Army pays Fake Encounter victim's family Rs 10 Lakhs

1997 CUSTODIAL DISAPPEARANCE CASE
Army approaches HC with compensation money for victim’s family
Ishfaq Tantry Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 9, 2012
Complying with the court directions in a 1997 custodial disappearance case, the Army has approached the High Court Registry with a cheque of Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the victim’s family.
Azizi Begum (63), the mother of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar of the Bemina Boatman Colony in Srinagar, had alleged that her son was taken into custody by 20 Grenadiers Unit of the Army in April, 1997, and was not seen thereafter. She had approached the High Court and filed a habeas corpus petition which was finally disposed of in her favour on March 25, 2011. Holding 20 Grenadiers of the Army responsible for the “enforced disappearance” of Mushtaq, the High court had directed the Union Defence Secretary to pay her a compensation of Rs 10 lakh.
However, as the Defence Ministry failed to comply with the HC orders and did not pay the compensation amount, Azizi Begum approached the High Court with a contempt petition in December, 2011. Subsequently, the court on August 23 this year directed the Defense Ministry to deposit the said amount along with the interest in five weeks.
“On September 29, we approached the High Court Registry with a cheque of Rs 10 lakh plus the interest amount for depositing it with the bank,” the standing counsel for the Union of India, Karnail Singh Wazir, told The Tribune. “However, we were directed by the registry to file an application with the High Court for depositing the money as according to the registry, the due date for depositing the money was September 28,” he said, adding that afterwards, an application had been filed before the High Court, which was listed this week.
The court verdict, a first of its kind in any disappearance case, was based on an inquiry into the incident conducted by the Additional Sessions Judge, Srinagar, which had held the Army responsible for the “enforced disappearance” of Dar.
2011 COURT ORDERS: Holding 20 Grenadiers of the Army responsible for the “enforced disappearance” of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, the High court had directed the Union Defense Secretary to pay the victim’s mother, Azizi Begum, a compensation of Rs 10 lakh.
Army approaches HC with compensation money for victim’s family

War disabled event at OTA Chennai on 20 Oct 2012

From: Vijay Oberoi
WAR DISABLED EVENT AT CHENNAI
As you may be aware, I head the War Wounded Foundation, an NGO that is working for the long term rehabilitation of war disabled personnel of the three services. We are now about 10 years old. Till now, our work covered only the northern states. In our first expansion, we have decided to expand our activities by covering the four southern states viz. Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, in addition to our continuing efforts in the north.
With the above in view, our Foundation is scheduling an event at Chennai, as the ‘curtain raiser’ for our entry in to Southern India. The event has a number of aims, like giving visibility to the Foundation and the war disabled personnel; to honour the war disabled personnel of the four southern states; to apprise the war disabled about our future plans; and raise funds if possible. The event is scheduled on 20 October 2012 and the COAS has kindly consented to be the Chief Guest. The event would include collecting a cross-section of war disabled personnel from the four southern states and honouring them. There would also be a Karate Display by a local organization as part of the event. We would also note down any legitimate grievances of the war disabled and project them to the concerned authorities.
The venue for the event is the Auditorium of OTA at Chennai. The function will commence at 1130 hours on Saturday 20 October 2012 and will end at about 1315 hours. This includes a tea break of 30 minutes in which the war disabled and others will get a chance to interact with the COAS over a cup of tea. Attendance would be by invitation.
Our Foundation has already sent letters to the war disabled personnel residing in the four southern states, asking them to get in touch with us, to enable us to select personnel from all the four states to attend the event. However, our address lists may not be comprehensive or updated. We do need to mobilize sufficient war disabled personnel from the southern states for attending the event at Chennai on 20 Oct 12. The need is to get in touch with them and motivate them to come to Chennai on 19 Oct, attend the event on the forenoon of 20 Oct 2012 and return home the same evening or the next day. All war disabled personnel get concessions/no payment on buses and trains. The balance cost of fares, if any would be paid by us. We would also make arrangements for their stay at Chennai in a local unit.
I am now requesting Brig Chander Kamboj to put this on his very well read blog - REPORT MY SIGNAL, so that the message goes to everyone. I would like to request you to spread the word so that maximum war disabled personnel come to know about the event. They could be informed about the function and requested to get in touch with our office at Delhi and not only let us know whether they would be able to attend, but also to be in touch with our Foundation so that they can benefit by joining our future programmes. Details of our office are as under:

Address – War Wounded Foundation; Flat No. 313, Ground Floor (LIG); Pocket 1, Sector-23; Dwarka, New Delhi-110077.

