MoD lays claim on Skinner Estate

MoD lays claim on Skinner Estate
Raman Mohan/TNS
Friday, August 31, 2012, Chandigarh, India
Hisar, August 30
The Ministry of Defence has laid its claim on the famed Skinner Estate in Hansi, a sub divisional town of the district about 25 km from here. The estate under litigation is located on the Delhi Road. Its commercial value is estimated at Rs 200 crore.
The Defence Estate Officer of the Bathinda circle of the ministry has filed an application in a court at Hansi saying that the land belonged to the Indian Army and its sale by a builder was illegal. It said that the estate was established by Col James Skinner who raised the Skinner’s Horse regiment, a cavalry unit which was now a part of the Indian Army.
Skinner established the regiment’s headquarters on this land measuring 214 kanals of land. The Officers’ Mess and a graveyard to bury the martyrs was also established on this land. Through a lawyer the Defence Estate Officer pleaded that the respondents had accepted these facts in a petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He reiterated that the land had historical monuments which are of great importance to the army and these should not be allowed to be demolished.
The estate has been a subject of controversy for three decades now when it was first sold in the late eighties. However, the deal fell through. About two years ago, a group of residents of Hansi led by a politician purchased this land from some of the descendants of Skinner. The legal complications however prevented the group of builders from selling plots carved out from this land.
After reaching a settlement with the company which had purchased the land in the eighties, hundreds of trees inside the estate were cut and plots were carved out for sale.
Some of the other descendants of Skinner filed a suit in a local court against the builder. The Defence Ministry has pleaded in its application that it be made a party to this case.
The land was granted to James Skinner as a ‘jagir’ by the British for the services he rendered to the British in the battle for Bharatpur in 1818. The ‘jagir’ rendered Skinner a revenue of Rs 20,000 a year in those days.
Skinner was born in 1778 in Calcutta to Lt Col Hercules Skinner, a Scottish officer in the British Army. James Skinner’s mother was a daughter of a blue-blooded Rajput zamindar. She was taken prisoner in her teens during a battle. James’s father took her under his care and married her. They had six children. His mother committed suicide when he was 12 years old.
Because of his Indian lineage, Skinner was ineligible to serve as an officer in the British army like his father. So at the age of 16, he joined the Maratha army as an ensign under a French commander of the army of the then Gwalior state. He served the Gwalior army for several years and impressed his superiors to rise in the ranks. However, he was dismissed from the Maratha army after the outbreak of the second Anglo-Maratha War. He was sacked along with all other Anglo-Indians.
He kept trying to join the British Indian Army then commanded by Lord Lake. On February 23, 1803, Skinner raised a regiment of irregular cavalry and named it as Skinner's Horse. The officers and men of the regiment were called the Yellow Boys after the colour of their uniform. The regiment showed its prowess in many battles and ultimately it became the most decorated regiment of light cavalry in the British Indian Army. It is still a part of the Indian Army.
In 1828, James was promoted to the rank of a Lt Col in the British Army, while his brother, Robert was promoted as a Major. Later, James became a Colonel after having been appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath on December 26, 1826.
MoD lays claim on Skinner Estate

Armoured Corps Officer becomes "King" of Wireless

Lt Col HS Bedi (Retd), VSM joined the Indian Army, following his three generation old family tradition of serving the nation in the Army and was commissioned in the 72 Armored regiment. A National Defence Academy pass out, Lt Col Bedi developed management qualities during his tenure in the army. He got an opportunity to learn computers in the Army's Faculty of Computer Technology at MCTE, Mhow. After the completion of his training, Lt Col Bedi was appointed as an instructor in the faculty. As part of the student projects, Lt Col Bedi got an opportunity to interact with the industry thought leaders and at the same time propose solutions to them. He was thereafter called upon to develop a large number of technology solutions for the then Chief of the Army Staff, General K Sundarji and various Army Headquarters Directorates. After his initial success in the field, Lt Col Bedi was posted to the Army Headquarters to coordinate the Army's Automation plan.

Lt Col HS Bedi was awarded the `Vishisht Seva Medal' (VSM) by the President of India for his role in the computerization of the Indian Army.

After serving in the Indian Army for 22 years, Lt Col Bedi recognized his entrepreneurial skills in the field of Information Technology and decided to leave the Indian Army to start his own company. He took over the business of Tulip as its Director. His leadership and vision has enabled the company not only to constantly grow into more profitable business segments but also to attain the leadership position in every segment that it has functioned in.

Under his guidance, Tulip Telecom Services has established itself as one of the strongest network connectivity players in the industry. Tulip has achieved enviable success in a short span and has experienced exponential growth with a turnover of Rs 1242.14 Crores (USD 310.73 Million) for the FY 2008 and employee strength of over 2100. The company has been successful in creating immense value for all its stake holders.

