Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 9

Forty-four years after he spearheaded the Army’s charge to Dacca (now Dhaka) during the 1971 Bangladesh Campaign, the country’s one of the most highly decorated soldiers marched into oblivion. Brig Sant Singh, twice decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), the second highest award for gallantry, passed away here last night.
He was 94 and had been ailing for some time. He is survived by his daughter Satinder Kaur who is married to a brigadier. Hailing from Panjgrain village near Kotkapura, he had settled down in Chandigarh after retirement. The cremation is scheduled to take place tomorrow.
Belonging to the Sikh Light Infantry, he was among the only six individuals to have been awarded the Maha Vir Chakra twice. With his demise only one such recipient now remains alive.
During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, he was commanding the FJ sector in the eastern theatre and his formation achieved spectacular results, advancing 38 miles almost on foot, to secure Mymensingh and Madhopur in eight days. During the advance, in spite of stiff opposition from the enemy, he cleared heavily defended positions at several places, personally leading the troops. His advance paved the way for Indian troops to enter Dacca (now Dhaka) and he was among the first officers to enter the headquarters of the East Pakistan Commander, Lt Gen AAK Niazi. For his action, he was awarded the MVC. A framed-picture of Niazi and a desktop time-piece, which he seized from Niazi’s office, was his war trophies displayed in his home.
Six years earlier, in November 1965, while commanding a Sikh Light infantry battalion, then Lt Col Sant Singh had evicted Pakistani troops from OP Hill in Jammu and Kashmir, that had encroached on the Indian territory after the ceasefire. Despite difficult terrain and mine fields, the feature was wrestled back after a bitter hand-to-hand fight. For displayed conspicuous gallantry and leadership in the face of heavy fire, he had received his first MVC.
Lt Gen NPS Hira, Colonel of the Sikh Light Infantry, has condoled Brig Sant Singh’s death. The entire Sikh Light Infantry fraternity treasures his courage, significant contribution and pays tribute to the worthy officer, he said.
In his message, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh said Brig Sant Singh was an exceptional soldier of whom the Army and the nation was proud of and in his death, the country had lost a great soldier whose services would always be remembered.

Service: Army
Arm: Infantry
Unit: Sikh Light Infantry
P. Number: IC-5479
Birth: 12 Jul 1921
Marital Status: Married
Medals:
MVC, Operation: 1971 Cactus Lily, Date of Award: 02 Jan 1972  More Details
MVC, Operation: 1965 Riddle, Date of Award: 02 Nov 1965  More Details
Permanent Address:
1545, Sector 36-D
Chandigarh
160036
India
Contact Details:
Telephone: 01722601063

Gazette Notification: 22 Pres/72,12-2-72
Operation: 1971 Cactus Lily
Date of Award: 02 Jan 1972

Citation:

In November 1965, i.e. after the ceasefire with Pakistan, Brig Sant Singh, then a Lt Col commanding a battalion of the Sikh Light infantry, drove out Pakistanis, who had encroached on our territory, after a bitter hand-to-hand fight. This gallantry earned him the MVC. Then in 1971, as a senior commander in the eastern theatre, he carried out a rapid advance in the face of stiff enemy opposition, thus capturing Mymensingh and Madhopur. His conspicuous gallantry and inspiring leadership were recognised by the grant of the Bar to his MVC.

BRAVEST OF the BRAVE – BRIGADIER SANT SINGH, MVC(Bar)

In November 1965, i.e. after the ceasefire with Pakistan, Brig Sant Singh, then a Lt Col commanding a battalion of the Sikh Light infantry, drove out Pakistanis, who had encroached on our territory, after a bitter hand-to-hand fight. On the night of 2 November 1965, Lieutenant Colonel Sant Singh was given the task of clearing an objective, which notwithstanding the cease-fire had been encroached upon by Pakistani forces. This was a difficult feature & strongly defended by the enemy. Despite enemy mines and artillery fire, Lieutenant Colonel Sant Singh moved forward with his men, charged the enemy and, after a bitter hand-to-hand fight, cleared the objective. Later, taking advantage of his position, Lieutenant Colonel Sant Singh moved from bunker to bunker in the face of heavy artillery and automatic fire encouraging his men and cleared another objective, which also had been encroached upon by Pakistani forces. Throughout, Lieutenant Colonel Sant Singh displayed conspicuous gallantry and leadership of a high order.