Executive Officer – Lt Col Gulshan Kumar; Mobile – 9810989524. 011 45604116.

E-mail – warwounded(at)rediffmail(dot)com.
I would also request various veteran groups to circulate this amongst their groups, so that maximum personnel come to know about our Foundation as well as the proposed event.
Regards.
Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi
President
War Wounded Foundation

RMS: Prtofessional Blog

Ref: Profession Blog: click here
Esteemed Veterans,
Some interesting articles on Professional Matters dealing with National Security, China, Pakistan, India and warfare are being posted on the REPORT MY SIGNAL PROFESSIONAL MATTERS BLOG.
A very interesting book AIR POWER at 18,000' has recently been published. All those who are interested in reading it ON LINE Click Here.
Harbhajan Singh
Lt Gen (Retd)

Antony reveals War Memorial at India Gate

Antony reveals War Memorial at India Gate finally on anvil
By ANI | ANI – Fri 17 Aug, 2012
New Delhi, Aug.17 (ANI) Defence minister A K Antony on Friday said that most of the hurdles coming in the way of the construction of the national war memorial next to India Gate have been cleared.
Talking to media persons after attending a function to felicitate London Olympic silver medalist Subedar Major Vijay Kumar here, Antony said:"Most hurdles are over now."
Sources in the Ministry of Defence confirmed that the war memorial will be constructed near India Gate only, as that is the place demanded by the three services.
After a proposed meeting on the issue on August 21 of the Group of Ministers (GoM), a final meeting shall take place and and then cabinet approval will be sought, they added.
The armed forces had submitted a proposal three years ago to construct a war memorial within the India Gate complex, but after the initial rejection of their proposal by the Government recently, they are now looking at new locations for it. The government had earlier decided against the proposal after certain objections were raised by the Urban Development Ministry.
The military's demand for a national war memorial to honour the 20,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen who have sacrificed their lives while defending independent India has been a longstanding one. A broad section of the urban public echoes this plea. The demand is for a prominent memorial on New Delhi's Central Vista, which can be visited freely by the Indian public, and where wreathes can be offered by national leaders on occasions like the Republic Day, and by visiting foreign dignitaries who choose to do so.
The current memorial, the Amar Jawan Jyoti, is merely an add-on to the India Gate, an imposing 42-metre high British structure, built in 1921, to honour the 90,000 Indian soldiers who died in the First World War and the third Anglo-Afghan War. India finds it bothersome to suitably commemorate those who fell in service of the republic.
Anyone who has travelled along India's borders with China and Pakistan cannot have missed the lonely memorials at the places where Indian troops fought and died. Amongst them, is the stark monument to Major Shaitan Singh and his 111 Kumaoni soldiers who battled to the last, holding up a major Chinese advance on the desolate, windswept plateau of Chushul.
Major Shaitan Singh is a winner of the Param Vir Chakra, and is honoured only in that unvisited war memorial near Chushul. No national memorial is inscribed with the name of Major Shaitan Singh.
According to an article written by former army officer-turned journalist Ajai Shukla a couple of years ago, the proposal for a National War Memorial predates independent India.
According to Shukla, a confidential memo, issued on March 3, 1945, from the War Department in New Delhi (in File No. 110-C/45, entitled "Indian National War Memorial", in the Governor's Secretariat, Confidential Branch) declares that the Government of India (GoI) has been examining "the question of the form that an Indian National War Memorial should take".
The memo orders that "the establishment of a Military Academy on the lines of the United States Military Academy at West Point for the education and basic training together of future officers of the Royal Indian Navy, the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force would be the most suitable form for the memorial to take". In short, according to Shukla, New Delhi proposed that what was to become the famous National Defence Academy (NDA), which is still the bedrock of Indian officer training, would also serve as India's National War Memorial.
Till date, India does not have a memorial for post-independence martyrs.(ANI)
Antony reveals War Memorial at India Gate finally on anvil
Related Reading
For those who gave their today by J.F.R. Jacob : Fri Sep 14 2012, 03:38 hrs

