Dear Friends,
Jai Hind.
IESM letter of 28 Dec 10 is reproduced below.
While main reason for our demand for OROP is early retirement, there are many other reasons that other services should not be equated with the Defence Services.
1. Defence Services are the only one denied fundamental rights of a citizen. A serving soldier has no freedom to speech or to form any union.
2. As per the Constitution of India, Defence Services do not appear in the list of Government servants. So why others be compared with us?
3. There is no other service where a person joins knowing high risk to his/ her life.
The rate of casualties in the Defence Services is the highest, even when compared to BSF or other police forces.
4. Other than Defence Services, there is no other service which is not allowed to keep family in place of posting. The BSF and CRPF etc have family accommodation almost everywhere – except where facing the enemy across the border.
5. Defence Services are the only one which have quota for family accommodation even when posted to peace area.
6. Defence services get the least allowances when posted in difficult forward areas.
7. Defence Services are called to do duty of other services when those services fail to carry out their assigned task.
8. “Other services will also ask for OROP”, is a trick of Babus to bluff the political leaders.
9. Babus do not want to support us.
10. Political Leaders may have the desire to grant OROP but, they do not have the moral courage to overrule the Babus.
11. Lastly our three Chiefs – they do not wish to support - why???
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj.
Dear Colleagues,
Some stray thinking.
While our apprehension on bureaucratic antipathy may be correct, from available information, the political leadership do not seem to be averse to our demand of OROP per se. Their only known and declared reluctance is on the grounds that if OROP were given to defence forces, it would provoke a similar demand from other government employees. In our perception this equation is not justified in view of our totally different service conditions; early retirement being the main one. The regime does realise that, but is still apprehensive of a similar demand emanating from others thus pushing up the pension bill beyond affordability. If this line of thinking is correct, then the government might relent if some kind of an alibi on this score were available to them.
Constitution of the AFGRC might perhaps serve the above purpose. Even though the stipulated charter of this Commission is recommendatory, it cannot be denied that in the manner the AFGRC is coming about, it carries the seal of SC approval. Therefore, should the AFGRC be convinced of OROP for defence forces and recommend it, it should reasonably be construed to have the legal nod of the SC. This would then remove ‘legal difficulty’ as one of the three hurdles repeatedly cited by the government in rejecting OROP. The other non-defence aspirants for OROP, if any, would be expected to follow a similar path, which as of now does not exist.
It may be noted that the government is certainly concerned about the ongoing struggle by the IESM, particularly the medal deposits. As is learnt, after our latest 28 Nov 2010 rally and visit to the Rashtrapati Bhawan, they showed anxiety and have reportedly tasked one of the retired VCOAS to examine the issue and make ameliorating recommendations.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Air Force Band entralls spectators
Air Force Band playing for the gather public at India Gate in New Delhi on December 26, 2010. Photo no.CNR - 35762
Monday, December 27, 2010
Britain honours WWII Havildar Lachhiman Gurung, VC
The Telegraph Monday 27 December 2010
Havildar Lachhiman Gurung, who died on December 12 aged 92, won the Victoria Cross while serving with the Gurkha Rifles in Burma in 1945; in recent years he had been a prominent figure in the campaign led by the actress Joanna Lumley to allow former Gurkhas to settle in Britain.
At the end of April 1945, the 89th Indian Brigade of 7th Division was ordered to cross the Irrawaddy and destroy the enemy north of the Prome-Taungup road. By May 9 the Japanese, after a series of desperate attacks, had broken off contact and were withdrawing towards the Taungdaw Valley. “B” and “C” companies of the 4th/8th Gurkha Rifles were positioned to block their route at the village of Taungdaw, on the west bank of the river.
When the Japanese arrived, the two Gurkha companies were surrounded and their lines of communication cut. On the night of May 12, Rifleman Gurung was manning the forward post of his platoon almost 100 yards ahead of the main company.
At 1.20am, more than 200 Japanese attacked the company position. The brunt of the assault fell on Gurung’s section and, in particular, on his post, which dominated a jungle track leading up to his platoon’s position. Had the enemy been able to overrun it and occupy Gurung’s trench, they would have secured control over the whole of the field before them.
One grenade fell on the lip of Gurung’s trench. He quickly grabbed it and hurled it back at the enemy. Almost immediately another grenade came over. This one fell directly inside the trench. Again Gurung snatched it up and threw it back.
A third grenade landed just in front of the trench. Gurung attempted to throw it back, but it exploded in his hand, blowing off his fingers, shattering his right arm and severely wounding him in the face, body and right leg. His two comrades were also badly wounded and lay helpless in the bottom of the trench.
