Daughter lights pyre of Mandi martyr

Vijay Mohan,Tribune News Service,Chandigarh, February 19

The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has decreed that a top Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) officer who was recently elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General was not even fit to be promoted from Brigadier to Major General and has recalled its promotion order.Taking up a review petition filed by another AOC officer, Maj Gen RS Rathore, the Tribunal’s Bench, comprising Justice DP Singh and Air Marshal Anil Chopra, has held that the promotion of Lt Gen NK Mehta from the rank of Brigadier to Major General on the basis of a previous AFT order was not tenable due to concealment of facts from the court. The AFT’s order can be challenged in the next higher judicial forum. Both officers are of December 1979 seniority and were considered as Brigadiers for promotion to the rank of Major General in 2011. While Rathore was approved for the next rank, Mehta’s result was withheld due to a pending Disciplinary and Vigilance ban on him in an earlier case, which was later revoked. Mehta approached the AFT in 2012 seeking promotion to Major General. Rathore averred that several important facts were hidden by Mehta and he had not even been impleaded as a party to the case even though they were the only contenders for a single vacancy.“Since from material on record, there appears to be concealment of facts, the respondent, prima facie, seems to be not eligible for promotion even to the rank of Major General, we direct the respondents (MoD and Army) to maintain status quo ante forthwith,” the Bench ordered, while imposing costs of Rs 25,000.It held that since the impugned order seems to be an outcome of fraud (concealment of material facts), it is liable to be recalled in view of the settled proposition of law and may not stand even for a moment, causing miscarriage of justice, and once the impugned order goes, in view of the law settled by the Supreme Court all the subsequent orders, decision or action shall stand vitiated. The process of law, in this case, seems to have been abused for extraneous reasons, the Bench ruled.“While parting with the case, we feel that corruption has crept in every system of the country and pray to Almighty to impart justice and help the country to recognise merit of the persons serving the nation instead of extraneous considerations,” the Bench remarked, while observing that no person, how so high may be, should be permitted to enjoy office acquired by commission of fraud even for a day

Case file of Ordnance officers

• The petitioner in the review application,Maj Gen RS Rathore, and the respondent, now Lt Gen, NK Mehta, are Ordnance officers of the December 1979 seniority
• Both were considered for promotion from Brigadier to Major General in 2011 but promotions were held up due to an ongoing inquiry
• Rathore was approved to become Maj Gen in 2012 after judicial intervention, but Mehta’s result was held back due to inquiry, ACR issues and assessment by Army HQs
• Mehta moved AFT and in 2012, AFT ordered him to be considered for promotion. Review application filed by Army was dismissed
• Rathore approached AFT in 2013 alleging concealment of information by Mehta before the AFT and also filed a review application in 2015
• Mehta was recently elevated as Lt Gen and is posted at College of MaterialManagement, Jabalpur

