NEW DELHI: The first three women fighter pilots of the country are set to script history next month when they will fly military jets after completing a strenuous training in the coming three weeks.

Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singhwere commissioned as flying officers in July last year, less than a year after the government decided to open the fighter stream for women on an experimental basis.

“You will be glad to know that their performance has been on par with other pilots despite the streneous and demanding nature of flying,” Chief of Air Staff B S Dhanoa said addressing a press conference.A senior IAF official involved in training of the three women pilots said they will steer the combat jets next month.Currently, the three women pilots are flying Hawk advanced jet trainersThe IAF chief said the next batch of three women trainee pilots has been selected for the fighter stream in July and is presently undergoing stage-2 of fighter pilot training.

“On successful completion of training, the three women fighter pilots will be commissioned into the fighter stream in December this year,” Dhanoa said.

The Martyrs’ Memorial at Hussainiwala. Tribune photo

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, September 26

Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, during his September 12 visit to the Martyrs’ Memorial in Hussainiwala, had promised to make efforts for according the national heritage status to the place.For city residents, the assurance was not new as Central and state governments — over the years — have been making “hollow” promises to accord importance to the memorial.“It took almost 37 years for the nation to construct the memorial, where Shaheed Bhagat Singh and his comrades were unceremoniously cremated by the British in 1931. When constructed, the memorial is struggling to get the attention it deserves,” said former IAS officer Kulbir Singh Sidhu, who was posted here as Commissioner.It rankles him that the authorities had been unable to grant national heritage status to the memorial. “I had taken up the matter with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to notify the memorial and other Anglo-Sikh War sites as monuments of national importance. But after my transfer from Ferozepur, no one evinced interest,” Sidhu said.Shaheed Bhagat Singh Society president Jaswinder Singh said, “All these years, pronouncements made by visiting dignitaries to develop the memorial have remained hollow.”During the previous SAD-BJP government, then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had announced Rs 13.5 crore for the development of the memorial. The announcement, however, never materialised.“Last year, Capt Amarinder Singh had written to Badal not to create new war memorials if the existing ones cannot be taken care of,” historian Rakesh Kumar said, adding it remained to be seen how much his government would make effort for it.

LONDON: Seven Indian companies are among those from 20 countries named in a list whose components were used by the ISIS to make explosives, a EU-mandated study said, suggesting that more work needs to be done to track the flow of chemicals and other items to the terror group.

The study by Conflict Armament Research (CAR) showed that 51 companies from 20 countries such as Turkey, India, Brazil, and the US produced, sold or received the over 700 components used by ISIS to build improv ..

Jammu, September 20

Family members of Uri martyrs, who belong to the Jammu region, have demanded that the families of soldiers should be given ex gratia at par with neighbouring states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.Raj Kumar, brother of Uri martyr Havildar Ravi Pal, sought to draw attention of the state government towards the ex gratia announced by the neighbouring states. He said apart from enhancing the ex gratia, the J&K Government must provide job to at least a kin of the martyrs. Geeta Devi, wife of martyr havildar, has also applied for a government job, but no action had been taken so far.The Uttar Pradesh government had sanctioned Rs 20 lakh for Uri martyrs, Jharkhand Rs 11 lakh, Odisha Rs 10 lakh plus pension, Maharashtra and Bihar Rs 15 lakh each and the J&K Government has sanctioned Rs 5 lakh.Though the martyrs’ families have received Rs 5 lakh, they were of the view that the amount had been sanctioned by the Army not by the state government. However, the Army made it clear that the amount was sanctioned by the J&K Government, but handed over to the martyrs’ family through the Defence authorities. — TNS

