Kabul, January 13

At least six policemen were killed on Wednesday in a terror attack apparently targeted at the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad city in Afghanistan, media reports said.Afghan security forces battled gunmen barricaded in a house near the consulate, which the attackers had apparently tried to enter, a Pakistani news report said.Xinhua news agency reported earlier that a blast took place near the Pakistani consulate, located in an area, which is also home to the Indian and Iranian consulates as well as a private school.”The bomb attack targeted a police vehicle near the Pakistani consulate,” a security source told Xinhua.But a report in Dawn online newspaper said the fighting erupted near the Pakistani consulate after a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing as many as six people.It quoted a security source as telling Afghanistan’s Tolo News that the suicide bomber, who pretended to be a visa seeker, detonated himself after being prevented from entering the consulate.”Officials said three attackers are inside the consulate and a gun battle between security forces and attackers is ongoing.” The blast comes 10 days after a terror attack near the Indian consulate in Afghanistan’s Mazar-i-Sharif city.

Tribune Reporters

Jind, December 16

The DC along with senior officers of the administration today paid tributes to martyrs on the eve of Vijay Divas at the Shaheed Smarak on Gohana road today.“We should motivate youngsters to join the forces to serve the nation and help the families of all martyrs” said DC Vinay Singh. SP Abhishek Jorwal and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.

Kaithal

It becomes the duty of every citizen and society as a whole to grant respect to the martyr’s who made the supreme sacrifice to safeguard the honour and dignity of our nation. To pay our homage to the martyrs and revive memories of their sacrifice we celebrate December 16 as Vijay Divas.This was stated by ADC Jitender Kumar during a function held here today. He called upon the youth to devote their energy to make the country strong. The ADC honoured 16 war widows, 2 parents of martyrs, there war disabled, three orphans of martyrs.Major Tilak Raj (retd), vice president, Zila Sainik Board, said that we had won many wars but our brave soldiers had to make sacrifices to save the honour of country.He said that ex-servicemen and their families could avail services of the board for re-employment after retirement and rehabilitation of family members.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 9

Forty-four years after he spearheaded the Indian Army’s charge to Dacca (now Dhaka) during the 1971 Bangladesh campaign, one of the country’s most highly decorated soldiers marched into oblivion.Brig Sant Singh, twice decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), the second highest award for gallantry, passed away here last night. He was 94 years old and had been ailing for some time.Brig Sant Singh is survived by his daughter Satinder Kaur, who is married to a Brigadier.Hailing from Panjgrain village near Kotkapura, he had settled down in Chandigarh after retirement. The cremation will take place tomorrow.Belonging to the Sikh Light Infantry, he was among the only six individuals to have been awarded the MVC twice. With his demise, only one such recipient now remains alive.During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, he was commanding the FJ Sector in the eastern theatre and his formation achieved spectacular results, advancing 38 miles almost on foot, to secure Mymensingh and Madhopur in eight days. During the advance, in spite of stiff opposition from the enemy, he cleared heavily defended positions at several places, personally leading the troops. His advance paved the way for Indian troops to enter Dacca and he was among the first officers to enter the headquarters of the East Pakistan Commander, Lt Gen AAK Niazi. For his actions, he was awarded the MVC.A framed picture of Niazi and a desktop timepiece, which he seized from Niazi’s office, was his war trophies displayed in his home.Six years earlier, in November 1965, while commanding a Sikh Light Infantry battalion, Sant Singh, then a Lt Col, had evicted Pakistani troops from the OP Hill in Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani troops had encroached on the Indian Territory after the ceasefire. Despite difficult terrain and mine fields, the feature was wrestled back after a bitter hand-to-hand fight. For displaying conspicuous gallantry and leadership in the face of heavy fire, he had received his first MVC.Colonel of the Sikh Light Infantry, Lt Gen NPS Hira has condoled Brig Sant Singh’s death. The entire Sikh Light Infantry fraternity treasures his courage, significant contribution and pays heartfelt tribute to the worthy officer, he said.In his message, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh said Brig Sant Singh was an exceptional soldier, of whom the Army and the nation was proud of and in his death, the country had lost a great soldier, whose services would always be remembered.