National War Memorial

National War Memorial, at last
The ‘Unknown Soldier’ deserved it
by Lt-Gen Harwant Singh (retd)
IT is more than half a century since the proposal to build a national war memorial at a suitable place in New Delhi was mooted by the defence services. All this time the proposal was being put off for no valid reason. It had been a sustained attempt by successive governments in the Capital to keep the military in the background and, as a policy, never to give due recognition to its services and highlight the achievements and sacrifices made to the nation. The bureaucracy, with a view to keeping the military suppressed, has succeeded in injecting into the political executive the fear of a military takeover of the country. The developments in the neighbouring countries served to reinforce such fears in the minds of the political class.
The media’s role has been anything but laudable. At another level, there has been complete apathy on the part of the public at large and the so-called civil society for building a National War Memorial. After all, it is for the protection and safety of people of this country that these gallant men gave up their lives. Therefore, the idea of National War Museum has been a victim of this policy and attitude of indifference.
India has been the scene of innumerable battles, yet it never evolved a military tradition and resources enough to meet the challenge from invading armies. The soldier was seldom given recognition for his valour and sacrifices. Nations that value freedom and abhor foreign rule remember and honour those who sacrifice their lives for the defence of the country. They honour their martyrs in all possible ways as also build memorials to acknowledge their sacrifices. Unfortunately in India, there has been no tradition or practice to raise memorials to honour those who sacrificed their lives in defence of this land and commemorate battles in which they fell.
The concept of raising war memorials as such was, perhaps, first introduced in India by the British. Some historians have tried to classify the Qutab Minar in Delhi, the Victory Towers in Chittorgarh and Tughlakabad (down South) as a sort of memorials, but that claim is contestable. These were more to honour and highlight the achievements of the king or the conqueror than the common soldier. However, in other parts of the world the tradition of raising memorials in one form or the other has been in vogue from prehistoric times — in the form of ‘Burial Mounds’, ‘Obelisks’, crosses, the female figure as a symbol of victory, statues, structures, arches, etc.
It was the shattering experience of World War I that set in motion the urge to build memorials all over — in every town and village in Europe and elsewhere. In addition to these innumerable memorials, each of these countries, whose soldiers took part in this war, built national war memorials at the most appropriate places. In England, it is next to Whitehall in the heart of London. It is around this time that the concept of an “Unknown Soldier” was evolved and national memorials started being dedicated to him. Arch-de-Triumphe in Paris is the most prominent memorial; it is at this place that the idea of an “Unknown Soldier” was first put into practice. An “Unknown Soldier” lies buried in the Arch complex.
The British built a number of war memorials to commemorate their battle victories against Indian troops. The last great memorial they built to honour the Indian soldiers who fell in World War I is India Gate in New Delhi. While it has the names of all those who laid down their lives in this Great War, on the gate (a memorial arch) are also the manes of British officers who were killed in the NorthWest Frontier. Though some smaller memorials were built in the North-East to honour those who fell defending India against the Japanese offensive across Burma during World War II, no main war memorial could be built to honour the killed Indian troops. Thus, there is no memorial for Indian troops who sacrificed their lives during this war. Many of them had died defending India against the Japanese and others in North Africa and Italy to defend freedom.
India has fought a number of wars since Independence where thousands of soldiers (the term “soldiers” includes airmen and sailors and their officers) died but their sacrifices have never been properly recognised. Therefore, the decision of the government to finally build a National War Memorial in New Delhi should be welcome. The approval to build it near India Gate is both befitting and laudable.
This memorial needs to be dedicated not only to those who fell in the battles after Independence, including those of the Indian Peace Keeping Force during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, but also those who laid down their lives during World War II. The failure to do so will be a great injustice to the memory of those who sacrificed their lives in that great struggle.
The monument to be thus constructed must be of a grand design and scale, befitting the valour and sacrifices of those whose memory it aims to perpetuate. It must match India Gate in design, scale and grandeur. It ought to portray the unwavering loyalty, devotion and dedication of the Indian soldier (which includes airmen and sailors) to the country. It would be a place where all visiting dignitaries must be taken to pay homage to the “Unknown Soldier”. Some suggestions are doing the rounds that it should have a statue of a particular Indian general. National War Memorials as such never have a statue. There may be statues of a group of soldiers involved in some activity related to their deeds of valour, etc. National War Memorials are invariably dedicated to the “Unknown Soldier”, “The lads who took the copje (rocky outcrop) and are not known.”
The Tribune: National War Memorial, at last

