Lt Gen AK Singh (retd), Lt Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, addresses the gathering at Aryans campus in Patiala on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Patiala, August 10

Lt Gen AK Singh (retd), Lt Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, formally inaugurated the 10th academic session of Aryans at a function organised by the Aryans Group of Colleges, Chandigarh, at its campus today.Later, Lt Gen AK Singh, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, also participated in a national-level seminar on “National Security and Role of Armed Forces”. Dr Mohan Paul Singh Isher was the guest of honour, while Dr Anshu Kataria, chairman, Aryans Group, presided over the function.Lt Gen AK Singh congratulated the students, staff and management on the beginning of the 10th academic session. He addressed the youth on “National Security and Role of Armed Forces”.Lt Gen AK Singh said: “Indian forces are the pillars and foundation of the national security and peace. All forces are embedded and reserved with the Armed Forces. It is the responsibility of the Armed Forces to forestall peace and safety in the country”. He covered positive and negative aspects of the country wherein social evils need to be eradicated. “A good military leader should have humility in his personality, but arrogance in uniform,” he said.Aryans also honoured Awais Amber, chairman, Rosemine Education and Charitable Trust, for putting efforts and connecting financially deprived students with the higher education.Dr Mohan Paul Singh, Vice-Chancellor, MRS-PTU, Bathinda, said national security was a top issue today. There is a need for a total overhaul of the curriculum at all levels of education to provide its recipients, broad-based education in the development of the mind, soul and body.Awais Amber, chairman, Rosemine Education and Charitable Trust, said: “Every sovereign and independent state must train, sustain and nurture men and women to serve in its security and intelligence outfits. Education is the only means that frees the minds of its recipients from their preconceptions. It broadens the possibilities for greater understanding of others in our nation and around the world”. — TNS 

Campaign to make Rakhi special for Army men

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 10

For some these might just be threads blessed with sacred verses to love and protect brothers, but NEXT, a leader and innovator in the electronic retail space, knows the power of a Rakhi too well. With the ‘NEXT ka Salaam Raksha ka Paigam’ campaign, India’s one of the most trusted electronics retail chain brings a much sought-after opportunity for its consumers to express their gratitude to soldiers. It plans to reassure the brave men, the love and respect they command in the hearts of the countrymen, by sending personalised messages and Rakhis.While each Indian citizen wishes to honour the soldiers, not many get a chance to do so.NEXT retail is planning to bridge this gap with the new campaign, NEXT ka Salaam Raksha ka Paigam.To participate, all that consumers have to do is to visit the nearest NEXT store and write personalised messages to soldiers and it will be collected by them and further sent to the soldiers.

Army holds cricket meet at Chandanwari

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 10

The Army on Tuesday organised a cricket tournament in south Kashmir’s in Chandanwari Anantnag.A defence spokesman said the Sheshnag-11 won the inaugural of chapter of Sheshnag Premiere League (SPL) that began on Tuesday.He said, “the SPL was received very well by all teams and spectators in Sheshnag. The people came out in large numbers from Nagakoti, Bhabal Top and MG Pass during the finals between Chandanwari-11 and Sheshnag-11,” he said.In another initiative, the Army held a mega medical camp near Badami Bagh Cantonment, Srinagar.A spokesman said, “Conscious of the hardships which are being faced by the people due to the repeated bandh calls, the Army has stepped up its efforts to bring succour to the people in every possible way.”He added, “It was in this spirit that a medical camp was organised to bring medical comfort to the doorsteps of the people in and around the Sonwar area. Over 1,000 people, including children, women and elderly, benefitted from this day-long camp where a team of physicians, dental doctors, nursing officers and assistants provided free medical attention and medicines to the needy.”

