Lt Gen SR Ghosh (Retd)

In August 2005, shortly before my assignment ended in the embassy at Washington DC, I received a call from a retired Army Colonel in Vancouver who said he was the president of the British Columbia Indian Ex-Servicemen Society. He complained that Military Attaches seldom, if ever, visited them, and that I must do so before I returned to India. Till that time, I wasn’t even aware that there was such an organisation of Indian veterans in Canada. Intrigued, I promised I would do so, but the Colonel insisted that I visit them on September 12. Thus, a month later, my wife and I landed in Vancouver after a six-hour flight from Washington.

British Columbia is an extremely beautiful part of Canada and we were looking forward to some good sightseeing. But sadly, that was not to be! The Colonel, a smart, well-dressed Sikh, informed us that the following morning there would be a meeting with our ex-servicemen to discuss their problems, mostly related to pensions, followed by a Bara Khana in the evening. The latter really took me by surprise, because for the life of me I couldn’t imagine attending a fauji Bara Khana, 11,000 km away from home.

The next day, we met with two dozen veterans, mostly all Sikhs, in a makeshift conference hall. The Colonel introduced us and thereafter, it was all pure Punjabi… it was just like being back in India in a Sikh infantry battalion! Their problems were many and my Punjabi wasn’t the best, so after a while, I handed over the meeting to my wife, who apart from being a Punjabi was also a senior civil servant in our government. Over the next two hours, she heard one complaint after another about non-release of pensions and the difficulties they faced getting their legitimate dues. It was all very upsetting and we left the meeting in a rather pensive mood.

The Bara Khana in the evening was very different. Nearly a hundred veterans, again mostly all Sikhs, sat together on tables of six and eight toasting good health to each other. It was only when the master of ceremonies, a Subedar Major, came on stage, that I realised the significance of September 12. It was Saragarhi Day, of great importance to all Sikh warriors in general, and to the Sikh Regiment in particular. It would be recalled that on September 12, 1897, hundreds of Afghans attacked the British outpost of Saragarhi in North West Frontier Province. Twenty-one soldiers of the Sikh Regiment, led by Hav Ishar Singh (portrayed by Akshay Kumar in the recent film), fought to the last man defending the fort, in one of the most courageous battles in the history of warfare.

The ‘josh’, spirit and enthusiasm amongst these veterans from Punjab was unimaginable as the Subedar Major narrated the story of the Battle of Saragarhi (which all of them would have heard multiple times before), ending in the final soul-stirring ‘Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal’. This was surely India, not Vancouver!

The icing on the cake was the chance meeting with Brig Darshan Singh. No cadet of the National Defence Academy during the late 1960s can ever forget the burly head of Physical Training, especially those who were kicked off by him from the 10-metre diving board and fell spread eagled into the swimming pool below. Daka Singh, as he was then called, was sadly now a shadow of his original build, but it was such a pleasure for me to escort him to the stage and introduce him to the audience as my Ustaad! Everyone stood up and gave him a rousing round of applause.

We returned to Washington DC but my wife remained very disturbed. Over the next few months, she took it as a holy mission to ensure that our Vancouver warriors got their monetary dues. It took a while but soon after we returned to India, she received a letter from the Colonel that all the affected veterans had received lakhs of rupees as their pension arrears. What a joyful culmination of our journey to Vancouver!

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 20

At the Rally Ground of Sector 25, a crowd of over 7,000 people attended the first mahapanchayat in the City Beautiful. Propounded by the leaders of farmer unions, the dialectical camaraderie between Punjab and Haryana converged on the stage where some speakers address crowds in ‘puadhi’ language. The Tricolour stood tall amidst flags of several farmer unions and slogans of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ and ‘Kisan, Mazdoor Ekta, Zindabaad’ exuded the fervour of nationalism.Farmer leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan addresses the kisan mahapanchayat at the Rally Ground in Sector 25 on Saturday. Pradeep Tewari

The key speakers at the event, Joginder Singh Ugrahan of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), Ruldu Singh Mansa of the Punjab Kisan Union and Gurnam Singh Chaduni of the BKU, Haryana, spoke about the alleged BJP government-corporate nexus. “While Adani’s making silos or godowns for grains in Moga and Haryana, Modi’s making the laws,” alleged Joginder Singh Ugrahan.