The enemy, screaming and yelling, now formed up shoulder to shoulder and attempted to rush the position by sheer weight of numbers. Gurung, regardless of his wounds, loaded and fired his rifle with his left hand and kept up a steady rate of fire.
The attacks came in wave after wave, but the Japanese were beaten back with heavy losses. For four hours Gurung remained alone at his post, calmly waiting for each new onslaught, firing into his attackers at point blank range, determined not to yield an inch of ground. His comrades could hear him shouting: “Come and fight a Gurkha!”
The following morning, of the 87 enemy dead found in the company’s immediate locality, 31 lay in front of Gurung’s section. The Japanese made repeated attempts to break through, but the 4th/8th held out until May 15, when they were relieved.
Gurung later said: “I had to fight because there was no other way. I felt I was going to die anyway, so I might as well die standing on my feet. All I knew was that I had to go on and hold them back. I am glad that helped the other soldiers in my platoon, but they would have all done the same thing.”
Gurung was invested with the Victoria Cross by Lord Louis Mountbatten at a parade at the Red Fort in Delhi on December 19 1945. The citation declared: “This Rifleman, by his magnificent example, so inspired his comrades to resist the enemy to the last that, although surrounded and cut off for three days and two nights, they held and smashed every attack. His outstanding gallantry and extreme devotion to duty, in the face of almost overwhelming odds, were the main factors in the defeat of the enemy.” Partiman Gurung, Lachhiman’s father, then aged about 74, was carried for 11 days from his village in Nepal to witness his son being decorated.
Lachhiman Gurung was born on December 30 1917 at Dakhani village in the Tanhu district of Nepal. He enlisted in December 1940 and after completing basic training was recruited into the 8th Gurkha Rifles. Of small build (he stood just 4ft 11in tall), he was under the minimum height and would not have been accepted in peacetime.
After the action in which he won the Victoria Cross, Gurung was evacuated to hospital, but lost his right hand and the use of his right eye. He continued to serve with the 8th Gurkha Rifles but transferred to the Indian Army after Independence in 1947. He retired in the rank of havildar (the equivalent of sergeant) in the same year.
Gurung married soon afterwards and had two sons and a daughter. Later, after the death of his wife, he had two sons from a second marriage.
He farmed a two-acre plot and owned several buffalo, oxen, goats and cows. In 1995 the VC and GC Association provided the Gurkha Welfare Trust with £2,000 donated by the Armourers and Brasiers’ Livery Company, and these funds were used to build a new house for Gurung and his family near the Gurkha Welfare Centre at Chitwan.
In August 1995 Gurung was received at 10 Downing Street by the Prime Minister, John Major, who presented him with a cheque for £100,500 for the Gurkha Welfare Trust.
In 2008 Gurung became closely involved in the campaign to allow Gurkhas to settle in Britain. The British government had refused entry to the 2,000 Gurkhas who had retired before July 1997, the date when their base was moved to the UK from Hong Kong.
Five claimants — including a Falklands veteran, Lance-Corporal Gyanendra Rai; a Gulf War veteran, Birendra Man; and a Gurkha widow — launched a legal challenge, supported by Lachhiman Gurung and a fellow winner of the VC, Honorary Lieutenant Tul Bahadur Pun, then aged 87. Both men had been told that they would not be allowed to settle here because they had failed to “demonstrate strong ties” to the UK.
In the High Court in September 2008, however, Mr Justice Blake said that the policy should be reviewed, referring to the “Military Covenant undertaken by every British soldier by which, in return for their pledge to make the ultimate sacrifice, they are promised value and respect”. He added: “Rewarding distinguished service by the grant of residence in the country for which the service was performed would be a vindication of this covenant.” As the judge rose after his ruling, Gurkhas and their supporters shouted their battle cry “Ayo gorkhali”.
In May 2009 the government announced that all Gurkha veterans who retired before 1997 with at least four years’ service would be allowed to settle in Britain. Even as this victory was secured, however, Gurung was appealing to the Queen and the Prime Minister for his 20-year-old granddaughter, Amrita, who had been facing deportation, to be allowed to stay in Britain to care for him.
“I have paid a great price for Britain,” Gurung said, “but I do not complain as I love this country as much as I love my family. However, in my last days I ask Her Majesty the Queen to help by allowing my granddaughter to be with me and at my side.” The Home Office relented, and granted her permission to stay.
In 2008 Gurung had settled at Hounslow, to which he was formally welcomed at a ceremony led by the mayor and the council; he was later made a Freeman of the Borough. He attended many functions of the Nepalese communities in Hounslow and elsewhere, and was honorary vice-president of the Chiswick branch of the Royal British Legion. He had recently moved into the Chiswick War Memorial Homes.
Lachhiman Gurung attended this year’s Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Centotaph, and was also present at last month’s VC and GC Association reunion in the presence of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
One of Gurung’s sons subsequently became an officer in the 8th Gurkha Rifles. His second wife, Manmaya, survives him with his five children.
