Air Force Bands to Perform at India Gate on Sunday

Saturday, December 25, 2010 Ministry of Defence
PIB 17:39 IST
A 30-member IAF Band will enthrall audiences and visitors to Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate on Sunday, December 26. With a combination of Jazz and Military Brass musical instruments, the air warriors will play western, Indian classical, martial, patriotic and popular Hindi tunes during a ninety-minute performance. The free display will commence at 4 p.m. TKS/-
Air Force Bands to Perform at India Gate on Sunday

Toilet mafia threatens war hero

Delhi: Toilet mafia threatens war hero as reported by Abhishek Anand in mid-day.com on 23 December 2010

War hero Udaybhan Singh threatened by Toilet Mafia- pic/mid day

He fought and defeated Pakistan in 1965. Now 68-year-old Udaybhan Singh alleges he is in danger after filing an RTI plea on illegal charges at public conveniences in Delhi

The battleground has changed. In 1965, Udaybhan Singh, then a part of the Agra regiment, took the Pak army head on. Now the 68-year-old, who has turned an RTI activist, is waging a lone crusade against enemies closer to home. It all began when Singh went to a public toilet run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Soldiering on: Udaybhan Singh says a woman visited him with her husband and threatened she would implicate him in a false case if he didn't mend his ways. According to the civic agency the lavatories are free for public. But Singh discovered that the person sitting at the gate was charging between two and five rupees a person.

"I visited almost all the MCD toilets in the area and found that a gang was at work, making money from the public conveniences. The person sitting on a chair outside charged every person two rupees for urinating and five rupees for defecating.

I filed a RTI on 26th of August, about the operating system of the MCD. But the civic agency replied that all the toilets are free for public. I saw with my own eyes that sweepers of MCD do not clean the toilets but the agency replied on the 3rd of November that designated employees clean the toilets on a regular basis," said Udaybhan Singh. MiD DAY has a copy of the RTI.

But as soon as he started his campaign, Udaybhan started receiving threats from the toilet mafia. He was asked to stay away from their business or face consequences.

"I was surprised when the toilet mafia of the area got information about me and the RTI and started threatening me. They warned me of dire consequences if I meddled in their affairs. I intimated the local police immediately on the 12th of October.

But cops didn't take any action on the complaint. Again on November 13, a lady came to my house with her husband and threatened me to stay away or she would falsely implicate me in a case. Without delay I again complained at the Govindpuri police station the next day. But no one took my case seriously," Udaybhan added. Udaybhan is now planning to complain about the situation to higher authorities. Cops confirmed that Udaybhan had complained about the threats but refused to comment further on the issue.

55% of Indians still defecate in the open which costs the nation Rs 12 billion due to poor sanitation and related illnesses. Number of people who have no access to toilets, globally is 1100 million (According to a WHO-UNICEF report)
Toilet mafia threatens war hero

Amar Jawan Jyoti- IAF Band to Enthrall Audiences

Thursday, December 09, 2010 17:53 IST
A 30-member IAF Band will enthrall audiences and visitors to Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate on Saturday, December 11. With a combination of Jazz and Military Brass musical instruments, the air warriors will play western, Indian classical, martial, patriotic and popular Hindi tunes during a ninety-minute performance. The free display will commence at 4 p.m.
Air Force Band to Perform at India Gate on Saturday

अमर जवान ज्योति-वायुसेना ग़ुलाम बनाना दर्शकों को बैंड
गुरुवार, 9 दिसंबर 2010 17:53 IST
एक 30 सदस्यीय भारतीय वायु सेना के बैंड ग़ुलाम बनाना दर्शकों और शनिवार, 11 दिसंबर को इंडिया गेट पर अमर जवान ज्योति पर आगंतुकों होगा. जाज और सैन्य पीतल संगीत वाद्ययंत्र का एक संयोजन के साथ, वायु योद्धाओं एक नब्बे मिनट का प्रदर्शन के दौरान पश्चिमी, भारतीय शास्त्रीय संगीत, मार्शल, देशभक्ति और लोकप्रिय हिंदी धुनों खेलेंगे. मुफ्त प्रदर्शन 4 बजे अपराह्न शुरू होगा
वायु सेना के बैंड इंडिया गेट पर शनिवार को प्रदर्शन करने के लिए