Army holds debate ahead of Independence Day

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 10

The Army today organised a debate competition at the Bhalla area of Bhaderwah in Doda district.The event was planned as a prelude to Independence Day and aimed at developing nationalism, patriotism and oneness among the children from various strata as they are the future of the nation.As many as 38 students from various schools participated in the competition.Taliq Hussain, sarpanch of the Bhalla area, inaugurated the competition in presence of villagers.During his speech, Taliq Hussain explained the importance of Independence Day to the children.The children showed enthusiasm during the function

Col BS Lakra, director, RV Logistics Ltd, on behalf of headquarter director general, NCC, New Delhi, visited 1 Punjab, R&V Sqn, NCC, Ludhiana and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU). Col Lakra reviewed and appreciated the work done by 1 Punjab, R&V Sqn. He appreciated the unit team commanded under Lt Col Tushar Upasani. He visited visited Group HQ, NCC, Ludhiana and College of Veterinary Science to strengthen coordination with educational institutions.

Training in dairy farming

The Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) organised a two-week training in ‘Specialised dairy farming’. Deliberations on nutrition, housing, breed improvement, value addition of milk, reproductive and seasonal management were made during the training. Trainees were imparted theoretical as well as practical know-how of dairy farming.— TNS

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 4

The Ministry of Defence has approved a strategically vital 2000-km highway that connects the western and eastern extremities of Arunachal Pradesh — Tawang to Vijaynagar — after incorporating the Army’s views on the alignment of the road that is proposed to run all along the McMohan Line, the defacto border with China in the state.The road was proposed by the Arunachal Government to seek better connectivity between remote valleys separated by highly inaccessible mountains. The Director General of Military Operations of the Army had objected to the road’s proposed alignment as it was running too close to the disputed sections of the McMohan Line.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The Army had asked for fresh alignment as the area has very little population and sustaining the safety and civilian traffic would end up being the responsibility of the armed forces. Also, the road could be used by insurgents to slip-in and out of the country. There is no boundary marked on the ground, perception on the exact alignment of the McMohan Line vary by a few miles on either side in India and China.Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar recently informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply: “Based on operational requirement of the Army, proposal for construction of Tawang to Vijaynagar highway has been endorsed with a few changes in its alignment.”The road is planned between Mago-Thingbu in Tawang to Vijaynagar in Changlang district of Arunachal. The proposed highway will pass through Tawang, East Kameng, Upper Subansiri, West Siang, Upper Siang, Dibang Valley, Desali, Chaglagam, Kibithoo, Dong, Hawai and Vijaynagar on the Arunachal Pradesh border. The government has already relaxed environmental clearances for border area projects.China disputes India’s control over the Northeastern state. The two countries have an undemarcated 3,488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC), the McMohan line (named after British Foreign Secretary Sir Henry McMohan) is part of the LAC. In the past, China had objected to constructing infrastructure in the border areas.A concept paper with provision for consultancy services to cost Rs63 crore has already been submitted to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway. An empowered committee has been holding consultations with all stake holders.

Now, Army on board

• The Army had objected to the alignment of the 2,000-km highway that connects the western and eastern extremities of Arunachal Pradesh as it was running too close to McMohan Line
• It had asked for fresh alignment as the area has very little population and sustaining the safety and civilian traffic would end up being the responsibility of the armed forces

Ex-servicemen protest outside the District Magistrate’s office in Haridwar on Tuesday. Tribune photo: RAMESHWAR GAUR

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 2

Ex-servicemen under the aegis of the Dev Bhoomi Poorva Sainik-Ardh Sainik Kalyan Samiti, Haridwar, have urged the state government to allocate space for a war memorial in Haridwar.Samiti president Dinesh Chandra Saklani said a large number of serving and ex-armed forces personnel feel dejected over not having a place to celebrate Independence Day, Vijay Divas and pay tributes to martyrs who laid their life for the country.“Haridwar is home to Roorkee-based Bengal Engineering Group (BEG), which was set up in 1861. Ex-servicemen have felt the need of a war memorial. We are ready to manage the affairs of the war memorial once it is constructed. Pilgrims and tourists will get a patriotic fervour during their visit to Haridwar,” said Saklani.Executive working body chairperson BS Sharma said ex-servicemen did not have a CSD facility in Haridwar but their priority was having a war memorial.“We want our younger generation to know about the contributions of our valiant soldiers. There are dozens of statues in the district named after saints and revered personalities but we don’t have any place to offer tributes to our martyrs. The government should consider our demand and ensure speedy earmarking, allocation of space and construction of the memorial,” Sharma added

