Indian military called in to help flood-hit north-east

Air force helicopters and soldiers in rubber dinghies helped deliver fresh water and food to flood victims in northeast India on Tuesday as the number of displaced rose to 1.8 million.
6:36PM BST 25 Sep 2012
Nineteen of 27 districts in the state of Assam have been hit by floods and 13 people have been killed over the past week, according to the latest figures from the local disaster management authority.
The remote and impoverished state, which was rocked by ethnic violence last month, has been flooded three times this year by the mighty Brahmaputra River, which often breaks its banks during the monsoon season.
"We have called in the army to assist civil authorities in rescue operations in several parts of the state where people are trapped with floodwaters entering their homes," Assam's Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Prithibi Majhi told AFP. Thousands of people in Majuli, a densely populated river island about 220 miles from Assam's main city of Guwahati, have fled to higher ground or are crowded onto embankments.
An air force helicopter, flying missions in between rain storms, was seen dropping packets of rice, water, biscuits and baby food on one embankment, sparking a scramble among young and old.
We just had enough time to pick up some clothes and drinking water bottles before we got onto a boat to reach a highland some distance away," elderly local Bhabani Pegu told the News Live channel.
"There was a breach in the dyke and soon water swept through the village before anybody could react."
Rain is continuing to pound Assam and adjoining Arunachal Pradesh state, where the Brahmaputra flows into India from its starting point in bordering Tibet. The number of displaced people stood at 1.5 million on Monday.
According to the Central Water Commission, the river was flowing above the danger level in at least 10 places in Assam and still rising.
A government relief effort is gathering pace to help the stranded and displaced, but is being hampered by the bad weather.
"We have opened more than 3,000 makeshift camps so far across the state," Assam Agriculture Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka told AFP.
"The actual damage caused to standing crops is yet to be assessed, but going by the magnitude it appears the loss would be tremendous."
Floodwaters have also submerged the internationally famous 166-square-mile Kaziranga National Park in eastern Assam, home to the world's largest concentration of endangered one-horned rhinos.
"Almost the entire park is under water with animals fleeing the sanctuary to safer areas," a park ranger said, requesting not to be named.
Authorities are asking truckers and other drivers on a nearby national highway to drive at less than 40 kilometres an hour to reduce the risks for wildlife fleeing the floods.
The Brahmaputra has flooded twice already this year, in June and in August, an official in the local weather office told AFP.
Indian military called in to help flood-hit north-east

Recruitment Scam dupes many aspirants

Ex-armyman arrested in recruitment scam
A retired Indian Army personnel and a woman from Assam have been arrested in New Delhi for duping thousand of people across the country on the pretext of providing jobs in the Indian Army, police said Wednesday.

The Crime Branch of Delhi Police received a complaint that Ravinder Chauhan claiming to be a Major of Indian Army has duped 38 job seekers to the tune of Rs.1 crore on the promise of getting them jobs in Assam Rifles.

Chauhan told police that he used to impersonate as a Major in Indian Army duped crores of rupees from job seekers and Archana Singha of Assam was the mastermind of the racket.

A raid was conducted at Jorhat and Singha was also arrested. Singha told police that she was behind the racket.

Chauhan joined Rastriya Rifles in 2003 and in 2007, while he was posted at Baramula in Jammu an Kashmir, he got injured and was declared unfit for further service. He got in touch with Singha and collected money from more than 400 people to the tune of more than Rs.3 crore.

In 2007-2008, recruitment of Assam Rifles was held in Jorhat where she came in contact with a doctor who was Major in Assam Rifles and succeeded in getting three to four people appointed.

She earned Rs.10,000 to Rs.15,000 from candidate in the recruitment.

Similarly, in 2008-2009 she got a few candidates appointed of Assam Rifles held at Cooch in Bihar, however, she collected money from several candidates.

She began to appoint agents in different parts of India. Agents were made in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, MP, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Meghalya, Manipur, Nagaland and Hyderabad.

