DC Gauri Parasher Joshi surrounded by security personnel in Panchkula on Friday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 26

It could have been a repeat of the unprecedented Jat agitation violence that had rocked Haryana in February 2016, if Deputy Commissioner Gauri Parasher Joshi had not pressed the Army into action when violence and arson reigned supreme in Panchkula on Friday.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)After being outnumbered by the thousands of rampaging dera followers, the local police had fled the spot, leaving the young officer to almost fend for herself.It was her experience of having served in the Naxal-affected district of Kalahandi in Odisha that helped the 2009-batch IAS officer from Odisha cadre, who is on deputation to Haryana, not only to save her life but also to save the situation from totally slipping out of control.The Panchkula violence and arson left at least 32 dead and more than 250 persons injured, besides damaging property worth crores of rupees.As the mob turned violent on hearing the news of the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the 36-year-old District Magistrate faced stone-throwing by the rampaging dera followers, who had swarmed Panchkula for the past couple of days, for some time by herself, as the police force beat a hasty retreat (read fled the spot).During the ensuing violence and arson, this mother of an 11-month-old suffered injuries and even her clothes got torn. Left alone with a single PSO, she then decided to go to her office and issue an order to hand over the situation to the Army, which helped avoid further deterioration of the situation.In the chaotic situation, she again returned to the field. “It was the concern for the city, which was on the boil, that remained uppermost in my mind,” said the bureaucrat.On Saturday, Gauri reached home at 3 am but not before going around every nook and corner of the city and seeing for herself that the situation had been brought under control after dispersing the rioters. After spending a few hours, she left again for the field.During the violence on Friday, the injured DC continued to boost the morale of the district machinery. “When I reached home in the wee hours, the family was shocked to see my blood-soaked clothes,” shared the journalist-turned-bureaucrat, an English Literature postgraduate from Delhi’s St Stephen’s College.“She, however, still refused to go to hospital, saying that the hospital resources were too stretched and did not want to dislocate their work for her relatively less serious injury,” recalled her 2003-batch IAS officer husband Ajit Balaji Joshi, who is the Deputy Commissioner in Chandigarh.

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Sirsa, August 27

Deputy Commissioner Prabhjot Singh on Sunday ordered assets of Dera Sacha Sauda to be attached, following the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s Friday order.

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The high court had ordered the sect to pay for the losses of property caused by its followers after its head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was found guilty of rape on Friday.

Thirty-six people died and hundreds were injured in clashes that broke out after Singh was held guilty of sexually assaulting two female followers in 2002.

A court will announce Singh’s sentence on Monday.

Ration for defence officers doesn’t just mean bread and butter. It is considered to be a dignified privilege given to the soldiers who have dedicated their lives to the motherland, irrespective of the field or the peace area . It is a matter of dignity , pride and honour of an soldier. No amount of money can substitute it. Stopping  ration is a disrespectful move and demoralizing the armed forces. Any amount of money in lieu of ration is  against the ethics and ethos of a defense personal.

Please sign my petition to show your respect for the defence personals.

RATION SHOULD BE CONTINUED FOR ALL THE DEFENSE PERSONALS.

JAI HIND!!!

Respected Veterans,

Jai Hind.

