Current Events :
Member of Parliament from Chandigarh and former Union Minister Manish Tewari paid floral tributes Lieutenant Rajiv Sandhu Mahavir Chakra, who fell martyr during the Indian Peacekeeping Force operations, IPKF operations in Sri Lanka in 1988.
In a solemn ceremony held at Rajiv Vihar, Chandigarh, floral tributes were paid to mark the supreme sacrifice of Second Lt Rajiv Sandhu, Mahavir Chakra, who was martyred during the Indian Peacekeeping Force operations in Sri Lanka in 1988.
Speaking on the occasion, Member of Parliament from Chandigarh and former Union Minister Manish Tewari said, “Second Lt Rajiv Sandhu was an alumnus of St John’s High School, Chandigarh. He later went to DAV College, Chandigarh, and post-graduated from Panjab University, after which he joined the officer’s training school and right after being commissioned in the Army, he was deployed in Sri Lanka for Operation Pawan.”
HS Lucky, president, Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee, serving retired generals, brigadiers and colonels of the Army also paid their floral tributes on this occasion, which was organised by the Resident Welfare Association led by Lt Col Sra and Lt Col Sakhlani and his colleagues.
Among others, Col DS Sra, Col Saklani, Col Jagdish Chander, Col Gursawek Singh, Mrs SS Rana, Sarabjit Kaur (MC), Surjit singh Dhillon and Sanjiv Gabha were also present on the occasion.
WAR is a muddle of actions — some that actually happened and some that almost did. The 1965 war was the first in which our forces were allowed to cross the international border. Major battles took place in Punjab. Fighting in the Rajasthan sector started after the ceasefire took effect on September 22 as the Pakistanis carried out an air attack on the Jodhpur jail hospital.
The Army had only one brigade deployed to defend the whole of Rajasthan. The operational responsibility of this border was with the Delhi & Rajasthan (D&R) Area, headquartered in Delhi. In view of the flare-up, its advance headquarters quickly moved to Jodhpur. Two brigades were soon shifted from the east and placed under the D&R Area.
The GOC visited forward posts regularly. On October 24, the first stop was Tanot, which was occupied by a Sikh Light Infantry Company. Apart from the GOC, there were two Brigadiers, two Lt Colonels — including the commanding officer of the Camel Battalion — and me as the ADC.
After the visit, as the helicopter took off from the makeshift helipad at Tanot to fly south-west to Longewala, the rotors created a mini sandstorm, momentarily blinding the pilots.
On reaching a post, and assuming it to be Longewala, the pilots descended to an altitude of about 100 ft, looking for a landing pad. Through the portholes, we could see the post; obstacles placed on the cart track, camels sitting idle, washings laid out on the sand to dry. Soldiers, mostly in vests and shorts, looked up curiously as the helicopter circled overhead thrice.
Failing to find a suitable landing place, the pilots regained height. As there were no landmarks other than sand dunes, the usual method of terrain flying was not possible. Unsure of their location, the pilots finally headed eastwards. After about half an hour, we reached a larger post where Gorkha troops were spotted. The pilots made a landing; it was Ramgarh, well in the rear.
Later that day, a Pakistani wireless signal was intercepted, seeking an explanation from the post commander about why a low-flying helicopter with clear Indian markings was not shot down. Actually, the place where we ‘almost landed’ was the Sadhawala post that had changed hands between the warring sides a few times. On that day, it was under Pakistani occupation. Luckily, as it was a Sunday, the post commander had gone to the rear and the JCO in charge could not take a decision. Being unaware of the ground situation, we all kept sitting placidly, inhaling fumes from the fuel tank mounted inside the Mi-4 helicopter.
Looking back, I think that had we actually landed, we would have been taken prisoners. The incident would have made headlines in Pakistani newspapers. While the senior officers would have been named, I would have been mentioned merely as ‘one Captain’. Being a junior is a handicap in every situation.
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh has stated that IAF destroyed or damaged at least a dozen Pakistani planes during Operation Sindoor. Addressing a press conference, he dismissed Islamabad’s claims of causing major losses to IAF as “Manohar Kahaniyan” (feel-good tales).
Addressing a press conference here, he said IAF would need 35 to 40 new planes each year to remain relevant and he batted for expanding air power over the next two decades, but refrained from putting a number to the expansion.
On being asked about Pakistan’s losses during Operation Sindoor (May 7-10), the IAF Chief said during the airstrikes on Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases, one C130-J plane, one air-borne early warning plane and 4 to 5 US-made F-16 jets were hit on the ground, which were at a base for maintenance.
Counting the IAF strikes in the air, he said, “We have clear evidence that a long-range hit was made almost 300 km away. It happened to be a PAF signal intelligence plane, along with five hi-tech fighters, including F-16 and J-17 (Chinese) class aircraft, according to our system.”