Lakhs hit as flood waters rampage villages

Lakhs hit as Tehri waters rise, Yamuna and Gandak in spate
New Delhi/Dehradun/Patna: Many parts of North India, including the capital, were threatened by floods on Monday as a swollen Yamuna threatened to overflow its banks and the waters of the Tehri dam posed a danger to Uttarakhand, where at least 50 people have been killed. Further East in Bihar, lakhs were affected with the Gandak in spate.
Lakhs hit as Tehri waters rise, Yamuna and Gandak in spate

Can the Army Salvage the Commonwealth Games?

RSN Singh is a former military intelligence officer who later served in the Research and Analysis Wing, or R&AW. The author of two books: Asian Strategic and Military Perspective and Military Factor in Pakistan, he is also Associate Editor, Indian Defence Review.

The run-up to the Commonwealth Games, which for us is an indicator of the health of the Indian nation, does not augur well. The games are a critical reflection of our collective psyche, national character, sense of patriotism, individual and collective integrity, self-confidence and pride, governance, level of corruption, and most importantly, leadership. Each of these aspects of national health seems to have acquired cancerous proportions, notwithstanding the repeated and revised claims of an upward trajectory in the growth rate of the country’s economy.

For the past decade or so, the world has been seeing India as an economic and military power in the making. We seem determined to negate this growing impression by sabotaging the Commonwealth Games, an international event that we so enthusiastically bid for.

Citizens like me were enthused that the games would provide an opportunity to showcase ‘A Rising India’. Instead, it seems to highlight some ugly truths. Nations use such events to galvanize people and lift the sense of national pride. But such is the sense of despair amongst the Indian people, the organizers and the government that one wonders how the country and the countrymen will fare in the event of a full-scale war.

One segment of the political spectrum will be too happy if the games end up in a fiasco. Given the fractious and opportunistic nature of Indian politics, the opposition parties can be absolved of their cynicism with regard to the games, but the deplorable part is the bitter criticism from some responsible members of the ruling party. One of them publicly maintains that the games were a waste of money that could have been utilized for other purposes. The member is educated and erudite enough to understand the difference between “price of things” and “value of things” in the international arena.

Such statements by responsible people in the government have sown doubts about the very desirability of conducting the games. Given the single reference point for leadership in the ruling party, it is difficult to believe that the politician concerned could be taking regular potshots at the games and their organizers without the tacit approval of the powers that be.

What we thus see is the ugly manifestation of this politics of “keeping the house divided”. The nationalistic component of our polity has been missing in the preparation for the Commonwealth Games. Our power-hungry political leaders cannot be national leaders who focus on our prestige and purpose. The event also serves as a barometer of corruption in the country.

The culture of ‘cuts’ is facilitating the growth of carnivorous elements in politics, officialdom and citizenry, all raring to consume India. They are killing the very spirit of India. Take the fact that there is no talk of preparation of our sports persons and teams for the event. We don’t even seem to be bothered about their performance.

Contrast this with China’s accent on its performance in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics. A nation does not become great merely by riding on an IT wave, or on nature’s bounties; it rises by the virtue of the character of its people. More than Mr Kalmadi and his team, the government of the day must be blamed for this mess. In fact, it is a microcosm view of governance and accountability in the country. If the games end in a fiasco, the world will blame India and not Mr Kalmadi for the criminal neglect of collective responsibility and monitoring mechanisms.

Beijing Olympics was China’s achievement, and London Olympics for which the British are fully prepared two years in advance is going to be Britain’s achievement. The Commonwealth Games could still be India’s achievement. If the government thinks that the time period is short and the task formidable, it should immediately put the armed forces in-charge.

Recently, the Indian Army had very smoothly and successfully organized the World Military Games. Besides, I have met scores of concerned fellow countrymen, who are willing to come forward and pitch in voluntarily by the toil and even meagre resources that they have, for the sake of India’s prestige and honour. Their only imperative is selfless leadership, which only the Indian Army can provide.
Can the Army Salvage the Commonwealth Games?

