Youths and women attend the martyr day event at the Tikri border on Tuesday. PHOTO: SUMIT THARAN
Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Jhajjar, March 23
A number of youths donning yellow turbans and women sporting “dupattas” today reached the Tikri and Singhu borders from Haryana and Punjab to pay tributes to martyrs Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.
They took a pledge of continuing the stir until the three farm laws were repealed. A “padyatra” by farmers and agricultural labourers joined the function in the honour of the martyrs at Tikri. Women wearing traditional Haryanvi attire and youths singing patriotic slogans added colour to the occasion.
“Shaheed Bhagat Singh had once said independence was incomplete till farmers and labourers did not get equal rights. Youth have jumped into the battle for the rights of farmers and labourers. No one can stop them from winning this battle,” said Jaspreet Singh from Sangrur.https://153ee501c99fb9dd742e54e1e594be87.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Inderjit Singh, vice-president, All-India Kisan Sabha, said: “It was a massive show of strength at Tikri. It not only boosted the morale of protesting farmers, but also strengthened the protest.”
Another farmer leader Virendra Hooda described today’s event as another “nail in the coffin of the Centre”.
Local farmers took out a “Tiranga Yatra” from Bahadurgarh to Tikri.
Meanwhile, a youth suffered bullet injuries in his leg when someone opened fire following a minor dispute during the yatra. He is at the PGIMS.
Women farmers protest at Rampura Phul. Tribune photo
Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 26
Women power came to the fore today during the ‘Bharat bandh’ call given by farmers under the aegis of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha to protest against the three farm laws. As a result, the protest sites saw a sea of “kesari” and green from “dupattas” worn by them.
Across all dharna sites, including the ones on the railway tracks, women came out in large numbers to give a fillip to the protests. At some places such as Bhaini Bagha in Bathinda, women protesters outnumbered male counterparts, and blocked roads by staging a dharna.
Why the trend
Many women lost sons and husbands to suicide because of indebtedness
Most male members left for protest sites at the Delhi border on March 23
Many male members were busy making arrangements for wheat harvest
Even as the normal life in the state came to a grinding halt, women were seen leading the protests at many places, especially in the Malwa region.
In Jagraon, near Ludhiana, a number of women laid siege to the highway. In Mansa, women led a protest march in the city, while in Barnala, the maximum participation of women was seen at Dhanaula and Bhadaur protest sites.
Narinder Kaur Sohal, who led the protesting women in Moga, told The Tribune many women who had lost their sons and husbands to suicide because of rural indebtedness participated in huge numbers
“These women have suffered the ill effects of government policies, which are often made without checking the ground realities. They can sense what the farm laws can do to hit them economically. They are even inspiring other women from farm households to join the protest. That is why we are seeing a rapid increase in women protesters in the past one month,” she said.
Another reason for their good turnout was that most of the male members of the family had left for the protest sites at the Delhi border on March 23. Most are still camping and protesting at Singhu and Tikri borders, leaving the women and elderly here to join the protest here.
Amarjit Kaur, a retired lecturer, who was leading the protests at Barnala, said at each of the four protest sites in Barnala district, more than 1,000 women participated, as their men folk were in Delhi.
“The women are taking a lead role in protests across the state as the men folk and youngsters have been camping at the Delhi border,” she said.
Bhagat Singh’s father Kishan Singh visited drought-hit Vidarbha in 1898. He did not merely distribute relief material and return; he took around 50 orphaned children from Vidarbha with him. These children were of the farmers who, unable to deal with their desperate situation, had committed suicide. Kishan Singh started an orphanage at Ferozepur for these children. At that time, he was just 20 years old.
RELIVING HISTORY: The ideals of the martyrs find resonance in the ongoing agitation by the farmers against the farm laws. PTI
Sanjay Nahar
90th death anniversary of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru & Sukhdev
THIS incident dates back to 1898. The farmers in Vidarbha region were severely hit by a drought. When Sardar Kishan Singh came to know about this, he, along with Lala Bishambhar Sahay, Lala Shivram Vakil and other colleagues, reached Vidarbha. They had brought along foodgrains. Imagine the distance between Jalandhar in Punjab and Vidarbha region in Maharashtra, and that too nearly 125 years ago! However, Sardar Kishan Singh’s patriotism and his compassion for fellow farmers did not let him sit quiet. He did not merely distribute the relief material and return; he, in fact, took around 50 orphaned children from Vidarbha with him. These children were of the farmers who, unable to deal with their desperate situation, had committed suicide. Kishan Singh started an orphanage at Ferozepur for these children. At that time, Kishan Singh was just 20 years old. If you wonder who Sardar Kishan Singh was, well, he was the father of India’s great son Shaheed Bhagat Singh!
