Current Events :
2. LT GEN RAJ KADIYAN WRITES TO ABOUT MAJ GEN SATBIR SINGH
3. SATBIR DECLARE 21 ELECTION COMMITTEE PUNJAB(II) BUT REMAINING HIMSELF APOLITICAL
4. MAJ GEN SPS GREWAL WRITES TO BRIG KAMBOJ TO UPLOAD EMAIL CONTENTS ON “REPORT MY SIGNAL” BUT NOT OBLIGED
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Tribune News Service
Jammu, August 16
The Indian and Chinese armies on Monday held a ceremonial border personnel meeting (BPM) in the Ladakh sector and sought to uphold the treaties and agreement signed between the governments of the two sides to maintain peace on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).According to the defence spokesperson, Northern Command, SD Goswami, the ceremonial meeting was held on Independence Day at the Indian border personnel meeting huts at Chushul-Moldo and the newly constructed BPM hut at the DBO-TWD meeting points of eastern Ladakh.The Indian delegations were led by Brigadier RS Raman and Brigadier V Yadav and the Chinese delegations by senior Colonel Fan Jun and senior Colonel Guo Kexie.“Both delegations interacted in a free, congenial and cordial environment. The delegation parted amid a feeling of friendship and commitment towards enhancing the existing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the LAC,” the spokesperson said.He said both sides also sought to build on the mutual feeling of upholding the treaties and agreement signed between the two governments to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC.The ceremonial meeting was marked by saluting the Tricolour by both delegations. This was followed by a ceremonial address by the leaders of both delegations which comprised exchange of greetings, wishes and reaffirming the mutual desire of maintaining and improving relations at the functional level on the border.Thereafter, a culture programme showcasing the Indian culture was organised with traditional grandeur.
Lahore, August 12
Pakistan’s top counter-terrorism agency has issued two alerts, warning about possible terror attacks by two Taliban suicide bombers at the Wagah and Ganda Singh borders with India around Independence Day.The National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has asked the Punjab Director General of Pakistan Rangers, the Home Department and the Punjab Police chief to take high preventive measures to protect the public as well as security personnel.“Tehreek-i-Taliban’s Fazalullah group is planning to target the parade at Wagah Border in Lahore and Ganda Singh Border in Kasur on August 13, 14 or 15,” the security alert says.The letter also says two suicide bombers have been sent to hit these targets.“Extreme vigilance and heightened security measures are suggested to avoid any untoward incident,” it says.The Punjab Home Department has also issued a separate alert saying “at least 16 suicide attackers have entered the Punjab province” who are planning to target public gatherings in connection with Independence Day.Following the alerts, Punjab Police launched a crackdown in the border areas and arrested a number of suspects.“Police have taken more than 50 suspects into custody during a crackdown and security has been beefed up in the city as well as in the border areas,” Lahore police spokesman Niyab Haider told PTI.He said the suspects would be quizzed and kept in custody till verification process as a majority of them could not produce documents related to their identity.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)He said police personnel had also been deployed at the border areas on Pakistan’s Independence Day (August 14).Rangers have also reportedly enhanced their patrolling in the border areas.A deadly terrorist attack had hit Wagah in November 2014, when over 60 people, including children and security personnel, were killed and 200 others injured minutes after the flag-lowering ceremony at the border.“We have taken measures in the wake of the security alert issued by NACTA about possible terror attack at two important places–in Lahore and Kasur,” Lahore police chief Capt Amin Wains said.He said police had launched the combing, search and sweep and intelligence-based operation on Thursday night and arrested several suspects. He said major security enhancement had been made around the Wagah Border.Meanwhile, the Punjab government has cancelled all outdoor activities planned for celebrating Independence Day in view of the terror threat.“The Quetta blast this week that killed 74 people, mostly lawyers, has necessitated the need to be more careful about the August 14 festivities that attract massive public participation,” an official said. PTI