Fighting Insurgency and Terrorists Reducing Army to Policemen and Indiscipline

Take turbulence in the ranks seriously
Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi | Agency: DNA | Thursday, August 23, 2012
Three incidents of collective indiscipline by jawans in the last few months, reflecting a breakdown in the traditionally close officer-man relationship, are a cause for concern, especially as all three of them are related to combat units, where a stable and healthy officer-man relationship is an article of faith.
The Indian Army, with a justifiably proud record of service to the nation, has always placed officers-men bonding at the highest level.
In the past, the army has handled such incidents with compassion and firmness. Such incidents will no doubt happen again. However, there is need for comprehensive remedial actions. We must not succumb to a tendency of being simplistic, like attributing such incidents to recent cases of corruption amongst a few senior officers. Such attributions are obviously absurd, as these are two vastly different issues. The need is actually to focus on command and control, discipline and officer-man relationships.
In combat units, a thorough knowledge of jawans by their officers is a must. Included in this are the jawans’ capabilities and limitations; what enthuses or dampens their spirits; their backgrounds as well as of their families; and whether they are team persons or loners. Earlier, senior unit officers acted as guides and mentors in this respect. Unfortunately, on account of the huge shortage of officers in combat units today, as well as the large number of tasks assigned to the few available officers, it is virtually impossible for them to spare time to do so now.
The main reason for this state of affairs is the prolonged employment in fighting insurgents and terrorists over decades now, which have taken stress and fatigue to extremely high levels. These operations are extremely difficult and full of tension, especially on account of scrupulously adhering to human rights norms.
A major caveat of the army’s secondary role of assisting the civil administration is that it must be released as soon as the task is over, but in counter-insurgency operations there appears to be no end state! There has been no insurgency in the north eastern states for many years now, but neither the states concerned nor the central government want to release the army. In J&K, the situation has improved vastly, but the police forces are not in a position to assume control. The army’s reasoning that the situation will deteriorate rapidly if the army is de-inducted is sound, but why are the police forces not being made capable?
While the government must squarely take the blame for this state of affairs, the army hierarchy also needs to be blamed for not pursuing it relentlessly.
There are also three other issues that need to be tackled by the government. The first is deliberately downgrading the esteem and importance of the military by successive governments. This has resulted in our soldiers becoming greatly disillusioned not only with the government officials but, what is worse, also with their own officers, who are being viewed as devoid of any power, as civil and police officials studiously ignore requests from commanding officers relating to various problems of soldiers projected by them. This is in stark contrast to earlier times when the civil officials responded with alacrity when a commanding officer wrote to them about the personal or collective problems of his jawans. This aspect needs immediate improvement by good governance and by educating the officials.
Soldiers’ lay their lives on the line, not because of the pay or allowances that they get (which in any case are less than what the equivalent civil officials receive) but because of their self-esteem and military élan. These need to be nurtured by the civil administration.
The second and related issue is the military intake. Although recruitment rallies draw large numbers, the reason is no longer pride in joining the military but massive unemployment, resulting in inferior manpower joining the military. In the case of officers, young men from traditional military families are no longer enthused with the forces. The main reason is the decline of respect for the military.
The last point is the treatment of the veterans. The government needs to understand that the policy of ignoring those who have served the nation sacrificing their all will be a disaster in the long run. Future generations will not heed the call of the bugle when they see neither respect nor adequate financial benefits being given to the veterans. The present indifference and callousness must end.
Will Delhi wake up?
The writer is a former Vice Chief of Army Staff.
Take turbulence in the ranks seriously

13th Kargil Vijay Divas

Massive tricolour hosted at Kargil war memorial Drass
A massive tricolour, was hoisted at the Kargil war memorial in Jammu and Kashmir in Drass sub-sector as part of the celebrations of the 13th anniversary of victory in the 1999 war.
13th Kargil Vijay Divas is being celebrated on Thursday.
The day is being observed as "Vijay Divas".
Various programmes are being organized to mark the occasion.
The successful eviction of Pakistani soldiers from the Indian soil happened thirteen years ago during the Kargil conflict, which began in May 1999, lasted more than two months before Pakistan soldiers were forced to retreat from the mountain tops they had occupied overlooking the Srinagar-Leh highway.
A memorial service was organised at India Gate in New Delhi on the occasion.
Kargil War Memorial