1. While I greatly appreciate Gen SG Vombatkere being an intrepid crusader with indomitable spirit, zeal & enthusiasm in fighting for the poor, the underprivileged & the down-trodden, the Question is: Who cares? Do his articles really make a difference? NO. Sad, but that is the truth. To the middle class, and that includes you & me, it hardly matters as to what happens to others. Tomorrow, if I am mugged and killed in broad daylight, will it make a difference? NO. Not even a handful of Veterans would attend my cremation. We, Bharathvasis are a bigoted lot; especially Ex-Servicemen, ably led by retired Officers.
2. There are over 4000 retired Officers of the Army, Navy & Air Force at Bangalore; and how many of them show up at the National Military Memorial on Kargil Diwas (26 July) and Vijay Diwas (16 Dec) to pay Homage to their brethren? Hardly, 25-30 of them. What about others? Don’t ask me as to what they do. All that I know is, there is a galaxy of retired Lt Gen, Air Marshals and Vice Admirals settled down at Bangalore; not to mention officers of the rank of Maj Gen, Rear Admiral and Air Vice Marshal. If I have not mentioned Officers of the rank of Col, Capt (IN) and Gp Capt and below, it is just that they are a whole horde, to whom words like ‘Welfare of Ex-Servicemen’ and ‘Loyalty to your Men, even after retirement’ are mere buzz-words; and they mean nothing to awaken their collective conscience, if they still have one.
3. And, it is the same WE retired Officers who are in the forefront to ask for anything & everything FREE. WE retired Officers are a selfish and greedy lot. The less said the better; for even a full page would not be enough to recount the ‘virtues’ of retired officers. The very same retired officers who do not find time to attend the Commemoration Ceremonies at the National Military Memorial, Bangalore, are present in hundreds, guzzling chilled beer, bottle after bottle; and voraciously hogging chicken roast and mutton Biryani, when invited for the Veterans Day Lunch at RSI.
4. WE Bharathvasis, have everything to be proud of: our Culture and our Heritage. But do we really display any pride in ourselves or our Culture & Heritage? NO. WE Bharathvasis, are a corrupt lot. To cheat is part of our DNA. We are cowards. With such sterling qualities in us; I wonder at times: Do WE really have a right to exist as a Nation? Over a period, our collective conscience has become NUMB. 70 children have lost their lives in UP due to negligence by Doctors and the supervisory staff. Does it really bother anyone? NO. Due to inadequate monsoon, acute water shortage and famine in the interiors are staring us. Cattle are going to die in thousands. Who is going to face the brunt? It is village folks all over the Country. Who cares?
5. When WE talk of ‘izzat’, ‘honour & dignity’ I find these words sound hollow and are mere rhetoric. When we talk of ‘Welfare of Ex-Servicemen & their families’; it means nothing. It is just lip service. Starting with the Chiefs; and, Mil Fmn Cdrs down the chain, they have absolutely no say in the selection & appointment of retired Officers of the rank of Brig/Col as Director Sainik Welfare in various states; and retired officers of the rank of Lt Col as Dy Directors at the District level. Just to cite an example: The Dircector Sainik Welfare & Re-settlement in Kerala is a retired Sergeant. How did a Sergeant get appointed against a post meant for a retired Brig? Simple. He got appointed when ‘Saint’ Antony was the Defence Minister. And mind you, not one incl the Mil Fmn Cdr concerned raised his voice saying that such an appointment is highly irregular and unacceptable. As I said earlier, when it comes to Welfare of Ex-Servicemen, who cares?
6. I do not know as to what happens to Officers after their retirement? Just two examples of past Directors Sainik Welfare & Re-settlement, Karnataka. The first, a Brigadier. During his tenure he got a few plots of land from the BDA under the pretext of allotting them to Kargil Widows. Very noble thought. And he was equally noble in his action! On being made available plots of land by the BDA, he promptly allotted two plots to his Mother-in-Law, who I am told is mother of a Lt Gen, who retired as the Dy COAS. And a few more such illegal allotments. A few years down the line, the Brigadier’s misdemeanor comes to light. An FIR is filed by the Police. The Brig goes to the Court and has the FIR quashed on technical grounds!! Que-serai-serai.
7. Directorates of Sainik Welfare & Re-settlement in all States are sitting on huge piles of cash by way of Fixed Deposits of Flag Day Fund to the tune of hundreds of crores. Amounts can be invested by Govt Depts as Fixed Deposits only in SBI or in other Public Sector Banks and NOT in Private Banks. Yet, a Director Sainik Welfare & Re-settlement had invested over Rs. 28 crores of Flag Day Funds with numerous Private Banks at different rates of interest, in clear contravention to Govt orders on the subject. Any action taken against the Officer, even after the misdemeanor came to light and brought to the notice of the Govt and the local Military Formation? NONE. Que-serai-serai.
8. In case we are serious about Welfare & Re-settlement of Ex-Servicemen & their families, we need to have serving Officers of the Rank of Brig posted as Director Sainik Welfare & Re-settlement, in all States. When we can have officers of the rank of Maj Gen/Brig as Addl/Dy DG NCC in all States, then why can’t we have serving Officers of the rank of Brig posted as Director Sainik Welfare & Re-settlement, in all States? NCC no doubt is important; but to my mind, far more important is Welfare & Re-settlement of Ex-Servicemen & their families. Veteran Lt Gen SK Bahri and I had met the then Vice COAS in his office in April 2013, in this regard; and, impressed on him the urgent & inescapable of requirement of having serving Officers of the Rank of Brig posted as Director Sainik Welfare & Re-settlement, in all States. But who cares?
9. I must however say that, there are a few refreshing exceptions. One such is Lt Gen RK Anand, GOC Dakshin Bharath Area, Chennai. He has designated all Officers incharge of CSD Canteens, all over the five southern states, as ‘Executive Director Veterans Welfare’; with instructions that they will attend to all problems concerning welfare of Ex-Servicemen & their families. Not only that, he has instituted a Report to be submitted to him, every Monday morning, as to the number of cases handled by each Executive Director during the preceding week, with details thereof.
10. To take interest or take part in Politics after retirement, is my fundamental Right. And one should not shy away from Politics under the misplaced notion that Military Veterans should remain apolitical.
11. Let us NOT be blind to happenings around us. We Veterans, as Citizens have a duty to perform, in raising our voice and protest against any wrong doing by the Govt or the society at large.
12. By criticizing our Hon’ble PM or the BJP we DO NOT become lackeys of the Congress Party or Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi; or, we end up condoning corruption by Lalu Yadhav & his ilk. If General Elections are held tomorrow, I have no hesitation in stating that I shall be voting for MODI once again; for want of a better option. I voted for MODI with a lot of hope.
13. It is time for Veterans to think and ponder as to whether we should be mute spectators to the happening around us; or, stand up for what is right and raise our voice against any injustice or persecution or display of lethargy & apathy by the Govt.
14. Let us remember, “Silence is no doubt a Virtue; but, there can be no greater SIN than to remain mute and silent in the face of tyranny or wrong doing by the Govt in power or for that matter, anybody”.
15. To end, I salute Veterans like Gen SG Vombatkere and Gen PG Kamath for expressing their views, without fear or favour.