“”PUNJAB DA CAPTAIN“” ALL OUT TO RESTORE STATUS AND DIGNITY OF EX-SERVICEMEN IN PUNJAB
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, August 6
In a special function held at Jalandhar Cantonment today, General Officer Commanding, Vajra Corps, Lt-Gen JS Cheema, dedicated various landmarks to war heroes and sportspersons. The function was attended by veterans of Jalandhar city, as well as from the nearby places.The prominent gate of Jalandhar Cantt, near Rama Mandi Chowk, has been named as ‘Harbaksh Dwar’. It was inaugurated by Lt- Gen MS Bhullar (retd), former Colonel of the Sikh Regiment. It was Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh, who led the Western Command to victory in the 1965 Indo-Pak war thereby thwarting Pakistan’s designs to annex Kashmir.The road leading from ‘Harbaksh Dwar’ has been named as ‘Rajindar Singh Sparrow Road’, to honour the legendary Maj-Gen RS Sparrow, MVC and Bar. The road was inaugurated by his sons Lt-Gen MS Shergill and TS Shergill.Lt-Col RS Sparrow, then Commanding 7 CAV, was awarded MVC in 1947-48 for taking tanks upto Zojilla Pass and pushing back Pak infiltrators. In the 1965 war Maj Gen RS Sparrow, then GOC 1 Armed Division, took the battle into the Pak territory in the Shakargarh Bulge and was awarded MVC and Bar. His sons then young Captain and Lieutenant also fought the war in Khemkaran sector.Other roads, which were named after veterans include, Lt-Gen JS Dhillon and Vikram Batra roads. Lt-Gen Dhillon was the Corps Commander of Vajra Corps in 1965 and Capt Vikram Batra, PVC, evicted Pakistani soldiers from Kargil heights in the 1999 conflict.The road leading to Hari Pal Kaushik Sports Complex has been named as ‘Dhyan Chand road’ after the legendary hockey wizard Maj Dhyan Chand. It was inaugurated by Col Balbir Singh Kular (retd), renowned hockey player and a native of Jalandhar.One of the living accommodations of JCOs/ORs has been named as ‘Sanjay Vihar’ after Rfn Sanjay Kumar, who was awarded the PVC in Kargil operations.The sports complex of Vajra Officers Institute has been christened as ‘Hari Pal Kaushik Sports Complex’. The complex was dedicated by none other than the legendary 82-year-old Lt-Col Hari Pal Kaushik (retd), a Veer Chakra recipient.Hockey players, mainly from the Sikh Regiment, who were present on the occasion, include Lt-Gen MS Bhullar (retd), Major Gen Trilochan Singh (retd), Brig HJS Chimni (retd), Brig IS Gakhal (retd), Col RS Cheema (retd) and Col Balbir Singh Kular (retd).Salinder Kaur wife of Sub Maj Makhan Singh, who won a gold and silver in athletics at Jakarta Asian Games in 1962 and had beaten legendary Milkha Singh in 1962 National Games in Kolkata, was presented a cheque of Rs 1,00,000 by the Vajra AWWA zonal president Anupvir Kaur.Hav Virender Singh of 5011 ASC Bn and Sep Ramudri Someswara Rao of 11 Madras Regiment were awarded cash prize of Rs 50,000 each by GOC, Vajra Corps. Hav Virendra Singh has qualified for Rio Paralympics Games to be held in Brazil. He will participate in javelin and short put events. Sep Ramudri Someswara Rao is a blade runner and has represented Services at the national level para-athletic championship and won gold in 100 mtr.
Air Marshal NJS Dhillon AVSM takes over as Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command, from Air Marshal B Suresh AVSM VM, who assumes appointment of Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel at Air Headquarters.
Air Marshal NJS Dhillon AVSM is a graduate of National Defence Academy, Defence Service Staff College, and National Defence College. He was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force in Dec 81. He has over 3700 hours accident free flying to his credit including 3100 hrs on all variants of MiG-21 aircraft.