Bhagat Singh was born in such a patriotic family. He grew up seeing the life of farmers and the common people. No wonder, bringing about a change in the life of ordinary farmers was his idea of revolutionary work. Today is the 90th anniversary of the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. Unfortunately, the issues facing the farmers are just the same even today. One is pained to say that the dreams of the revolutionaries who made the supreme sacrifice for creating a new India are still unfulfilled.
The current issue of the farmers is not limited to Punjab, Haryana and the Jat farmers of western Uttar Pradesh; farmers across India face similar issues. Today, the farmers have taken to the streets raising the slogan ‘Pagdi Sambhal Jatta’, but the slogan echoes the feelings of farmers over a century ago. In 1907, the British had passed three Acts regarding agriculture. Bhagat Singh’s paternal uncle Ajit Singh had raised his voice against them by mobilising the farmers of Punjab. He addressed public meetings all over Punjab and had even invited Lala Lajpat Rai, a veteran Congress leader, to these meetings. Lala Banke Dayal had quit his job to join the agitation. He read out the poem ‘Pagdi Sambhal Jatta’during this agitation. The poem had a description of the farmers’ issues and the injustice being meted out to them. The poem became the signature slogan of the agitation. It became so popular that the agitation itself came to be known by that name. The agitation grew so strong that the British government had to withdraw the Acts. Today, it is our own government. Yet, the agitation has been going on for the past almost four months. History is being repeated.
During my meetings and discussions with Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s colleagues, Durga Bhabhi and Virendra ji, and his brother Kultar Singh, the topic as to why Bhagat Singh who had received the Arya Samaj doctrine and who belonged to a religious family, became an atheist, came up often. In this context, I was told about an incident when some of Bhagat Singh’s fellow revolutionaries talked about the help his family, Sardar Ajit Singh and Sardar Kishan Singh, extended to the countrymen affected by droughts, floods, earthquakes and other natural calamities. They especially praised the act of adopting orphaned farmer children from Vidarbha. Bhagat Singh had said then, “It was our duty but we need to bring about a change in the system so that no farmer or labourer is forced to commit suicide ever!” It is clear from his words that his journey towards atheism had begun with the farmers’ agitation in Punjab.
Bhagat Singh asked himself some questions after witnessing the plight of farmers and the ordinary people. These questions led him to atheism. He asked himself, ‘If this world is created by the Almighty, why is it filled with destitution and sorrow?’ Next, he asked, ‘Why doesn’t He free the entire humanity and the workers from the slavery of capitalism?’ Bhagat Singh had unequivocally said that the real age of freedom would truly begin only when countless men and women came forward thinking about the farmers and ordinary people and when they would be thinking only about serving the mankind and nothing else.
“The farmers and labourers are the most important elements of society; however, they are exploited the most by society. They are even deprived of their basic rights. The farmers who produce food for everyone are forced to die in hunger. Artisans who weave cloth for others cannot buy enough clothes for their own children. Those who build huge mansions do not have even a simple house to live in. On the other hand, the capitalists who exploit them live a comfortable life,” he said. These thoughts of Bhagat Singh clearly show that he was moved by the plight of farmers and the ordinary people.
A couple of months before he was hanged, Bhagat Singh had written a letter, in which he had highlighted issues such as ‘End of landlord system’, ‘Loan waiver for the farmers’, ‘Nationalisation of lands in order to boost community farming’, ‘Home for everyone’, ‘Complete exemption to farmers from taxation’, ‘Nationalisation of industries’, ‘Education for everyone’, ‘Reduction in the working hours of the labourers’, etc. As a nation, we are still grappling with precisely the same issues.
In this backdrop, the irony of the current farmers’ agitation in Delhi is worth noting. The agitators and the government both are using Bhagat Singh’s photos! Rekindling faith in the minds of hardworking farmers so that they can lead a life of dignity would be a true tribute to martyrs Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.
An Army Gypsy on fire in Sriganganagar district. Tribune photo
Our Correspondent
Abohar, March 25
Three soldiers were burnt alive and five others injured when a Gypsy overturned and caught fire during a training exercise on the Raziasar-Chhatargarh road in Sriganganagar district early today.
The incident took place around 1 am “near Gopalsar during the night training task when unfortunately 3 fatalities were reported”, said Defence PRO Lt Col Amitabh Sharma.
A source said eight soldiers of Bathinda-based 47-AD Army unit were in the vehicle when the mishap occurred. Three charred bodies were found from the wreckage, while five injured soldiers were admitted to the government hospital in Suratgarh, from where they were shifted to the Military Hospital.
Lt Col Sharma said the incident occurred during a routine exercise when the soldiers were being given different tasks.