War Hero's Medal of Honesty

He is a hero in life too
R. Krishna Kumar: The Hindu: 01 July 2012

Epitome of integrity:Despite being in need of money, retired Air Force Corporal Charles Williams wants to return the excess money credited to his pension account.— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM
Mysore: Amid growing scams and corruption and amassing of wealth in improper ways by many, a retired Air Force Corporal has shown the world exemplary honesty will be hard to ignore and one can live with dignity even amidst penury.
Charles Williams, 89, a World War II veteran from Mysore and who is in poor health, wants to return the excess money credited to his pension account.
Williams joined the Royal Air Force in pre-Independent India. Aftera six-week pre-induction training, he was posted at Agra. Within days, he was sent to Burma where he saw action against Japanese.
“Though in the RAF, our unit saw a lot of ground battle and we dug in and stayed put in the trenches. We were holed up for weeks without regular supply of food and water. The battle that raged was horrific with soldiers getting maimed and killed in the heavy exchange of fire. But ultimately we prevailed,” recalled Williams, whose father, P.V. Williams, had enrolled with the British Army and took part in World War I.
Speaking to The Hindu at his residence near Bamboo Bazaar here, Williams said that after Independence, he was inducted into the Indian Air Force and was part of the first convoy that landed in Srinagar following the outbreak of hostilities with Pakistan. He opted for voluntary retirement from the IAF in 1959, joined HAL and retired in 1983.
After retirement, he found certain anomaly in his pension and complained that he was being underpaid. “A visit to the local Sainik Welfare and Resettlement Board did not help me much as officials are apathetic to the grievances of ex-servicemen,” Williams said. He approached M.N. Subramani, president, VeKare Ex-Servicemen Trust in Mysore.
But calculations showed that the Centralised Pension Processing Centre of State Bank of Mysore, Mangalore, had credited Williams’ account with excess money.
Mr. Subramani said he was being credited with Rs. 300 towards fixed medical allowances for which he was not entitled to. He was credited with Rs. 15,200 in excess with effect from July 2007.
“When this was brought to the notice of Williams, he asked me to inform the bank to recover the amount in 15 equal instalments so as not to put him in financial hardship,” said Mr. Subramani.
What is ironic is that Williams is returning the medical allowance when he needs it the most. He is visually impaired and desperately needs Rs. 1.5 lakh for a heart operation. “When I am not entitled for something, the national exchequer should not be made to bear the burden,” said Williams.
Meanwhile, Mr. Subramani has mailed a letter to SBM, Mangalore, drawing their attention to the anomaly.
War Hero's Medal of Honesty

