Tribune News Service,Mandi, December 21

A three-member Border Roads Organisation (BRO) team from Manali today examined the strata of a hill near Thalout where a massive landslide had blocked the Manali-Chandigarh National Highway-21 in the district on December 7.The team include Col KP Rajendra Kumar, Commander, 38 Border Road Task Force (BRTF), Executive Engineer Anuj Jain and Junior Engineer Prakash.The Commander said they had inspected the spot and initially suggested the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to only remove the loose strata from the hill. He said the hill was still stable and the entire structure should not be disturbed. The NHAI took several days to remove the debris from the road. After the landslide, stones kept on rolling down the hill. The administration erected warning boards on both sides of the roads. The police had diverted the all vehicles from Mandi to Kullu and Kullu to Mandi via Katola in the district.Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kadam had sought the help of technical experts to examine the strata of the hill to avoid mishap in the future.Nearly 50 metre of the stretch of the highway was damaged in the landslide.

The Army and the nation on Wednesday observed Vijay Diwas and paid tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives for the country in the 1971 India-Pakistan War.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi saluted the courage and indomitable spirit of the Indian Armed Forces.

“Today, on Vijay Diwas, we salute the courage and indomitable spirit of our armed forces. Their service to India is unparalleled”, Modi tweeted.

Vijay Diwas marks India’s victory over Pakistan in the war.
Read more at http://www.thestatesman.com/news/latest-headlines/pm-salutes-courage-of-indian-armed-forces-on-vijay-diwas/110881.html#cBkBR0A0idQIL0JE.99

Tribune News Service,Udhampur, December 16

The 44th anniversary of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, observed as Vijay Diwas, was celebrated at the Northern Command today.Civilians, ex-servicemen and service personnel participated in the celebrations and paid homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives in the Indo-Pak war of 1971.December 16 is celebrated to commemorate India’s victory over Pakistan which led to the creation of Bangladesh. The swift and professionally planned operations executed by the Indian armed forces led to one of the greatest military victories recorded in the annals of world history.It was on this day that the largest military surrender after the World War II took place at Dhaka when the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Arora accepted the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani troops from Lt Gen AAK Niazi of the Pakistan army.The Northern Command commemorated the occasion with a wreath-laying ceremony at Dhurva Shahid Smarak by Lt Gen NPS Hira, Officiating Commander. He highlighted the role of the Indian armed forces in achieving major military victories in the 1971 war. The glorious day in the annals of history of the Indian Army was made possible with the supreme sacrifices of valiant soldiers during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Mercury dips to -3.7°C in Srinagar

Srinagar, December 16

Srinagar recorded the lowest temperature of the season so far early today as the minimum continued to drop across Jammu and Kashmir.”The minimum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at minus 3.7 degree Celsius. This was the lowest temperature of the season so far,” said an official of the Meteorological Department.Because of the clear sky, the night temperature was likely to drop further during the next 36 hours, the official said.The minimum temperature in Pahalgam was minus 7.3 degree Celsius while in Gulmarg the minimum temperature was recorded at minus 10 degree Celsius. — IANSIn Leh and Kargil towns of the Ladakh region the minimum temperature was minus 13.8 and minus 14.2 degrees Celsius respectively, the official said.In the Jammu region, the minimum temperature was 6.4 degrees Celsius in Jammu city, 5.6 degrees Celsius in Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine base camp town of Katra.The official said the minimum temperature was 1.1 degrees Celsius in Batote town while it was 0.7 degrees Celsius in Bannhihal and minus 1.9 degrees Celsius in Bhaderwah town.The 40-day long period of extreme cold in Kashmir Valley known as ‘Chillai Kalan’ begins on December 21.

