ਖੇਤਰੀ ਪ੍ਰਤੀਨਿੱਧ
ਲੁਧਿਆਣਾ, 16 ਦਸੰਬਰ

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ਸਾਨੂੰ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਹੋਣ ’ਤੇ ਮਾਨ ਮਹਿਸੂਸ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਦੇਸ਼ ਲਈ ਲੜੀਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ ਲੜਾਈਆਂ  ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦੀਆਂ ਦੇਣ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਵਧੇਰੇ ਯੋਗਦਾਨ ਪੰਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ।’ ਇਹ ਪ੍ਰਗਟਾਵਾ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਸੀਨੀਅਰ ਸਲਾਹਕਾਰ ਲੈਫਟੀਨੈਂਟ ਜਨਰਲ (ਸੇਵਾਮੁਕਤ) ਟੀਐੱਸ ਸ਼ੇਰਗਿੱਲ ਨੇ ਅੱਜ ਜਲੰਧਰ ਬਾਈਪਾਸ ਨੇੜੇ ਸਥਿਤ ਮਹਾਰਾਜਾ ਰਣਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਵਾਰ ਮਿਊਜ਼ੀਅਮ ’ਚ ਵਿਜੈ ਦਿਵਸ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਕਰਵਾਏ ਸਮਾਗਮ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਕੀਤਾ। ਇਹ ਦਿਵਸ 1971 ਦੀ ਭਾਰਤ-ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ਜੰਗ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦਾਂ ਦੀ ਯਾਦ ਅਤੇ ਜਿੱਤ ਦੇ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਮਨਾਇਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕੀ ਕੰਪਲੈਕਸ ’ਚ ਫਲਾਈਂਗ ਅਫ਼ਸਰ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਨਿਰਮਲਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੇ ਬੁੱਤ ’ਤੇ ਫੁੱਲ ਮਲਾਵਾਂ ਭੇਟ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ।
ਸਮਾਗਮ ਨੂੰ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਸ਼ੇਰਗਿੱਲ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀ ਆਜ਼ਾਦੀ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਦੇਸ਼ ਨੂੰ ਬਾਹਰੀ ਤਾਕਤਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਰੱਖਣ ਲਈ ਕਈ ਲੜਾਈਆਂ ਲੜੀਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ, ਜੋ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਜਵਾਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਵੀਰਤਾ ਦਾ ਸਬੂਤ ਹਨ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਲੜਾਈਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੜਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾਤਰ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਨ। ਇੱਥੇ ਹੀ ਬੱਸ ਨਹੀਂ ਸਗੋਂ ਦੇਸ਼ ਲਈ ਕੁਰਬਾਨੀਆਂ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਤੇ ਸਜ਼ਾਵਾਂ ਕੱਟਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਵੀ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾਤਰ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਸਨ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸਾਲ 1971 ਦੀ ਲੜਾਈ ਦੇ ਸਿੱਟੇ ਵਜੋਂ ਹੀ ਬੰਗਲਾਦੇਸ਼ ਦਾ ਜਨਮ ਹੋਇਆ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਸੇ ਵੇਲੇ ਪੂਰਬੀ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ਵਜੋਂ ਜਾਣੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਖਿੱਤੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਾਂਤੀ ਦੀ ਬਹਾਲੀ ਹੋਈ ਸੀ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ 1971 ਦੀ ਭਾਰਤ-ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ਜੰਗ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ਰਧਾਂਜਲੀਆਂ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਪਾਏ ਗਏ ਯੋਗਦਾਨ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਲਾਘਾ ਕੀਤੀ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਲਾਗੂ ਲੋਕ ਹਿੱਤ ਅਤੇ ਭਲਾਈ ਸਕੀਮਾਂ/ਯੋਜਨਾਵਾਂ ਲੋੜਵੰਦ ਵਿਅਕਤੀਆਂ ਕੋਲ ਪੁੱਜਣ ਤੱਕ ਪੂਰੀ ਨਜ਼ਰ ਰੱਖਣ ਲਈ ਹੀ ‘ਗਾਰਡੀਅਨਜ਼ ਆਫ਼ ਗਵਰਨੈਂਸ’ ਯੋਜਨਾ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਯੋਜਨਾ ਤਹਿਤ ਪੂਰੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਲੰਟੀਅਰ (ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾਤਰ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਫੌਜੀ) ਭਰਤੀ ਕੀਤੇ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ, ਜੋ ਲੋਕ ਹਿੱਤ ਯੋਜਨਾਵਾਂ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਮੀਨੀ ਹਕੀਕਤ ਬਾਰੇ ਸਮੇਂ-ਸਮੇਂ ’ਤੇ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਰਿਪੋਰਟ ਭੇਜਿਆ ਕਰਨਗੇ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਪਿਛਲੇ ਸਮੇਂ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਓਵਰਆਲ ਰੈਂਕਿੰਗ 19ਵੇਂ ਸਥਾਨ ’ਤੇ ਚਲੀ ਗਈ ਸੀ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਮੁੜ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲੇ ਸਥਾਨ ’ਤੇ ਲਿਆਉਣ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ।
ਸਮਾਗਮ ਨੂੰ ਪੈਸਕੋ ਦੇ ਸੀਐੱਮਡੀ ਮੇਜਰ ਜਨਰਲ ਐੱਸਪੀਐੱਸ ਗਰੇਵਾਲ, ਵਧੀਕ ਡਿਪਟੀ ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨਰ (ਜ) ਇਕਬਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੰਧੂ ਨੇ ਵੀ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕੀਤਾ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਜੰਗੀ ਵਿਧਵਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਨਮਾਨਿਆ ਗਿਆ ਤੇ ਸਕੂਲੀ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਦੇਸ਼ ਭਗਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਸਬੰਧਤ ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮ ਪੇਸ਼ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਡਿਪਟੀ ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨਰ ਪ੍ਰਦੀਪ ਕੁਮਾਰ ਅਗਰਵਾਲ, ਅਮਰਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਮੱਲ੍ਹੀ ਸਹਾਇਕ ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨਰ (ਜ), ਕਰਨਲ ਐੱਚਐੱਸ ਕਾਹਲੋਂ, ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ ਸੈਨਿਕ ਭਲਾਈ ਅਫ਼ਸਰ ਜਸਵੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਬੋਪਾਰਾਏ ਅਤੇ ਹਰਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੰਧੂ ਹੋਰ ਹਾਜ਼ਰ ਸਨ।