Support new army chief General Bikram Singh

Set aside differences and support new army chief
Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi | Thursday, May 31, 2012
General Bikram Singh is slated to take over as army chief on June 1, as General VK Singh demits office. The change of guard is a major event for the nation and is comprehensively covered by the media. This time, however, so much has already been covered in the media that one wonders what is left unsaid!
However, the unavoidable polarisation regarding this high office needs to stop now. The change of command must be as significant as it has always been. For, we are talking about the future security and well-being of the nation, as well as of the most enduring and the most respected institution of our country.
While many have given diverse opinions on the succession of the chiefs, I am firmly of the view that the change needs to be welcomed by all. Being an optimist, I am of the view that change, irrespective of the circumstances in which it takes place, always augers well for the future. Both the outgoing and the incoming chiefs are men of honour, who have risen to this highest appointment because of their diligence, highest character qualities and great professional acumen.
There have undoubtedly been aberrations where petty-minded individuals, albeit holding public appointments at extremely high levels, have muddied the waters on parochial and other grounds and have played partisan politics of the lowest variety. They will get their retribution in due course, but it is important that we must shed past baggage at the earliest, as an entirely fresh start is essential.
The new chief must have a free hand in commanding this great army of ours, unfettered with obligations on the one hand and the burden of reproach on the other. The nation in general and the military, including the veterans, have to be fully supportive and honour the new chief, for only then can he act with courage and conviction.
When the present chief assumed command a little over two years back, I had written the following: ‘Let me remind the new chief that even if in future he goes on to hold other prestigious appointments in or outside the government, they will never be able to match this appointment — in prestige; in satisfaction; and the affection he will get from his vast command and indeed from the whole country.
He will also have to reciprocate to the maximum extent by his deeds. Consequently, he must command with honour and neither let carrots being dangled in his face nor pressures and threats change or influence the decisions he takes.’
The present chief, in my opinion, has done even more, although there are some who may not agree with me. I now urge the new chief to also keep this in mind and further hone this wonderful machine that has served the nation with distinction. In recent months, there has been some talk of polarisation within the army and of the existence of small coteries. If true, such actions and even thinking needs to be nipped in the bud with a heavy hand. I have no doubt that the new chief will do so as his predecessor has done.
I have known both Generals for many years and have the greatest respect for both. Let me cite an example that will perhaps showcase the thinking and makeup of the new chief. About a year back, I had a brief halt at Kolkata. Over a drink that General Bikram Singh had graciously organised, I had asked him what he was planning to do about the date of birth issue that had already started appearing in the media.
His spontaneous reply was, ‘If it is my luck, I will command the army but if I am not lucky, so be it; I will not do anything that will show the army in any adverse light!’
Although the outgoing chief has been accused by some of rocking the boat, my firm view is that the boat needed to be rocked vigorously. He has exposed corruption in the defence ministry, the defence PSU’s and the arms mafia that was short-charging the army and the nation.
The meager funds available for modernisation of the armed forces were siphoned off and shared by corrupt officials and others. The chief had also undertaken to improve the internal health of the army, which he has carried out with missionary zeal and spared no one, senior or junior.
The transformation of the army is another long outstanding measure that has commenced. The new chief will need to pursue them with vigour. The bottom line is that we now have to throw away all the negatives of the past and support the new chief in taking the army to even greater heights.
The writer is a former Vice Chief of Army Staff
Set aside differences and support new army chief

India's Arab Sprint

The Indian Express
Sanjaya Baru : Wed Feb 22 2012, 03:23 hrs
Riyadh and Delhi are quietly drawing closer, acknowledging their many shared concerns
Amidst last week’s focus in the Indian media about a coming conflict between Iran and Israel, not much attention was paid to a historic visit to Saudi Arabia by the defence minister, A.K. Anthony.

Several interesting facts marked Anthony’s path-breaking travel across the Arabian Sea. First, the visit was the first ever such official visit by an Indian defence minister to the epicentre of the Arab world. Second, it came in response to persistent invitations from the Saudi government. Anthony was unable to make the trip on two earlier occasions when an invitation had been issued, but finally made it after a third call from Riyadh. Third, the defence minister was accompanied not just by diplomats and civilian officials but by three senior defence officials — the vice chief of army staff, the deputy chief of naval staff and an air vice marshal. Fourth, Anthony had one-on-one talks with his counterpart Prince Salman and an extended audience with King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

At the end of what has been described as “wide-ranging” talks, India and Saudi Arabia have agreed to set up a joint panel of officials who will together draft a defence cooperation agreement and a “road map” for defence cooperation that would include joint exercises between the three services of the two nations, training and co-production of defence equipment. The militaries and navies of both countries will undertake joint patrolling of the Arabian Sea, fighting sea piracy and disruption to maritime traffic.

India’s main concern is energy security and the security of the Indian community in the region. Already, rising tensions have pushed the price of oil up. Even if hostilities were not to break out, the persistence of raised risk levels will keep oil prices high. Finally, if Iran were to lay mines in the sea as a pre-emptive or provocative act, this would seriously disrupt the movement of oil tankers. Any sustained rise in the price of oil will hit the Indian economy hard.

King Abdullah has, it is reliably learnt, offered cast-iron assurances to Anthony that Saudi Arabia would step in and help both in making more oil available to India and in assuring the safety and security of Indian expatriates in the region.

An interesting aspect of the bilateral understanding reached between Anthony and Prince Salman is that India and Saudi Arabia would also undertake joint research and projects in the field of hydrography, exchanging information on nautical cartography and hydrographic surveys of coastal areas, ports, harbours and designated sea areas. In the near term this would also facilitate de-mining!