LT GEN JOGINDER SINGH DHILLON

Lieutenant General Joginder Singh Dhillon (1914–2003) was the first post independence Sapper Army Commander (Central Army) and was a decorated and celebrated Indian and Sikhmilitary war hero. Lt Gen Dhillon was the first Army Officer to be awarded the ‘Padma Bhushan’ on 24 November 1965, for his role in the 1965^[1] Indo-Pak War, where he was the General Officer Commanding Corps (XI corps). The official citation given for the award was as follows:

“In this Sector, the enemy launched repeated counter-attacks and the conduct of day to day operations called for great tenacity, strong determination and robust mind. Lieutenant General Dhillon displayed all these qualities in abundance and the success achieved by his Corps was to a great extent due to the personality of the General officer.”He was commissioned into Bengal Engineer Group in 1936, after receiving the Sword of Honour and Gold Medal at the Indian Military Academy in 1935, and standing first in the all-India entrance examination to the Indian Military Academy in 1933. Graduating in 1939 with honours from Roorkee s Thomson Civil Engineering College (now IIT Roorkee), he was soon sent overseas for the first four years of World War II. He saw active service in Iraq, Iran and Burma and, after a stint in the Staff College, Quetta, was again sent to command a field company in Malaya (1945–46), then onto Sourabaya, where he commanded 2 Field Company, before returning home. From 1946 to 1947 he was staff officer in the E-in-C s Office Army HQ, then went to Quetta as garrison engineer, before taking over as GSO1 in the E-in-C s Branch from October 1947 to February 1948 in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel

Having taken the salute from Col Joginder Singh Dhillon, Commandant, Bengal Engineer Group and Centre on 25 November 1949 at the Centre Parade Ground, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehruspecifically asked for him to command the First Republic Day Parade to be held in Delhi.

The Parade was held on 26 January 1950 at the Irwin Stadium, Delhi, and was duly commanded by then Brig Dhillon. The Parade had contingents from Army, Navy, Air Force and the Police and it was one of the finest spectacles of the Independent India staged in Delhi during that period. Brig Dhillon later commanded two infantry brigades and also served as director of technical development and director of weapons and equipment at army headquarters before being promoted to Major General. As Major General, he was selected to attend a course at Imperial Defence College in the United Kingdom, and returned to a posting at the National Defence College and was later given command of a division in August 1960. JS Dhillon was Deputy Chief of General Staff at Army headquarters when he was promoted to GOC, XI corps in Punjab.

“The posting would be the culmination of everything that had gone into the making of this exceptional soldier. When on the morning of September 6, 1965, war with Pakistan broke out, with the XI Corps launching a massive retaliatory attack across the border in Punjab on several fronts at 4 am, the aim was to teach Pakistan a lesson for its unprovoked attack on India in the Chhamb sector a few days earlier”

Role in 2nd Indo-Pakistan War, 1965[edit]

Lt Gen J.S. Dhillon was the Commander of XI Corps which was responsible for the Punjab sector during the 1965 Indo-Pak War. He is credited in producing and conducting the battle plan that destroyed or captured over 100 superior Pakistani battle tanks, turning a potentially dangerous defeat into an amazing victory, as the Pakistani tanks were poised to head for the Beas Bridge and then on to Delhi.

“The decisive tank battle of Assal Uttar, near Khem Karan, on September 10 does bear telling. Indian units hid their Sherman tanks 500 metres apart in a U-shaped formation in tall and unharvested sugarcane fields, and snared the enemy s vastly superior Patton tanks into this ambush, annihilating them to the last tank and deciding the outcome of the war.

The destruction of Pakistan s armoured pride and the casualties it suffered, including an artillery brigadier and many other senior officers killed or surrendered, destroyed the enemy s morale. At Assal Uttar, 97 enemy tanks of which 72 were Pattons and 25 Chafees and Shermans were destroyed, damaged or captured intact, of which 28 Pattons were in perfect running condition.

Facing the very modern M-48 Pattons were India s old and inferior Centurions and Shermans outgunned, outdistanced and far fewer in number. And yet Indian losses at Khem Karan were only 32 tanks“

Frank Moraes, the editor in chief of the Indian Express, who spent time on the frontlines, wrote: “I was fortunate to spend some time with Lt General J.S. Dhillon, the corps commander in this sector, and to note and understand how greatly the spirit of all, from jawans to divisional commanders, depends on the calibre of the corps commander. Jogi Dhillon is an enthusiastic, intelligent soldier with a physical vigour, drive and combativeness which enable him to be extraordinarily mobile over his wide command and an inspiring presence and example to his officers and men.”