Gurnam Singh Chaduni alleged, “Every time our supporters here have protested against the farm laws, the authorities have used violence as means to silence them.” He added: “If we lose this fight for our food, we will never be able to fight for our rights again. If these agro-business laws are exercised, everyone’s food will land in only a few people’s godowns.”

Sadhu Singh Sarangpur, one of the speakers, took to ‘puadhi’ language as he rooted for farm laws to be revoked, and Ruldu Singh Mansa cheered the people of Chandigarh for supporting farmers. “It is heartwarming how these farm laws reached urban spaces such as Chandigarh. It is encouraging that the City Beautiful, the hub of education and educated people, is backing us,” he said.

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 20

Expressing concern over the threat to agriculture as a result of the “disruptions caused by the three farm laws”, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure urgent resolution of the farm unrest.

Calling for respect for the annadata, the CM, through his speech submitted for the virtual meeting of the NITI Aayog, reiterated his government’s stand that agriculture was a state subject and law-making on the issue should be left to the states “in the true spirit of cooperative federalism enshrined in the Constitution”. Capt Amarinder could not attend the meeting as he was indisposed.

Dispel farmer fears on MSP, says Amarinder

Citing strong apprehension among farmers of the state that the MSP-based procurement regime introduced as part of food security measures in the 1960s might be discontinued in view of the Shanta Kumar Committee report of 2015, the Chief Minister said the Government of India should dispel any such impression “to instil confidence in the farmers of Punjab”.

In his speech, the CM asserted that any reform in a sector subsuming almost 60 per cent of the country’s workforce must be done only through extensive consultation with stakeholders.

The CM also used the forum to once again reiterate the state government’s demand for a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal on paddy procured as “paddy straw management compensation”.

Underlining the importance of aligning the cropping system with agro-climatic conditions for the optimum use of resources, Capt Amarinder called upon the Government of India to designate agencies to procure and provide MSP matching the returns of wheat and paddy. This will motivate farmers to take up cultivation of alternate crops, he said.

Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 20

It has taken the intervention of the Supreme Court for a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) to get his disability pension for an injury which he suffered in 1984.

Finally, bringing closure to the ordeal of a retired Subedar from Dasuya in Punjab, the Supreme Court this week dismissed an appeal filed by the defence authorities against a disability pension that had been granted to him on judicial adjudication.

Subedar Sadiq Masih of the Corps of Engineers suffered a permanent disability while he was riding a two-wheeler after sunset to avoid any encounter with terrorists when attending to an urgency during his casual leave.

Terrorism was at peak in Punjab during those times, and it was common for military and police personnel to be attacked during daytime.

The disability was declared “attributable to military service” by the statutory Court of Inquiry and also by the brigade commander, but disability benefits were refused to him by administrative authorities stating that the disability was suffered during leave.

By discussing the scope and the length and breadth of rules and relying upon directions of the Supreme Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal comprising Justice MS Chauhan and Lt Gen Munish Sibal granted him relief in 2017.

Rather than releasing benefits, the Tribunal’s decision was challenged by the government in the Supreme Court which dismissed the appeal filed against the disabled Subedar this week.

He had retired from service in 2005.

Sources familiar with these matters said that despite directions by the Defence Minster and the Defence Secretary, insensitive and controversial appeals were being filed in many instances by defence authorities in cases involving disabled soldiers where the benefit granted was minuscule when compared to the amount spent by the government on litigation.

In the year 2016, the then defence minister, Manohar Parrikar, had accepted the recommendations of a high level Committee of Experts which had recorded that further appeals in individual cases must not be filed on subjects that have attained finality at the level of the High Court or Supreme Court.