Havildar Lachhiman Gurung, VC
Havildar Lachhiman Gurung, who died on December 12 aged 92, won the Victoria Cross while serving with the Gurkha Rifles in Burma in 1945; in recent years he had been a prominent figure in the campaign led by the actress Joanna Lumley to allow former Gurkhas to settle in Britain.At the end of April 1945, the 89th Indian Brigade of 7th Division was ordered to cross the Irrawaddy and destroy the enemy north of the Prome-Taungup road. By May 9 the Japanese, after a series of desperate attacks, had broken off contact and were withdrawing towards the Taungdaw Valley. “B” and “C” companies of the 4th/8th Gurkha Rifles were positioned to block their route at the village of Taungdaw, on the west bank of the river.
When the Japanese arrived, the two Gurkha companies were surrounded and their lines of communication cut. On the night of May 12, Rifleman Gurung was manning the forward post of his platoon almost 100 yards ahead of the main company.
At 1.20am, more than 200 Japanese attacked the company position. The brunt of the assault fell on Gurung’s section and, in particular, on his post, which dominated a jungle track leading up to his platoon’s position. Had the enemy been able to overrun it and occupy Gurung’s trench, they would have secured control over the whole of the field before them.
One grenade fell on the lip of Gurung’s trench. He quickly grabbed it and hurled it back at the enemy. Almost immediately another grenade came over. This one fell directly inside the trench. Again Gurung snatched it up and threw it back.
A third grenade landed just in front of the trench. Gurung attempted to throw it back, but it exploded in his hand, blowing off his fingers, shattering his right arm and severely wounding him in the face, body and right leg. His two comrades were also badly wounded and lay helpless in the bottom of the trench.
The enemy, screaming and yelling, now formed up shoulder to shoulder and attempted to rush the position by sheer weight of numbers. Gurung, regardless of his wounds, loaded and fired his rifle with his left hand and kept up a steady rate of fire.
The attacks came in wave after wave, but the Japanese were beaten back with heavy losses. For four hours Gurung remained alone at his post, calmly waiting for each new onslaught, firing into his attackers at point blank range, determined not to yield an inch of ground. His comrades could hear him shouting: “Come and fight a Gurkha!”
The following morning, of the 87 enemy dead found in the company’s immediate locality, 31 lay in front of Gurung’s section. The Japanese made repeated attempts to break through, but the 4th/8th held out until May 15, when they were relieved.
Gurung later said: “I had to fight because there was no other way. I felt I was going to die anyway, so I might as well die standing on my feet. All I knew was that I had to go on and hold them back. I am glad that helped the other soldiers in my platoon, but they would have all done the same thing.”
Gurung was invested with the Victoria Cross by Lord Louis Mountbatten at a parade at the Red Fort in Delhi on December 19 1945. The citation declared: “This Rifleman, by his magnificent example, so inspired his comrades to resist the enemy to the last that, although surrounded and cut off for three days and two nights, they held and smashed every attack. His outstanding gallantry and extreme devotion to duty, in the face of almost overwhelming odds, were the main factors in the defeat of the enemy.” Partiman Gurung, Lachhiman’s father, then aged about 74, was carried for 11 days from his village in Nepal to witness his son being decorated.
Lachhiman Gurung was born on December 30 1917 at Dakhani village in the Tanhu district of Nepal. He enlisted in December 1940 and after completing basic training was recruited into the 8th Gurkha Rifles. Of small build (he stood just 4ft 11in tall), he was under the minimum height and would not have been accepted in peacetime.
After the action in which he won the Victoria Cross, Gurung was evacuated to hospital, but lost his right hand and the use of his right eye. He continued to serve with the 8th Gurkha Rifles but transferred to the Indian Army after Independence in 1947. He retired in the rank of havildar (the equivalent of sergeant) in the same year.
Gurung married soon afterwards and had two sons and a daughter. Later, after the death of his wife, he had two sons from a second marriage.
He farmed a two-acre plot and owned several buffalo, oxen, goats and cows. In 1995 the VC and GC Association provided the Gurkha Welfare Trust with £2,000 donated by the Armourers and Brasiers’ Livery Company, and these funds were used to build a new house for Gurung and his family near the Gurkha Welfare Centre at Chitwan.
In August 1995 Gurung was received at 10 Downing Street by the Prime Minister, John Major, who presented him with a cheque for £100,500 for the Gurkha Welfare Trust.
In 2008 Gurung became closely involved in the campaign to allow Gurkhas to settle in Britain. The British government had refused entry to the 2,000 Gurkhas who had retired before July 1997, the date when their base was moved to the UK from Hong Kong.