Raziasar police station in charge Vikram Tiwari said the mishap occurred near Burji (pillar) No. 330 of the Indira Gandhi Canal. The vehicle rammed into shrubs, hit a tree before overturning. A fire erupted giving occupants little chance to escape, said the sources.
The deceased have been identified as Subedar EV Nazar of Andhra Pradesh, Havildars Dev Kumar Bhattacharya of West Bengal and SK Shukla of Uttar Pradesh.
Those injured are Captain Ankit Vajpayee (34), soldiers SK Prajapati (35), Umesh Yadav (27) Ashok Ojha (28) and Bhanwer Lal Bablu (27). Three of them suffered grievous injuries.
Senior Army officers visited the scene and initiated a probe. The police said an accident case had been registered. The bodies were being taken by the Army to native places of the deceased for last rites.
(With agency inputs )
Freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s hideout in a shambles
Bhagat Singh’s hideout : The old building at Turi Bazaar.
Our Correspondent
Ferozepur, March 22
Even six years after being notified as a ‘protected monument’, the state government has failed to make any concerted efforts for the development and preservation of the double-storey building that served as a hideout of the Krantikari Party led by legendary revolutionary Bhagat Singh.
After a prolonged legal battle by locals, the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs had declared the building as a ‘protected monument’ on December 17, 2015. Thereafter, neither any step was taken to take over the building nor any funds were allocated for it.
At present, the building is under the control of the Krishna Bhagti Satsung Trust. Nand Kishore Sharma, one of the trustees, said his grandfather Lahori Ram Shastri had met Bhagat Singh here several times. “I am ready to do anything for the construction of a museum in the building,” he said. Earlier, the district administration had served a notice on the occupants not to alter the structure or sell the premises.
In 2016, the then Deputy Commissioner DPS Kharbanda had mooted a proposal to relocate the shop on the ground floor and family occupying the first floor to another location for which an agreement was also drafted. However, the matter is still stuck.
During his visit three years ago, former Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Navjot Sidhu had also promised to provide Rs 15 lakh for the renovation of the building.
Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev are a source of inspiration for one generation after another. Bhag…
“This building is no less than a pilgrimage centre for me. This was taken on rent by my father Dr Gaya Prashad under the fake name of Dr BS Nigam to run a pharmacy in 1928-29,” said Kranti Kumar Katiyar.
“While pharmacy was run on the ground floor, the first floor was used by the revolutionaries to make bombs and evolve strategy against the British rule,” said Rakesh Kumar, who has also authored several books on the monument.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Gurpal Singh Chahal said, “We will take up the matter with the higher authorities.” He said the state government was determined to develop all such memorials and efforts were being made for it.
NGOs ready to help
Certain NGOs have submitted proposals to the government, expressing their desire to make contribution for the restoration of the historical building. However, nothing has happened so far. Even the Sonalika Group had announced to contribute Rs10 lakh for the restoration of the martyr’s hideout.
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The defence ministry says the vehicle will be authorised to various fighting units for carriage of medium machine guns, automatic grenade launchers and anti-tank guided missiles.
File photo of visitors at the Mahindra Defence Naval Systems booth during Aero India air show in Bengaluru | Representational image | Photo: Dhiraj Singh | BloombergText Size: A- A+
New Delhi: The defence ministry on Monday said it finalised a contract with Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd (MDSL) to procure 1,300 light combat vehicles for the Indian Army at a cost of Rs 1,056 crore.
The induction of the vehicles is planned to be completed in four years.
“Providing further boost to ‘Make in India’, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with MDSL for supply of 1,300 light specialist vehicles to the Indian Army,” the ministry said.
“The light specialist vehicle is a modern fighting vehicle and will be authorised to various fighting units for carriage of medium machine guns, automatic grenade launchers as well as anti-tank guided missiles,” it said in a statement.
The vehicle is indigenously designed and developed by MDSL.
The ministry said the vehicles are extremely agile with all-round protection against small arms fire and they will assist small independent detachments.
“This is a flagship project showcasing the indigenous manufacturing capabilities of the defence industry and will add another milestone to the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan’ and ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government,” the ministry said in a statement.
In the last few months, the ministry finalised a range of procurement projects for the three forces to enhance their overall combat capabilities.
Pakistan will hold Pabbi-Antiterror-2021, under the aegis of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation later this year. India’s participation would come amid fresh peace process between both nations.
Indian Army (representational image) | PTIText Size: A- A+
New Delhi: In yet another signal that frosty ties between New Delhi and Islamabad are thawing, India could take part in a multi-nation exercise to be hosted by Pakistan later this year at its premier anti-terrorism centre in Pabbi in Nowshera district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The exercise will be held under the aegis of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
If the plan goes through, it would be a historic event, given that it would be the first time that Indian forces will travel to Pakistan for any military exercise.
