Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that once the Kashmir issue is resolved, there will no longer be any need for nuclear deterrents. He said this while speaking to journalist Jonathan Swan on Axios on HBO. “Intelligence analysts say Pakistan has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal anywhere in the world. Why?” the interviewer questioned.
“I don’t know where they’ve come up with this. Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is simply a deterrent, to protect ourselves,” he said, adding that he was “not sure” whether it was growing. “As far as I know, it’s not an offensive thing. Any country which has a neighbour seven times its size would be worried.”
He went on to say that he was “completely against nuclear arms”. “I always have been. We’ve had three wars against India and ever since we have had a nuclear deterrent, there has been no war between the two countries. We’ve had border skirmishes but we’ve never faced war.
“The moment there is a settlement on Kashmir, the two neighbours would live as civilised people. We will not need to have nuclear deterrents.”
Uighur Muslims
Asked why he was so outspoken about Islamophobia in the West but silent about the genocide of Uighur Muslims in China, he said that all issues were discussed with China “behind closed doors”.
“China has been one of the greatest friends to us in our most difficult times. When we were really struggling, China came to our rescue. We respect the way they are and whatever issues we have, we speak behind closed doors.
“I look around the world what’s happening in Palestine, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan. Am I going to start talking about everything? I concentrate on what is happening on my border, in my country.”
He questioned why this was such a big issue in the Western world when the people of occupied Kashmir were being ignored. “It is much more relevant. Compared to what may be going on with the Uighurs, 100,000 Kashmiris have been killed,” he said, adding that the occupied valley had been turned into an “open prison”.
“Why is that not an issue?” he asked, adding that he considered it to be “hypocrisy”.
He said that he was concentrating on the things that concerned the country and its borders. “One hundred thousand Kashmiris dying, that concerns me more because half of Kashmir is in Pakistan,” he said.
Talking about the open letter he had written to leaders of Muslims states calling on them to unite against Islamophobia, PM Imran said: “There is a big communication gap between the Islamic world and Western societies. It happened after 9/11 when the world ‘Islamic’ terrorism came into currency.”
The moment you say Islamic terrorism, the common man in the West thinks there is something within the religion which leads to terrorism, he said. After 9/11 any time there was a terrorist act where a Muslim was involved, 1.3 billion Muslims across the world started becoming targets, he said.
Sexual Violence In Pakistan
Asked to respond to his comments linking the incidence of rape to obscenity, the premier said: “It is such nonsense. I never said that […] I said the concept of purdah which is to avoid temptation in society.”
He said that Pakistan had a completely different society and way of life. “If you raise temptation within society and all these young guys have nowhere to go, it has consequences.”
“Do you think that what women wear has any effect, that it is part of this temptation?” Swan asked.
“If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on men unless they are robots. I mean it’s common sense,” he said. If you have a society where people haven’t seen that sort of thing it will have an impact on them, he said.
When the interviewer brought up his past as an international cricket star, PM Imran said: “This is not about me. It’s about my society. My priority is how my society behaves […] so when I see sex crime going through the roof we sit down and discuss how to tackle it. It is having an impact in my society.”

Hyderabad: In 2016, India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36-Rafale jets at a cost Rs 59,000 crore.
IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria on Saturday said the induction of 36 Rafale aircraft into the Indian Air Force would take place by 2022.
The IAF is absolutely on target with respect to the Rafale induction plan, he said while responding to a reporters’ query on timeline for receiving the 36 fighter jets from France.
“The target is 2022. It is absolutely on target. I mentioned earlier. Except for one or two aircraft, minor delays because of Covid related issues, but, in fact, some deliveries have been ahead of time.
So, broadly, we are absolutely on target on the Rafale induction plan.
On the operationalisation plan, you are aware, we are fully operational.. so, in terms of time, we will be absolutely on time,” he told reporters after reviewing the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal here.
In 2016, India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36-Rafale jets at a cost Rs 59,000 crore.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had in February said the country would have the entire fleet of the fighter aircraft by April 2022.
Asked for his assessment on the situation in eastern Ladakh on the Indo-China border, the IAF Chief said talks are on between the two sides and the first attempt is to continue with the parleys and carry out the disengagement at the “balance friction points.”
“The first attempt is to continue with the talks and do the disengagement at the balance friction points. And, of course, follow it up with de-escalation,” he said.
“However, in parallel, the ground realities are being monitored closely. Whatever is the reality across, in terms of current leftover locations, deployments, any changes, that is being monitored closely and whatever actions are required on our part, we are taking, Bhadauria said.