The IAF Chief hinted that the strikes in the air were carried out using the newly inducted Russian S-400 air defence system, a long-range surface-to-air missile system. He added that on the ground, IAF targeted four radar sites, two command and communication sites, three plane hangars in separate stations, a missile site, and runways at two places.
Regarding Pakistan’s claim of downing IAF planes during Operation Sindoor, the IAF Chief said, “Their narrative is ‘Manohar Kahaniyan’. Let them be happy, as they need to show something to their audience to save their reputation. That doesn’t matter to me.”
He further added, “If they think they shot down 15 of my jets, let them think about it. I hope they’re convinced about it, and they’ll cater for 15 less aircraft in my inventory when they come to fight again. So, why should I talk about it?”
Even today, I won’t say anything about what happened, how much damage was done, how it happened, because let them find out.
The IAF Chief challenged Pakistan’s narrative, saying, “Have you seen a single picture where something fell on any of our airbases, something hit us, a hangar was destroyed, or anything like that? We showed so many pictures of their places. However, they couldn’t show us even a single picture. So, their narrative is ‘Manohar Kahaniyan’. Let them be happy.”
Mentioning the S-400 missiles, the IAF Chief said, “The long-range SAMs that we have procured recently and operationalised have turned the tables on them. We could look deep inside their territory and ensure they were not able to operate even within their territory to a certain distance.” He added, “We were able to bring them to their knees in one night of intensive operations.”
The IAF Chief discussed the future, saying, “IAF is working towards Vision 2047. We have drawn out our own roadmap, and we’re working on that. We’re also looking at what’s happening around the world.”
On newer fighter jets, he said, “We’re going in for strategic partnerships with some aircraft and systems that we immediately need. The technology can be brought to India and manufactured in India, which will help us in two ways: quick filling of our gaps and infusion of technology in India, helping our R&D sector absorb and become better in that technology.”
About 20 years after a soldier was seriously injured in a road accident while returning to duty, the Armed Forces Tribunal has held that a journey from place of duty to home station and vice-versa while on leave is considered as on duty and an individual so affected is entitled to disability benefits even if he was using a private vehicle.
The soldier was enrolled in the Indian Army in December 1982, and while posted at Ambala, he took two days’ casual leave in June 2004. While leaving his village to rejoin duty, he met with an accident.
He was taken to Civil Hospital, Karnal, from where he was transferred to Military Hospital, Ambala, and thereafter referred to Command Hospital in Chandimandir. He underwent several surgical procedures for fixation of fracture, provision of skin cover and wound management.
The wound did not heal, and on account of persistent infection, he was referred to Artificial Limb Centre, Pune, in June 2005, where he was provided with support to enable him to walk. Medical records show that his leg was shortened by 1.5 cm and mobility of the ankle was restricted.
He was invalided out of service on medical grounds and his disability was assessed as 60 per cent for life but held to be neither attributable to nor aggravated by military service. A Court of Inquiry was also conducted, which opined that the accident took place on account of negligence of the driver of the motor vehicle with which the accident took place and that the injury is not attributable to military service. Thus, claim for grant of disability pension was rejected.
The AFT’s bench, comprising Justice Sudhir Mittal and Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, observed that the Entitlement Rules for Casualty Pensionary Awards state that a person will be treated to be on duty while proceeding to his leave station or returning to duty from his leave station provided the person was entitled to the travel at public expense.
“The intent behind the rule aforementioned is to treat journey from duty station to home station and from home station to duty station ‘as duty’. This is the major governing factor. Qualifying the same by travel in public transport, in our considered opinion, is arbitrary,” the bench ruled. It is also violative of the Article 14 of Constitution of India, they added.
Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Friday said at least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft were destroyed or damaged during Operation Sindoor, dismissing Islamabad’s claims of causing major losses to India as “fanciful tales” (Manohar Kahaniyan).
Addressing a press conference here, the Air Chief Marshal said the IAF would need 35-40 new planes each year to remain relevant. He batted for expansion of air power over the next two decades, but refrained from putting a number to the exercise.
On theatre commands, he said it was about a new structure. “We need joint structures, but which structures are needed is what we have to think about. Discussions are on. Yes, we do have differences of opinion. We cannot say ‘yes, yes’ to everything. We need to reach a common understanding on what’s best for us.”
Citing the success of Operation Sindoor, he said, “We were able to have joint structures and joint planning. If we cannot have something better than the present structure, let’s stick to it.”
About Pakistan’s losses during Operation Sindoor (May 7-10), the IAF Chief said during the airstrikes on enemy bases, a C130J-type plane, an airborne early warning aircraft and four-five US-made F-16 jets were among those hit. “We have clear evidence of one long-range strike almost 300 km away. It was a PAF signal intelligence plane. Five hi-tech fighters of F-16 and J-17 class (Chinese) were also hit.” He said the strikes were conducted using Russian S-400 air defence system.
