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Houston, September 22 

However, there are some more unresolved issues. We have outlined issues that the NRI Sikh community and Sikh Community in large is enduring and request you to address these issues in near future,” the memorandum said.

 

I had an excellent interaction with the Sikh Community in Houston. I am delighted to see their passion towards India’s development!

 Among the prominent members of the 50-member delegation were Satpal Singh Khalsa from New Mexico, eminent Sikh businessman Darshan Singh Dhaliwal from Milwaukee, Rachpal Singh from Indiana and Jaswinder Singh from Illinois.

The memorandum thanked the prime minister for bringing to justice some of the perpetrators of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

“We request you to ensure that justice prevails, and Sikhs in India get justice and dignity which is their right under the constitution of India,” it said.

Based in Pakistan, Rai Bular Bhatti’s descendants desire to visit Golden Temple

GS Paul
Tribune News Service
Nankana Sahib (Pak), August 4

The descendants of Rai Bular Bhatti, a 15th Century Muslim landlord of undivided Punjab and a disciple of Guru Nanak Dev, are a dejected lot for not getting fulfilled their desire to visit the Golden Temple. Their application for furnishing visa formalities was repeatedly rejected by the Indian authorities.

Rai Saleem Bhatti (41), a lawyer at Lahore High Court and the 19th generation of Rai Bular Bhatti, said till date the visa could not be procured for the reasons best known to the Indian authorities.

SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal confirmed that the programme could not be held due to non-availability of Bhatti family. “We will take up the matter with the Union Home Department for facilitating visa to Bhatti’s descendants,” he said. 

The Bhatti family, despite being devout Muslims, has kept alive their ancestral links with Sikhism for the past several generations.

Rai Saleem Bhatti and his 11-year-old son Rai Waleed Bhatti visited Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib on the occasion of nagar kirtan dedicated to the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

The family still continued the legacy by contributing in every way for the wellbeing of people living in the area. The 16th generation, Rai Bashir Ahmed Bhatti, Rai Hadayat Khan Bhatti played important role in Pakistan politics too. Rai Saleem Bhatti said his cousins Rai Sarvar Khan Bhatti and Rai Ahmad Khan Bhatti’s family had donated 10 acres at Kot Hussan Khan, 5 km from Nankana Sahib, for setting up Nankana Sahib Foundation. The purpose was to generate jobs and revenue for the upkeep of Sikh shrines in Nankana Sahib.  “We desire to get it revived and take up the matter with the Pakistan government,” he said.

His father, Rai Akram Bhatti, also a lawyer, wishes to strengthen Sikh-Muslim cordial ties by conducting Sikh pilgrimage to the holy shrines and invite them to his place.

“Our family owes my birth due to the blessings of Baba Nanak only. Sikh devotees from any part of the world who visit Nankana Sahib hold special place in our heart and we take it as a divine opportunity to serve them,” he said.

Guru Nanak’s father Mehta Kalu was a munshi at Rai Bular Bhatti’s estate. Rai Bular Bhatti, who owned over 36,000 acres, had donated half of it to Guru Nanak in late 15th century. “Bhatti had donated around 18,750 acres. On some part of the land Gurdwara Janam Asthan Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Bal Leela were built. The remaining was leased to locals. The land is now under the control of the Evacuee Property Trust Board, Pakistan,” he said.

SGPC to honour them 

• The SGPC wants to set up a portrait of Rai Bular Bhatti, a 15th Century Muslim landlord of undivided Punjab and a disciple of Guru Nanak Dev, in the Central Sikh Museum.
• The programme was scheduled for May 5, 2018, but had to be deferred as Bhatti’s descendants were denied visa.
• Rai Saleem Bhatti, a lawyer at Lahore High Court and the 19th generation of Rai Bular Bhatti, said till date visa could not be procured for the reasons best known to the Indian authorities.

Raipur, July 31

A CRPF jawan was killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast triggered by Naxals in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, officials said.

The blast took place around 6 am near a camp of 195th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force at Pushpal in Bastar when one of its patrol teams was on its way back, they said.

A constable-rank jawan was trapped in the blast, the officials said. PT

Paramilitary personnel pay respects to martyrs at the ITBP headquarters. tribune photo: Vishal kumar

ITBP personnel participate in a run for martyrs in Amritsar on Tuesday. tribune photo: Vishal kumar

Amritsar, July 23

Paramilitary personnel commemorated the victory of the nation in the Kargil war by holding a number of programmes here.

A 5-km race titled ‘Run for martyrs’ was organised by 52 Battalion, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), at New Amritsar. Apart from ITBP officials, civilians also took part in it.

Baljit Singh, Commandant, 52 Battalion, ITBP, said the run started from the New Amritsar market and concluded at the ITBP camp. The BSF held a blood donation camp as a part of a week-long Kargil war commemoration programme.

As many as 127 volunteers donated blood. As many as 59 BSF personnel and 68 civilians were among the donors at the Attari joint checkpost. Visitors, who had come to witness the Retreat ceremony, also donated blood.

JS Oberoi, DIG, BSF paid floral tributes to the martyrs.

