NEW DELHI:  This Republic Day, a foreign army contingent will march shoulder to shoulder with the Indian army down the Rajpath – a first in the history of the parade since 1950.
Receiving their salute will be French President Francois Hollande – the chief guest this year.
The French contingent has been in India for a joint military exercise. India is also in negotiations with France to buy 36 Rafale jets.
The gesture reciprocates one from France to India back in 2009.  On July 14 that year, one of the oldest regiments of the Indian Army – the Maratha light infantry – had marched down the famous Champs Elysee in Paris along with the French Army. The occasion was Bastille Day – celebrated in memory of the storming of the Bastille fortress in 1789, the symbolic start to the French revolution.
Then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was present in Paris on the occasion, which was seen as a deepening of ties between the two nations.
The Indo-French relations — covering diverse areas including defence, clean energy, space and trade — has now seen another boost, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visits to France last year.
During a three-day visit in April, he had also gone to the Neuve-Chapelle war memorial in Lille, where he paid homage to the 10,000 Indian soldiers martyred while fighting alongside the French during World War I. He also took a boat ride in river Seine along with French President Francois Hollande.

Tribune news Service,Dehradun, January 2

Chief Minister Harish Rawat today approved Rs 25 lakh for the construction of a Sainik Kalyan Bhawan in Champawat district.Rawat, while addressing a gathering at the Goralchaur Maidan, also announced Rs 4 lakh for the completion of an under-construction martyrs’ memorial in the region.He directed officers of the District Sainik Welfare Department to study Himachal Pradesh policies and programmes for the benefit of ex-servicemen and submit a report.Rawat also ordered the officials concerned to start 108 ambulance service in the Barakot development block of the district. Providing canteen facility to para-military personnel and the completion of the Lohaghat drinking water project were some other issues that people raised during an interaction with the Chief Minister.Local MLA Hemesh Karkwal, District Panchayat Chairman Khusal Singh, District Congress president Mohan Ram and Champawat District Magistrate Dipendra Kumar Chowdhary were also present on the occasion.

Abohar: Maj Gen Bipin Bakshi, General Officer Commanding, Amogh Division, ex-servicemen, serving Army men and prominent civil officials of Sriganganagar district paid homage to 1971 war heroes on Monday while celebrating the 44th Nagi Day at Nagi (a small village in Srikaranpur close to the international boundary).Some ex-servicemen narrated how soldiers laid down their lives for the nation during the famous Battle of Nagi on December 27-28, 1971. The battle was fought ten days after the announcement of the ceasefire of Indo-Pak war, wherein Indian soldiers at Nagi thwarted the nefarious designs of the Pakistan army to capture the Indian Territory in the village. — OC

Sanjay Bumbroo,Tribune News Service,Fatehgarh Sahib, December 26

Thousands of devotees paid obeisance at the historic Fatehgarh Sahib gurdwara during the Shaheedi Jor Mela held to mark the 309th martyrdom of the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh and Mata Gujri.The “Shaheedi Samagam” began with an Akhand Path held by Head Granthi Giani Harpal Singh at Gurdwara Jyoti Sarup. The mela will culminate with the bhog of Akhand Path on December 28.The police have made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of the fair. No vehicular traffic was allowed in the town which has been divided into six sectors. The district administration has banned the setting up of shops on either side of the road from Gurdwara Jyoti Sarup to Fatehgarh Sahib gurdwara.The workers of various political parties were making preparations for their conferences on December 27.Meanwhile, the SGPC’s appeal not to sell religious books in the wake of the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib fell on deaf ears with vendors continuing to sell these books to devotees.

‘Shaheedi Jor Mela’ to begin today

Elaborate arrangements have been made for the three-day annual ‘Shaheedi Jor Mela’ to be held here from December 26 where devotees from all over the country and abroad would pay obeisance at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib.

The three-day religious function, to observe the martyrdom of the two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh, who were “bricked” alive here during the regime of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, would begin with ‘Akhand Path’ of Guru Granth Sahib at Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup on Saturday, officials said.

On December 28 ‘Nager Kirtan’ would be taken from Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib to Gurdwara Jyoti Swaroop, in a decorated Palki Sahib (palanquin).

Devotees from across the country and abroad will come here to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, they said.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the ’Shaheedi Jor Mela’, SSP Jatinder Singh Khaira said, adding police personnel with latest equipment would be deployed to prevent any anti-social activities.

Fatehgarh Sahib Deputy Commissioner, Varun Roojam said that wine shops would remain closed for those three days and anyone found selling intoxicants would not be spared.

Buses will be put on service, for taking senior citizens and ladies free of cost to Gurdwara Sahib from all entry points, he said.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said that the body has been arranging ‘Deewan’, where preachers, ragis, dhadi jathas would present devotional songs and give accounts of Sikh history.

While ‘Jor Mela’ is a religious affair, Roojam said that an exhibition depicting various achievements of the state government in different fields and public oriented schemes initiated would be arranged there.- PTI

Shaheedi Jor Mela:;history

Shaheedi Jor Mela is a mela (fair) organised every year in December at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, in the Fatehgarh Sahib district ofPunjab, India to pay homage to the martyrdom of Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, the youngest sons of the sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh.