On the ground, he said, the IAF struck four radar sites, two command and communication locations, three hangars at separate stations, a missile site and runways at two places.
On Pakistan’s claim of downing IAF planes, he said “their (Pakistan) narrative was ‘Manohar Kahaniyan’”. “Let them be happy. After all, they have to show something to their audience to save their reputation,” he said.
The IAF Chief said Pakistan’s claims didn’t matter much to India. “If they think they shot down 15 of my jets, let them think about it. I hope they’re convinced about it and they will cater for 15 less aircraft in my inventory when they come to fight again… I won’t say anything about it… let them find out,” he said.
The Air Chief Marshal then challenged Pakistan’s claim, saying, “Have you seen a single picture where something fell on any of our airbases, something hit us, a hangar was destroyed or anything like that happened? We showed so many pictures of their places.” He said the IAF was able to bring Pakistan to its knees in one night of intensive operations.
Refer to ‘4 killed, 65 injured as Ladakh statehood protest turn violent’; the sudden flare-up in Leh is worrisome. Exhibiting lack of responsibility and accountability, the Centre has blamed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and the Congress for the violent acts of a few. The government can no longer bury its head in sand; it needs to listen to the demands of the people. The Central government cannot act on its whims and fancies and has to take all stakeholders into confidence to find a peaceful solution. The government must dwell on finding a middle path.
Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on Friday said the Indian legal system is governed by rule of law and not by “rule of the bulldozer”.
Delivering the inaugural Sir Maurice Rault Memorial Lecture 2025 in Mauritius on ‘Rule of Law in the Largest Democracy’, he referred to his own verdict deprecating ‘bulldozer justice’.
Sir Maurice Rault, a noted jurist, was the Chief Justice of Mauritius from 1978 to 1982.
Highlighting the principle of rule of law and its expansive interpretation by the Supreme Court of India, Justice Gavai, who is on a three-day official visit to the island nation, said, “The judgment sent a clear message that the Indian legal system is governed by the rule of law, not by the rule of the bulldozer.”
In the judgement in the ‘bulldozer justice’ case, the apex court held that demolition of houses of accused in response to alleged offenses bypasses legal processes, violates the rule of law and infringes upon the fundamental right to shelter under Article 21.
“It was further held that the executive cannot assume the roles of judge, jury, and executioner simultaneously,” the CJI said.
He delivered the lecture in the presence of President of Mauritius Dharambeer Gokhool, Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam and Chief Justice Rehana Mungly Gulbul among others.
In his address, the CJI referred to various landmark judgments of the apex court, including the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati verdict that had brought the basic structure doctrine and clipped the powers of Parliament to amend every bit of the Constitution.
“Over the past 75 years since the adoption of the Indian Constitution, the concept of the Rule of Law has evolved far beyond legal texts, permeating social, political, and constitutional discourse alike,” he said.
Justice Gavai said in social sphere, laws have been enacted to redress historical injustices and marginalized communities have frequently invoked them, and the very language of rule of law to assert their rights against entrenched systems of oppression.
“In the political arena, the rule of law serves as a benchmark of good governance and societal progress, standing in stark contrast to misgovernance and lawlessness, where institutions and public officials might otherwise evade accountability,” he said. Referring to the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi and B R Ambedkar, Justice Gavai said their vision demonstrated that in India “the Rule of Law is not a mere set of rules”.
“It is an ethical and moral framework designed to uphold equality, protect human dignity, and guide governance in a diverse and complex society,” he said.
The CJI referred to recent notable verdicts including the one which abolished the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims.
He also highlighted the judgments in the case challenging the law on adultery and the electoral bond scheme.
“Taken together, these four judgments demonstrate how the Supreme Court has developed the rule of law as a substantive principle, using it to strike down laws that are manifestly arbitrary or unjust,” he said.
Justice Gavai also emphasised the importance of the judgment which held right to privacy as a fundamental right.
“This articulation underscores that, when understood as a core principle of constitutionalism, the rule of law operates on both procedural and substantive levels: it restrains arbitrary action by the State, guarantees equality before the law, and embeds democratic accountability across all branches and levels of governance,” he said.
Justice Gavai said the principle has animated the legal discourse as the apex court repeatedly invoked the language of rule of law to both legitimise and explain its constitutional role, as well as the constitutional roles of other branches of the state.
“The rule of law is thus not a rigid doctrine but a conversation across generations, between judges and citizens, parliaments and peoples, nations and their histories. It is about how we govern ourselves in dignity, and how we resolve the inevitable conflicts of liberty and authority in a democratic society,” he said.