The agents used to allure students by promising them jobs and used to collect Rs.25,000 to Rs.1 lakh per candidate as advance.

Thereafter, Singha would ask her agents to bring all the candidates to Assam and would ask them to stay in some hotel.

She would manage some fake doctors and officers and would get candidates of Assam Rifles medically examined in the hotel.

She would also get signed a blank answer sheet from them. Thereafter, she would send them back and would ask them to wait for the result and appointment letters.

After some time, she would send a photocopy of provisional appointment letters to her agents and would ask them to deposit rest of the money before giving them original appointment letters.

She used to earn Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh per candidate from the agents. After collecting rest of the money she and her agents would not take their calls.

Till now, they have cheated around more than 1000 job seekers and have collected money to the tune of more than Rs.10 crore.

‘More than 90 Bank accounts of different banks were freezed,’ said Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashok Chand.

Ravinder Chauhan was nabbed from the railway station in his Honda City car following a on tip-off. ‘He was carrying a pistol along-with 15 live cartridges and an arm licence purportedly issued from Jammu and Kashmir,’ said Chand adding that the license was found be to be fake
Ex-armyman arrested in recruitment scam

Canteen Facilities to Retired Assam Rifles Personnel

Friday, 17 June 2011 09:46
Integrated HQ of MOD (Army)
QM Branch
Dy Dte Cen Canteen Services
L1 Block, Room No. 13
New Delhi – 110001
No. 96013/Q/DDGCS 05 April 2011
HQ Directorate Central
Assam Rifles, Shillong, Pin-793010

GRANT OF CANTEEN FACILITIES TO RETIRED ASSAM RIFLES PERSONNEL
1. Reference Your statement of Case click here, forwarded vide DO No. A/ pers/ DO/2010 dated 02 Dec 2010 and MHA ltter No. 27011/18/2006/ R&W dated 15 Nov 2010, for grant of CSD facilities to the retired personnel of Assam Rifles.
2. Sanction is hereby accorded for the grant of canteen facilities to the retired personnel of Assam Rifles, till their own Central Police Canteens are established.
3. This has the approval of the competent authority.
Sd/-
(HS Brar)
Brig
Dy Dir Gen, Canteen Services
click here to read more

Tribute to a Soldier killed by a terrorist

Daddy's Poem

Her hair was up in a pony tail,
her favorite dress tied with a bow.
Today was Daddy's Day at school,
and she couldn't wait to go.

But her mommy tried to tell her,
that she probably should stay home.
Why the kids might not understand,
if she went to school alone.

But she was not afraid;
she knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates
of why he wasn't there today.

But still her mother worried,
for her to face this day alone.
And that was why once again,
she tried to keep her daughter home.

But the little girl went to school
eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees
a dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in back,
for everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently,
anxious in their seats

One by one the teacher called
a student from the class.
To introduce their daddy,
as seconds slowly passed.

At last the teacher called her name,
every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching,
a man who wasn't there.

'Where's her daddy at?'
She heard a boy call out.
'She probably doesn't have one,'
another student dared to shout.

And from somewhere near the back,
she heard a daddy say,
'Looks like another deadbeat dad,
too busy to waste his day.'

The words did not offend her,
as she smiled up at her Mom.
And looked back at her teacher,
who told her to go on.

And with hands behind her back,
slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of a child,
came words incredibly unique.

'My Daddy couldn't be here,
because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could be,
since this is such a special day.

And though you cannot meet him,
I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy,
and how much he loves me so.

He loved to tell me stories
he taught me to ride my bike.
He surprised me with pink roses,
and taught me to fly a kite.

We used to share fudge sundaes,
and ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see him.
I'm not standing here alone.

'Cause my daddy's always with me,
even though we are apart
I know because he told me,
he'll forever be in my heart'

With that, her little hand reached up,
and lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat,
beneath her favorite dress.

And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads,
her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter,
who was wise beyond her years.