Commanding the Punjab regiment in the eastern sector during the 1971 war with Pakistan, Brigadier Singh was entrusted with the task of capturing Mymensingh, a well defended enemy stronghold. But Pakistan aware of an impeding Indian attack had deployed a strong force to hold back any Indian advance.The experienced Brigadier, however failed their plans by his tactics and resourcefulness and Mymensingh was easily captured. The Brigadier marched ahead another 60km. to capture Madhopur, a vital town on the road of Dhaka.All through these operations, the Brigadier led from the front, ably directing his troops. His gallantry encouraged the Indians to advance rapidly despite strong Pakistani resistance. For his inspiring leadership, the Brigadier was awarded the bar to the Mahavir Chakra.
Medals:
MVC, Operation: 1971 Cactus Lily, Date of Award: 02 Jan 1972
Bar MVC, Operation: 1965 Riddle, Date of Award: 02 Nov 1965
Brig Sant Singh was born in Village Panjgrain near Kotkapura and currently lives in Chandigarh.

Armed Forces Flag Day was celebrated at District Sainik Welfare Office on Monday. On the day, our fellow countrymen remembered the sacrifices made by the Army personnel for the nation. They donated to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund for the families of the martyrs and Army personnel, who got disabled during the war, and for war widows. The day is celebrated every year on December 7. Speaking on the occasion, DC Rajat Agarwal appealed to all city residents to wholeheartedly donate for the fund.Seminar on latest advances in laserOver 75 dental surgeons from various parts of Punjab and surrounding states attended a seminar on latest advances in lasers held by the Indian Dental Association. Dr Ajay Chabbra, principal, Bhojia Dental College, inaugurated the seminar. Dr Vipul Srivastva, a renowned endodontist from Lucknow, talked about latest advances in laser dentistry. He described the materials and instruments to be use in pain free surgical dentistry with the help of lasers. In the afternoon session, Dr Vipul gave hands on demonstration to around 40 dental surgeons. Meanwhile, a continuing dental education programme on ‘latest advances in laser dentistry’ was also held at the BJS Dental College, Hospital and Research Institute on Monday.

Acupuncture camp

A seminar-cum-camp was organised by Dr DN Kotnis Health and Education Centre to mark the completion of 40 years of the acupuncture system. Dr Elahee, president, Acupuncture Council, Bangladesh, and others provided free acupuncture services to nearly 380 patients. It was announced that a national seminar would be held on Tuesday, where doctors from different parts of the country would be participating.

Our Correspondent
Pithoragarh, November 29
Indian vehicles were denied entry into Nepal at Banbasa border in Champawat district today after a faction of Nepalese Maoists called for a bandh against alleged anti-Nepal policies of India.
The bandh affected Mahendranagar town of Kanchanpur district on the India-Nepal border.
“We have not allowed Indian vehicles into Nepal via Banbasa bridge today after a bandh call by the Maoists (Viplav faction) in Nepal, but Nepalese vehicles plied normally,” said DS Kunwar, Superintendent of Police, Champawat.
The decision to prevent the entry of Indian vehicles was taken at a meeting attended by officials of the SSB and the Nepalese police, the police officer said.
“The Nepalese police had advised against allowing Indian vehicle towards their territory fearing violence by the Maoist group which has called for the bandh,” said the SP. The Champawat SP said the Indian police had stopped the smuggling of petroleum products from Banbasa towards Nepal after shortage of fuel in Nepal and some gangs of smugglers had gone active on the border as well.
“We have controlled trips of some Nepalese smugglers who used to make several visits inside Indian territory to take petrol and diesel illegally to that country,” said the Champawat SP.
The SP said the SSB and Nepalese police besides several intelligence agencies had beefed up security on the border adjoining Champawat.