The development comes at a time when Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa last week stressed on the need for India and Pakistan to “bury the past and move forward”. Just weeks ago, the two countries had agreed to observe ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC).
Sources in the know remained non-committal about the actual participation of the Indian troops in the joint exercise “Pabbi-Antiterror-2021”, saying a final decision was yet to be taken.
The sources also said that the proposal is under consideration of the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). However, they did confirm that India will be participating in a joint Army exercise under SCO umbrella in Russia later this year.
The decision to hold “Pabbi-Antiterror-2021” was announced during the 36th meeting of the Council of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, last week, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported Sunday.
Delegations of the competent authorities of India, Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the RATS Executive Committee attended the meeting, Xinhua said, carrying a picture of the participants.
Meanwhile, sources in Pakistan said while dates and participants are yet to be confirmed, the exercise, under the aegis of the inter-governmental organisation comprising eight nations, will be held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Pabbi, near Mangla Cantonment.
A Pakistani delegation had visited Tashkent-based Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the SCO in February to finalise the design and preparation of the Army exercise which is likely to be in second half of the year.
National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) imparts specialised pre-induction training to Pakistan Army units earmarked for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and SWAT. It also offers counter terrorism training services to law enforcement agencies including Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Defence Services Guards, Strategic Plans Division, Punjab Rangers, among others.
The Centre, which was set up in 2014 by then Pakistan Army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif, also imparts anti-terror training to other countries.
Located near Kharian, a military station and headquarters of an infantry division, the training institution comes under the direct supervision of Kharian Division and Mangla Corps.
India had withdrawn from a multilateral military exercise — Kavkaz-2020 — that was scheduled to be held in southern Russia in September last year as it did not want to perform drills with Chinese soldiers amid tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
While India planned to send 200 military personnel, including 180 soldiers from an infantry battalion and observers from the IAF and the Navy, to take part in the exercise, it decided not to participate at the last minute following a high-level military and diplomatic meeting.
It was in 2018 that India and Pakistan had come together for a joint military exercise under the umbrella of the SCO. At that time, a video of Indian and Pakistani troops dancing together had gone viral.
The SCO was founded in Shanghai in 2001 by the then presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan were admitted as observers in 2005 and both countries were admitted as full members of the bloc last year.
According to Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, the Army reported 591 suicide cases, Navy 36, while the Indian Air Force had 160 between 2014 and 2021 (till 22 March).
A file photo of Indian Army soldiers on a patrol near Dal Lake in Jammu & Kashmir | Praveen Jain | ThePrintText Size: A- A+
New Delhi: A total of 787 armed forces personnel died by suicide since 2014 with the Army reporting a maximum of 591 such cases, according to data provided by the government on Monday.
In response to a question, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik told Rajya Sabha there were 18 incidents of fratricide in the Army and two in the Indian Air Force during the period.
According to the details furnished by the minister, the Army reported 591 cases of suicide, the Navy 36, while the number in the Indian Air Force was 160 between 2014 and 2021 (till date).
Naik said the armed forces have devised measures to deal with mental health issues of their personnel and prevent incidents of suicide and fratricide.
“The issue of stress and strain is being addressed by the commanders in a comprehensive manner at various levels. Sessions for stress management are organised by commanders and psychiatrists at all major stations,” Naik said.
He said counselling has been an intrinsic component of 23 psychiatric centres in the Army which are manned by well-trained and qualified psychiatrists.
“Specific measures have been put in place as part of the multi-pronged strategy to address stress in Army,” Naik said, adding these include sensitisation of commanders on the subject, welfare measures like provision of adequate married accommodation and recreation facilities.
He said various workshops and lectures on mental health and stress management are being organised by the IAF as part of its ‘Mission Zindagi’ campaign which is conducted quarterly at all stations.
The Indian Navy has established mental health centres in Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Port Blair, Goa and Karwar where family counsellors provide psychological counselling, the minister added.
“In addition, based on the finding of the studies conducted by the Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR), the government has taken several steps towards stress amelioration amongst troops,” Naik said.
The procurement has enabled the Indian Army to meet all outstanding demands of service medals in respect of soldiers who have served and are serving currently.
New Delhi: The integrated headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army) has concluded a contract for procurement of lakhs of service medals of 17 different types.
In a tweet, Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army) informed: “Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army) has concluded a contract for procurement of a total of 17.27 lakh Service Medals of 17 different types.
“The procurement has enabled the Indian Army to meet all outstanding demands of service medals in respect of soldiers who have served and are serving in the Indian Army,” the tweet added.
Meanwhile, the Retiring Officers’ Seminar was conducted on Tuesday. Due to COVID-19 protocols, officers posted in the national capital could attend the seminar. Chief of Air Staff, General MM Naravane commended all retiring officers for their service to the nation and bid them adieu. The officers will be superannuating on March 31.
