on a piece of paper duly signed and witnessed is valid under Hindu Succession Act.
Do not be mislead by the firms which offers your services at a hefty price of 50000/- or so for making a will.
DO NOT DELAY take a piece of paper and scribble your will on it and sign in your official signatures, don’t bother for witnesses , Friends are there , even if we donot see tomorrow here.
Please remember that the will can not be challenged in court on its contents since the person making will has all the right to will his own assets which he has mustered out of his own earnings during life time (NOT THOSE INHERITED – WHICH HAVE TO GO FROM DADA TO POTRA) Iin the manner and as per his free will.
It can only be challenged on following grounds :- 1. Fake/Forged Signatures.
2. Person Not in Proper State of Mind
3. Per was under influence of drugs.
4. Will signed under threat or coercion.
5. Will is said to be fake.
It is therefore necessary to teke due precautions for making the will so that the aspects are duly covered. In the latest methodology people have started videography while the will is signed.
When the time comes min two witnesses who signed the will must present themselves to to the Magistrate for issue of Probate. In case of Registered will production of witnesses is not necessary.
** You can review many articles which we have included at the end of this post.
** We place here a suggested format rather contents of the Will which must be included in the will.
SAMPLE WILL FORMAT – DRAFT AS GUIDELINE (Updated Nov 2019)
“WILL” OF – Colonel IM SMART (Veteran) I , Brig IM SMART (Retired) , Son of Late Shri xxxx VV VV , R/O House No … , Area , Sector-xx, LUCKNOW (UP)—212303, hereby proceed to make my this WILL which hopefully would be my last WILL. I, hereby revoke this day all previous wills or any other testamentary dispositions which may have been made by me directly or indirectly and hereby declare them Null and Void.
2. Now that I am 65 years of age , I wish to make arrangements for amicable disposal of my properties and other movable assets after my death so that no misunderstanding or dispute arises between my wife and children and the mutual love and affection among them continues for ever.
3. I am making this WILL without being under any kind of pressure or influence on me, I am fully in my senses and all my faculties are in order, I am also not under any drugs. I am in absolute sound state of mind, in Good Health and make this WILL purely with my own independent decision and discretion without any sort of influence. I also declare that :-
(a) I have married only once and the name of my spouse is Smt XXX XXXXX D/O Shri xxxx xxxx on (date…) in the month of 196x in accordance with Hindu Rights and Customs. I have no illegal wife or have ever indulged into any “Stay or live in” type relation with any other woman at any times.
(b) We have Two children from our wedlock .
(i). My elder child is a Son named Mr xxxx xxxx who is married to Ms. xxx xxxx,. He was born on the xxth Jxxx 2xxx …. At ……. State .
(ii). The Secondchild is also our second son named Mr Xxcccc xxx, he is not yet married. He was borne on the xxrd of Month 1967 at ………. (Place)
4. I, further declare that other than the TWO children mentioned above I have absolutely NO adopted, legal, illegal or any other type of children of my own.
5. During the course of my service with Indian Army as an Army Officer and while working with corporate offices after my retirement, I have earned my salaries and pension and by way of my savings and investments, I have acquired movable and immovable properties as BROADLY MENTIONED below:-
(b)Movable Property —This includes Fixed Deposits, Shares , Mutual Funds and bank balance in my Saving bank Accounts of various Banks. These are available in my Diary as well as in My File marked “ My Financial Assets” duly authenticated by me with signatures. In addition in terms of gold ornaments I have approx “….. “ gms of gold which is in possession of my wife kept by her in her locker in her Bank.
6. I have NOT INHERITED any assets of any kind from my father or father in law. I also have no debts as I have not borrowed or taken any loan from any individual or organization. I have also not given any loan to any one and no one owes me any money or obligations. I am thus the sole and indisputable owner of my above Movable and Immovable Assets
7. I further WILL that by way of this will my assets as above be disposed off after my death as under:-
(a) . I bequeath to my wife Smt xxx xxx (D/O Shri cccc xxx ) who is residing with me , all my properties movable and immovable with full right and power of disposal as an absolute and indisputable owner.
(b) In case my wife predeceases me or we both die together , then my property and other movable assets be disposed off equally among my two children.
I expect my loving children to mutually decide the exact distribution of household items and my other movable assets based on this WILL after death together of myself and my wife.
8. However in case they cannot amicably decide the distribution of my assets as outlined above, I hereby appoint my trusted friend Brig . xxx xxxx (retired) S/O……….. and R/O House No ….. Address NOIDA. as the executor of this will, who will have final say in the matter of distribution. (NOTE – The beneficiary of the will (Spouse in almost most cases) can also be appointed as executor of the will)
9. This WILL will come into affect immediately upon my death.
I0, Brig IM SMART (Retired) hereby sign this WILL on the …. day of 2009 in the presence of two witnesses who are very well known to me as also they too know me adequately .
11. None of the beneficiary is present while I sign this will.
— signed —
(Colonel IM SMART)
Testator
12. Signed by the above named Testator Colonel IM SMART in our presence, at the same time and each of us has, in the presence of testator, signed our name here under as attesting witnesses.
Witness No 1WITNESS NO.2
————————————- ————————————-
(Name of Witness) (Name of Witness)
Address of the Witness Address of the Witness
Date …. Date ….
NOTE – One can have even three or 4 Witnesses
WILL BY THE WIFE – Similarly the wife should also make her WILL on similar lines to bequeath her assets to her husband so that he remains a the sole and absolute owner of all her assets incl FDRs etc invested in her name.
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The marshals want to be equated with the dignity and authority that the army and policy uniforms demand PTI