Nepal unrest hits trade, many lose jobs in Bihar

The “Madhesi movement” in Nepal has brought to a standstill the lives of many families in Bihar who were working for companies in the neighbouring country.
After the implementation of the new Constitution, Madhesis (Indian-origin Nepalis) started an agitation against the Nepal Government as they felt their basic rights and facilities under various government schemes had been scrapped.
Industries, shops and schools were forcibly closed by the community members that left thousands of Bihari workers jobless. Those left in Nepal were victimised due to the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and petroleum products. Weary of the situation, they finally returned to their homes in Bihar whose seven districts share border with Nepal where prices of essential items have risen up by 10-15 times.
“What can I do if I lost my job? I was unable to sustain in Nepal where the prospect of the movement was looming large. How can I pay Rs 6,000 for a gas cylinder? Returning home is also not safe but I somehow managed to reach here,” said Radhey Shyam Singh, a resident of Motihari.
Raj Kumar Gupta, president of Indo-Nepal Chamber of Commerce in Raxaul, said: “The prolong movement in Nepal has paralysed trade and commerce in Bihar and the transportation has crippled. The government has paid no heed to the traders and workers who are turning jobless daily. Condition is even worse in Bihar’s seven districts — East Champaran, West Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria and Kishanganj.”
He said: “The turnover of daily business transaction at Indo-Nepal border is of over Rs 12-15 crore, as 70 per cent of commercial activities in Nepal depend on Indian traders. Raxaul border has only been legalised for exit and entrance of foreign tourists and foreign export and import activities monitored by Indian custom officials. Petroleum and goods-laden trucks are queued up for days.”
Ramakant Singh, a cloth merchant from Muzaffarpur, said: “We do our business in four districts of Nepal —Dhanusa, Sirha, Mahthari and Saptari. Now we don’t dare to go for collection after the chaotic condition developed. We are bearing the brunt of the agitation of Madhesis, who are in majority in Nepal.”
Koraiya resident Manoj Paswan, who wants to see her daughter Ragini in Janakpur town of Nepal, said: “My daughter lives in Janakpur. If I knew things will turn so ugly in the area, I would have never got my daughter married there. After implementation of the new Constitution, my daughter, who has two children, would not be entitled to many rights and facilities of the Nepal Government.”
New Constitution angers Madhesis
After the implementation of the new Constitution, Madhesis (Indian-origin Nepalis) launched an agitation against the Nepal Government as they felt their basic rights and facilities under various government schemes had been scrapped
Industries, shops and schools were forcibly closed by the community members that left thousands of workers from Bihar jobless
Those left in Nepal fell victim to the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and petroleum products

Balasore, November 26

India today successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable 350-km range Prithvi-II missile as part of a user trial by the army.
The test was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur at 1210 hrs.
“The data relating to the trial conducted by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) shows positive results,” said a defence source.
The surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile is capable of carrying 500-to-1,000 kg of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twine engines. It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit its target.
“The missile was randomly chosen from the production stock and the entire launch activities were carried out by the specially formed SFC and monitored by the scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of the training exercise,” a defence scientist said.
“The missile trajectory was tracked by DRDO radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry stations located along the coast of Odisha,” he said.
The downrange teams on board a ship deployed near the designated impact point in the Bay of Bengal monitored terminal events and the splashdown, they said.
Inducted into India’s armed forces in 2003, Prithvi II, the first missile to be developed by the DRDO under India’s prestigious IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Program) is now a proven technology.
Such training launches clearly indicate India’s operational readiness to meet any eventuality and also establishes the reliability of this deterrent component of the country’s strategic arsenal, they said. The last user trial of Prithvi-II was successfully conducted on February 19, 2015 from the same test range in Odisha. — PTI
Can carry 500-1,000 kg of warheads
The test was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur at 1210 hrs
“The data relating to the trial conducted by the Strategic Force Command shows positive results,” said a defence source
The surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile is capable of carrying 500-to-1,000 kg of warheads