Los Angeles, July 31

A 42-year-old skydiver with more than 18,000 jumps made history when he became the first person to leap without a parachute and land in a net instead.After a two-minute free fall from a height of 25,000 feet (7,620 metres), Luke Aikins landed in the 100×100-ft net suspended 200 feet (61 metres) above ground at the Big Sky movie ranch on the outskirts of Simi Valley yesterday. As cheers erupted, Aikins quickly climbed out, walked over and hugged his wife, Monica, who had been watching from the ground with their four-year-old son, Logan, and other family members.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)“I’m almost levitating, it’s incredible,” the jubilant skydiver said, raising his hands  as his wife held their son, who dozed in her arms.“This thing just happened! I can’t even get the words out of my mouth,” he added as he thanked the dozens of crew members who spent two years helping him prepare for the jump, including those who assembled the fishing trawler-like net and made sure it really worked.The stunt, broadcast live on the Fox network for the TV special “Stride Gum Presents Heaven Sent”, nearly didn’t come off as planned when Aikins revealed just before climbing into his plane that the Screen Actors Guild had ordered him to wear a parachute to ensure his safety.Aikins didn’t say what prompted the original restriction, and representatives for the show and the Screen Actors Guild did not immediately respond to phone and email messages.Aikins said he considered pulling out at that point because having the parachute canister on his back would have made his landing in the net far more dangerous. “I’m going all the way to the net, no question about it,” he said from the plane. “I’ll just have to deal with the consequences when I land wearing the parachute on my back and what it’s going to do to my body.”A few minutes before the jump, one of the show’s hosts said the requirement had been lifted. Aikins left the plane without the chute.He jumped with three other skydivers, each wearing parachutes. One had a camera, another trailed smoke so people on the ground could follow his descent and the third took an oxygen canister he handed off after they got to an altitude where it was no longer needed. Then the others opened their parachutes. Lights were set along the side of the net to serve as a guide for Aikins to aim himself as he hurtled toward it. When he was on target, the lights shone white.Aikins admitted before the jump he was nervous and his mother said she wouldn’t watch. When his friend Chris Talley came up with the idea two years ago, Aikins acknowledged he turned it down cold. A couple of weeks later, Aikins called back and said he would do it. — Agencies

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 26

The Army saluted martyrs of the Kargil war today and various programmes were held to commemorate the Vijay Diwas, but the Jammu and Kashmir Government seemed to have forgotten the martyrs who saved the state from Pakistan in 1999 as they gave the day a miss.Not a single message was received from the Chief Minister or Deputy Chief Minister to remember the bravehearts who had pushed back enemy forces and infiltrators from Kargil heights against all odds.More than 500 soldiers had laid down their lives for protecting the sovereignty of the country and won back the territory occupied by enemy forces. This war was the most serious engagement between Indian and Pakistani forces after the 1971 war.Many officers and soldiers from Jammu and Kashmir had fought the war and some made the supreme sacrifice for the country. But when the day came to remember their sacrifices, the Jammu and Kashmir Government forgot them.“It is the duty of the government and the public to remember these bravehearts on Vijay Diwas, observed by the Army on July 26 every year. They sacrificed their lives for our secure future and in return they demand nothing but a remembrance,” said Bodh Raj, a resident of border area in RS Pura.It had been a regular practice for the government to issue press notes on behalf of the Chief Minister and ministers to greet the people on important occasions, but not a single official handout was released by the PDP-BJP government to remember Kargil martyrs.The Army observed Vijay Diwas at Drass, Northern Command headquarters and other Army installations and held events to remember the martyrs, but not a single official programme was organised by the state government to remember the 1999 victory.