Five claimants — including a Falklands veteran, Lance-Corporal Gyanendra Rai; a Gulf War veteran, Birendra Man; and a Gurkha widow — launched a legal challenge, supported by Lachhiman Gurung and a fellow winner of the VC, Honorary Lieutenant Tul Bahadur Pun, then aged 87. Both men had been told that they would not be allowed to settle here because they had failed to “demonstrate strong ties” to the UK.
In the High Court in September 2008, however, Mr Justice Blake said that the policy should be reviewed, referring to the “Military Covenant undertaken by every British soldier by which, in return for their pledge to make the ultimate sacrifice, they are promised value and respect”. He added: “Rewarding distinguished service by the grant of residence in the country for which the service was performed would be a vindication of this covenant.” As the judge rose after his ruling, Gurkhas and their supporters shouted their battle cry “Ayo gorkhali”.
In May 2009 the government announced that all Gurkha veterans who retired before 1997 with at least four years’ service would be allowed to settle in Britain. Even as this victory was secured, however, Gurung was appealing to the Queen and the Prime Minister for his 20-year-old granddaughter, Amrita, who had been facing deportation, to be allowed to stay in Britain to care for him.
“I have paid a great price for Britain,” Gurung said, “but I do not complain as I love this country as much as I love my family. However, in my last days I ask Her Majesty the Queen to help by allowing my granddaughter to be with me and at my side.” The Home Office relented, and granted her permission to stay.
In 2008 Gurung had settled at Hounslow, to which he was formally welcomed at a ceremony led by the mayor and the council; he was later made a Freeman of the Borough. He attended many functions of the Nepalese communities in Hounslow and elsewhere, and was honorary vice-president of the Chiswick branch of the Royal British Legion. He had recently moved into the Chiswick War Memorial Homes.
Lachhiman Gurung attended this year’s Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Centotaph, and was also present at last month’s VC and GC Association reunion in the presence of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
One of Gurung’s sons subsequently became an officer in the 8th Gurkha Rifles. His second wife, Manmaya, survives him with his five children.
Havildar Lachhiman Gurung, VC
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Perceptions from the Golden Jubilee Reunion at IMA
Am forwarding the following perceptions written by an officer from our course. It is well worth a read.
I've learned that you can keep going long after you can't. Have Wonderful and Happy Days Ahead….
Brig VA Subramanyam (Retd)
Hullo All,
We, the passing-out Course of autumn term 1960, celebrated the Golden Jubilee of our commissioning from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun on the 14th and 15th of this month. Amidst the back-slapping display of reuniting camaraderie there were three touching events.
First, the solemn wreath laying ceremony at the Academy’s War Memorial where we observed a two minute silence twice – one, for all those who having passed through the portals of the Academy, laid down their lives for the Nation; next, for our course-mates who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting the enemy.
The second ceremony was the singing of the Academy song in the Auditorium by the Gentlemen Cadets when we all stood to attention charged with patriotic fervour; the song has drawn inspiration from Bankim Chatterjee’s Vande Mataram and is composed in the words of Javed Akhtar with emphasis on the soldier’s commitment to fight for Mother India.
The third was the ceremony during the Course Dinner in which we presented the Commandant with a silver bust of Capt Vikram Batra who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his supreme gallantry in the Kargil war; the Commandant assured us that the bust would be displayed prominently in the Gentleman Cadet’s Mess which has also been named after Capt Vikram Batra.
The Chetwode Hall of the country’s ‘safety and honour first’ fame had on display Gen Niazi’s pistol – symbol of his surrender of all Pakistani troops in erstwhile East Pakistan to Indian Forces. For two days we were transported to a different India untainted by corruption. It is an atmosphere that pervades the Military Academies and the Army’s fighting regiments and battalions where it is an honour and duty to fight for Mother India and give of oneself for her sustenance to the last drop of blood if need be.
Thereafter we are back to the other India where Money, to meet the demands of insatiable greed, is desired beyond one’s needs to keep body and soul happily together. The businessman-bureaucrat-politician-criminal nexus is sucking the Nation dry and has roped in the other elements of Society like the Police, Media and Judiciary and most importantly, the common man. Conversely, one may propose that it is the common man in India, who with his readiness to offer and receive bribes, created and supported this ugly nexus.
It is a time for serious concern, for now, even some in the Military’s top leadership seem to have been infected by the virus of insatiable greed. Officers and men in regiments and battalions offer their unconditional faith and trust to their senior commanders; when that faith and trust are betrayed they shall not fight to the finish. If that happens, India will be doomed. It is time for the common Indian to rise above his greed.
Regards – Suresh
I've learned that you can keep going long after you can't. Have Wonderful and Happy Days Ahead….