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 23
The former Indian Air Force officer, who has filed 3,500 appeals with the Central Information Commission (CIC), revealed the irregularities in the functioning of the force.
He alleged unauthorised modifications to an Avro transport aircraft meant to ferry top brass of the IAF along with financial and professional misappropriation by some senior officers. In his complaints and representations to the IAF authorities, he has also claimed a threat to his life.
The officer, Wg Cdr Sanjeev Sharma, who claims to have been a whistle blower, filed the appeals with the Central Information Commission regarding the status of his complaints and the action taken by the IAF authorities thereon.
As per the IAF sources, the complainant who retired from the Chandigarh Air Force Station a few years ago, had, in a letter addressed to senior officers, stated that some officers had diverted several lakh rupees from the Air Force Public Funds by forging bills in connivance with contractor and used the money to refurbish an Avro aircraft. He further alleged that the aircraft had become a flight safety hazard as specified material was not used in it and nor was it certified by the Regional Centre for Military Airworthiness.
He also alleged that a senior officer claimed the LTC and posting advance for his daughter, but she was employed with an IT firm and hence, not dependent on him. He also alleged that an officer transported the Air Force mess property to another station for a private function.
Sharma alleged that another officer had visited his house and threatened him with his life and a complaint in this regard was filed right up to the level of the Air Chief.
Wg Cdr Sharma claimed that despite repeated representations and letters, no action was taken onhis complaints and instead he was harassed and humiliated.

Tribune News Service
Bathinda, November 19

To infuse a sense of adventure among troops and with an aim to encourage leadership, esprit-de-corps and camaraderie among all ranks, the Sarvashreshtha Engineers Regiment has undertaken a desert storm motorcycle expedition.
The expedition was flagged off from the Bathinda cantonment by Brigadier Vinay Gupta, Commander Sarvda Agrani Brigade, here today to commemorate 235th Corps of Engineers Day.
It will cover a total distance of 1,850 km from Bathinda to Bikaner and further to Jaipur and back to Bathinda in 12 days traversing through desert terrain of Rajasthan. A major part of the route is in proximity of border area.
The team comprises two officers and 10 other ranks.
The expedition members will be interacting with ex-servicemen as well as college/school students en route.
The team will also organise lectures and talks with the youth to educate and motivate them to join armed forces.
The expedition will be utilised to convey the message — ‘Serve Your Nation with Integrity, Honesty and Pride’.
The motorcycle expedition will offer an opportunity to the team members to exploit the arid desert, interact with local population and reach out to the youth, thus providing a judicial mix of adventure and inspiration.

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 14

Manning the Himalayan frontier requires foot soldiers to possess physical and psychological prowess rather than management or engineering skills, but the batch of Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) constables that passed out today included a recruit holding a master of business administration degree and another possessing a bachelor of technology.
Besides three other recruits held master of commerce degrees, six held master of arts and one held a master of science degree in addition to several others holding polytechnic diplomas and other technical qualifications. The minimum educational qualification for the recruitment of a constable is matriculation.
As many as 517 general duty constables were formally inducted into the ITBP at the force’s Basic Training Centre (BTC) at Bhanu near here. Only about 25 per cent of them were matriculates while the remaining possessed higher educational qualifications. The ITBP is responsible for guarding the border with China.
“This is reflective of the state of affairs in the society. It shows that either adequate jobs are not available for the qualified or the said qualifications do not measure up to the required standards,” Inspector General North-Western Frontier, Arvind Kumar, who was the POP’s reviewing officer, told media persons on the function’s sidelines. “Moreover, consequent to the Sixth Pay Commission, government jobs are back in the reckoning as the remuneration and facilities have become favourable as compared to many other sectors,” he added.
Deputy Inspector General, BTC, PS Papta, said an analysis of the recruits’ performance over the years had revealed that there had been consistence improvement in the training standards and fitness levels of the troops. He added that to sharpen the recruits’ personality, a DIG Banner was introduced for which professional as well as personality building competitions were organised.
While exhorting the newly inducted constables to strive for professional excellence and accept all challenges with full confidence, Arvind Kumar also gave away prizes for outstanding performance during the 44-week training course.