Rajouri, July 6

After a lull of fortnight, the Pakistan army on Friday night resorted to unprovoked heavy firing and shelling in the Baba Khori area of Rajouri.

According to reports, two soldiers suffered splinter injuries and were taken to Army Hospital. They have been identified as Sepoy R Gautam and Naik K Singh.

“At 9 pm, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation with small arms followed by shelling with mortars along the Line of Control in the Nowshera sector. The Army has retaliated beffitingly,” said Lt Col Devender Anand, PRO Defence (Jammu).

During the last six months, the Pakistan army has violated the truce 1,248 times on the LoC and four soldiers have attained martyrdom, including three in March and one in June.

On June 10, a soldier was killed while three others, including a BSF constable, were injured in Poonch. On June 16, two minor girls were injured in the Shahpur area along with an Army porter. On June 17, a BSF constable was injured in Poonch. — OC

The move to tax disability pensions awarded to superannuated soldiers upset serving and retired members of the armed forces, who pointed to veterans like Major General Ian Cardozo, who, during the 1971 war, amputated his own leg to prevent the setting of gangrene

The Army’s reaction was also set out in an unsigned letter, shared on social media by Nirmala Sitharamam

NEW DELHI: 

The Indian Army today endorsed the government’s decision to tax pensions given to personnel superannuated from the service.The government, however, said it will not tax pensions paid to soldiers who suffered disabling injuries in the line of duty. In a series of messages posted on social media, the Army criticised “personnel seeking disability, even for lifestyle diseases” for tax-exemption purposes and said it highlighted a worrying trend in the face of “security challenges to the nation”

The Army’s reaction was also set out in an unsigned letter, shared on social media by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamam, in which it said “some veterans feel that the courage and valour displayed by soldiers wounded in battle should be compensated for by mere financial remuneration”.

“Over the years broad-banding and compensation awarded for disability with income tax exemption, have led to a rise in personnel seeking disability, even for lifestyle diseases. The trend is worrisome and that too when the security challenges to the nation are on the rise,” the Army said in a tweet.

However, the Army, in its letter, reminded its veterans that “Maj. Gen. Ian Cardozo (Retd), #IndianArmy is a highly respected gallant soldier of 1971 war whose deeds exemplify true ethos of soldiering. As a living legend he has never let disability come between profession & military rigours.”

“… remuneration alone cannot compensate for disabilities. The service must continue to provide them necessary support through their career in the Army and post their superannuation. This aspect is being exploited by unscrupulous personnel who have gained from disability benefits provided by the government to disabled soldiers,” the letter continued.

In a circular issued on June 24, the Central Board of Direct Taxes said pensions drawn by personnel who retired under normal circumstances would be taxed. It also clarified that disability pensions, which are additional payments, measured by rank, made to personnel who suffer disabling injuries in the line of duty, would remain tax free.

The centre has been criticised for its decision to tax disability pensions, with Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raising the issue in the Lok Sabha last week.

As soon as Mr Chowdhury raised the issue, Congress members rushed the well and raised slogans like “Sena ko nayay do‘ (give justice to Army)” and ”sena ke naam pe vote mangana band karo‘ (stop asking votes in the name of Army)”.

In response, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “I will look into the issue. The ministry is gathering information and will get back with details to the House.”

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 30

Even as the process to re-equip soldiers with a new contemporary assault rifle drags on, the Army is moving to modify the AK-47 rifles in its inventory with new accessories to meet its emerging operational requirements.

A process has been initiated for acquiring “weapon speciality kits” that includes items like tactical flashlight, fiber reinforced pistol grip, swing swivel attachment, polymer rails, rubberised pistol fore front grip, cheek rest, pointing grip, extendable butt stock and side mount that can be attached to the rifle in the field as and when required.

“Due to change in scenario and change in tactics being adopted by terrorists, there is a need to modify the AK-47 with arrangements to mount night sight, holographic sight, flash light and laser beam for early engagement of targets and to increase operational efficiency of troops,” states a request for information (RFI) floated by the Amy this week.

While the indigenous INSAS rifle is the Army’s standard weapon, units deployed for counter-terrorism or other specialist tasks are equipped with different versions of the AK-47 for providing greater fire power that is needed for such operations. The Army wants to replace the INSAS which has not only become obsolete but is also prone to glitches.

The weapon speciality kit comprises parts which can replace the existing parts of Rifle AK-47, thereby enhancing the utility of the weapon and at the same time make the firer comfortable and increase the chances of align engagement, the RFI adds.

The items will not require any tool to fix on to the rifle and the exercise can be undertaken in field conditions during operations without the need to refer to a workshop or a skilled technician.

The Army’s desire to procure new assault rifles has been bogged down for years due to financial constraints and red tape, with some reports indicating that only the infantry and some other arms will get new rifles. In February, a deal was signed to procure 72,400 Swiss SIG-716 assault rifles. A deal with Russia is also in the works to procure 6,50,000 Kalashnikov AK-103/203 assault rifles.

