HT Correspondent
chandigarh@hindustantimes.com
If you can’t buy happiness, buy a bike: Lieutenant General Anil Puri
If you can’t buy happiness, buy a bike: Lt Gen Puri
Chandigarh : “If you can’t buy happiness, buy a bike,” said Lieutenant General Anil Puri who has become the first among his rank to complete the 1,200-km Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) Circuit, France’s oldest cycling event. Talking about the event on the concluding day of the Military Literature Festival in UT, he said, “The event that is held every four years, is every randonneur’s dream ride. I call the ride ‘Niravan on wheels’ because I got to spend some ‘me time’ with just a bike, terrain and a calm mind.” Calling out the attendees, the army official said one should push his/her limits in terms of physical endurance.
The Israeli spirit
During the session ‘Defending against formidable odds: The Golan Heights, 1973’ on the concluding day of Military Literature Festival, 2019, experts lauded the spirit of nationalism of Israelis. They said the dedication and commitment of Israelis towards their country helped them counter the attacks by Arab countries. Even during war, they repaired and refurbished tanks rapidly to combat the superior armoury of the enemy. During the discussion, Israeli Major General Yosi Ben-Hannan shared his experience of war and said they had only 10 tanks but targeted more than 90 enemy tanks.
Talks on naval operations
The third edition of the Military Literature Fest at the Lake Club, Sector 1, saw a substantial navy presence with over four sessions hosted by the naval officers. On the concluding day of the festival, Commodore Srikant Kesnur was present during one of the sessions on Operation X: The Untold Story of India’s Covert Naval War in East Pakistan, 1971. Lieutenant Commander Aditya Thakur presented the talk on submariners on the first day of the fest, while on the second day, Captain Rajan Kapoor presented a talk on aviators at sea. On the third day, Kesnur spoke on naval operations at the 1971 war. Lieutenant Commander Rajiv Lochan with Lieutenant Shark Mahla spoke about special operations by the Indian Navy.