Empty jam bottles are great: Fill ’em up with kerosene, drill a hole for the wick and light it. That’s what they — 10 in all — did at a post located at 19,600 feet on icy barren Siachen Glacier. Those were the darkest nights and sunless days. That’s how Akshay Singh (name changed on request) had his first day at the glacier. He was a young lieutenant with only six months of service in 2003. He got there after acclimatizing at 6,000 feet, 9,000 feet and 12,000 feet. He had to learn, and learn fast, in about 15 days how to cope with deadly ice at altitudes where even moving one’s limbs can cause breathlessness. There are several things that work against you simultaneously: Your own weight, a blinding white wilderness, gravitational pull and a load of clothes, bedroll, ration, weapon and the climbing rope. Fear is a constant companion, occasionally overcome by the desire to survive.Akshay remembered all the points in the rule book drilled into his head at Siachen Battle School, like: If left alone, what he will do, how he’d survive an avalanche, and most importantly, how he’d have nothing but himself to depend on.The first night was as if a black cloud had engulfed his post. “There was snow and darkness everywhere. The power generator lay at the headquarters, thousands of feet below. And that was meant for the equipment,” he recalls.“The jam bottles did the trick for the next four months,” he said. Then began the routine at 22,000 feet where temperatures at times drops to minus 50 degree Celsius. The task was cut out: Be alert 24×7, keep watch over the frontiers, ensure patrolling, maintain routes, clear snow, cook, and secure the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL). Akshay’s post was on an area of about 100 metres. For his solace was a separate accommodation, he being an officer: a Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) tent. Inside, there is no bed, no furniture, no posters and no family pictures. There is a bedroll, which he had carried to the post and a pillow made of a plastic sandbag filled with food wrappers to make it “fluffy”. “The first two nights I could not sleep. I had never been in this kind of atmosphere. My FRP was on a crevice (cracks in the ice). The crevice shifts in and out and at night I could hear it cracking,” he recalled.The other area of the post consisted of the men’s barrack, two toilets and a kitchen which was open from one side. “Fire hazard prevented us from cooking our food inside the tent or the barrack. We seldom felt hungry even though we had special ration such as chocolates and chicken nuggets. The drinking water came from the melting ice,” he said.Going to the kitchen also means chances of falling sick. When a man falls sick, he is a huge burden because he has to be taken on a stretcher to the nearest post with a helipad by four men 3,000 feet below. “Walking there is like tying weights to your feet and then pushing ahead. Out of the four rescuers, at least two fall sick because of exposure. Similarly, if one falls into a crevice, saving him is like rescuing a drowning man with weights attached to your body,” he said.When he was there, Pakistani side would often fire artillery guns and other weapons at his location. “We hardly used the bathroom because it had a bullet-riddled door,” he says. Right below this post at 18,500 feet was Bhagwan Singh (name changed on request) with about 28 other men. He recalled that attending the call of nature was done in the open or through a wooden board shaped as a toilet and placed among rocks. Before leaving with a group of other soldiers to a “half-link”, he remembers how OP Baba’s blessings were evoked. A half link is located between two posts. The men from a post at a lower altitude place the rations for the higher post here, because covering the entire distance is very difficult.“We would report to our commander before leaving. And the commander would turn his back to us, stand in attention and say aloud: “itne bande gaye hain” (these many men left). While returning, he would repeat the same drill and say “itne bande wapis aa gaye” (these many men have returned). Everyone believed in OP Baba. He is our protector,” said Bhagwan.Akshay recalls the no non-vegetarian days in respect for Baba. “He was in the artillery regiment and posted at the glacier. No one knows how he died. But he is known as the Guardian of the Glacier. Sometimes, he’d come in a soldier’s dreams to warn him of a disaster. Some say during their duty if they dozed off, they’d be slapped and when they awoke they would find none,” says Akshay.Akshay and his men had their own “look out man” at their post, a dog named Moti. “He was brought there as a pup. And he never slept inside the tents. He could not bark, but only whimper, and he did when the men went to the half-link. He would stop yapping when they returned,” he says. Almost four months later, Akshay and his men returned to the base camp at 12,000 feet, as per their rotation. “I had not shaved and bathed for four months. And when I returned I took a bath for one-and-a-half hours. When I shaved I got blisters, but it felt good. The unit had made continental food for us. We began eating at 8.30pm and finished at 11pm!” he says.

The condition of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa, who was miraculously found alive after remaining buried in snow for six days after the avalanche in Siachen, remains critical, according to the medical bulletin.

Lance Naik Hanamanthappa, who was earlier declared dead by the authorities, was found to be conscious but drowsy and disoriented yesterday after he was located during rescue operation.

Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, who was miraculously found alive after remaining buried under snow for six days, is comatose and his condition is extremely critical, Army Hospital Research and Referral said after he was flown in here from Siachen Glacier today.

Fortunately, there was no cold exposure-related frost bite or bony injuries to him, a medical bulletin issued by the hospital said.

“He has been placed on a ventilator to protect his airway and lungs in view of his comatose state. He remains extremely critical and is expected to have a stormy course in the next 24 to 48 hrs due to the complications caused by re-warming and establishment of blood flow to the cold parts of the body,” it said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh and head of the medical team in the ward at a ward of Army’s Research & Referral Hospital where Lance Naik Hanumanthappa who is critical, is being treated in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The soldier, who was earlier declared dead by the authorities, was found to be conscious but drowsy and disoriented yesterday after he was located during rescue operation.

Watch: Here’s how Sashastra Seema Bal jawans brave extreme weather conditions 

“He is currently comatose and continues to be in shock with low blood pressure. He has pneumonia and his investigations have revealed liver and kidney dysfunction,” the bulletin read.

He was “severely dehydrated, hypothermic, hypoxic, hypoglycemic and in shock. He was immediately resuscitated by the doctors at the site, who had been there for the past five days in the hope of a survivor,” it said. He was treated with warm intravenous fluids, humidified warm oxygen and passive external re-warming.

Koppad was flown out from the site today by helicopter along with a medical specialist to the Siachen Base Camp, from where he was brought to the Thois air base.

He was then transferred to Delhi by a fixed-wing aircraft of IAF along with a critical care specialist of the force and a medical specialist from the base camp.

Koppad is being treated by a team of intensivists, neurologist, nephrologist, endocrinologist and surgeons. He has been administered fluids, drugs to bring up his blood pressure, besides antibiotics.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, had visited the hospital earlier today.

Modi said Koppad is an “outstanding soldier” whose “endurance and indomitable spirit” cannot be described in words. “We are all hoping & praying for the best,” Modi added.

On his part, Suhag commended the brave heart for his indomitable mental robustness and his refusal to give in to harsh elements of nature.

He also conveyed best wishes on behalf of all ranks of the army for his early and complete recovery.