APPLICATION FOR GG

Army to clean high-altitude tourist spots: Sitharaman

Vikramdeep Johal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 11

“Saragarhi: The True Story”, a documentary by UK-based journalist-filmmaker Jay Singh-Sohal, will be screened at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire tomorrow to mark the 120th anniversary of the epic frontier battle.It features footage from the site that falls within Pakistan’s unruly tribal region. The day shooting took place on the Samana mountain range, the Pakistan Army was fighting Islamic State militants 40km away at Rajgal. Filming also took place in the UK and India.Jay Singh-Sohal says: “It’s been a long but fulfilling journey to research, film and promote for the first time the bravery of the Sikhs at Saragarhi. It’s a personal endeavour; I’ve myself been inspired by it because it speaks to the shared history and values that make me proud to be both British and Sikh, and I know many others in my community feel the same.”On September 12, 1897, 21 Sikh soldiers of the 36th Regiment of Bengal Infantry had fought to the last man against 10,000-odd tribesmen during an uprising on the North West Frontier between colonial India and Afghanistan.According to the filmmaker, who has also penned a book on the battle, the Sikhs who fought for Britain on the frontier were “rightly rewarded and honoured” for their bravery and devotion to duty. “Today, we must continue to remember the sacrifices they and others made in such conflicts which might not be so well known, but are vitally important,” he adds.Gurinder Singh Mann, a historian and head of the Sikh Museum Initiative, says, “After the Anglo Sikh Wars (1840s) and the annexation of Punjab, many Sikhs were looking for employment. As a result, several regiments were formed in the British Indian Army over the subsequent decades. The battle at Saragarhi stresses the importance of the role the Sikhs played as part of the Empire.”The heroic tale is also the subject of two delayed Bollywood projects, one an Ajay Devgn production and the other being handled by veteran director Rajkumar Santoshi. In the latter, the lead role of Havildar Ishar Singh is being played by Randeep Hooda.

Lt Swati Mahadik with her children at the passing-out parade. PTI

Chennai, September 9

In an inspiring example of grit and courage, the wife of Col Santosh Mahadik, who was killed fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir nearly two years back, today joined the Army as an officer after 11 months of gruelling training.Swati Mahadik, 38, a mother of two, was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Army Ordnance Corps.Her husband Col Mahadik, a recipient of the Sena Medal for gallantry, was killed in an anti-terror operation in Kupwara in north Kashmir in November 2015.An officer from the elite 21 Para Special Forces, he was known for always leading from the front. Col Mahadik was the Commanding Officer of 41 Rashtriya Rifles.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Following in her husband’s footsteps, Swati had joined the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in October last year.Present at the passing-out parade were her proud family members — daughter Kartikee, 12, son Swaraj, 7, mother-in-law Kalindi Ghorpade, father Babanrao Shedge and her mother.Swati had already crossed the upper age limit for joining the Army and it was only after the Army and Ministry of Defence specially relaxed the age limit for her that she could initiate her new career goals.Later, she told mediapersons how she had silently resolved to join the Indian Army at the funeral of her husband in November 2015. She sent both her children to boarding schools and then appeared for the Staff Selection Board (SSB), which she cleared.After undergoing several rounds of physical fitness and medical examinations as part of the five-tiered selection process, she was selected to join the OTA.Also at the passing-out parade was Lt Nidhi Dubey, the widow of another soldier, the late Naik Mukesh Dubey.Welcoming two such gritty widows to the armed forces, the Indian Army said in a tweet: “Salute the spirit. Both Lt Swati Mahadik and Lt Nidhi Dubey have strived hard to become officers today after their husbands passed away. Both of them have made all of us proud.” Agencies

‘Uniform was his first love, now mine’I wanted to be close to him (Col Mahadik) by joining the Army. Uniform was his first love and that is why I have decided to join the Army so that I can wear the uniform. I want to give a way of life to my children which he would have given to them. —Lt Swati Mahadik

Our Correspondent

Palampur September 7

A veteran outreach/interaction programme was organised at the Palampur Military Station today. The basic objective behind the programme was to reach out to the veterans, honour and resolve the problems of ex-servicemen, which they usually face after retirement and also to commemorate a mark of respect and recognition of their services rendered for the security and integrity of the nation.Brig SK Verma (retd), Director, Directorate of Sainik Welfare, HP, gave an insight into various welfare schemes and entitlements of veterans and projects being undertaken by the Centre and the state government.Maj-Gen VS Ranade, General Officer Commanding, Dah Division, addressed the veterans and stressed the facilities available to the veterans at local station, state and Central government levels. During the event, several information counters were established to make the veterans aware about various ongoing and upcoming projects in the field of job placements, education facilities, resettlement, pension entitlement and other veteran-related issues.Online Jeevan Praman Registration and Aadhaar card registration were made available to the veterans.The event witnessed attendance of veterans from Palampur tehsil and nearby areas. Station Commander, Palampur Military Station, Brig Charandeep Singh, SM & officer in-charge, ECHS Polyclinic, were also present.