Forgetting martyrs

• No message received from CM, her deputy or ministers
• Not a single official programme organised by state govt

Respected Veterans,

Jai Hind.

1.       The programme for the Commemoration Ceremony on Kargil Diwas at the National Military Memorial (NMM), Bengaluru, on Tuesday, 26 July 2016, being organized under the aegis of National Military Memorial Management Trust (NMMMT), of which Air Cmde MK Chandrasekhar is one of the Managing Trustees, is as follows:

Programme

 8.30 AM to 9.20 AM: Homage to Martyrs by Veterans and other dignitaries.

9.25 AM: Homage to Martyrs by the Hon’ble Home Minister

9.30 AM: Homage to Martyrs by the Hon’ble Chief Minister

 Regards,

Col Rajan

Convenor, Military Veterans KARNATAKA

Bangalore, 9449043770

Remembrance Day

Remembering India’s War Dead

Soldiers die every day in the line of duty – in the jungles of the North East, in the icy wastes of Ladakh and Siachen, fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and in a myriad other death defying scenarios. Sometimes when the death is dramatic, it makes news – most often they die in quiet oblivion. Either way, they are soon forgotten, except by the families in whose homes the lights went out when they lost a father, son or brother.

What is important however is to realise that the ultimate sacrifice made by soldiers yesterday, today and tomorrow needs to be remembered

Next year will make seventy years since the 1947-48 Indo-Pak war, and we as yet, do not have a proper war memorial for all who have died in all the wars and counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations that we have fought since independence. Families of dead soldiers have been waiting patiently for the war memorial so that they can pray at the site for their loved ones who made the supreme sacrifice. In the meantime many of these families have themselves passed away having waited all these years in vain. The Indian soldier has been told that the memorial is in the pipeline and that this project will be completed in five years time. When did the countdown of five years start and when will it finish? A promise is a promise only if it has a deadline!

In the meanwhile, veterans of the armed forces feel that something ought to be done till then. They have voiced the need for a Remembrance Day and a symbol to remember India’s ‘Unknown Soldier’. The West has the poppy as its symbol of remembrance. Indian veterans feel that no flower could be more meaningful as a symbol of remembrance for the war dead of India than the marigold. They suggest that a day could be nominated as ‘Remembrance Day’ and the marigold as the symbol of remembrance. The poem below encapsulates their sentiments.

                                                                                                           Ian Cardozo, 28 March 2016

 

 

The Marigold

In Remembrance

Our Marigold, this simple flower

In many ways it meets the hour

of valiant soldiers who in combat die

And to their Maker skywards fly.

 

From ancient times, this favourite bloom

Has commemorated ‘womb to tomb’

Of life and death in equal measure

And other moments we all treasure

 

But in time of war, this flower has shed

Her fragrant petals to mourn her dead

For those who fought for you and me

And sacrificed their destiny.

 

So pause a moment all that care

And offer up in silent prayer

This sacred flower for a soldier’s death

To remember, lest we soon forget

 Ian Cardozo, 28 March, 2016

 

 