Regards,

Col Rajan

Bangalore, 9449043770

17 Aug 2017

A Pakistani Ranger (top) on Monday unfurls the national flag at the Wagah border to celebrate the country’s Independence Day. AFP

Islamabad, August 14

Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today blamed India for the impasse in bilateral ties, saying New Delhi’s “expansionist designs” was the “main hurdle” in constructive relations between the two neighbours.Addressing the nation on its 70th Independence Day, Abbasi said Pakistan “desires positive and constructive” relations with all countries based on sovereign equality.Indo-Pak ties nosedived after a series of attacks last year, including the Uri strike, carried out by the Pakistan- based terror outfits. Following the attacks, India boycotted the SAARC Summit, which was scheduled to be held in November last in Pakistan.“Our government has invariably made efforts to initiate the process of meaningful dialogue and adoption of peaceful means to resolve the issues but unfortunately the expansionist designs of India have remained the main hurdle in this regard,” Abbasi said.Pakistan’s national flag today flew at 400 ft, the highest in South Asia, at the Attari-Wagah border with India to mark the country’s 70th Independence Day.The 120×80 ft flag is also the largest in the history of the country, the Pakistani media reported.Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa hoisted the flag near the border after midnight, kicking off the Independence Day celebrations across the country.The flag is said to be the highest in South Asia and the eighth highest in the world.Gen Bajwa said: “Some 77 years ago, Pakistan resolution was passed in the same city (Lahore). Pakistan came into being on the night of 27th Ramadan. Today, the country is progressing on the path of law and constitution. All institutions are working properly. We will make Pakistan the country of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal.”He enunciated the many challenges Pakistan faced, but also tried to drum up the nationalistic sentiment.“We have rendered many sacrifices — we will never forget our martyrs. We will execute each and every terrorist in Pakistan. I want to tell our enemies, whether they are in the east or in the west, that your bullets will end but not the chests of our jawans,” he added.“I assure you that we will never let you down. Any power that will aim to weaken Pakistan, the Army and all other institutions will foil their attempts,” he said.Other speakers at the event also paid tributes to those killed during migration to Pakistan. — PTIOur friendship stronger than steel: Wang  Islamabad: Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang, “special guest” at Pakistan’s Independence Day celebration, said on Monday that the two countries have always stood by each other and their friendship was “stronger than steel and sweeter than honey”. Wang, a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of China’s ruling Communist Party, is among the country’s top leaders. He arrived in Islamabad on Sunday on a two-day visit. AFP

Sweets being exchanged at the Wagah-Attari border. ANI

Lahore, August 14

Pakistan on Monday hoisted a 400-ft-high national flag, the largest in its history, at the Attari-Wagah border with India to mark the country’s Independence Day.Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa hoisted the flag at the border after Sunday midnight, kicking off the celebrations for the Independence Day across the country.The flag is said to be the highest in South Asia and the eighth highest in the world.Made in Pakistan, it is 400-ft-high and 120 feet by 80 feet in size.