Brig VA Subramanyam (Retd)
Hullo All,
We, the passing-out Course of autumn term 1960, celebrated the Golden Jubilee of our commissioning from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun on the 14th and 15th of this month. Amidst the back-slapping display of reuniting camaraderie there were three touching events.
First, the solemn wreath laying ceremony at the Academy’s War Memorial where we observed a two minute silence twice – one, for all those who having passed through the portals of the Academy, laid down their lives for the Nation; next, for our course-mates who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting the enemy.
The second ceremony was the singing of the Academy song in the Auditorium by the Gentlemen Cadets when we all stood to attention charged with patriotic fervour; the song has drawn inspiration from Bankim Chatterjee’s Vande Mataram and is composed in the words of Javed Akhtar with emphasis on the soldier’s commitment to fight for Mother India.
The third was the ceremony during the Course Dinner in which we presented the Commandant with a silver bust of Capt Vikram Batra who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his supreme gallantry in the Kargil war; the Commandant assured us that the bust would be displayed prominently in the Gentleman Cadet’s Mess which has also been named after Capt Vikram Batra.
The Chetwode Hall of the country’s ‘safety and honour first’ fame had on display Gen Niazi’s pistol – symbol of his surrender of all Pakistani troops in erstwhile East Pakistan to Indian Forces. For two days we were transported to a different India untainted by corruption. It is an atmosphere that pervades the Military Academies and the Army’s fighting regiments and battalions where it is an honour and duty to fight for Mother India and give of oneself for her sustenance to the last drop of blood if need be.
Thereafter we are back to the other India where Money, to meet the demands of insatiable greed, is desired beyond one’s needs to keep body and soul happily together. The businessman-bureaucrat-politician-criminal nexus is sucking the Nation dry and has roped in the other elements of Society like the Police, Media and Judiciary and most importantly, the common man. Conversely, one may propose that it is the common man in India, who with his readiness to offer and receive bribes, created and supported this ugly nexus.
It is a time for serious concern, for now, even some in the Military’s top leadership seem to have been infected by the virus of insatiable greed. Officers and men in regiments and battalions offer their unconditional faith and trust to their senior commanders; when that faith and trust are betrayed they shall not fight to the finish. If that happens, India will be doomed. It is time for the common Indian to rise above his greed.
Regards – Suresh
Soldiers live forever
Dear Friends,
Loneliness faced by our soldiers while protecting the Nation is poignantly reflected in a poem written by a soldier is circulated herewith. Please circulate the same to the maximum possible.
With Regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement
Poem: The Soldier's Christmas- Summary of eRumor:
A poem said to have been written by a soldier stationed in Okinawa, Japan. It describes a visit by Santa to a simple home occupied by a solider.
The Truth:
This poem has been popular on the Internet for several years and occasionally makes a fresh appearance when there is a fresh attitude of support for the armed forces. There are several versions and several different names listed with them as author. The name most often associated with the poem is is that of Air Force Lt. Col Bruce W. Lovely. He says that he wrote it in 1993 while stationed In Korea. An article on SpecialOperations.com says the poem was actually written by Corporal James M. Schmidt, described as a former U.S. Marine Scout-sniper and that is was published in LEATHERNECK MAGAZINE in December of 1991, two years before Lt. Col Lovely claims to have written it.
A real example of the story as it has been circulated:
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan. The following is his request. I think it is reasonable.....
PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.
Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.
Poem: The Soldier's Christmas
Thanks- Happy Two Eleven!
From the womb of time,
Emerges another manmade
New Year
We want to be happy,
As towards our ends we near,
That’s an irony,
None can see,
But as we approach
The door of eternity,
We seek solace comfort and dignity,
That we leave behind a legacy
Of brotherhood,
Manhood
And
Evolution,
Hoping in future
There’ll be lesser corruption,
In the hands of youth,
Yet to seed a plantation
Of human beings,
We did seed,
As someone had us known,
As their progeny,
We pass on the same
To a generation,
Whom we hope in deeper veneration,
Shall seed better tomorrows?
And let joys surpass
All yesterdays and today’s sorrows,
As we live on borrowed time,
Some come early and pass away,
Tomorrow we shan’t also stay.
So till then let me once again,
Wish my brethren
A Happier Two Eleven.
Colls glory is as ever before,
Be not mistaken,
Love of humanity now,
Than then, is much more
As ever, ever before
Colls
FOR ALL
Col S K Kohli (Retd), Canada
Loneliness faced by our soldiers while protecting the Nation is poignantly reflected in a poem written by a soldier is circulated herewith. Please circulate the same to the maximum possible.
With Regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement
Poem: The Soldier's Christmas- Summary of eRumor:
A poem said to have been written by a soldier stationed in Okinawa, Japan. It describes a visit by Santa to a simple home occupied by a solider.