While the Indian Army and Navy are in favour of military theatre commands, the Indian Air Force has issues over division of its air assets, nomenclature of commands, leadership of theatre commands and dilution of powers of chiefs
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat has called a meeting on Wednesday of the tri-services and other stake holders to understand their concerns over theatre commands and iron out differences before working towards the raising of maritime and air defence commands this year. The ministry of defence had accorded acceptance in principle to theatre commands in 2017 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi handing over the mandate of reorganization to Gen Rawat.
Earlier this month, after a presentation, defence minister Rajnath Singh had asked Gen Rawat to call a meeting of stake holders and discuss all the issues threadbare before taking the theatre command concept to Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for final approval. Majority nations, including tiny Maldives to mighty US, function on theatre command concept with the idea of seamless integration among the land, sea and air forces for better coordination and response. While China has reorganized its seven military districts into five theatre commands, Pakistan has sought support of Beijing to help its forces also be reorganized under the same military concept.
Although there have been media reports indicating that the entire process may be delayed, the ministry of defence, Indian Army and the Indian Navy are totally in favour of activation of the theatre commands with the Indian Air Force ploughing a lonely furrow on even issues like naming of the commands. Since the end of 1999 Kargil war, the Indian Air Force has its own version of jointmanship and integration with the sole purpose of keeping its air assets undivided and protecting its own turf. The fact is that even today, official files pertaining to army are labelled as Integrated Headquarters, Army (Ministry of Defence). The Navy filed are labelled Integrated Headquarters, Navy, but the Air Force files are still labelled as air headquarters only. This speaks volumes about Air Force vision of integration of the three services.
A senior military commander explained the context and said: “Those in doubt are confused and outdated. Has corporatisation of ordnance factory boards come with 100 per cent consensus or is it based on efficient and better management of resources. Leadership in military is meant to take decisions in best interests of security ensuring optimum and efficient management of resources. Whatever is the best way for us to achieve the objective is the way forward.”
Under the present theatre command concept, there will be three land-based commands – North comprising only of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, East comprising land area from Himachal to Arunachal Pradesh and West comprising of land area from Punjab to down south. Apart from this there will be an air defence command and a maritime theatre command with the Andamans and Nicobar Command under its jurisdiction. The maritime and air defence command will be raised by serving commander in chiefs after announcement this year and start functioning next year under the newly appointed theatre commanders. The theatre commanders will be selected from the serving commander in chiefs of the three services with air defence command going under an air marshal and maritime theatre command under a vice admiral without creation of any new posts.
With Pakistan on its west and China on its eastern flank, the northern command will remain a single unit under an army general as the theatre is expected to remain active on the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control for time to come.
Apart from getting its air assets divided and issues like rotation among services for theatre commanders, the IAF’s concern is the perceived dilution of powers of the air chief as the theatre commanders will be in-charge of operations and directly report to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee with three chiefs as members. This concept is similar to the US concept where the chief of staff is responsible only for procurement and training while the theatre commanders report to the defence secretary.
The present command structure in the Indian military is lop-sided with Indian Army having seven commands, a much smaller Indian Air Force having similar number and Indian Navy having three commands. This structure will be rationalized under the theatre command concept with the Indian Navy expected to get one more commander in chief position.
With the Chinese PLA already functioning as one integrated unit under the Western Theatre Command along the 3488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian military needs to get its act together and move fast on theatre commands for a cogent and strong response to the adversary in future. India has no other options.

According to latest figures compiled by the MoD, the total manpower in OFB as on February 1, 2021 was 74,085

Photo for representation.

Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 21

No outsider would be appointed to the Board of Directors in the newly corporatized Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and appointments thereof for the time being would be made from within establishments under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

“The first set of Board of Directors of the corporate entity (ies) is to be appointed from the serving senior officials of the OFB/Department of Defence Production, Armed Forces, Controller General of Defence Accounts and the existing nine defence public sector undertakings,” a note issued by the planning wing of the Department of Defence Production states.

On June 17, the Union Cabinet had approved the corporatization of the OFB, resulting in its 41 factories being subsumed as seven defence public sector undertakings owned 100 per cent by the government.