Lt. Gen Dhillon was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his role in the 1965 war and was promoted to Army Commander of the Central Command, from where he retired on August 4, 1970.

Lt Gen JS Dhillon’s counterpart Pakistani Generals who fought against him in the 1965 war, on hearing of his death in 2003, paid warm tribute to him as a great general and warrior.

A few days after the Chandigarh-bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal attached the staff van of principal controller of defence accounts (for harassing a disabled soldier Baldev Singh, the army headquarters moved swiftly and released his disability benefits which had been pending for two years. An AFT bench had made it clear that the property would be auctioned in case the amount was not given to the petitioner.

CHANDIGARH: A few days after the Chandigarh-bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) attached the staff van of principal controller of defence accounts (PCDA) for harassing a disabled soldier Baldev Singh, the army headquarters moved swiftly and released his disability benefits which had been pending for two years.

The AFT bench comprising justice SS Thakur and Lt Gen Sanjiv Chachra (retd) had made it clear that the property would be auctioned in case the amount was not disbursed to the petitioner.

This comes in the wake of a similar order that was passed by the same bench coming to rescue of a disabled officer, Lt Col NC Mahajan.

Petitioners before the AFT have long complained about non-implementation of orders rendered in their favour. The Punjab and Haryana high court, last year in an order passed in a Public Interest Litigation titled Maj Navdeep Singh Versus Union of India, had made it clear that the AFT could invoke provisions of Order 21 of Civil Procedure Code (CPC) to get its orders implemented. Order 21 provides for both detention and attachment of property of judgement debtors. It was brought to the notice of the high court that “keeping the implementation of judicial orders in suspended animation was an affront to the majesty of law which the tribunal was duty-bound to protect and was also against the grain of judicial dignity.”

The Kerala high court, in the case Shihabudeen A versus PCDA, had also ruled that nonimplementation of orders of the AFT amounted to criminal contempt and that the AFT could initiate criminal contempt proceedings in such matters.

Many organisations including the All India Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association through its chairperson Bhim Sen Sehgal, had repeatedly complained to the defence ministry recently regarding the contemptuous behaviour of the ministry of defence for not showing regard to orders of the AFT and for not implementing the same.

Since justice Thakur’s bench has been issuing attachment orders, the AFT orders are now being implemented at a much faster pace.

Tribune News Service,Mandi, December 13

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is likely to reopen the Rohtang Pass tomorrow. The 13,050-foot high Rohtang Pass was closed after snowfall on Thursday.The pass is the gateway to the Lahaul valley on the Manali-Leh highway. With the closure of the pass, the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti was cut-off from the rest of the state. The BRO started the snow-clearing operation on both sides of the Rohtang Pass yesterday.Col KP Rajendra Kumar, Commander, 38 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF), Manali, said they had cleared the road from Manali up to Rani Nullah late in the evening. Nearly 8 km was left to reach the Rohtang Pass, he said, adding that they would reopen the pass tomorrow. They had encountered up to 4 feet of snow on the road, he said. But the team from Stingri in Lahaul-Spiti district could not reach Koksar till this morning due to an avalanche.The BRO maintains the strategically important nearly 490-km-long Manali-Leh highway to maintain supplies for the armed forces posted in Ladakh region along the borders with China and Pakistan.Lahaul-Spiti residents stay connected with the outside world through Internet and telephones. The helicopter service is the only means of travel for the people during medical and other emergencies after the closure of the pass.