The Truth:
This poem has been popular on the Internet for several years and occasionally makes a fresh appearance when there is a fresh attitude of support for the armed forces. There are several versions and several different names listed with them as author. The name most often associated with the poem is is that of Air Force Lt. Col Bruce W. Lovely. He says that he wrote it in 1993 while stationed In Korea. An article on SpecialOperations.com says the poem was actually written by Corporal James M. Schmidt, described as a former U.S. Marine Scout-sniper and that is was published in LEATHERNECK MAGAZINE in December of 1991, two years before Lt. Col Lovely claims to have written it.
A real example of the story as it has been circulated:
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan. The following is his request. I think it is reasonable.....
PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.
Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.
Poem: The Soldier's Christmas
Thanks- Happy Two Eleven!
From the womb of time,
Emerges another manmade
New Year
We want to be happy,
As towards our ends we near,
That’s an irony,
None can see,
But as we approach
The door of eternity,
We seek solace comfort and dignity,
That we leave behind a legacy
Of brotherhood,
Manhood
And
Evolution,
Hoping in future
There’ll be lesser corruption,
In the hands of youth,
Yet to seed a plantation
Of human beings,
We did seed,
As someone had us known,
As their progeny,
We pass on the same
To a generation,
Whom we hope in deeper veneration,
Shall seed better tomorrows?
And let joys surpass
All yesterdays and today’s sorrows,
As we live on borrowed time,
Some come early and pass away,
Tomorrow we shan’t also stay.
So till then let me once again,
Wish my brethren
A Happier Two Eleven.
Colls glory is as ever before,
Be not mistaken,
Love of humanity now,
Than then, is much more
As ever, ever before
Colls
FOR ALL
Col S K Kohli (Retd), Canada
Adarsh case: Babus deflect, delay and evade disciplinary action
Adarsh case: Pressure on Maha govt to initiate action against babus
Sanjay Jog / Mumbai December 25, 2010, 0:15 IST
Pressure is mounting on the Maharashtra government to take action against bureaucrats and officials for their alleged involvement in the Adarsh society scam.
Ministers in the Prithviraj Chavan-led led cabinet got a shot in their arm following the Bombay High Court observation that everyone who cleared the files was gifted a flat. The Shiv Sena has also stepped up its demand for action against officials.
Chief Minister Chavan has already announced a probe under the Commission of Inquiry Act into the Adarsh scam and the Central Bureau of Investigations and the Army are carrying out independent inquiries.
However, the government is yet to appoint the two-member commission comprising a retired judge of the Supreme Court or the Bombay High Court and a retired official of the rank of chief secretary. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has announced that the bureaucrats and officials will face action and they will not be spared.
Preliminary findings have revealed that senior defence personnel, bureaucrats and politicians had allegedly formed a nexus to get flats in the building meant for the widows of Kargil war heroes.
The government has sent notices to 12 top bureaucrats, who own flats in the Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai, asking them to respond to allegations of a breach of conduct of civil service rules.
The bureaucrats who have been issued notices include former BMC chief Jairaj Phatak, former urban development secretary and the incumbent information commissioner Ramanand Tiwari, former urban development deputy secretary PV Deshmukh, former chief secretary DK Shankaran, former agriculture secretary Shivajirao Deshmukh and Human Rights Commission member Subhash Lala.
Sons and daughters of all the officials have a flat at Adarsh. Some of the officers have already sent their replies to the government. At least five bureaucrats, who were contacted, declined to comment on the issue.
A senior Congress minister, requesting anonymity, told Business Standard: “It is ironical that Ashok Chavan had to step down as the chief minister in the wake of the expose on the Adarsh scam. His mistake was that three of his relatives have flats in the Adarsh society. However, it is disappointing that despite Bombay High Court’s snub, the government has not taken action against the concerned bureaucrats and officials.”
“To begin with, Tiwari and Lala must immediately be removed from their present posts and severe action against them should be initiated under the civil services rules,” he said.
Currently, the high court is hearing a petition filed by the members of Adarsh society challenging the suspension of occupational certificates and the decision to disconnect water and power supplies to the building.
Adarsh case: Pressure on Maha govt to initiate action against babus
Sanjay Jog / Mumbai December 25, 2010, 0:15 IST
Pressure is mounting on the Maharashtra government to take action against bureaucrats and officials for their alleged involvement in the Adarsh society scam.
Ministers in the Prithviraj Chavan-led led cabinet got a shot in their arm following the Bombay High Court observation that everyone who cleared the files was gifted a flat. The Shiv Sena has also stepped up its demand for action against officials.
Chief Minister Chavan has already announced a probe under the Commission of Inquiry Act into the Adarsh scam and the Central Bureau of Investigations and the Army are carrying out independent inquiries.