He topped the Fighter Strike Leader Course at TACDE and also served as Directing Staff there as of Head of Training and Deputy Commandant. He has commanded a MiG-21 Sqn and has been the Chief Operational Officer of a premier flying base. In addition to Commanding an Operational fighter base, he also Commanded a helicopter base in DR Congo as part of UN Peace Keeping Mission. He also held the appointment of Principal Director Air Defence at Air HQ and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Inspection) at Air HQ. Prior to his present appointment, he was Air Defence Commander HQ SAC.
He was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in the year 2013. He is married to Mrs Simmar Dhillon and they have a son and daughter.
Acting on Supreme Court’s directive, the Army on Saturday took possession of the controversial Adarsh Society building in Colaba area of South Mumbai.
New Delhi, July 28
The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Army to provide details of soldiers whose bodies were mutilated by insurgents and enemy soldiers during skirmishes on Pakistan and China borders.The case resulted from an RTI application filed by one Abhishek Shukla in 2013 as the Army decided to keep under covers the information in this regard about the soldiers who had given supreme sacrifice for the country fighting enemies.“People of the country have right to know about the soldiers who lay down their lives in the line of duty,” Information Commissioner Divya Prakash Sinha said.The Army, which had to respond to an RTI application within 30 days, took 78 days to give its first response to the RTI application declining to share any details citing Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act to withhold the information.The Army raised an additional argument during the hearing before Sinha, saying its HQs did not maintain the information of soldiers whose bodies had been mutilated.The appellant countered it saying if they did not maintain the information, how was Army citing national security to deny it. The applicant also cited the statement given by ex-Defence Minister AK Antony in the RS where he had given details of a past incident.“On January 8, 2013, a Pak Border Action Team ambushed our patrol party in Krishna Ghati in which Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh and Lance Naik Hemraj were killed. Lance Naik Hemraj was found beheaded and both bodies were mutilated,” Antony had said.As per law, the information that can be placed before Parliament cannot be denied to a citizen. The appellant cited a press meet of ex-Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh who had accepted that two jawans of Kumaon regiment had been beheaded by Pak army in 2012. — PTI
“Pakistan can never defeat India”, the Italian remarked.That morning in May 1999, on an official trip to Italy, as I had switched on the BBC World News, I had heard the announcement that Indian Air Force had started an offensive on the Kargil peaks and there were fears of a full-fledged war with Pakistan. What had till now been known as a minor incursion by infiltrators was now threatening to engulf the two nations into a suicidal war. My friend and I had begun our usual tour of the fair; visiting booths of major companies.I vividly remember that stall, and the company owner sitting stylishly having a chat with his clients. These Italians sure are one stylish lot. Brown shoes and a red golf cap. I still have’nt got over my bias for brown shoes acquired during those trips to Italy.As we got on with our promotional lecture the conversation veered off to the Kargil news.“Pakistan can never defeat India”, he suddenly remarked.“Oh yes”, we said, “Of Course, we have a bigger army”, we said proudly.“Oh No!, you got it wrong”, said the Italian“Is that so? How?”“You know about Sikhs?”, he asked.“Of course”, I said, “I am a Sikh”“Oh, are you?”, he remarked with a surprise, as he suddenly got up from his seat, took off his red cap, “Salute’”, he said in his strong Italian accent; even as he asked me as to why I was not wearing the Sikh turban. I grinned sheepishly in response.“Hats off, my Sikh friend; you don’t know why Pakistan can never defeat India? It cannot defeat India as long as the Sikhs fight for India.”We were surprised by his reaction. And we asked him as to how he knew about Sikhs and tried to find out the story behind his view.
Sikh soldiers in East Africa during World War II
And then he started speaking animatedly.“My Grandpapa was in Mussolini’s army in World War-II. And he used to tell me a story. He told me that they were winning the war as they moved into Eastern Africa. They won many battles against the British. And then the British brought a regiment of fierce looking warriors. Men that looked like ferocious animals when in battle, the Sikhs. Their war-cry was so frightening that the Italian army used to shiver when it sounded. They attacked with their artillery; when they finished their artillery fire they attacked with their guns; when they finished their bullets they fought with bayonets; and when their bayonets were snatched they fought with knives; and then even as they were bleeding they fought with bare hands.”I could see the Italian getting more and more excited as he recited the story. He was moving his hands around in the air and acting the part. “My Grandpa used to say that it was the Sikhs that turned the war around. They routed their enemy wherever they went.