———- 

 Love Never Fails

An IAF plane lands at the Tambaram Air Force station in Chennai on Saturday. AFP

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 23

The aircrew of the AN-32 transport aircraft that went missing over the Bay of Bengal on Friday had asked the Chennai air traffic control (ATC) for a course deviation a few minutes before it reportedly lost contact with the ATC, it is learnt.IAF sources said around 9 am, the pilot had requested permission from the ATC to alter his course by 10 degrees to the right, ostensibly because of the prevailing weather conditions.The weather in the search area today was bad, with overhead clouds, rough seas and visibility being 3-4 nautical miles.The recently upgraded aircraft, which is reported to have suffered three snags this months, had left Tambaram airbase near Chennai at 8.30 am on Friday and was to land at Port Blair around 11.45 am. It fell off the radar at 9.12 am, 151 nautical miles (280 kms) east of Chennai.Permission to change course, sources said, was accorded. The aircraft had been cleared to fly at an altitude of 23,000 feet, which it would have reached in about 15 minutes after take-off with full load.“The possibilities here are that the aircraft flew into the eye of a storm or suffered a structural or electrical failure. Sabotage also cannot be discounted at this stage. These situations give little or no reaction time to transmit a distress signal,” an AN-32 pilot said.In June 2015, a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft had gone missing off the Chennai coast. Its remains were located 33 days later. An inquiry could not establish the cause of the crash.Under IAF’s standard operating procedure, the long sea stretch between Chennai and Port Blair requires AN-32s to fly with full fuel which is 5.5 tonnes. Five tonnes is pumped by tankers through under-wing access nodes, while the remaining is “poured” through an opening above the wing roots that requires a technician to climb on top of the aircraft and manually operate the fuel cap.An AN-32 pilot recalled an incident many years ago where the fuel cap of an aircraft was not properly secured. Mid-way over the Bay of Bengal, the aircrew observed unusually high fuel consumption. Inspection after landing revealed that the unsecured fuel cap had blown off in the air. “The air friction over the wing is very high and volatile fumes from the aviation fuel could have produced a spark with disastrous consequences. It was a miraculous escape from the aircraft,” he added.

Bhiwani flight lieutenant aboard missing IAF plane

ROHTAK: Flight lieutenant Deepika Sheoran (26) of Bhiwani’s Loharu town was aboard the air force Antonov-32 jet that disappeared half-an-hour after leaving Chennai for Port Blair on Friday.

MANOJ DHAKA/HTThe parents of flight lieutenant Deepika Sheoran showing her picture at their house in Loharu, Bhiwani, on Saturday.

Remaining close to the telephone, her parents in Haryana await update on their daughter. “They say they are looking for the plane… but nothing has been found yet… kaafi delay ho gaya (it has been a long delay) …. she’s missing since 9.15am on Friday,” said the officer’s father, Dalip Sheoran, an executive engineer in the Haryana public health and engineering department.

Deepika, who received commission in 2013, married Coast Guard commander Kuldeep Singh last November.

Since one lived in Mumbai and other in Nasik, they had sought transfer to Port Blair recently. “She came home last week during her transfer period and left on July 16 to join at the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. We went to the airport to see her off,” her father said.

The Russian-made aircraft, which is believed to have disappeared over the Bay of Bengal, took off at 8.30am from Tambaram in Chennai. The last contact with it was at 9.16am, about 151 nautical miles east of Chennai. “Her mother can’t stop crying… but we are hopeful. People have been telling us it will be okay,” said Dalip Sheoran. “We have faith in God.

The cost of India’s peace- time casualties possibly exceeds the figure of the total 12,000 soldiers killed in the four major wars India has fought. The government and the Army need to think of ways of avoiding cheap casualties. The lives of our young soldiers are precious.

Army officials and jawans carry the coffin of Captain Tushar Mahajan, who lost his life in a gun-battle with the militants in Pampore, Udhampur. PTI

The life of the Indian Army soldier, including the officer, comes cheap. Since 1988, over 6,200 men, mostly from the Army, have been killed in anti-terrorist and low intensity conflict operations ranging from terrorism to insurgencies across Jammu and Kashmir and the North-Eastern states. This casualty figure, which continues to rise, exceeds the number of soldiers killed in any of the four major wars India has fought so far, whether the 1962 war with China or the 1947-48, 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan. The number of soldiers wounded or permanently incapacitated is separate. 