Brig Sant Singh

• Brig Sant Singh, twice decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), the second highest award for gallantry, was 94 years old and had been ailing for some time.
• Belonging to the Sikh Light Infantry, he was among the only six individuals to have been awarded the MVC twice.
• With his demise, only one such recipient now remains alive

Noted scientist and honorary professor at ISRO Bengaluru Sivathanu Pillai on Saturday called ‘BrahMos’- the Indo-Russian supersonic cruise missile, a “brahmastra for Indian Armed forces” and “a war winner” on Saturday. Known as the ‘Father of BrahMos’, Pillai was speaking at the 12th convocation of the Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DAIICT) at Gandhinagar that saw 379 students, including 8 Ph. D scholars receive their degrees at the convocation ceremony.

On being quizzed on the need for more missiles like ‘BrahMos’ in light of India-Pakistan’s current political situation, Pillai said, “Today if you look at BrahMos, it is the only supersonic cruise missile operational in the whole world. No other country has ventured to have supersonic system in the armed forces. We have ‘BrahMos’ operational in the navy in the naval fleet, we have the army on the land force and very soon it will be with the airforce. So when we have the tri-service operation of the Brahmos, it is going to be a war winner. As you have seen in the Gulf War, the major victory of the Gulf War was the deployment of Tomahawk missiles by the Allied forces to destroy the enemy’s assets first so that way we have got a very good weapon available to give victory to India.”

Calling India self-sufficient in space technology, the noted scientist averred that going by the demand from the world over, the next move for India should be to market its space technology. “So we are going for more number of launches in a year using the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) and the trend is to go for “smaller satellites”. The navigation and the remote sensing satellites are becoming very small and they want to have interconnectivity and more revisit time. Whereas the communication satellites are going bigger and bigger, so to suit the trend the space research program will adapt itself so that we will be able to serve the nation and also we get sizable market from the world,” he added.

Speaking to students, Pillai spoke about the need for a rehaul in India’s education system and creation of innovation in ICT education and start-ups and knowledge system powerhouse to unleash India’s knowledge potential.

He said, “Startup and entrepreneurship has become a very important components of the education. I have seen in the IITs and institutions like the IICT the major component of the education is turning towards how we can mould the youngsters to entrepreneurs. That’s a big turning point in our education system which is going to make things different…In India if you see…unlike American and other countries where research has been given more important component of education, in India that has not picked up well. But our country needs that change, research should become more present-age of the education system than the teaching part.”

– See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/brahmos-is-a-brahmastra-for-indian-armed-forces-says-noted-scientist/#sthash.XXEb26HG.dpuf

Tribune News Service,Amritsar January 11

Evincing keen interest in the upcoming ‘Punjab State War Heroes Memorial-cum-Museum’, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the executive committee of the project to regularly hold its meeting in Amritsar to monitor its day-to-day progress.Presiding over the governing body meeting of the project here at the Bachat Bhawan this morning, the Chief Minister took stock of the ongoing work of the project at the India Gate, near the Chheharta bypass. He said there was no dearth of funds for the project that aimed at showcasing the fortitude, valour and supreme sacrifices of the armed forces in defending national borders.Badal also laid thrust on accurate presentation of facts pertaining to various battles/wars to be showcased in the under-construction galleries.He said services of renowned historians must be taken to assure that storyline to be exhibited in galleries was authentic and historically correct. He also suggested that separate committees of historians and experts should be constituted for under-construction galleries.Spread over seven acres, near India Gate, Attari Road, the memorial is coming up at a cost of Rs 86 crore. The memorial will have a 45-metre high stainless steel sword at the centre of it, representing strength and courage in people of Punjab while defending the nation in the hour of need. This iconic structure will stand atop a platform surrounded by a water body. Names of martyrs will also be inscribed on the memorial that will have a circular path around it. The memorial will be built at an elevation of 12 feet.Meanwhile, the governing council today took a slew of important decisions like setting up of a Punjab State War Heroes and Museum foundation to manage the affairs of the project in a far better manner. The council also approved the creation of a corpus fund of Rs 10 crore for making the project self- sufficient. The state government would provide financial assistance for creating this fund, which would help in generation of income to cover salaries of staff and routine expenditure of the project.The council also gave nod for appointing about 60 persons as staff, including 36 security persons to be hired from PESCO, for the project.It was decided that the work of maintaining the complete civil works, including the sword, must be outsourced to a single agency.Likewise, it was approved that the landscaping of the project would be outsourced to another agency. It was also decided that nine committees of historians and experts would be constituted for assuring correct presentation of history in the under-construction galleries.Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prof Virsa Singh Valtoha, Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, Adviser to the CM Major General BS Dhaliwal (retd), Special Principal Secretary to the CM KJS Cheema, GNDU Vice- Chancellor Dr AS Brar, Sainik Welfare Director Brig JS Arora, DC Ravi Bhagat, Commissioner of Police Jatinder Singh Aulakh, Chief Architect (Punjab) Swapna, Director (Cultural Affairs) NS Randhawa, Deputy Director (Sainik Welfare) Col GJS Gill, General Officer Commanding (15 Division) Major General S Thapa, Brig Pawan Pal Singh, project consultant Maj Gen Raj Mehta (retd), Lt Gen Kuldeep Singh (retd) and Lt Gen HRS Mann (retd) were among those others present in the meeting.