Chill grips state

• Shimla: Himachal continued to reel under intense cold wave with Keylong in tribal Lahaul and Spiti recording a low of minus 4.6 degree Celcius, Manali minus 3 degree C and Kalpa in Kinnaur minus 2.2 degree C while the key tourist destinations of Dalhousie, Shimla and Dharamsala recoded a minimum temperature of 3 degree C, 3.4 degreeC and 6.6 degree C. Una was the hottest with the maximum temperature of 19.6 degree C followed by Bhuntar 18 degree C, Kangra 17.1 degree C and Solan 16.4 degree C. The local MeT Department has predicted rain and snow in high hills on December 16 and 17. — TNS

Imagine the Indian Army Brigade commander in Ladakh tweeting over a face-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers.

That’s one of the things senior officials at Army headquarters here claim to be aiming at in coming years by expanding the scope of their social media domain. There would be a caution on strategic and operational details and anything that goes out in public domain would have to be information which is not classified, the officials, however, underline.

A ministry of defence (MoD) expert committee recently recommended that senior commanders shall have a participative social media presence through blogs so that they stay connected with the rank and file. The committee advocated ‘proactive’ use of social media to counter rumours and sensitising officers on its use.

DEHRADUN: Among the newly ordained officers of the IMA, some belong to families engaged in farming. They told HT that they joined the army because of the hardships their parents are facing.

VINAY SANTOSH KUMAR/HT PHOTOSNewly commissioned officers celebrating after the passing-out parade at IMA, Dehradun, on Saturday.

Abhishek Kumar Singh, who won the gold medal at the IMA, is the son of a farmer Umesh Singh, a resident of Saida Jaskoli village in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. “My father did not want me to become a farmer. So, he got me admitted to the Sainik School, Ghorakhal, Uttarakhand, hoping that I would join the Indian Army,” said Abhishek.

Ravi Mullimani who won the silver medal, belongs to Yalawor near Bijapur, Karnataka. His father grows jowar and wheat.

He said, “Farming has become very difficult for the sons of farmers because of low profits and middlemen involved in it.”

Shishpal Singh Rawat, who belongs to Khuteda Valla village of Pauri district in Uttarakhand, said, “There is not much profit in farming due to absence of new technologies. We’ve seen hardships and I wanted to join the army to lead a better life.”

DEHRADUN: Face the challenges with resilience, confidence and vigour, Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh told the 519 cadets who graduated from the Indian Military Academy at a colourful passing-out parade on Saturday.

“As officers, your utmost duty is to provide leadership to the men you command,” said General Singh.

The 519 cadets who passed out today included 469 from India and 50 from friendly countries of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

This time, the maximum number of officers was from Uttar Pradesh (74), followed by Haryana (67), Uttarakhand (29) Bihar (29), Rajasthan (29), Kerala (28), Punjab (28), Maharashtra (24) and Chhattisgarh (23).

The passing-out parade began at the drill square of the IMA with the call of the markers.

General Singh, who joined the function as the reviewing officer, was welcomed by Officiating Commandant of IMA, Major General YS Mahiwal.

The reviewing officers gave away the medals and honours to the graduating cadets of the IMA.

In his address to the cadets, General Singh said he was filled with his own memories of the academy 42 years back as a cadet. He also reminisced the time spent here later in 1986-1987 as a company commander for 15 months.

Later at the south campus of the IMA, the parents of the newly ordained officers removed the covering on the badges to reveal the stars as part of the ‘Pipping’ ceremony.

The IMA which trains cadets to become Army officers was built in Dehradun in 1932 and conducts two passing-out parades a year — in June and December. So far, 56,510 Indian cadets from IMA have become officers while the number of foreign cadets stands at 1,863.

Tribune News Service
Dehradun, December 11

Maj Gen YS Mahiwal, Officiating Commandant, Indian Military Academy (IMA), led the Gentlemen Cadets, their families and officers in offering floral tributes to the martyrs in a remembrance ceremony held at the IMA War Memorial here today on the eve of the passing-out parade. The war memorial at the IMA with the message, “Soul is immortal”, stands tall glorifying the supreme sacrifice made by its brave alumni in the line of duty.
As a mark of respect, passing-out course Gentleman Cadets lay a wreath at the memorial and draw inspiration from the selfless service rendered by the martyrs.
A total of 519 cadets will be passing out from the IMA tomorrow.