CWG: Indian Army asked to fight mosquitoes

Dengue fever is a febrile illness caused by an RNA flavivirus that is spread by the bites of mosquitoes. The symptoms of dengue include fever, headache, rash, severe pains in the muscles and joints, and pain behind the eyes. The severe muscle pains have led some to call the disease "break bone fever".
Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi has sought the help of Indian Army personnel for specific tasks to ensure a successful conduct of the 2010 Games.

Suresh Kalmadi seeks Indian Army’s assistance for Common Wealth Games 2010

Commonwealth Games: Army asked to work for free by Rajat Pandit, TNN, Aug 21, 2010, 12.44am IST

New Delhi, Sept. 8: With dengue cases in the city crossing the 1,400 mark, the Indian Army will be drafted to fight mosquito menace near the Commonwealth Games Village, where athletes and delegates will stay during the Oct-3-14 mega event, an official said Wednesday.

A decision to deploy the army was taken at a meeting of health officials held by Delhi health minister Kiran Walia and Lt. Governor Tejendra Khanna has accorded it his approval, according to Municipal Corporation of Delhi's
Public Health Committee chairman V.K. Monga.

A letter will soon be sent to the army authorities, and army personnel willin a day or two start working with the help of MCD staffers, who apparently are finding it difficult to drain out water from the Village surroundings.

The services of the army's engineering department are being secured to help in this task, officials said.

Due to massive construction work in and around the Games Village, which has been built on the Yamuna's river-bed in east Delhi, and ar other venues for the mega sporting event, Delhi has witnessed a surge in dengue cases.

Monga told IANS that the Army will drain out water from water pools near the Games Village, spray anti-larval chemical in the area, and clean and level pools flooded with incessant rains and Yamuna water.

He said the Army's help has been sought as it is better equipped to deal with such situations and its pesonnel can go down in the water.

"They also have all the equipment required for the work," Monga added.

At least 24 Commonwealth countries have made inquiries about the status of dengue in the capital.

Mosquito breeding will be at its peak during the hot and humid October and the Yamuna banks are likely to be the main breeding ground for mosquitoes responsible for dengue and malaria, an official said.
Delhi asks Army to fight mosquitoes September 8th, 2010

Citizen comments
Submitted by Pasupathy on Thu, 09/09/2010 - 9:36am.
The Indian Army organized the International Military Games in Hyderabad with aplomb. Probably if the Army was tasked to coduct CWG four years ago they would have done it in a professional and economic way and the funds that has been spent/ going to be spent could have been utilised to equip the Army to meet their critical shortages. It is an irony that Indian Army has been called to fight mosquitoes in Delhi. What image we are projecting for the Country and the Army? May be some international players may withdraw from competing due to the mosquito menace.

Submitted by AKC on Wed, 08/09/2010 - 11:51pm.
Why should Indian Army get involved in this filth that our politicians created. This clearly shows that there was no proper planning done either by Common Wealth Games Organization Committee that is conducting the games and the Govts at the center and Delhi UT. Army should outrightly reject this request. There are other things that the Army can take care of. This (cleaning) needs to be done with the help of other departments as well as with the help of social organizations. Don't we have NCC cadets and other people from surronding muncipalities who can take care of this mess. As a last resort, para-military forces can be used but certainly NOT Army. Personally, I feel that these games will project India in bad-light and will bring bad name. It is too late to call it off now, anyway. Possible Corrective measures need to be taken at the earliest and save some pride.

Submitted by blaze on Wed, 08/09/2010 - 8:17pm.
ha ha ha mosquitos are more harmful than maoists. Politicians are money eaters and should be given the highest punishment for their crime.

Submitted by Ravi Shendarkar on Wed, 08/09/2010 - 7:58pm.
Either the Delhi government needs to be admitted to a mental hospital or the Army Authorities who will sanction troops to such unnoble cause.

Ancient India 1908

We thank Brigadier PT Gangadharan (Retd)for the wonderful photographs