However, the government is yet to appoint the two-member commission comprising a retired judge of the Supreme Court or the Bombay High Court and a retired official of the rank of chief secretary. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has announced that the bureaucrats and officials will face action and they will not be spared.
Preliminary findings have revealed that senior defence personnel, bureaucrats and politicians had allegedly formed a nexus to get flats in the building meant for the widows of Kargil war heroes.
The government has sent notices to 12 top bureaucrats, who own flats in the Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai, asking them to respond to allegations of a breach of conduct of civil service rules.
The bureaucrats who have been issued notices include former BMC chief Jairaj Phatak, former urban development secretary and the incumbent information commissioner Ramanand Tiwari, former urban development deputy secretary PV Deshmukh, former chief secretary DK Shankaran, former agriculture secretary Shivajirao Deshmukh and Human Rights Commission member Subhash Lala.
Sons and daughters of all the officials have a flat at Adarsh. Some of the officers have already sent their replies to the government. At least five bureaucrats, who were contacted, declined to comment on the issue.
A senior Congress minister, requesting anonymity, told Business Standard: “It is ironical that Ashok Chavan had to step down as the chief minister in the wake of the expose on the Adarsh scam. His mistake was that three of his relatives have flats in the Adarsh society. However, it is disappointing that despite Bombay High Court’s snub, the government has not taken action against the concerned bureaucrats and officials.”
“To begin with, Tiwari and Lala must immediately be removed from their present posts and severe action against them should be initiated under the civil services rules,” he said.
Currently, the high court is hearing a petition filed by the members of Adarsh society challenging the suspension of occupational certificates and the decision to disconnect water and power supplies to the building.
Adarsh case: Pressure on Maha govt to initiate action against babus
Onion prices soar as scamsters frolic
24/12/2010 The week that was
Week@glance was dominated by the whole country crying hoarse when prices of onions, tomatoes and garlic hit the roof. The government woke up late from its slumber and Pawar was caught on the wrong foot. This week was also dominated by CBI raids in the residences of A Raja, Suresh Kalmadi and Nira Radia — the scamsters of 2010. N D Tiwari has been asked to take a DNA test, while veteran Congress leader K Karunakaran passed away. All this and more...
When the govt was in a veg soup
Onions, tomatoes and garlic dominated the week that started on Dec 20. Onion prices touched a record Rs 90 (in contrast- price in USA- less than 90 Cents- Rs 45/- per Kg) in major markets, sending the government into a tizzy. Garlic and tomatoes followed the onion's race to pinch the pockets of the aam admi even as the opposition and the public hauled the government over the coals. The government stopped the exports, but the action came a bit too late. The government, however, remained clueless about surging trend in tomato given that the Agriculture Ministry has not received any reports of damages from any part of the country.
The week that was
Week@glance was dominated by the whole country crying hoarse when prices of onions, tomatoes and garlic hit the roof. The government woke up late from its slumber and Pawar was caught on the wrong foot. This week was also dominated by CBI raids in the residences of A Raja, Suresh Kalmadi and Nira Radia — the scamsters of 2010. N D Tiwari has been asked to take a DNA test, while veteran Congress leader K Karunakaran passed away. All this and more...
Onions, tomatoes and garlic dominated the week that started on Dec 20. Onion prices touched a record Rs 90 (in contrast- price in USA- less than 90 Cents- Rs 45/- per Kg) in major markets, sending the government into a tizzy. Garlic and tomatoes followed the onion's race to pinch the pockets of the aam admi even as the opposition and the public hauled the government over the coals. The government stopped the exports, but the action came a bit too late. The government, however, remained clueless about surging trend in tomato given that the Agriculture Ministry has not received any reports of damages from any part of the country.
The week that was
Real Idea of India
Fri, 24 December, 2010 10:45:45 AM
Subject: Real Idea of India - From Anand, Office of Mr. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament
Greetings.
Mr. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament shares a photograph of a brilliant and extremely thoughtful signpost put up by the Indian Army that captures the essence of being an Indian. The photograph speaks volumes about Indian Army and the Real Idea of India.
Visit Rajeev web page: click here
Will be grateful to your feedback.
Mr. Chandrasekhar extends his Best Wishes for the Season and for the coming New Year.
Best Regards
V.Anand
Principal - Public Affairs,
Office of Rajeev Chandrasekhar,
Member of Parliament
Netaji Subhash Memorial Lecture on 24 Jan 2011
Dear Friends,
Jai Hind.
An open invitation to all Military Veterans and their families, received from Netaji Subhash Chander Bose Trust, is reproduced below.