Rs 86-crore project

• Spread over seven acres, near India Gate, Attari Road, the memorial is coming up at a cost of Rs 86 crore. The memorial will have a 45-metre high stainless steel sword at the centre of it, representing strength and courage in people of Punjab while defending the nation in the hour of need. The iconic structure will stand atop a platform surrounded by a water body.

KULLU: Despite the arduous challenge of clearing the heavy snow, going up to five feet, on the Manali-Rohtang Road, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is once again geared up to reopen the road to traffic.

The heavy snowfall over the past two days had blocked the 13,050 feet high Rohtang Pass, the only gateway to Lahaul-Spiti district from Manali, stalling traffic movement completely and cutting off the district from the rest of the world.Talking to HT, BRO commander KP Rajendra said, “The BRO workforce and machinery has been deployed to clear snow from Manali towards Marhi, while the road clearing work on the Lahaul, between Satingri and Koksar, will begin on Saturday.”

THERE WAS NO REPRESENTATION IN THE SEVENTH CENTRAL PAY COMMISSION FROM THE DEFENCE SERVICES THOUGH THEY FORM THE LARGEST GROUP OF GOVERNMENT SERVICE, OTHER THAN THE RAILWAYS

The military has been persistently disadvantaged by successive central pay commissions (CPC). In the case of the first and second CPCs, its case was fielded by the ministry of defence (MoD). The third CPC wanted to hear the case from the military directly but the MoD ruled against this on grounds of discipline, and the top brass accepted the absurd stand.
This pay commission brought down pensions of military personnel from 70% of last pay drawn to 50% but elevated pensions from 30% to 50% in the case of civil servants. Nearly 80% of military personnel did not even get 50% of the last pay drawn as pension. Only 37% got it because of the shorter span of service. The 50% pension was available only after 20 years of military service. Thereafter, subsequent CPCs persistently disadvantaged the military vis-à-vis civil services. However, the third CPC dangled the one rank one pension (OROP) scheme as an alternative to the decrease in pensions from 70% to 50%.
MOD, CDA PLAY NEGATIVE ROLE
Where subsequent pay commissions tried to improve matters for the military, the MoD and the controller of defence accounts (CDA) stepped in to negate them. The fourth CPC, as a consolation for OROP, gave rank pay up to the rank of brigadier. The CDA conveniently deducted this amount from the basic pay, which in turn impacted allowances as well. Three decades later, this is yet to be resolved. The Supreme Court orders on the payment of rank pay have not been implemented fully. Those behind this lapse were neither exposed nor held accountable.
The sixth CPC ruled that pension should be fixed at 50% of “the minimum of the rank in the pay band corresponding”. The civil bureaucracy rephrased this sentence to read, “minimum of the pay band corresponding”. Those who played this trick were never pointed out and no action was initiated against them. This put four ranks: Lieutenant colonel, colonel, brigadier and major general in the same band 4 and the ministry placed all of them at the bottom of the pay band for the purpose of fixing pension. Thus, a brigadier (with rank pay as admissible to him) got more pension than a major general. This has also not been fully resolved a decade later, the Supreme Court ruling notwithstanding. In addition, more than two score anomalies created by the sixth CPC are yet to be resolved.
DISABILITY PENSION
Disabled civil employees of the government are retained till they reach the age of superannuation and given normal pension. Whereas for military personnel, for whom the chances of suffering disability is higher due to professional hazards, the disabled are sent out of service and often denied adequate disability pension. Disabled personnel have been fighting their cases with the government for years. The seventh CPC has further complicated the issue of disability and broadbanding.
Early retirement, mounting family commitments and resultant financial worries has brought down a soldier’s life expectancy to 61-63 years, while the life expectancy of his counterpart in the civil services is 71-72 and those from the railways is 73. Early death of a soldier creates a wider gap in the sum total of pay and pension between him and his counterpart in the civil and police (state and central services). This sad state of soldiers seems to be of no one’s concern: least of all the military’s top brass.
