HT Correspondent

letters@hindustantimes.com

Dehradun : A top commender of the army on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s order on giving permanent commission to women army officers but said it is not the right time to induct them in combat roles.

Lieutenant General RP Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-chief of Western Command, made the comment while interacting with media persons at Western Command’s Investiture Ceremony held at Cement Town cantonment in Dehradun.

“We welcome the SC ruling to give women officers permanent commission. We don’t have any issues or regrets on the same. However, as far as the combat role for them is concerned, I think the right time for it has not come yet,” he said.

Lieutenant General RP Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-chief of Western Command said, “It is an evolutionary process. Women officers are already into other wings related to combat if not direct. We hope in future they will get into more roles and contribute to Indian Army.” Congratulating the awardees, he asked them to “do their best and keep up the glory of Indian Army”.

On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that women could serve as army commanders, ordering the central government to extend permanent service to all women officers. Currently, women are inducted through a short service commission that lets them work for up to 14 years and only allowed permanent commission in the army’s legal and educational wings.

gallantry awards

Earlier during the event, the Western Command chief presented 41 awards, including 32 Sena Medals for gallantry, two Sena Medals for distinguished service and seven Vashisht Seva Medals to army officers and soldiers. Apart from this, 16 elite units of the Western Command were honoured for their professional excellence.

Suparna Roy

suparna.roy@htlive.com

Dehradun : Exactly one year after martyrdom of her army officer husband in Kashmir, 28-year-old Nitika Kaul Dhoundiyal, is all set to join the Indian Army. She says this will be her real tribute to her husband and her way of feeling close to him.

Kaul’s husband Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, was martyred in an encounter in Pulwama last year with Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists after the Pulwama attack.

Kaul, 28, who originally hails from Kashmir, has cleared Short Service Commission examination, along with the interview. She is now waiting for the merit list to be declared after which she will join the forces as a cadet.

presently works with an it firm

Kaul, who lives in Delhi these days with her parents and works in a multi-national IT company, said she wants to focus on being a good officer like her husband.

“I want to learn new things as it is a major shift for me from corporate culture I am so used to, to the disciplined culture of armed forces”, she said.

“I took my own time to recover from the major loss, and the decision to sit for the Short Service Commission examination happened gradually. Just to fill the form in September last year was a big decision. But I had decided that I want to walk on a similar path like my husband,” said Kaul.

Remembering the day she sat for the examination, Kaul said, “It was a very emotional moment for me to enter that examination hall, given what I had experienced. At the same time, I was thinking that my husband would have gone through the same situation, of clearing the first examination as a step towards joining the forces….it made me feel closer to Vibhu…”

However, she said that it was not easy to get back to normal life after the death of her husband. “I drowned myself in work, hoping the pain will ease…”

“I went back to work around 15 days after my husband’s death, because I wanted to keep myself busy. It is natural to have a breakdown but we needed to accept the situation. I had to find positivity in my daily routine and stand up on my feet once again,” she added.

Sharing an anecdote from the first time she went out with her cousins, after her husband’s death, Kaul said, “There was an internal resistance, I was not completely willing to go outside, but then when a loved one leaves, you have to think whether they would have wanted to see you in such a sad state. I always thought what Vibhu would have wanted me to do and I got my answer…”

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Mrs. Nitika Kaul Dhoundiyal, wife of Maj Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, martyred on 18 Feb 2019, pays tribute to her husband on the 1st anniversary of his “Day of Martyrdom”…

As we observe the first anniversary of my husband’s “Day of Martyrdom”, I am surrounded by thoughts of disbelief, pain, and emptiness. The treasured moments passed with him have now taken over the role of a support system that is gradually teaching me to pick up the pieces in life.

I often read my diary to revisit my earlier thoughts and bring Maj Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal (Vibhu for me) back alive. My diary tells me that… when he was away serving in the field area, I would often wake up in the night to check any message from him. He would invariably come in my dreams smilingly and would hold me tight. I would beg him even in the dreams not to leave me alone. Those were the days I did not want to wake up and probably that was my way to escape from reality.