VIJAY DIVAS COMMEMORATION IN LUDHIANA. Wreath laying  at Flt Lt Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon  PVC statue and a get together of about 600 ESM and 200  school students at War Museum. Interesting fact narrated by Lt Gen T S Shergill that all the Div Commanders in LIBERATION of Bangladesh were from Punjab.  4 Inf Div Maj Gen  M S Brar, 9 Inf Div Maj Gen Dalbir  Singh,  20 Mtn Div Maj Gen  Lachman Singh Lehl, GOC 101 Comn Zone Maj Gen Gurbux Singh Gill and later Maj Gen Gandharv Nagra. All under Lt Gen JS Aurora.

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 25

US paraglider Barry Roberts, who had got stuck at a height of about 15,000 feet, in the Baijnath area of Kangra district, was rescued with the help of the Army in the wee hours today.CP Verma, DC, Kangra, said Barry Roberts had taken off from the Billing paragliding site.Last evening, the paraglider strayed from the regular path due to strong winds. He got stuck on the rock at an altitude of about 15,000 feet. Since there was no way to rescue the paraglider by foot, the Army help was sought. The Army rescued the paraglider and shifted him to Delhi, the Deputy Commissioner said.

IAF transport aircraft C-130J Super Hercules lands on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway during an IAF drill in Bangarmau. PTI

Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, October 24

Displaying its air prowess, 16 Indian Air Force planes performed touch-and-go landings on a 4-km stretch of the Agra-Lucknow Expressway today.The unique thing about the show was the landing of a C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft. As soon as the Super Hercules landed on the expressway, Garud commandos briskly got off from the aircraft on foot as well as on a Gypsy and took up positions along the expressway.This 35,000-kg transport aircraft can carry up to 200 Garud commandos. This is the first time that a transport aircraft has participated in such an air exercise in the country.The remaining 15 fighter jets touched down and took off at the same time without actually coming to a halt. Three Jaguars, two formations of three aircraft each of Mirage 2000 and two formations of three aircraft each of Sukhoi-30 performed touch-and-go landings while two Sukhoi fighter jets carried out a flypast.The finale was the C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft returning for another short landing. The exercise simulates an emergency when airbases, the first target of bombings, may not be available for air operations necessitating use of highways as landing strips.

The Chamba veterans’ cricket team.

Chamba, December 8

A one-day goodwill cricket match will be played between senior citizens of Chamba and Hamirpur on December 24 at the National Stadium Nadaun The team consists of Major SC Nayyar (Captain), Dr. Sunit Puri, Naresh Puri, Pawan Amrol, Anil Kumar, Khurshid, Surender Bhandari, Roshan, Kishan Singh, Yadu China, Rajinder Bakshi, Surender, Baldev Pathania, Rattan and Narendra Malhotra. — OC

New Delhi, October 22

The Army is finalising a plan to modernise around 2,000 military stations and develop them in line with the government’s Smart Cities initiative.Army officials said 58 military stations have already been identified as part of the pilot project to implement the ambitious initiative. They said all cantonments will be part of the project. “We are looking at developing the military stations as smart cities where all modern amenities will be made available. Developing state-of-the-art IT network will be a key feature,” said a senior Army official.The Army top brass had deliberated extensively on the implementation of the project during the recent commanders’ conference. “We are planning to develop all military stations across the country in a time-bound manner,” said the official. The initiative is part of the Army’s overall modernisation drive that envisages significantly ramping up infrastructure at all its military installations across the country.Another official said the Army is moving forward with the implementation of the reform measures recommended by the Lt Gen (retd) DB Shekatkar committee, which includes redeployment of nearly 57,000 officers and other ranks to enhance the combat capability of the force. — PTI

“In the good old days, the norm was that women and politics were never discussed in the forces. However, these subjects were gradually “inching” their way into the discourse and this should be avoided,” the army chief said.New Delhi: Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said that the “norm in the good old days” was to never discuss women, politics in the forces and that it should be avoided.

“The military should be somehow kept out of politics. Of late, we have been seeing that politicisation of the military has been taking place. I think we operate in a very secular environment. We have a very vibrant democracy where the military should stay far away from the polity,” he said.Rawat was speaking at an event organised by the United Service Institution.

In the “good old days”, the norm was that women and politics were never discussed in the forces, he said. However, these subjects were gradually “inching” their way into the discourse and this should be avoided, the army chief added.

“Whenever (any) issue (of) linking any military establishment or military personnel where political entity comes in then… that is best avoided,” he said.

The army chief declined to elaborate on the statement.

The defence forces, he asserted, do best when they don’t meddle in the political affairs of the nation.

Responding to criticism over the Army being asked to build foot overbridges following the stampede at Mumbai’s Elphinstone railway station in October, Rawat said there is a charter of aid to civilians under which the armed forces help out in times of crises like floods and earthquakes.

Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, who is also chairman of the powerful chiefs of staff committee (CoSC), has taken up the issue of capping educational assistance with the defence ministry, he said.

There has been some resentment in the three services of the armed forces over the defence ministry’s decision to cap the educational assistance it gives to children of martyrs or those disabled in action at Rs 10,000 per month.

Rawat added that there was a “misunderstanding” on the issue and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had assured that addressing the problem was a priority, Rawat added.