Those of you, who wish to attend the function, should kindly forward their names to Brig RS Chhikara, at chhikarars1940@yahoo.co.in
I have attended the functions organised by the Trust many times. The quality of lectures and the general administration is of a very high order.
The Metro Station nearest to the location of FICCI Auditorium is “Mandi House” - an easy walking distance. “Mandi House” Metro Station is on the Metro Line going from Noida to Dwarka (via Connaught Place). Do find time to attend it.
You are sure to like it.
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj.
PS – Kindly give wide publicity to the contents of this email among the veterans living in NCR.
5th Netaji Subhash Memorial Lecture on 24 Jan 2011
Dear Chander,
The fifth Netaji Subhash Memorial Lecture is being organised at FICCI Auditorium, Tansen Marg, New Delhi from 2-30 to 4-30 PM on Monday the 24th January 2011.
The theme for this year is 'Nation Building Since 1947' - Achievements and Challenges.
Speakers are expected to cover four major aspects of nation building:
Our Democracy and State of the Polity.
National Integrity - Societal cohesion, Security and Defence of our vital National interests within and abroad.
State of Governance and Corruption.
Readying our youth to face challenges ahead.
All members of IESM are Cordially invited. Those who insist on invitation cards may please send me their address & Email ID.
You may please circulate as widely as possible on your own and associated networks. The Netaji Subhash Chander Trust will be very happy if ladies also can grace the occasion.
My mail IDs are netajisubhashvision(at)hotmail.com, netajisubhashvisionyahoo.com and chhikarars1940yahoo.co.in
Regards
Brig RS Chhikara
Secy General
Netaji Subash Chander Trust
Jai Hind.
An open invitation to all Military Veterans and their families, received from Netaji Subhash Chander Bose Trust, is reproduced below.
Those of you, who wish to attend the function, should kindly forward their names to Brig RS Chhikara, at chhikarars1940@yahoo.co.in
I have attended the functions organised by the Trust many times. The quality of lectures and the general administration is of a very high order.
The Metro Station nearest to the location of FICCI Auditorium is “Mandi House” - an easy walking distance. “Mandi House” Metro Station is on the Metro Line going from Noida to Dwarka (via Connaught Place). Do find time to attend it.
You are sure to like it.
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj.
PS – Kindly give wide publicity to the contents of this email among the veterans living in NCR.
5th Netaji Subhash Memorial Lecture on 24 Jan 2011
Dear Chander,
The fifth Netaji Subhash Memorial Lecture is being organised at FICCI Auditorium, Tansen Marg, New Delhi from 2-30 to 4-30 PM on Monday the 24th January 2011.
The theme for this year is 'Nation Building Since 1947' - Achievements and Challenges.
Speakers are expected to cover four major aspects of nation building:
All members of IESM are Cordially invited. Those who insist on invitation cards may please send me their address & Email ID.
You may please circulate as widely as possible on your own and associated networks. The Netaji Subhash Chander Trust will be very happy if ladies also can grace the occasion.
My mail IDs are netajisubhashvision(at)hotmail.com, netajisubhashvision
Regards
Brig RS Chhikara
Secy General
Netaji Subash Chander Trust
Newsletter from Veekay
Dear Friends,
Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year. My newsletter click here.
Vinay and Kumud Singh
Extracts from Veekay Newsletter 2010
The year is coming to an end and it is time for the annual ritual of connecting with friends, acquaintances, comrades and colleagues. I do not recall the last time I sent a New Year's card or a hand written letter. Ever since we started using e-mail, letters have become passé. Until a few years ago, very few people had a computer and one had to write a letter. The advent of mobile telephony has put paid to the art of letter writing altogether. What a pity. I have begun to relish the advantages of being a senior citizen. One can buy rail tickets at a 30% discount. (Women get 50%, but Kumud is still to qualify. Even when she does, I think she would rather pay the full fare than be classified as a senior citizen!). Youngsters, especially girls, sometimes offer you a seat in the Metro. Shopkeepers, parking attendants and handymen address you as uncle, though hardly anyone calls Kumud an auntie, and woe betide anybody who dares...
There is little change in our routine. I go to the gym in the DSOI, which is a stone’s throw from my house, at 0645, returning at 0745 or so. Kumud goes at 0830 and returns only when the gym closes at 1000. By this time I have gone through my newspapers, had my bath and my breakfast and am ready to leave for Signals Enclave, where the Corps History Cell is located. On the days I have a hearing in Tis Hazari or the High Court, I have to give the gym amiss. The Ansal Plaza is next door and Kumud does not miss a movie. She is usually accompanied by my daughter in law or one of her gym buddies. They go for the morning show, when the children are at school and the tickets are cheaper. Twice a week, I too get a chance to go to the mall – it has a Reliance Fresh outlet and buying vegetables is one of the chores entrusted to me.
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