I know that with time, people accept the situation and move on, but for me, life can never be the same again as the “scar” of his absence has left an indelible mark on my psyche. I still remember the moments that took away parts of my soul. I lost a part when I first heard the news of his “Martyrdom” and another part when I had to sign documents, where his name was written as “Late Maj Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal” and my name, had a title of “Widow”.

Besides being a committed soldier, Vibhu was a fabulous human being and taught me many things about life. I learned to be focused and understood the significance of being passionate in life and most importantly realized the importance of love. I had written a letter to him but by the time it was ready to be posted, it was too late. It indeed summarized my feelings for him….” Vibhu, I wish I can tell you how much I love you. Every day seems to be a new struggle but I can’t tell you about that. I know you are busy with your work and I don’t want to burden you with my worries. But honestly speaking I am quite scared at times. You are my life. When I look back I realize the importance of love. You have made me a different person. I miss the moments when you hug me and say hey Nikki I love you. I remember whenever I had nightmares you always hugged me tight saying” it is all, okay I am here love”. Just always keep me close. It seems so long since I saw you and am waiting for you to come home.Here I imagine a world for us. Vibhu, I am so proud of you and I love you”.

These days sometimes when I go to my balcony and look at the stars, I observe their brightness flickering randomly. However, this random pattern, gives me a feeling that Vibhu is trying to communicate with me. I wonder, if Vibhu is one of those stars and is engaged in narrating our love story to other stars. But I am very certain that wherever he is, he will make sure that others around him are always smiling.

I miss Vibhu, my soldier and my soulmate, but as a martyr’s wife I am committed to do everything that would have made him proud….my small contribution to the nation he loved and gave his life for….

Jai Hind!!

 Nitika Kaul Dhoundiyal

To send messages to the family members of Maj Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, please click on https://www.honourpoint.in/profile/maj-vibhuti-shankar-dhoundiyal/.

Islamabad : Pakistan conducted a successful test of the air launched nuclear-capable cruise missile Ra’ad-II with a range of 600km on Tuesday, significantly boosting the military’s “deterrence capability” on land and at sea.

The Ra’ad-II weapon system is equipped with state-of-the-art guidance and navigation systems ensuring engagement of targets with high precision, the military’s media wing said in a release. The missile significantly enhances air-delivered strategic standoff capability on land and at sea, it said.

Pakistan’s development of the Ra’ad could be seen as an attempt to match India’s BrahMos cruise missile, according to the US-based Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, non-profit organisation. It also said that currently this missile is planned to be attached to Mirage aircraft or F-16 fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force.

deadly GAS LEAK claims 14 lives

A gas leak in the southern port city of Karachi has killed 14 people and sickened hundreds more, Pakistani health officials said on Tuesday. The leak set off a panic in Karachi and raised concerns because city officials could not immediately identify the source and the type of gas involved. Officials said there was no suspicion of sabotage.

The apparently odourless gas, which causes severe breathing problems, has sickened hundreds since striking Karachi’s coastal area of Kamari on Sunday night. agencies

Sudhi Ranjan Sen

letters@hindustantimes.com

Kandla : The Chinese ship, detained in Kandla port for wrongly declaring an autoclave which can also be used in the manufacture of missiles as a dryer, almost managed to leave Indian shores on the intervening night of February 4 and 5 for its final destination, Port Qasim in Karachi, Pakistan.

Hindustan Times first reported on Monday that the merchant vessel (MV) Da Cui Yun had been detained by Indian customs officials at Deendayal Port, formerly known as Kandla Port, for allegedly carrying an autoclave, and also mis-declaring it.

Customs officials seized the suspect cargo from the vessel, which flies a Hong Kong flag, on Monday even though the crew are still on board.

The ship, which reached Kandla on February 3, has been moved away from Jetty 16, where it was berthed earlier, to the anchorage area of the port.

A port official familiar with the matter said on Tuesday that there was a strong chance of the ship’s papers also being seized. “The next course of action depends on the government,” the official added on condition of anonymity.

A team from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is examining the cargo.