Italian POWs in East Africa during World War-II
“Finally, my Grandpa was captured by the Sikh regiment”, he said. “He was a Prisoner of War, with limited canteen. Even water was scarce. The Sikhs, the ferocious Sikhs that behaved like hungry lions on the field were like benevolent guardians in the camps. They slept hungry themselves but gave their food to the prisoners. They gave them so much respect and love that my Grandpapa used to say that he had never seen men like the Sikhs. So gallant in war and so gracious in victory.”“As I grew up, my grandpapa inspired me with stories of Sikhs and asked me to meet some Sikhs if I wanted to be a man. So I went to meet Sikhs in India. I roamed in the Punjab, went to the temples and met many.”“But, I wanted to see the Sikh Army in Action. So I went to your parade, that big parade in New Delhi, where all regiments of the Indian army march in glory. The parade was magnificient, the Indian army marching proudly, regiment after regiment.” he remarked as he took a book in his hand and moved it smoothly across the table in one straight line he said “this is how smoothly each regiment moved, like one unit”“And then in the distance, I saw the Sikhs”, he said, as he started moving the book across the table. “Boom” he shouted as I saw the book go up an inch, “Boom”, as it went down, even as it moved across in one straight line and he did the entire stretch of the table. “This is how the Sikhs marched, boom, boom, moving like a storm across the road, so disciplined moving like one unit, yet looking so gallant and brave. I have seen the Germans marching, I have seen the march-past of the Russians, but I have never seen an army marching the way the Sikhs do.” He continued for a few more minutes with anecdotes of his grandpa’s and his interaction with Sikhs, as he hammered in the fact that Sikhs were the best fighting force in the world.“So, my friend, you see. Pakistan can never defeat India, as long as the Sikhs fight for India.”Postscript:This incident has stayed with me for over fifteen years now, and I recount it today not in bravado as a fellow Sikh, but as something that needed to be told as an indicator of the impact Sikhs have on people, both in their bravery and in their graciousness; and as a reminder to us Indians.Sikhs make up 10% of all ranks in the Indian Army, though Sikhs form only 2% of the Indian population.After 1984, there was an experiment by Gen Vaidya to do away exclusivity, with a company each of Dogras, Garhwalis and South Indians in the Sikh Regiment. The exclusivity was however later restored.I read an article today from the ‘Telegraph’ of UK that the Britishers were planning to create a ‘Sikh Regiment’ in the British Army.Perhaps the Britishers know something we Indians seem to be forgetting.
Tribune News Service
Khemkaran, July 21
In order to ensure regular maintenance of Army memorials and pay befitting homage to the great martyrs of 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars, the Army authorities have decided to relocate the memorials to Abdul Hamid Samadhi complex at Cheema village here.Lt General KJ Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, said eight new memorials had been constructed in the ‘shaheed smarak’ to commemorate the sacrifices of these bravehearts. He was here to inaugurate the newly-constructed ‘shaheed smarak’. Speaking on the occasion, he said the Khemkaran sector had witnessed innumerable stories of bravery and courage during the1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars. A number of war memorials had been constructed by various units in the memory of respective martyrs, but due to remote location, it had become difficult to maintain them at a regular basis.This memorial has been conceptualised by Golden Arrow Division and the work for the same was executed under the guidance and supervision of the Gurki Brigade, he said. Consequent to inauguration, a Guard of Honour with full military honours was given to all the martyrs. The Army commander laid wreath at the shaheed smarak and paid rich tributes to all who sacrificed their life to uphold the dignity, honour and pride of the nation.Lieutenant General JS Cheema, General Officer Commanding, Vajra Corps, Major General Vijay Pingale, General Officer Commanding Golden Arrow Division and various other senior military and civil dignitaries and war veterans were also present on the occasion.