CIVIL SERVICES ARE ONE UP ON OROP
The bureaucracy, via the sixth CPC, gifted itself and all-India Group A services (over four dozen of them) “non-functional upgrade (NFU)” but made it a point to exclude military officers from this largesse. This grant of NFU gave these civil services one up on OROP. Under NFU, everyone from those over four dozen civil services retired in the minimum appointment equivalent to an additional secretary to the government of India (equal to a threestar general), while less than 0.01% vacancies of three star general exist in the military. Even if the seventh CPC recommends NFU to the military, others would have gained 10 years advantage over them.
The seventh CPC could do no better. As in the past, there was no representation in the CPC from the defence services though they form the largest group of government service (other than the railways). Even among the 150-odd officers drawn from various services to assist the CPC in working out the details of the report, there is none from the military. So the perennial bias and prejudice of bureaucrats against the military play out to the full and even those from the top judiciary, the chairmen of the CPCs, fail to notice this glaring shortfall. It would be too much to expect our service chiefs to take a stand even on this basic issue.
MISLEADING FACTS
In working out the defence revenue expenditure and percentage share of revenue expenditure, the seventh CPC took into account only .01% of the defence forces that reaches the rank of lieutenant general and paired it with that of 95% of civil servants who reach the level of additional secretary. This has been done to present a facade of satisfactory remuneration to defence personnel.
This CPC’s terms of reference were to take into account the economic conditions of the country and the need for fiscal prudence, yet it has recommended grant of OROP to all government employees, while ex-servicemen have been agitating for OROP for more than 160 days and the government has been haggling with them to reduce their demand, citing the fiscal burden. The military’s demand for OROP rested on the grounds of early retirement and limited promotions. No such basis exists in the case of civil servants. The pay commission has gone horribly wrong on the retirement age of military personnel. For it, a sepoy retires at 42-48 years and a naik at 49. The CPC is unaware that 80% of army personnel retire at 37 years and less.

Putting the military at the disadvantage has made the service unattractive. This would impact national security in the long run because the man behind the gun continues to be more important than the gun. It’s time to rectify the anomalies of successive pay commissions and end the bias against the military.

LT GEN HARWANT SINGH (RETD) gen_harwant@hotmail.com The writer, a former deputy chief of army staff, is a commentator on defence and security issues. Views expressed are personal

London, January 9

A British website set up to catalogue the last days of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has released what it claims are eyewitness accounts of the day he was reportedly killed in a plane crash in Taiwan on August 18, 1945.

The latest set of documents quote several people who were reportedly involved in the matter related to the accident as well as two British intelligence reports that revisited the crash site to establish the facts.

The website also sheds light on what may have been the freedom fighter’s dying words, which reflected his devotion to the cause of India’s freedom.

“For 70 years, there have been doubts in certain circles whether such a tragedy at all took place. Four separate reports each corroborating the other constitute irresistible evidence to the contrary,” says a statement issued by www.bosefiles.info.

The documents say that early in the morning on August 18, 1945, a Japanese Air Force bomber took off from Tourane in Vietnam with Bose and 12 or 13 other passengers and crew. Also on board was Lt Gen Tsunamasa Shidei of the Japanese Army and the planned flight path was Heito-Taipei-Dairen-Tokyo.

The three-member Netaji Inquiry Committee, instituted by the government of India in 1956 and headed by Major General Shah Nawaz Khan of Bose’s Indian National Army (INA), was told that since “the weather was perfect and the engines (of the aircraft) worked smoothly” the pilot decided to overfly Heito and proceed straight to Taipei, arriving there late morning or early afternoon.