Amid prevailing tensions in Manipur, the Kuki-Zo community on Friday observed, what it calls ‘Separation Day’, by implementing a complete shutdown in all tribal dominated areas in Sadar Hills of Kangpokpi district.
A spokesperson for the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) of Sadar Hills, a key tribal body, which had given a call for the shutdown, informed The Tribune that “It (shutdown) was resounding in all Kuki-Zo dominated areas in Sadar Hills Kangpokpi”.
In a public notice issued on October 1, CoTU had reiterated that the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur which had erupted on May 3, 2023, remains unresolved even after nearly three years, and held the former BJP-led state government under N Biren Singh accountable for the state’s deepest ethnic divide.
It had given a call for a 12-hour complete shutdown along National Highway-2 (NH-2), a crucial lifeline route in Manipur, from 6 am to 6pm on October 3. As part of the observance of Separation Day, all business establishments, academic institutions, and markets along the NH-2 route, which is considered a key lifeline of the state, were asked to remain shut.
The CoTU spokesperson said that the shutdown call was a success, while further informing that for the past nearly three years, the 3rd of every month has been observed as a day to mark the Kuki-Zo community’s eviction from Imphal valley and to pay homage to all the fallen men and women and those who were butchered in Imphal valley on May 3, 2023.
However, after completion of two years last May, the initial “Remembrance Day” was commemorated as “Separation Day”, to show that the Kukis have already been separated both physically and demographycally.
“Normally, during the said observance of every month, all business establishments and academic institutions remain closed. However on Friday, during the Separation Day Observance, NH-2 was also shut down to remind the apathetic attitude of the Central government towards Kuki-Zo aspirations for freedom from oppression and subjugation from the majoritarian Meitei community,” the CoTU spokesperson said.
On Friday, the Kuki-Zo community observed Separation Day at the Martyr’s Cemetery Phaijang in Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi district, reaffirming their demand for separate administration from Manipur with a 12-hour total shutdown and solemn commemorations.
The event, marked by floral tributes and gun salutes, saw the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) urging the community’s 10 MLAs to maintain their boycott of the Manipur Legislative Assembly until the Government of India addresses their political demands.
CoTU reaffirmed the eight-point public resolution adopted on the 22nd Remembrance Day, asserting that “No Kuki Zo would remain complacent in our movement until our political aspirations are fulfilled by the Government of India”.
The resolution outlines several non-negotiable positions. The community declared there would be no free movement for the Meitei community in Kuki-Zo inhabited areas and pledged to use democratic means to achieve their goal of separate administration.
Ladakh climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali Angmo has moved the Supreme Court seeking his immediate release from detention under the National Security Act (NSA), terming it “illegal, arbitrary and unconstitutional”.
Angmo contended that the detention order violated her husband’s fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 (right to equality), 19 (right to various freedoms), 21 (right to life and liberty) and 22 (protection against arrest and detention in certain cases) of the Constitution.
Detained on September 26 under Section 3(2) of the NSA two days after the September 24 clashes between protesters demanding statehood and the Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh and the police, Wangchuk is lodged at Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan. Four persons had died and nearly 100 others were injured in the violence.
Alleging that she had not been given a copy of the detention order in violation of rules, and that she had had no contact so far with her husband, Angmo questioned the Ladakh administration’s decision to invoke the NSA. The administration has rejected allegations of a “witch-hunt” or a “smokescreen” operation against Wangchuk.
In her habeas corpus petition, she sought a direction to the administration to “produce Wangchuk before the SC forthwith”. She urged the top court to quash the preventive detention order. She also sought urgent listing of her petition and a direction to authorities to “allow immediate access of the petitioner to her husband, both telephonic and in person”.
Alleging that no grounds of detention had been furnished till date, either to Wangchuk or to his family, his wife contended that she had been “kept under virtual house arrest in Leh, while students and staff of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), founded by Wangchuk, were facing harassment, intimidation and intrusive investigations”.
“The arbitrary transfer of Wangchuk to Jodhpur, the harassment of students and staff of the HIAL, the virtual house arrest of the petitioner herself and the false propaganda linking Wangchuk to foreign entities clearly demonstrate mala fide state action intended to suppress democratic dissent and peaceful environmental activism,” she submitted.
The arrest has inflicted severe mental pain and anguish on the people of Ladakh, who revered Wangchuk as their leader, the petition stated. “A recent tragic incident has been reported where a member of the Ladakh Buddhist Association died by suicide, allegedly depressed after his detention, underscoring the devastating psychological impact on the community,” the petition maintained.
Angmo sought a direction to the authorities to ensure that Wangchuk was provided with his medicines, clothes, food and other basic necessities forthwith. She also sought a direction to them to place before the top court “the order of detention along with grounds of detention and all records pertaining thereto” as also his medical report.