The Committee had termed multiple appeals against soldiers and other employees as “administrative egotism”.

Jammu, February 20

Around 40,000 youths have registered online for the ongoing Army recruitment rally, the first in the Jammu division after the outbreak of the Covid pandemic last year, a Defence spokesman said on Saturday.

The February 15-March 6 rally for recruiting various categories of soldiers is being conducted under the aegis of Tiger Division at the Sunjuwan Military Station here.

“The rally is being organised for the youths of all the 10 districts of the Jammu division. The Army Recruiting Office (ARO), Jammu, in close coordination with Shivalik Brigade, civil administration of the Jammu division and the J&K Police is conducting the ongoing rally in a smooth and transparent manner,” the spokesman said.

He said the General Officer Commanding, Tiger Division, Maj Gen Vijay B Nair, reviewed the conduct of the recruitment rally on Saturday.

The GOC was briefed by Brig AP Singh, Commander, Shivalik Brigade, and Director Recruiting, Jammu, about various arrangements, including security, anti-touting and Covid-related measures, the spokesman said.

This is the first Army recruitment rally in the Jammu division after the Covid-19 restrictions.

“An overwhelming response from the exuberant youths has been recorded and approximately 40,000 candidates have registered online. Covid-19 protocol is being followed during the rally by all participants and staff,” the spokesman said. — PTI

New Delhi, February 20

India and China on Saturday held another round of military talks with a focus on taking forward the disengagement process in Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang in eastern Ladakh and bring down the tensions in the region, official sources said.

The 10th round of Corps Commander-level talks are taking place two days after the Chinese and Indian militaries completed the withdrawal of troops, weapons and other military hardware from the North and South banks of Pangong Lake areas as part of an agreement.

The meeting started at 10 am at the Moldo border point on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control and it was continuing, sources said.

They said India would insist on a faster disengagement process in remaining areas like Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang to bring down tension in the region that has witnessed a tense standoff between the two militaries for over nine months.

“The focus of the talks is on carrying forward the disengagement process,” said a source.

On February 11, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced in Parliament that India and China reached an agreement on disengagement in the North and South banks of Pangong Lake that mandates both sides to “cease” forward deployment of troops in a “phased, coordinated and verifiable” manner.

Under the agreement, he said China would pull back its troops to east of Finger 8 areas in the northern bank of Pangong Lake while the Indian personnel would be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 in the region. Similar action would take place on the south bank of the lake as well, he said.

Sources said troops of both sides had retreated to positions that were agreed upon by both the sides.

The disengagement process began on February 10.

The Indian delegation at Saturday’s talks is being led by Lt Gen PGK Menon, the Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps. The Chinese side was to be headed by Maj Gen Liu Lin, the commander of the South Xinjiang military district of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). PTI

Minneapolis, February 20

Eighty-seven farmer organisations and allied agroecology, farm and food justice groups in the United States delivered a solidarity statement in support of Indian farmers’ historic protests to Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a united front of over 40 Indian farmers unions.

In the statement, US groups express respect for the unified struggles of the farmers and farm workers and urge both US and Indian governments to support independent family farmers and localised food systems to protect food sovereignty and the livelihoods of millions.

“India’s farmers have mobilised to create one of the world’s most vibrant protests in history against unjust farm laws that will increase agribusiness’ stranglehold over their food system. They have rallied around a cry for the repeal of three laws — passed without farmers’ knowledge or consultation — that aim to liberalise Indian agriculture and food sectors, not only at the cost of farmers, but also the food security of India’s poor,” the statement said.

The signatories are concerned by several additional factors not included in this statement, such as the unconstitutional ways in which these laws were passed without following proper parliamentary rules and the Indian government’s use of authoritarian tactics to deny farmers’ right to dissent democratically.

The solidarity statement was co-sponsored by members of US farm, food and racial justice organisations, including the National Family Farm Coalition, Rural Coalition, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, as well as diasporic Indians who continue to work with farmers groups in India.