The Ministry of Defence has sought the list of officers fulfilling the eligibility criteria, who opt to join the newly created companies, from the aforementioned departments by June 30.

The selected officers would be placed on deemed deputation to the new corporate entities but without deputation allowance. They would be governed on terms applicable for foreign service and would be subject to service rules and regulations such as pay and allowances, leave and career progression as applicable to them in their parent cadre, the note adds.

Headquartered at Kolkata, the OFB is the oldest and the largest organisation in the country’s defence industry, dating back to 1787 when a gunpowder factory was established by the British at Ishapore.

They produce a vast array of equipment for the armed forces, para-military organisations and to a limited extent, the civilian market.

This includes weapons and ammunition, soft-skin vehicles, armoured vehicles, personal equipment and clothing, parachutes, opto-electronic devices, surveillance equipment and ancillary items.

Under the new scheme of things, the 41 factories have been converted into seven defence public sector undertakings. Ammunition and Explosives, headquartered at Khadki, will take over 12 factories, while Weapons and Equipment, headquartered at Kanpur, and Ancillary, headquartered at Ambajhari, will get eight factories each.

Vehicles, headquartered at Avadi, will get five factories, Troop Comfort Items, headquartered at Kanpur, will get four. Opto-electronics, headquartered at Dehradun will get three, while Parachute at Kanpur will comprise a single unit.

The plan for corporatization of the OFB was conceived about two decades ago to revitalise and streamline the functioning of the factories which have often drawn fire from Parliament’s Standing Committee on Defence and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India oversight over poor quality of products, mismanagement, delayed timelines and lack of technological advancements.

According to latest figures compiled by the MoD, the total manpower in OFB as on February 1, 2021 was 74,085 and the revenue generated in 2020 was Rs 12,755 crore. Arms and Explosives had the lion’s share in both, with 24,436 employees and a revenue of Rs 4,348 crore.

File photo of Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa | @OfficialDGISPR | TwitterText Size: A- A+

Decoding Pakistan’s actions can be a difficult game. There are so many intertwined threads and hidden agendas that analysing them can be exhausting. But the task is necessary, especially when this volatile country hikes its defence expenditure by a reported 6.28 per cent. That’s a lot for anyone, but especially Pakistan, which has trouble paying its bills. Added to that is speculation that the defence rise is tied to the concessions that Pakistan expects from the US in its policy on Afghanistan. There’s no end to the audacity of Rawalpindi, but that bluff can be called, for many reasons. The cards are simply not falling right.

Defence budget and Pakistan’s economy

First, the budget itself. The unseemly brawl during the budget session was bad enough, with mostly treasury benches resorting to violence and name-calling. But the devil lies in the details of those budget papers being thrown around. Actual expenditure for the defence services, which in India covers several pages of detailed information, is so short as to be a parody. The total for ‘Defence Services’ is PKR 1.37 trillion, far more than what the federal government transfers to its provinces. That figure doesn’t include pensions pegged at PKR 360 billion and the Armed Forces Development Program at PKR 340 billion. There are other heads that are opaque, including the Defence Services Miscellaneous and Security Deposits, which runs to more than PKR 184 million. Add all of this up, and the total is far above the stated figure.

Pakistani analysts indignantly point out that the army gets just 1.1 per cent of GDP. India’s entire defence budget is just 2.15 per cent of GDP. And there’s not a bit of use saying India’s GDP is sized at $2,709 billion trillion, almost ten times that of  Pakistan’s $263 billion or thereabouts. India is more than twice the size in territory with upwards of 13,000 sq. km in land boundaries to Pakistan’s 7,257 sq. km, and a coastline about seven times more. Besides, we have a fire breathing dragon at our borders. Pakistan has co-opted it, fire and all.

Also read: Take Indian Army out of counterinsurgency. It has to tackle leaner, modern PLA

Mysterious figures and calculations  

Then there are the perplexing figures. For instance, there is a mysterious rise in remittances, which is sustaining the current account balance. It was as much as $14 billion in the first half of FY 2020-21, despite a steep slump in workforce exports from 6,25,203 in 2019 to 2,24,705 in FY 2020. That is supported by data sets from the State Bank, which shows a precipitous drop

Pakistan’s own economists express doubts about its claimed 3.94 per cent GDP growth rate. Prime Minister Imran Khan now claims this as 4 per cent and above growth rate. The International Monetary Fund’s sedate prediction? It’s 1.5 per cent. Those are very large gaps in assessments. And here’s the worst news. About a quarter of the budget deficit of PKR 4 trillion is to be financed in part by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and international bonds.