Major Taro Kono, a Japanese Air Staff Officer and one of the passengers, told the committee: “I noticed that the engine on the left side of the plane was not functioning properly. I, therefore, went inside the plane and after examining the engine inside, I found it to be working all right”. He added the accompanying engineer “also tested the engine and certified its air-worthiness”.

Captain Nakamura alias Yamamoto, the ground engineer in charge of maintenance at the airport, concurred with Major Kono “that the engine of the left side was defective”.

He said the pilot told him “it was a brand new engine”.

He went on to say: “After slowing down the engine, he (the pilot) adjusted it for about five minutes. The engine was tested twice by Major Takizawa (the pilot). After being adjusted, I satisfied myself that the condition of the engine was all right. Major Takizawa also agreed with me that there was nothing wrong with the engine.”

However, soon after the aircraft was airborne there was, according to Colonel Habib ur Rahman – Bose’s ADC and a co-passenger, a loud explosion.

He described it as “a noise like a cannon shot”.

Nakamura, who was watching from the ground, said: “Immediately on taking off, the plane tilted to its left side and I saw something fall down from the plane, which I later found was the propeller.”

He also maintained that the maximum height gained by the aircraft was 30–40 metres.

He estimated “the plane crashed about 100 metres beyond the concrete runway” and immediately caught fire in the front portion.

Colonel Rahman recounted: “Netaji turned towards me. I said ‘Aagey Say Nikaleay, Pichey Say Rasta Nahin Hai’. (Please get out through the front; there is no way in the rear.)”

“We could not get through the entrance door as it was all blocked and jammed by packages and other things. So Netaji got out through the fire; actually he rushed through the fire. I followed him through the same flames.

“The moment I got out, I saw him about 10 yards ahead of me, standing, looking in the opposite direction to mine towards the west. His clothes were on fire. I rushed and I experienced great difficulty in unfastening his bush-shirt belt. His trousers were not so much on fire and it was not necessary to take them off.”

Rahman was in woollen uniform, whereas Bose was in cotton khakis, which, it was assessed, caught fire more easily.

Rahman added: “I laid him down on the ground and noticed a very deep cut on his head, probably on the left side. His face had been scorched by heat and his hair had also caught fire and singed.

“Netaji enquired from me in Hindustani: Aap Ko Ziada To Nahin Lagi?” (Hope you have not been hurt badly). I replied, ‘I feel that I will be all right. About himself he said that he felt that he would not survive.’”

Bose added: “Jab Apney Mulk Wapis Jayen To Mulki Bhaiyon Ko Batana Ki Mein Akhri Dam Tak Mulk Ki Azadi Ke Liyay Larta Raha Hoon; Woh Jangi Azadi Ko Jari Rakhen. Hindustan Zaroor Azad Hoga, Oos Ko Koi Gulam Nahin Rakh Sakta. (When you go back to the country, tell the people that up to the last I have been fighting for the liberation of my country; they should continue to struggle, and I am sure India will be free before long. Nobody can keep India in bondage now.)”.

Lieutenent Col Shiro Nonogaki, who was on the flight, said: “When I first saw Netaji after the plane crash, he was standing somewhere near the left tip of the left wing of the plane. His clothes were on fire and his assistant (Col Rahman) was trying to take off his coat.”

There were variations in the details provided by Rahman, Nonogaki, Kono, Takahashi and Nakamura. They were giving evidence 11 years after the accident.

But in essence there was no disagreement between their testimonies on the fact of the crash and Bose suffering severe burns and injuries as a consequence, the website notes.

Netaji was rushed to the nearby Nanmon Military Hospital in a critical condition. In September 1945, British authorities in India sent intelligence teams comprising of Messrs Finney and Davies, HK Roy and KP De to Bangkok, Saigon and Taipei to enquire about the whereabouts of Bose and, if possible, to arrest him. Instead, they returned with the story of the crash. — PTI

PATHANKOT: Lieutenant general Rajeev Tewari handed over the charge of the Rising Star Corps to lieutenant general Ashok Ambre, here on Monday. According to a press release from the army lieutenant general Tewari, during his illustrious command of the formation, oversaw the effective handling of counterterrorist operations, resulting in the elimination of all infiltrating terrorists and the successful conduct of rescue missions in the Corps zone. “Lieutenant general Ashok Ambre with an excellent service profile and rich experience in counter-terrorist operations has assumed the command of the Rising Star Corps,” the release said.