Death

Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh were imprisoned by the governor of Sirhind Wazir Khan. He offered them treasure and easy lives if they would only convert to Islam, but they refused and stuck their faith in Sikhism. They were entombed alive by being bricked into a wall, but the wall collapsed. On 26 December 1705, they were killed at Sirhind. Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib, 5 km (3.1 mi) north of the Sirhind ^[1]marks the site of their live entombment.^[2]

Mela[]

The first day of the Mela is observed purely in religious spirits. Later, political rallies and meetings are held by various political parties. Lakhs of devotes pay their obeisance at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib and Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup on this historic occasion every year during this three day Jor Mela.^[3] All nearby villagers organize langar for the devotees going to visit Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib for the Mela along all the roads leading to the gurdwara.

 

Each year, the district administration would do special arrangements for devotees and people visiting the mela like parking areas, controlling flow of traffic by setting up special barricades and nakas, medical & emergency services and by deploying heavy police force for security. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has been arranging deewan, where the Sikh preachers, ragis, dhadi jathas will present devotional songs and give the accounts of the Sikh history. Although Jor Mela is a religious event, a heavy police force is normally deployed all around the Mela site.^[4]

INAUGURATES INDOOR GAMES HALL AT THE VILLAGE’S GOVT SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

ROHTAK: Army chief General Dalbir Singh received a warm welcome as he visited his native village Bishan in Jhajjar district on Saturday.

HT PHOTOArmy chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag seeking the blessings of his parents at his native Bishan village in Jhajjar district on Saturday. He visited the village with his wife and children.

The general asked village residents to educate girls and encourage them to join the Army. “Girls are doing well in all spheres and they should also show interest in the Army,” Gen Singh told locals.

On his maiden visit to the village after becoming the army chief, Gen Singh reached the village along with his wife Namita, daughter and son.

During the five-hour stay at the village, he also met his father Ramphal and mother Ishari Devi and spent time with the girl students of the village and shared his success story with them.

“Weapons of honesty and truth provided by my parents helped me become the army chief,” he told locals.

During the visit, the general also paid tributes to Paramhans Maharaj’s samadhi and inaugurated an indoor games hall at the government senior secondary school.

Ravinder Saini,Tribune News Service,Bishaan (Jhajjar), December 26

Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag was accorded a rousing reception by residents of his native village when he along with his wife Namita and children arrived here today first time after taking over the reins of the Indian Army last year.Enthused villagers not only presented him bouquets, but also distributed sweets to celebrate the moment. A function was organised in the village school to make his visit memorable.Earlier, the villagers welcomed the Army Chief by presenting him the traditional turban. Later, Gen Suhag inaugurated a newly constructed hall for indoor games at Government Senior Secondary School here and took blessings of his parents — Ramphal Suhag and Mishri Devi.Speaking on the occasion, Suhag exhorted the villagers to motivate their daughters to join the Indian Army to give a boost to women empowerment, besides providing them opportunity to serve the nation.“I will wait for the first daughter of Bishaan village, who will join the Army. It is my heartiest desire that like sons, people of this village give their daughters a chance to become Army officer,” the Army Chief said, adding that society could not progress without empowering the women.Encouraging schoolchildren to work hard for achieving their goal, Gen Suhag said he had attained the top level of the Indian Army after studying under trees of this school.The students should realise their dreams with strong willpower to make their future bright. “I wish not one but 100 Army Chiefs should come out from Bishaan village to make the village and the state proud,” he maintained.Recalling his childhood days spent in the village, Gen Suhag said he had worked in the fields and played games such as “Gilli-danda” and kabaddi along with his friends. “I used to irrigate fields and helped in harvesting and preparing feed for cattle,” he added.

https://youtu.be/GCbfaGzcKxE?t=5

To build 12 N-plants with help of local firms; vow to unite against terror

Moscow, December 24

India and Russia today decided to expand cooperation in various sectors as they signed 16 pacts, including one on joint manufacture of 226 military helicopters and another on construction of 12 atomic plants with involvement of local companies in India.After extensive talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined the need for the world to unite against terrorism “without distinction and discrimination between terrorist groups and target countries”, an apparent reference to Pakistan.Sharing concern over terrorism, the two sides pressed for joint fight against the global menace “without selectivity and double standards”, said a joint statement issued after the talks between the two leaders.Putin conveyed Russia’s “strong support” to India’s bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council.The pacts covered various sectors such as hydrocarbon exploration, railways, solar power, customs, space and easing of travel.One of these was an agreement on manufacture of Kamov 226 helicopter in India, which, the Prime Minister said, was the first project for a major defence platform under “Make-in-India” programme.On nuclear energy, Modi said the pace of cooperation was increasing and progress was being made on 12 Russian reactors at two sites in India. Putin said unit-II of Kudankulam atomic plant would be commissioned within weeks and negotiations were at an advanced staged for units III and IV. — PTI