But as analysts note, the IMF has quietly decided to postpone its review until the government can demonstrate the viability of the budget. In simple words, the creditors are not enthusiastic about Imran Khan’s mathematics. That being the case, the projections for a defence budget rise to such an extent seems dim. Yet, the government powers on in high confidence.

Also read: Pakistan keeps making bad decisions with India. Its insecurity is hurting peace

Same old, same old

The reason for high confidence is hardly rocket science. Top US officials like CIA chief William Burns have been visiting recently, at a time when the US is hastening out of Afghanistan. Leaks from Islamabad confirmed the secret visit, with public refusals on any operations from Pakistan into Afghan territory. In fact, so vociferous are these denials that it virtually confirms that there is a great deal of hard bargaining going on in return for Pakistan’s help in delivering its ‘ace in the hole’, which is the Taliban, and arising from that, urgently needed ground intelligence.

The bargaining was apparent in a New York Times story, which reported that Pakistanis wanted prior knowledge of any US attack into Afghanistan, with some Pakistani officials going so far as to say that the US should just hand over the drones to them. That in itself would have infuriated CIA officials. But Islamabad, like Oliver Twist, is never afraid of asking for more. Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin was quoted as saying that US withdrawal from Afghanistan had given Pakistan ‘some space’ in diluting the demands of the IMF. Tarin denied it later, but the position was clear. Even as the IMF balks at Pakistan’s unrealistic budget, Islamabad clearly feels it has the dominant hand to push the international lending agency to give it what it wants. This is not some wishful thinking. After all, this has been the story since the 1980s when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. In three decades, Islamabad has honed such bargaining into a fine art.

Also read: High time Indian foreign policy jettisons ‘don’t annoy China’ notion & supports virus probe

The crux in arm–twisting

The crux of it all is whether the US can call Pakistan’s bluff – which is that it will ‘control’ the Taliban and persuade it to deliver US objectives; primarily eradicating the terror threat, and ensuring a modicum of uniform governance for all. This assumes that the Taliban will act almost entirely on Pakistan’s wishes, providing intelligence on the ground on the activities of al-Qaeda and its many affiliates or competitors like the Islamic State. True, that is almost exactly what the Taliban commanders have done for the last two decades, given the need for safe havens.

But the picture has changed. As victory looms large, differences in power-sharing will inevitably emerge, with indicators already pointing in that direction. A new leadership may emerge that can’t be taken for granted. True, the Haqqanis and the like will still retain their strength in areas bordering Pakistan. But much of the rest, especially in the north and west, is up for grabs.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meeting with Central Asian leaders indicates the US is scouting for alternative bases. That’s not going to be easy, given that suitable airfields (which means sufficiently remote) are hard to find. Karshi Khanabad in Uzbekistan, for instance, was abandoned after it was found to be polluted with toxic materials including depleted uranium. Kyrgyzstan seems to offer a place to everyone, including India. Kazakhstan is much too far. Turkmenistan has declared neutrality. Besides, none will want to annoy Moscow, or the Taliban.

The advantage is that this time, the US is there not to target the Taliban, with which it has a peace agreement, but to hit the others, for which it is willing to pay in ‘support’ for the future Afghan government. For the US, it might be easier to kiss and make up with Moscow, than ever hope that Pakistan will change its double-dealing nature. Even as Islamabad gears up for the IMF to loosen the strings, India needs to do some hard diplomacy as well as open its purse, to ensure that US objectives are met in other geographies, and that its own Taliban outreach delivers at least the confidence that far more reliable friends are there for the long haul. Pakistan’s ambitious defence budget needs to stay where it is, on paper. That is good for everyone, including Pakistan itself.

The author is a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi. She tweets @kartha_tara. Views are personal.

(Edited by Prashant Dixit)

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Rajouri SHO alleges assault at Army’s Poshana checkpoint

Photo for representation only. File photo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 20

The Army has ordered an internal inquiry into the alleged assault on a police officer by its personnel at a checkpoint in Poonch district, sources said on Sunday.