The Army chief also noted that there was radicalisation among the youth by terror outfits and the issue was being addressed.

Col Manveer Bains

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 16

Col Manvir Bains, accused of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, has been denied bail, yet again. Initially booked for murder of Sector 37 resident Parveen Yadav after an incident of road rage, the chargesheet filed in the court did not include the charge of murder.Having been denied bail by the court once before, the Colonel filed a fresh bail plea after the filing of the chargesheet. It said Yadav was already suffering from a serious heart ailment and as proven in the medical report, he died of natural causes. However, the judgment says a precious life has been lost and mere filing of challan of a lesser offence is no ground for bail.Without commenting on the merits of the case, the bail plea was dismissed considering the seriousness of the offence. While dismissing the first bail application of Colonel Bains, the court had said he “knew the consequences of his actions”. The prosecution had stated that Colonel Bains had held Yadav’s neck, slapped and punched him after which he collapsed on the spot.The 48-year-old Mohali resident was arrested on September 2 and booked for murder after Yadav’s family alleged that he had been “beaten to death”. According to the police, the Colonel thrashed Yadav in an incident of road rage on the road separating Sector 34 and 35.

SUNIL Jakhar has notched up an impressive victory margin in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha byelection. It was, in many ways, an inconsequential election; the outcome does not make any substantial difference to the Lok Sabha numbers. In any case, the ruling parties tend to prevail in byelections and the Congress has registered an absolute victory. Still, a Congress defeat would have rendered the Amarinder Singh government deeply wounded; the Congress, it appears, has not yet run afoul of the voter; on the other hand, Punjab remains curiously indifferent to Narendra Modi’s charm and charisma.Ever since 2014, a negative vote has been a recurring theme, contributing to a despondency among the voters over political choices. All major contestants in Gurdaspur had an opportunity to redeem themselves; all of them gave it a miss. The Congressmen, instead of pushing the “delivering CM” image of Capt Amarinder Singh that they have been trying to build, were content with sticking the sleaze charge on the rivals. The SAD, instead of demonstrating some humility in the wake of the Assembly drubbing, fielded the same old discredited and arrogant campaigners, who this time did not have the advantage of the “official machinery”. The BJP, in a constituency with a significant Hindu presence, could not prove it had anything other than Vinod Khanna’s star power for nearly the past two decades. The limits of its self-styled Chankayas and their political wizardry have been made evident.The Gurdaspur contest is not without certain lessons. The Congress high command needs to sit up to the sharp divisions within the party, which required a leader from the other end of the state to come in and contest. AAP may try and register its presence the next time. The Akalis, of course, need to send some of their star leaders to the cleaners, and wake up to a new level of voter awareness, especially in the time of social media. But the most important and urgent lesson is for the BJP. It was its doings at the Centre — demonetisation and GST — that have actually handed the victory to Sunil Jakhar on a platter.

Angrez Kaur (R) with her grandchildren in Faridkot. Tribune photo

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, October 13

Over the past four decades, every time an Indian prisoner was released by Pakistan, Angrez Kaur looked forward to a reunion with her husband Surjit Singh, a BSF jawan who was reportedly captured by the Pakistan army during the 1971 war. However, her hopes were dashed every time.Now, the never-say-die Angrej Kaur (67) is optimistic again after the Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday issued a notice to the Centre on her plea seeking his release.Having run from pillar to post in the past over 20 years, she had filed a writ petition in the High Court.After Surjit went missing, she repeatedly went to the Indo-Pak border at Hussainwala and Attari to meet Pakistan Rangers and request them to help trace her husband. But she got this reply: “There is no prisoner named Surjit Singh in Pakistan’s jails.”“In July 1972, Surjit was listed as killed by the BSF authorities. A death certificate was issued, but I refused to believe that he was no longer alive,” said Angrez Kaur.“Seven years ago, my son met former Pakistan Federal Minister for Human Rights Ansar Burney in New Delhi and appealed to him to track down Surjit,” she added.