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Gen Bajwa said: “Some 77 years ago, a Pakistan resolution was passed in the same city (Lahore). Pakistan came into being on the night of 27th Ramadan–it was a blessed night.“Today, the country is progressing on the path of the law and the Constitution. All institutions are working properly. We will make Pakistan the country of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal.”Gen Bajwa enunciated the many challenges Pakistan faced but also tried to drum up the nationalistic sentiment.“We have rendered many sacrifices–we will never forget our martyrs. We will execute each and every terrorist in Pakistan. I want to tell our enemies, whether they are in the east or in the west, that your bullets will end but not the chests of our jawans.”“I assure you that we will never let you down. Any power that will aim to weaken Pakistan, the Army and all other institutions will foil their attempts.”Other speakers at the event also paid tributes to those killed during the migration to Pakistan. PTI

MAJ GEN SATBIR SINGH REMINDS PB GOVT FOR RS SEAT:::SENDS HIS REP & DISTURBS GOG MEET OF ESM AT JALLANDHAR

1. SATBIR CIRCULATED MESSAGE TO ESM PUNJAB AGAINST CAPTAIN AMARINDER THROUGH WHATS APP.NOW SEEKING RS SEAT
2. MAJOR GEN SATBIR carrying  WRONG NOTION THAT  HIS SUPPORT TO CAPT AMARINDER IS CAUSE FOR VICTORY.
3. OROP CELEBRATED BY MAJ GEN SATBIR AT JM THEN WHY HOLDING TO JM

1971 PAK PRISON ESCAPE BY THREE IAF PILOTS NOW A FILM

INFLICTED MORE CASUALTIES ACROSS BORDER, SAYS JAITLEY CLAIMS INCREASING ATTEMPTS BY PAKISTAN TO PUSH IN TERRORISTS

IAF procures UVS without evaluating efficacy: CAG

July 30, 2017, 9:25 am

The 749-km-long LoC divides the state of Jammu and Kashmir between the two countries. — Tribune file photo

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 17

India’s Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) on Monday made it clear to his Pakistani counterpart that the Indian Army was sincere in maintaining peace along the Line of Control (LoC) as long Pakistan reciprocated the same. However, the Indian Army will retaliate to any firing from across the LoC.

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The 749-km-long LoC divides the state of Jammu and Kashmir between the two countries, with Pakistan illegally occupying the western flank.

The DGMO Lt Gen AK Bhatt spoke to his Pakistani counterpart DGMO Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza over the telephonic hotline. “The Indian Army is sincere in its effort of maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LoC provided there was reciprocity”. This piece of advice from Lt Gen Bhatt had come after he had told his counterpart that “the Indian Army reserved the right to retaliate appropriately to any incident of violation of ceasefire along the LoC”.

All violations of the November 2003 agreed upon ceasefire pact were initiated by the Pakistani Army and the Indian Army only responded appropriately to them, the Indian DGMO told his counterpart, Indian Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand said on Monday.

Apart from these, firing by Indian troops was initiated against armed intruders when attempting to infiltrate from close proximity of Pakistani Army posts.

The trend of infiltration from Pakistan along the LoC continued with active support of Pakistani Army forward posts impacting peace and tranquillity along the LoC and also the internal security situation.

This was evident from continued attempts of sniping and targeting of our troops undertaken through cross border actions duly supported by Pakistani Army troops, the Indian DGMO said.

Pakistan had requested for the DGMO-level telephonic talks. Otherwise, officials—not necessarily the DGMO—from both the sides speak to each other every Tuesday.

During the talks, the Pakistani DGMO raised the issues of targeting of Pakistani Army troops which resulted in the death of four Pakistani soldiers and one civilian in Athmuqam Sector of Pakistan occupied Kashmir opposite Indian Keren sector in Kupwara district of J&K.