For she stood up for the love
of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her,
doing what was right.

And when she dropped her hand back down,
staring straight into the crowd.
She finished with a voice so soft,
but its message clear and loud.

'I love my daddy very much,
he's my shining star.
And if he could, he'd be here,
but heaven's just too far.

You see he is a Marine
and died just this past year
When a roadside bomb hit his convoy
and taught Americans to fear.

But sometimes when I close my eyes,
it's like he never went away.'
And then she closed her eyes,
and saw him there that day.

And to her mothers amazement,
she witnessed with surprise.
A room full of daddies and children,
all starting to close their eyes.

Who knows what they saw before them,
who knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second,
they saw him at her side.

'I know you're with me Daddy,'
to the silence she called out.
And what happened next made believers,
of those once filled with doubt.

Not one in that room could explain it,
for each of their eyes had been closed.
But there on the desk beside her,
was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.

And a child was blessed, if only for a moment,
by the love of her shining star.
And given the gift of believing,
that heaven is never too far.

With love and pride I was humbled
Take the time...to live and love.
More soldiers are coming home draped in their flag.
Daddy's Poem

Thank a soldier or a veteran today. Lest we forget.

Indian Army reveals Curry Bomb latest recipe in War on Terror

India's weapons development experts have developed an eye-watering spice bomb, packed with a potent mix of red chilli and pepper which will be used to smoke out militants during counter-insurgency operations.

Experts from India's Defence Research and Development Organisation have already tested their new "grenade masala" in a series of "spice raids" close to the Line of Control which separates Indian and Pakistani forces in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.

"The field trials have been completed with success in several areas along the Line of Control. The grenades would be successful in forcing out militants from their hideouts." Curry bomb! Indian Army reveals latest recipe in war on terror

Comment: The ideal weapon causes no physical injury but makes the terrorists weep for their sins. This technique should be used universally to combat terror.
In conjunction also read:
Once we smoke the terrorists out with our mirchi bombs and stench guns, we need to have a plan for their rehabilitation, a program where they will get a permanent amnesia of their evil plans, something that can totally screw their minds into thinking all is well with the world. For that, I recommend the Bollywood bomb, a proven screwer of minds and a dependable pulverizer of logic. Masala missiles and curry bombs

Assam to recruit ESM

Guwahati
The law and order situation in the North Cachar Hills District has become a matter of serious concern with frequent militant strikes severely affecting major development projects and the State Government has decided to take the services of ex-servicemen to provide security to the persons working in the mega projects like the gauge conversion project of the Railways and the East West Corridor Project of the National Highway Authority.

Proposal
the Government has decided to appoint 500 ESM on contract for providing security to the Highway project and one thousand for providing security cover to those engaged in the Railway project. One police officer of the rank of Superintendent of Police would be put in charge of coordinating the activities of the ex-servicemen to be appointed as Special Police Officers (SPO). The SPOs would be provided with sophisticated weapons and the Government has already procured weapons for them. The ex-servicemen to be selected for appointment as SPOs would be given training with the police battalions before being pressed into service, sources added. Concerned with the delay in implementation of the mega projects, the Government of India has also deployed two companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for security of the persons engaged in the Railway Project and two more for the Highway Project.

Army Role
Army personnel belonging to the 4 Corps are deployed all over the State for the counter insurgency operations and the GOC of the 4 Corps is a part of the Unified Command structure. But Army personnel from the 3 Corps based in Dimapur have been posted in the NC Hills district, which has resulted in some operational problems. The Government of Assam has already requested the Centre to bring the NC Hills under the 4 Corps of the Army.

Comment
The need for speedy completion of Infrastructure mega projects in the NE Regions cannot be over emphasised. The law and order situation has to be normalised to ensure safety of all personnel involved in various projects being implemented. Scheme to succeed the ESM need to be adequately equipped and compensated to make a dent on the overall security of the region.
Webpage Assam to recruit ESM