Often addressed as the ‘King of Wireless', it is Lt Col.Bedi's foresight that envisaged the beginning of a new era in connectivity. Today, Lt Col HS Bedi, is a well-recognized business leader in the IT and telecom industry and has vast experience in this field.

Mission Statement of Tulip Telecom Limited
Vision

To become the largest data connectivity provider in India.
Mission

Provide end to end managed data services to include Data Connectivity, equipment and managed network services to meet all data connectivity requirements of customers.

Be the trusted advisor of the customers for all their data connectivity/ networking needs.

Grow the business rapidly while maintaining the highest quality of service.

Lead the market with innovation and adaptability.

Impact the rural economy by providing connectivity right upto to the last village.
Corporate Citizenship
Tulip strives to be an intellectual and social asset of the community and environment.
Corporate Governance
Tulip takes pride in its Corporate Governance and strives to continuously improve its processes in order to ensure a seamless and transparently functioning organization that creates immense value for all its stakeholders.
Tulip

Three Army Regiments Merge: Madras Regiment

MRC
Udhagamandalam (PTI): The Indian Army's old regiments -- the Madras Regiment, 16th Cavalry and 4-Field Regiments -- on Saturday became a single entitity with the three being formally affiliated at a function at the Madras Regimental Centre at nearby Wellington.

The affiliation (merger) would encompass greater understanding of each others combat potential, harmonize and encourage active participation in each others sporting and adventure activities, an MRC release said here.

This would also provide greater synergy amonst all ranks through deeper understanding of each others traditions, culture and heritage, it said.

Because of the deep roots of the regiments with South India and the fact that a substantial portion of the core manpower of the 16th Cavalry and 4 Field regiment were originally from the Madras Regiment, the regiments were formally affiliated through a 'memorandum of understanding,' it said.

The Madras Regiment came into being on Dec 4, 1758, when two battalions were raised under Col Robert Clive, consequent to the seige of Fort St George in then Chennapatnam (Chennai) by the French.

16th Light Cavalry regiment was raised prior to 1776 in the Service of Nawab of Arcot as the 3rd regiment of the Native Cavalry. This is the senior most regiment of Armoured Corps, standing right most of a joint ceremonial parade and carries two standards, a privilege unique in the whole of the Commonwealth.

The 4-Field Regiment was raised in May 1956 as a Field regiment in Hyderabad under the 27 Mountain Artillery Brigade, by converting the 8th Battalion.
Three army regiments merge

Wreath Laying Ceremony to mark the Cavalry week

Photo courtesy Samachar
Teen Murti Memorial was the site for the Wreath Laying Ceremony today which was organised by the Cavalry Officers Association, in memory of the departed cavaliers of the Indian Armed Forces. The Indian Cavalry has a long and illustrious history of valour and panache. The total Number of Armoured Corps units of the Indian Army at the time of Independence was only 12. Armoured Corps now mounted on the latest T-72 and T-90 tanks is the proud inheritor of the horse mounted Indian Cavalry of yore. For long known as the decisive arm, the Cavaliers are known to change the course of battle by their extraordinary speed and firepower. Teen Murti memorial was raised in 1922 to commemorate the Indian cavalry and armoured regiments representing Britain in battles in Sinai, Palestine and Syria in the First World War. These stone and bronze sculptures were created by Leonard Jennings to commemorate those killed from the cavalry and armored regiments of the then Indian Cavalry Division during World War I in battles in Sinai, Palestine and Syria. The three statues represent cavalry soldiers of three Indian princely states - Hyderabad, Mysore and Jodhpur, together with detachments from Bhavnagar, Kashmir and Kathiawar. The statutes were collectively named Teen Murti and the base carries the names of deceased personnel. The statues stand in front of what became Teen Murti Bhavan, India's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru's residence and now the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. Till Independence, it used to be Flagstaff House, the British Commander-in-Chief's residence, connected with a direct vista to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The memorial service, wherein wreaths were placed by serving and retired officers of the Cavalry fraternity including two of MVC recipients, Lt Gen RM Vohra (Retd) and Brig AS Bal (Retd), was a simple and solemn ceremony, marked by poise and grace.

Ceremonial Lancemen of all regiments of the Indian Armoured Corps lined the Teen Murti Circle. Speaking on the occasion Lt Gen D Bhardwaj, Director General Mechanised Forces pointed out the great contribution of the Indian Cavalry in protecting the Nation's sovereignity. This is aptly reflected by the gallantry awards earned by the Corps which include 2 PVCs, 15 MVCs and 60 VrCs. The Armoured Corps has a glorious past, made possible by our gallant forefathers, for whom this service was held. "It exhorts todays generation to live up to the high standards laid by our predecessors", General Bhardwaj said.
Wreath Laying Ceremony to mark the Cavalry week