The people of India and Arabia have interacted across the waters between them for thousands of years. Omani and Gujarati seafarers were among the earliest and Arabs reached the Kerala coast as traders and teachers, not conquerors. In fact, among all the Muslim communities of the Middle East and Central Asia it is only the Arabs who never sought to conquer India. The Turks, the Persians, and the Central Asians came by land to plunder or rule. The Arabs came by sea to trade and teach.

While history has its limitations in shaping contemporaneous and forward-looking strategic choices, it does shape popular perceptions. What is, however, driving the India- Saudi relationship today is not this benign history but shared concerns about stability and growth in the Arabian Sea littoral and the Gulf.

Saudi Arabia is as concerned about events in Iran as it is about trends in Pakistan. Riyadh’s outreach to New Delhi is also an indicator that the Saudis are worried about what is happening in Pakistan. In this “arc of instability” Riyadh hopes India would be a reliable and credible guarantor of stability.
The writer is director for geo-economics and strategy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and honorary senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research
India's Arab Sprint: click here to read the full article

Strategic communications only way to enhance Indo-Pak ties

The Hindu Business Line
Kochi, Jan. 25: Lt General Prakash Menon (Retd), former Commandant NDC, military Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat, New Delhi, has said that strategic communication is the remedy for enhancing cordial relationship between India and Pakistan.

He was speaking at a meeting on Indo-Pak Relations- Balance of emotions and its economic impact organised by Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in association with ‘TIE' here.

Elaborating the significance of strategic communication, he said that communication is a much faster than decision making from the Government and hence has a great influence on the people. Even the decision making process by the Government is influenced by the public opinion shaped through media. The emotions which prevail on the people of India are hope where as the people in Pakistan are confronted by fear and humiliation. For both the countries to have a friendly relation, it is very essential to overcome these apprehensions for which strategic communication plays a pivotal role, he said.

He also proposed the idea of opening the educational institutions in India for Pakistani students.
Strategic communications only way to enhance Indo-Pak ties

Army Fake Encounters: Prosecute without sanction under AFSPA

‘No sanction needed for army men’s prosecution’: CBI to SC
The CBI on Friday told the Supreme Court that no sanction was required either under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or Code of Criminal Procedure Code for prosecution of army officers allegedly involved in the fake encounter killings of five persons at Parthibal in Jammu and Kashmir.

Senior counsel for CBI Ashok Bhan told a bench of justices BS Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar that the question of sanction would arise only after cognizance had been take by a magistrate, but in the present decade-old case the army chose to challenge the prosecution at the time of the charge sheet.

‘No sanction needed for army men`s prosecution’

Seven people were gunned down by army personnel on March 25, 2000, at Pathribal in South Kashmir and they were branded as terrorists of Lashker-e-Taiba group who were responsible for the gunning down of 36 Sikhs at Chittisingpura in the same district on the intervening night of March 19-20, 2000.

Citing a catena of apex court judgements, Bhan said, “Sanction is not required. Colour of duty is very important if it is not in accordance with the nature of duty and colour of office then no immunity is available to army officers.

“Institution of the case is not necessarily to be accompanied by sanction and the question of sanction will arise only after cognizance had been taken under 190 CrPC.”

Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran sought time from the bench for placing on record the Centre’s view on the controversy between CBI and army on the issue.

‘No sanction needed for army men`s prosecution’

Bhan said the so-called weapons recovered from the scene of “fake encounter” was actually planted by army personnel.

“Therefore, it is a case of fake encounter murders which cannot be immune under section 6 and 7 of AFSPA. So it will come under the ordinary penal law of the country, CBI does not need prior sanction,” he said. -via Zee News
‘No sanction needed for army men’s prosecution’: CBI to SC

Potential army chief Bikram Singh gets clean chit.
Monday, 16 January 2012 07:3
Srinagar: The northern army commander, Lt General KT Parnaik, on Sunday virtually exonerated Eastern Command chief Lt General Bikram Singh in a fake-encounter controversy, saying a closure report had been filed after a joint investigation with police.
Singh faces allegations that the I Sector Rashtriya Rifles unit in Kashmir, which he headed in 2001, faked a gunfight to kill a civilian and pass him off as a foreign militant at Janglat Mandi in Anantnag district.
The "encounter" had killed a colonel, a soldier, two civilians and the alleged foreign militant, Mateen Chacha. Singh was left injured.
The allegations arose last year after Singh emerged as the front-runner for the post of army chief following the row over the age of the incumbent, General VK Singh.
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Comment: Army alongwith the Police needs to come clean on all fake encounters for which gallantry awards have been dispensed to the cowards. The culprits need to be brought to book!