HT has learnt that the ship almost got away with its precious cargo. Kandla Port authorities issued the crucial “no-objection certificate” after verifying it had no dues as per the norm. An “onward-sailing memo” was issued for February 4, a second senior port official said on condition of anonymity. A pilot to guide the 166.6-metre-long 20,949-tonne ship out of the harbour was put on standby at the request of the MV Da Cui Yun.

“Suddenly, however, there was a flurry of activity. Senior Kandla Port officials got calls from New Delhi. Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and other security agencies reached Kandla,” the second official added.

HT learns that officials from the national security establishment were part of the team.

The customs authorities, who were about to issue final clearance for the vessel to set sail, backed off. “On February 5, a ship chandler put in a request to bar the pilot and the vessel out of the harbour,” the second official said. “The DRDO report will be crucial in determining the next step,” said a third official, who asked not to be named.

On February 3, MV Da Cui Yun arrived in Kandla and immediately offloaded 2,480 tonne of machinery, even though Kandla Port authorities had been expecting the vessel to arrive on January 31. But such delays are common in shipping.

The ship was clearly aiming to leave soon. “Medical certificates of the crew — a mandatory requirement — was filed much in advance by their agents to secure necessary port clearances,” the second official said.

While DRDO scientists examine the equipment, investigators are also interested in the ship’s charter. Prior to sailing from Jiangyin port on the Yangtze river in China’s Jiangsu province, the vessel was harboured in Shanghai for five days and also passed through Nantong Port in Jiangsu province.

“In the current context, the visit to these ports could hold clues,” the third official said.

The tip-off, HT learns, came from Hong Kong to the highest levels of Indian intelligence. Indian operatives are believed to have sent a message that the ship could be carrying dual-use technology products — those that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. The US has also been maintaining a close watch on the Chinese shipping companies after it imposed sanctions on Iran, but it isn’t immediately clear whether the US provided any intelligence. The US had also imposed sanctions on some of the Chinese shipping companies.

After the ship was prevented from leaving, an inspection by the customs department found that the “ declaration (on the nature of cargo) wasn’t matching,” a fourth senior official at Kandla port said on condition of anonymity. “Prima facie, it appears the vessel violated the Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies (Scomet) regulations,” this person added.

Category 4 and 5 of the Scomet regulations deal with the transport of dual-use technology, especially those that can be used for the production of nuclear warheads. The regulations were introduced after the UN confirmed that Iraq had used chemical weapons on Iran during the Iran-Iraq war.

The regulations are designed to control the export and prevent the proliferation of technologies and equipment which can be used in the manufacture or disposal of chemical and biological weapons. Dual-use items are also considered contributors to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Press Trust of India

letters@hindustantimes.com

New Delhi : India will send a C-17 military transport aircraft to the Chinese city of Wuhan on February 20 to evacuate more Indians and deliver a consignment of medical supplies to China’s coronavirus-hit people, officials familiar with the matter said.

The C-17 Globemaster is the largest military aircraft in the Indian Air Force’s inventory. The plane can carry large combat equipment, troops and humanitarian aid across long distances in all weather conditions.

The officials said that the aircraft will carry a large consignment of medical supplies to China and bring back more Indians from Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic.

India’s national carrier Air India has already evacuated around 640 Indians from Wuhan in two separate flights.

According to estimates, over 100 Indians are still living in Wuhan, some of whom decided not to return to India.

A sizeable number of countries have evacuated their citizens from China and restricted movement of people and goods to and from China. All the Indians who want to return to India will be brought back in the IAF aircraft on Thursday as Indian embassy has reached out to the Indian citizens stuck in Wuhan, the officials said. Chinese Ambasador Sun Weidong, addressing a press conference, said there was no case of any infection among the Indians in Wuhan as of today and that the authorities are taking “good care” of them. Sun appreciated India for extending solidarity and expressing readiness to assist China to deal with the epidemic.

China’s National Health Commission on Tuesday said the death toll due to the outbreak climbed to 1,868 on Monday while the total number of confirmed cases jumped to 72,436. pti