Rajouri Station House Officer (SHO) Sameer Jilani was travelling to Kashmir to visit his ailing mother when he was allegedly manhandled by Army personnel, led by an officer, at Poshana checkpoint on Mughal Road on Saturday.

Terming it as unfortunate, sources said the one-off incident was an aberration to the excellent work being done by both the security agencies in ensuring a secure environment. An Army officer said the force and the police reaffirm their solidarity towards ‘awaam’ (public) and are committed to maintain peace and stability in the region. The police have registered an FIR against the soldiers.— PTI

The mortal remains of Milkha Singh were immersed in the Sutlej at Gurdwara Patalpuri Sahib here on Sunday. – File photo

Kiratpur Sahib, June 20

The mortal remains of Milkha Singh were immersed in the Sutlej at Gurdwara Patalpuri Sahib here on Sunday.

After a long battle with Covid, the 91-year-old sprinter died at the PGI, Chandigarh, late on Friday night.

His son and ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh along with sisters and other relatives reached Gurdwara Patalpuri Sahib in the morning where an ‘ardas’ was offered for the departed soul. Following this, his ashes were immersed in the Sutlej. Later, the relatives paid obeisance at the gurdwara. — TNS

NGO makes blankets, bags, masks for old-age home inmates

Tribune News Service

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 20

With large stacks of military uniform awaiting “graceful” disposal, a retired Army officer has set up an NGO, Sewaj Neesim Foundation, which collects used uniform and uses it to prepare blankets, schoolbags, masks, aprons, bibs and other useful items.

Maj Gen Ashim Kohli (retd) says, “We have so far collected 4,000 pairs of uniform, but the work was affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

An associated NGO is getting the stitching work done from women working from homes in slum areas. It has employed nearly 10 women in NCR and another seven in Pune.

The NGO aims to collect old uniform from across the country. The products made from recycled cloth would be donated to the needy, especially in children and old-age homes.

Maj Gen Kohli says, “The military uniform cannot be thrown away or given to the poor as non-authorised persons are allowed to wear it or may misuse it. We thus came up with this idea of gracefully disposing of the uniform.”

Psychiatrists have a term for it ‘broken heart syndrome’

India’s Flying Sikh Milkha Singh has died, five days after his wife Nirmal Kaur succumbed to Covid. — Tribune Photo

New Delhi, June 19

India’s Flying Sikh Milkha Singh has died, five days after his wife Nirmal Kaur succumbed to Covid.

As the pandemic swept through India, many other couples faced the same tragedy—partners for decades or perhaps beginning their journey together giving up on life, within weeks and sometimes just days of each other.

Psychiatrists have a term for it – ‘broken heart syndrome’. And the legendary Singhs may have epitomised it.

While Singh, one of India’s greatest sporting icons, died late Friday in a Chandigarh hospital after a long battle with Covid at the age of 91, his wife, national volleyball player Nirmal Kaur, passed away on June 13, 58 years after they got married and 65 years after they first met.

Their children, three daughters and a son, golfer Jeev Milkha Singh, doffed their hat to “true love and companionship”.

“He fought hard, but God has his ways, and it was perhaps true love and companionship that both our mother Nirmal ji and now Dad have passed away in a matter of five days,” a statement from the family said.

And they are not the only ones.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Jagannath Pahadia and his wife, former MLA and Rajya Sabha MP Shanti Pahadia, lived together and died together – well almost. He took his last breath at the age of 89 on May 20 in a Gurgaon hospital. She, two years younger, was in the same hospital and passed away three days later.

“Both of them lived together for their entire lives and remained politically active and left together for their heavenly abode. They were married in their childhood by their parents and lived happily thereafter,” their son Om Prakash Pahadia said.

Senior journalists Kalyan Baruah and Nilakhshi Bhattacharya also lost their battle to Covid in a Gurgaon hospital in May. Like the Pahadias, they, too, passed away within three days of each other.

After a lifetime of togetherness, Bikaner-based couple Om Prakash and Manju Devi couldn’t, it seems, bear to be apart either. They passed away in November within 15 days of each other.

Married for nearly four decades, the couple stuck together through many ups and downs, including financial woes and the weddings of their five daughters.

Their nephew, who did not want to be named, said it was possible his aunt could not bear the news of her husband’s death.