No-war, no-peace state

The figure does not include casualties suffered in other military engagements during this 28 year period – Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka (1987-1990) in which 1,138 soldiers were killed; Operation Vijay in Kargil (May-July 1999) in which 527 soldiers, including six airmen, were killed; Operation Meghdoot in Siachen, where between April 1984 and December 2015, the Army has lost 869 soldiers; the innumerable soldiers killed in the “no-war, no-peace” environment along the Line of Control since the early 1980s; or the 1,874 soldiers killed or injured during the 10-month long largescale mobilisation of the Army along the Indo-Pak border from December 19, 2001 to October 16, 2002 following the attack on Parliament by terrorists. Indeed, if all the Army’s engagements starting from Independence are taken into account, the cost of India’s “peace-time” casualties are comparable, rather possibly exceed, the figure of the total 12,000 soldiers killed in the above mentioned four major wars India has fought reflecting on both the frequency and intensity of operations that the Army has been engaged in since Independence.

Highly trained commandos

Disconcertingly, the Army has been regularly losing even its best soldiers – highly trained commandos belonging to the Para Special Forces – in low intensity conflict. Two recent incidents serve as a case in point. On February 22 this year, three commandos, including two captains in their twenties with barely three odd years of service each and belonging to the Para Special Forces, were killed in Pampore, South Kashmir while trying to flush out a few terrorists who had taken refuge in a government building after shortly earlier killing two CRPF men and injuring 11 more. Soon after, on April 13, a young major from a Para Special Forces battalion was killed in an encounter with insurgents in Manipur. The Army’s continually rising death toll give rise to a number of questions and issues. For how long can the Army, the last bastion of India’s security, continue to lose its expensively trained officers and soldiers meant to fight wars so cheap, so easy and so soon in their careers to illiterate but motivated terrorists who have nothing to lose? Not only is this continued attrition of soldiers such a “waste”, but it also does no good for the image of an Army of a regional power. It raises questions about the quality of training, tactics, equipment and leadership within the Army as also the question of whether the Army is regularly doing a lessons-learnt exercise and evolving new tactics in its counter-insurgency and jungle warfare schools. But then the government at the highest level also needs to seriously introspect whether it makes sense to keep the Army constantly employed in internal security operations. For over three decades the Army has been under extraordinary pressure fighting low intensity conflict in the form of terrorism and insurgencies that have gradually disoriented the soldier and the Army’s fighting formations. This was evident during the Kargil War, when after being caught by surprise, the Army moved 8 Mountain Division, then deployed in the Kashmir Valley, to fight the war in Kargil. It was not easy for soldiers, until then deployed in counter-insurgency mode, to instantly switch to fighting arduous high-altitude battles.

Shortage of officers

The continuing officer shortages (9,106 or 18.35 per cent of the sanctioned officer strength as of May 2016) has put considerable pressure on the 300 odd Infantry battalions that on an average are functioning with 50 per cent officer strength. The officer shortages combined with the lowering of recruitment standards for officers and the changing economic and social profile of both the officers and soldiers joining the Army have created its own challenges. The ongoing revolution of information and communication technology that now brings instant awareness to the soldier and, consequently, pressure, has added to the challenge. Despite measures taken within the Army consequent to studies conducted by the Defence Institute of Psychological Research, incidence of suicides in high double digits every year is continuing in the Army. About 1,300 Army soldiers have committed suicide in a 14-year period between 2002 and 2015 alone. Added to this are incidents of breakdown in command and control leading to clashes between officers and jawans, the latest incident having occurred in an Army Infantry battalion in Arunachal Pradesh in mid-May.

Complicated security scenario

No other country of its size and importance has such long-disputed borders as India. Neither are the country’s border disputes with China and Pakistan likely to be resolved in the near future. Similarly, the ongoing insurgencies, particularly in Kashmir, show no sign of fading. Rather, the security situation in the subcontinent is only getting more complicated and multi-dimensional. Surely, the government and the Army needs to get smart and come up with better ways to prevent cheap casualties and disorientation of the Army soldier.  

dkumar@tribunemail.com