– See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/siachen-avalanche-survivor-lance-naik-hanamanthappa-critical/#sthash.2Jh4ENnw.dpuf

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 8

Pulses are cooked in every Indian household but one hardly knows that these days, pulses are not loaded with proteins but with poison. With little check on adulteration, traders continue to put the lives of consumers at risk.From coloured stones to hazardous “khesari dal”, adulterated pulses are being openly sold in the market. The most dangerous adulteration in pulses is mixing khesari in arhar. Pure arhar costs around Rs 160-180 per kg while khesari is very cheap. Both look similar.“The cheap and low quality khesari was banned by the government in 1961. It was used to feed cattle but was banned by the government due to its side effects. Adulteration is more common in other states and traders in Punjab do not resort to such adulteration,” claims Tarsem Sharma, a wholesale pulses trader from the Kesarganj market.Commenting upon the side effects of khesari, Dr Gurmeet Singh said: “Khesari contains diamino-pro-pionic acid which could lead to paralysis of the lower body and numbness in limbs and spine”.Sources said traders start mixing khesari with normal variety of pulses after the prices of arhar soared to more than Rs 200 per kg in some markets, due to poor harvest.Khesari costs just around Rs 40-50 per kg, said sources.Don’t get attracted to the shining pulses as these may be polishes or artificially coloured.“Artificial polishing and colouring leads to cancer, so I opt for organic pulses. They might not look attractive and cost high but when it comes to health I do not compromise and always go for unpolished and chemical-free pulses,” said Neeru Grewal, a residen

Adulterants and their side-effects

• Sand, marble chips, stones are some of the adulterants found in pulses which affect the digestive tract.
• Asbestos in particulate or powder form (for polishing), which causes cancer.
• Metanil yellow (non-permitted food colour) is added to old stocks of pulses to enhance colour. It is carcinogenic and causes stomach disorders. It also causes testicular degeneration in men if consumed for a long time.
• Soluble coal tar dye is used to enhance quality and make pulses look clean. It is highly injurious to health.
• Khesari pulse is often mixed with other pulses. Regular consumption of this pulse causes paralysis of the limbs.

What is adulteration

• The technical definition of food adulteration according to the Food and Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is: “The addition or subtraction of any substance to or from food, so the natural composition and quality of food substance is affected.”

Be cautious

• Buy commodities from familiar shops and cooperative stores.
• Buy reliable brands of food with ISI mark.
• As far as possible, buy food item in sealed packets.

Check it yourself

• Dissolve half a spoon full of “besan” or turmeric powder in 20 ml of lukewarm water. Add a few drops of hydrochloric acid or any commonly available acid at home. If water turns pink, violet or purple, it shows that metanil yellow, a non-permitted colour, is present.

New York, February 7

Pakistan’s powerful intelligence service has long acted as the “manager” of international jihadi forces and it may have been involved in the rise of the Islamic State, a leading US daily today said, in a stinging commentary on Pakistan’s “intervention” in a number of foreign conflicts.Underlining that experts have found “a lot of evidence” that Pakistan facilitated the Taliban offensive, an op-ed in the New York Times said: “This behaviour is not just an issue for Afghanistan. Pakistan is intervening in a number of foreign conflicts.”“Its intelligence service has long acted as the manager of international mujahedeen forces, many of them Sunni extremists, and there is even speculation that it may have been involved in the rise of the Islamic State,” it said.It said that though Pakistan denies harbouring the Taliban and al Qaeda, and points out that it, too, is a victim of terrorism, “many analysts have detailed how the military has nurtured Islamist militant groups as an instrument to suppress nationalist movements, in particular among the Pashtun minority, at home and abroad.”“Pakistan regards Afghanistan as its backyard. Determined not to let its archrival, India, gain influence there, and to ensure that Afghanistan remains in the Sunni Islamist camp, Pakistan has used the Taliban selectively, promoting those who further its agenda and cracking down on those who don’t. The same goes for al Qaeda and other foreign fighters,” wrote Carlotta Gall, the North Africa correspondent for NYT.It said there are reports that Pakistan had a role in the rise of the Islamic State. “….It might come as a surprise that the region’s triumvirate of violent jihad is living openly in Pakistan,” Gall said as she listed out top terrorist leaders living openly in Pakistan.“First, there’s Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani network, and second in command of the Taliban. He moves freely around Pakistan, and has even visited the Pakistani intelligence headquarters of the Afghan campaign in Rawalpindi,” she said. Then there is the new leader of the Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, who has openly assembled meetings of his military and leadership council near the Pakistani town of Quetta, the author said. — PTI

What NYT wrote

• An op-ed in New York Times says though Pakistan denies harbouring Taliban and al-Qaeda, ‘many analysts have detailed how its military nurtured militants
• “…Pak has used Taliban selectively, promoting those who further its agenda and cracking down on those who don’t”
• It says the country may have been involved in the rise of the Islamic State as well

NEW DELHI: The three service chiefs on Tuesday met defence minister Manohar Parrikar to discuss the concerns of the armed forces arising from the recommendations made by the 7th pay panel. Sources said issues related to the OROP scheme were also discussed.