“While my uncle passed away in the hospital due to Covid complications, I think it was the grief of his death that likely resulted in my aunt suffering a brain haemorrhage that eventually led to her death,” he told PTI.

In such cases—where one partner has passed away while the other is still recovering—medical experts recommend that the news of the death be shared only after the spouse is well out of danger.

According to Mumbai-based psychiatrist Harish Shetty, lack of knowledge helps recovery.

“Informing the spouse when one is physically devastated can destroy mental equilibrium, thereby causing deterioration.

“I have been part of teams that have been involved in informing the other spouse after recovery. The presence of family, a doctor and a counsellor is ideal. Allowing the process of grieving to begin effectively with support is the key,” Shetty told PTI.

Gurgaon-based psychiatrist Jyoti Kapoor added that the news of the demise of a partner often makes the other suffer from what is known as a ‘broken heart syndrome’ – a temporary heart condition caused due to high stress and overwhelming emotions.

She said it was natural for couples who had lived together for decades to share a strong emotional dependence, where the loss of one can create significant stress for the other.

“Our personal experience, as well as research, has suggested that depending upon circumstances of the living partner and individual vulnerability to handle stress, the risk of death in male spouse after wife’s death is 18 per cent, and risk of women’s death following the death of the husband is around 16 per cent.

“This has sometimes been described as ‘broken heart syndrome’, a sort of physical ramification of extreme emotional stress among individuals with pre-existing physical vulnerabilities like chronic illness or frail health,” Kapoor said.

Losing a partner in the best of circumstances is challenging. People take years to come to terms with the death of a terminally ill spouse whose death is almost inevitable.

The pandemic has magnified this ordeal for couples—not only were the deaths sudden, but the partners also left behind were fighting for their own lives as well.

Arpita Basu Roy’s parents passed away within four days of each other. Both were in hospital together. Not visibly romantic, they were “soulmates” married for 30 years, she said. One would never eat, unless sure that the other person has eaten too.

So when her mother passed away, it was almost like her father knew, and gave up on his desire to live.

“The last day I saw my father, (after my mom expired), he was all numb. He did not even respond to my sister. He was staring blankly, as if in a state of shock. We think he understood that she was gone, and was unable to accept the news.

“They were soulmates and probably could not live away from one another… so they decided to depart together,” the Kolkata-based Roy told PTI.

While there is no data to establish the number of couples who succumbed to Covid-19, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) gives an estimate – that 3,261 children were orphaned during the pandemic.

This data, released earlier this month, only takes into account children from 0-18 years. The actual numbers would be much more.

An official in Tamil Nadu estimated that at least 50 couples succumbed to Covid-19 days after either one contracted the infection during the first wave last year.

District Child Protection offices in the state have identified about 50 children who had lost both parents.

Describing his enormous sense of loss at losing both parents to the virus, comedian Bhuvan Bam said nothing would ever be the same again.

“Lost both my lifelines to Covid. Aai aur Baba ke bina kuch bhi pehle jaisa nahi rahega. Ek mahine mein sab bikhar chuka hai. Ghar, sapne, sab kuch.

Meri aai mere pass nahi hai, baba mere saath nahi hain. Ab shuru se jeena seekhna padega. Mann nahi kar raha. (Nothing is same without my father and mother. Everything is shattered within one month. My home, my dreams, everything. Will have to learn living from scratch. I don’t want to.)

“Was I a good son? Did I do enough to save them? I’ll have to live with these questions forever. Can’t wait to see them again. I wish the day comes soon,” the Mumbai-based artist wrote on Instagram last week.

In Karnataka’s Mandya district, Nanjunde Gowda was anxiously awaiting the birth of his child, but died of Covid-19 on April 30. On May 11, his wife Mamata gave birth to their daughter. Three days later, she, too, was dead.

And Covid claimed another victim. — PTI

He was emotionally very upset after the unfortunate demise of his wife Nirmal Milkha Singh on 13 Jun and his condition became unstable since then.
Time n again he was uttering, since his wife s death, that ” Nirmal how could you go first, why I have lost this race to you, at least we could have been joint winners …
🙏🏽🎀🙏🏽
Perhaps the untold story of mutual love & regard made Milkha follow his wife.
Whole of Chandigarh is in pain….!!
Heartfelt Condolences!!💐💐