“Liberalising markets without taking into account farmers’ political voice and protecting against concentrated buyer power makes a mockery of what markets should stand for; we denounce the three farm bills, the lack of consultation with farmers and their organisations, and stand in solidarity with the brave stance India’s farmers are taking,” says Sophia Murphy, executive director of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

“A majority of India’s farmers are hurting, and the draconian steps that the Indian state has taken in response to peaceful farm law protests (demanding assured returns on farm produce) and against those supporting the strike (such as the detention of 21-year-old Disha Ravi, co-founder of Fridays For Future in India) is making the fault lines of Indian democracy visible to the world. India is at a turning point: it can decide to honour the demands of its farmers or continue to stand by Indian billionaires who would benefit from these farm laws,” says Shiney Varghese, senior policy analyst at IATP.

One key demand of the protesting farmers is for farmers to receive a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops to limit the market power of buyers in highly unequal markets.

“The US-based signatories of the solidarity statement recognise the role the US government has played in creating the conditions that led to these repressive laws. The US has been a key opponent of India’s limited use of MSP at the World Trade Organisation, arguing that it represents an unfair subsidy. Yet, the US government spends tens of billions of dollars on its agriculture, much of it in programs that directly contribute to low prices and commodity dumping in international markets”, the statement said.

“Under the Biden administration, the US has a powerful opportunity to shift US trade policy to allow other countries to support fair markets for their farmers and shift its own agricultural policy to ensure parity and environmental and racial justice in the US,” it added.

“We are honoured to join the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Rural Coalition, Grassroots Global Justice, and 83 additional organisations standing in solidarity with the farmers and farm workers in India who have been protesting for 85 days to protect their minimum price guarantees. We have been forced to accept low farm prices and we support their demands for economic parity — fair prices and living wages — to defend their livelihoods, their food sovereignty and the future of their republic,” Jim Goodman, board president of the National Family Farm Coalition.

“The Rural Coalition, which has fought for four decades for the civil and human rights for all producers and farm workers in this nation, sends our strong support and deep respect to the heroic family farmers and farm workers of India as you stand united together to protect the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and stop government policies that destroy the livelihood and future of family farmers, farm workers and rural peoples,” says John Zippert, chair of Rural Coalition. IANS

Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, February 20

The refusal of the Centre to repeal farm laws and violence in New Delhi have failed to dampen the spirit of Mahinder Singh (65), who has been designated as a Sangharshi Yodha by the Punjab Government as he remained in various jails during the Emergency.

Mahinder Singh has been attending the protest at the Tikri border since its start and convincing all against violence.

Was jailed during emergency

Mahinder Singh (65) has been given the title of Sangharshi Yodha by the Punjab Government as he remained in various jails during the Emergency.

“I know that my age does not allow me to sit here in a biting cold. The threat of the pandemic also looms large. But the Centre has compelled me and others to protest. I have remained in various jails in Ambala, Patiala, Nabha and Sangrur for many months during the Emergency in the country for opposing the dictatorial decision of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. I will not leave Tikri until the black laws are repealed,” he said.

When asked whether he sees any difference then and now, he says, “Things have changed a lot as that time, farmers were not united as we are now. After the police arrested me during the Emergency, my family faced many problems to locate me. Though protesters have become powerful these days, the mindset of rulers seems to be same.”

His family owns three acres in Ealwal village and he has two sons and both are married. He also accused the Punjab Government of not giving the complete debt relief to farmers after winning the elections.

“In my life I have never supported violence. We have right to protest here peacefully. We will win this battle too. Since the start of the agitation, I, along with other elders, have been trying to convince youngsters to maintain peace because the government will definitely try to provoke us to weaken our agitation,” he said. He has been staying near pole number 36 at the Tikri border along with residents of Khurana, Khurani and Kalaudi villages.

“We have lost many youngsters and elders, but the government seems unmoved. We must prepare for a long but peaceful protest rather than waiting for a call from the government,” he said.