Enhancing utility

A process has been initiated for acquiring ‘weapon speciality kits’ that includes items like tactical flashlight, fiber reinforced pistol grip, swing swivel attachment, polymer rails, rubberised pistol fore front grip, cheek rest, pointing grip, extendable butt stock and side mount that can be attached to the rifle in the field as and when required

The onus is on the Army to continue with the practice of swift and stern action against dereliction of duty or negligence which is a risk to security and lives. Any dilution or compromise on such action will only give a handle to the government to intervene in military matters.

Maj Gen Amrit Pal Singh (Retd)
Military commentator

MILITARY command and its intangibles/variables are starkly different from heading a government department or an office. The recent reports of the government having communicated its recommendation to the Army regarding action to be taken against the senior leadership in command of the Uri brigade, Sunjuwan miltary base and the Nagrota Cantonment are glaring in their inability to recognise this basic difference. The government’s recommendation suggests that the commanders put in their resignation papers and retire prematurely. Thirty-six soldiers were martyred in the three attacks — Uri and Nagrota (2016) and the Sunjuwan base (2017).

The Army conducts internal inquiries and after-action reports are made to analyse all incidents such as IED attacks on convoys and counter-terror operations in the hinterland. In all cases, lapses are identified, lessons drawn out and standard operating procedures suitably modified at all levels from the battalion to divisional and higher to improve defensive and offensive aspects of operations. These lessons are imparted to battalions inducting into the disturbed areas in the battle schools where troops and commanders are trained. The lapses also reveal individual or collective failures; strict action, either disciplinary or administrative, is initiated against those responsible. Lapses could be of omission or commission and both are considered for award of corrective and exemplary punishment. The armed forces are arguably the swiftest and surest in the initiation of inquiries and the meting out of punishment which have sometimes resulted in cashiering and discharge from service.

Command of troops and combat decisions are unique. The forces take ‘command responsibility’ very seriously as command of troops is a sacrosanct duty, the dereliction of which invites strict and swift action. The fact that a wrong command or directive can lead to the loss of life and limb is ingrained in the training and grooming of young officers and JCOs right from their commissioning. It is also well known that the services have a steep pyramidical structure and officers rise to higher ranks by selection and merit which always factor in the command potential and failings of the officers at each level of promotion. Command reports of officers and JCOs are of two types — command in peace stations and ‘field’ areas. Command in field areas, where there is direct contact with the enemy or terrorist actions, is given more weightage and there is focus on moral and physical courage along with tactical and operational acumen. Unlike the other central services where officers get promoted as a batch, here, the failings and recorded field reports are given primacy so that no act of command failure or lack of courage — both moral and physical — goes unnoticed.

Earlier this year, the Cabinet secretariat and the Central Vigilance Commission had reportedly initiated identification in various departments of corrupt, non-performing officers and those with questionable integrity for compulsory retirement. In the case of the bureaucrats who were fired in mid-June, there have been grievous and repeated cases against them; the sacking has evoked a seemingly positive response from bureaucrats in general. There seems to be a tilt of the bureaucrats towards culling unproductive and corrupt members of their flock rather than accept lateral entries who, they argue, could also fall prey to corruption and inefficiency. The armed forces, on the other hand, have a continuous weeding-out process in their selection of higher commanders. Corruption and lack of leadership qualities top the list of the ‘reject criteria’. The selection process is different and so are the service conditions. In such a situation, the same yardsticks must not apply to military commanders.

The Pakistani establishment, and the Pakistani army in particular, is focused on using border action teams of special troops, sometimes with a mix of terrorists, to attack posts and bases along the Line of Control (LoC). Many such attacks are thwarted with heavy loss to the enemy but these don’t make the news. In areas where enemy and terrorist actions are imminent, there are multiple layers of command that come into play in a single action. The firefight starts at the machine gun-post or sentry-post level and quickly escalates to the company commander and base commander levels. Various detachments swing into action and there is urgency to seal the breach even in the face of lack of information which sometimes leads to casualties. In attacks that happen at nighttime and during the wee hours, troops are resting in the barracks while sentries man the perimeter posts. Detachments are also returning from night patrols and ambushes at the same time. There are elaborate procedures to identify friend or foe, but the chances of terrorists sneaking in dressed in similar uniform are very high, especially if a distraction has been created just before the incursion. All posts and bases have well-set drills which the commanders review and change frequently to avoid the enemy from using deceit and new tactics. 

The corrective actions taken by the internal systems of the armed forces have been applied. In some cases, commanders have been removed from command, which in itself is the biggest humiliation a commander can face. The implementation of the government’s recommendation will tantamount to double jeopardy as corrective disciplinary and administrative actions have already been taken. The reports suggest that earlier too the government had attempted action against commanders. However, the military has resisted these attempts in the interests of operational effectiveness. Let’s hope that the system takes cognisance of the peculiar and operational differences of military command in counter-terror and conventional operations from that of a case of corruption, inefficiency or departmental failure. Equally, the onus is also on the Army to continue with the practice of swift and stern action against dereliction of duty or negligence which is a risk to security and lives. Any dilution or compromise on such action will only give a handle to the government to intervene in military matters.