Army chief race turns murky as allegations fly

Army chief in waiting - Lt Gen Bikram Singh



Army chief race turns murky as allegations fly
Josy Joseph, TNN Jan 11, 2012, 04.15AM IST
Lt Gen Bikram Singh is likely to become the Chief of Army Staff after Gen VK Singh retires because he is the senior-most officer in the Indian Army and the government rarely deviates from the seniority principle in deciding the Army chief.
NEW DELHI: Just when the controversy over the age of Army chief Gen V K Singh is beginning to die down, a set of allegations have cropped up against his likely successor Lt Gen Bikram Singh, making the issue of who should head the world's second largest standing army a murky affair.

Most serious of the complaints against Lt Gen Bikram Singh is a decade-old, and concerns an encounter in Kashmir on March 1, 2001. Lt Gen Bikram Singh, then a brigadier heading counter-insurgency operations in the area, was injured and a colonel killed. A local NGO 'Youth Empowerment Services of Kashmir' has been petitioning various authorities in Delhi and in Kashmir countering Army's claim that the operation resulted in the killing of a foreign militant named Mateen Chacha.

The group has alleged that the deceased was actually a 70-year-old local named Abdullah Bhat, a resident of Machil, Kupwara, who was shown as a foreign militant. The NGO has not dropped its campaign despite the clean chit to Lt Gen Bikram Singh from the local police.

In what may appear to be part of a chain, an MP has also written to the prime minister questioning Lt Gen Bikram Singh's suitability to lead the Army on the ground that his daughter in-law is from Pakistan. The intelligence establishment, approached by the PMO, gave an all-clear to Lt General Bikram Singh but this has not spelt respite for him.

There are also anonymous complaints doing the rounds about Lt Gen Bikram Singh's posting in African on a UN peacekeeping mission, and failure to contain disciplinary breaches by some Indian Army soldiers. Some members of an Indian Army battalion are accused of fathering children, by illegal sexual contacts with local women, while they were posted in Africa.

There are three possible scenarios that heighten concerns within the government about the succession battle. One, if Gen V K Singh retires as per the government records, then Lt Gen Bikram Singh could be announced as the next chief by March 31. If Gen VK Singh were to continue until 2013, then Lt Gen KT Parnaik, who is heading the Northern Army Command, would be the senior-most officer in line.

In case Gen VK Singh resigns abruptly in the coming weeks, before the government announces Lt Gen Bikram Singh as the new chief, then there could a further twist to the succession battle. Given the complexities of the scenario, government sources said they were warily watching allegations being flung around.
Army chief race turns murky as allegations fly

Comment: The Indian Army Chief to succeed Gen VK Singh should be above board. The succession plan plotted by Bureaucrats should be examined, shelved and mischief makers brought to book.

Race for Army Chief: Janglat Mandi encounter Faked

Race for Army Chief: Janglat Mandi encounter may mar Gen Bikram’s chances
Tuesday, 10 Jan 2012 at 12:26
Petition seeking re-investigation into 10-yr-old case to decide his fate
ISHFAQ TANTRY
SRINAGAR, JAN 09: The chances of Lt. Gen Bikram Singh, army’s Eastern Command chief to become new chief of Indian army may be hit hard by the alleged Janglat Mandi fake encounter case as a writ petition in this regard is still pending before Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
The tenure of present army chief General V K Singh is likely to end in May this year following controversy surrounding his date of birth.
Eastern Command Chief Lt Gen Bikram Singh, Northern Commander chief Lt Gen K T Parnaik and present Vice Chief of Army Lt Gen Krishna Singh are the front runners to succeed General Singh. Traditionally, the senior-most officer is appointed as the army chief and in this case Lt Gen Bikram Singh is the senior-most and most-likely to be appointed for the top post.
However, chances of Lt Gen Bikram Singh may be hit hard by alleged Janglat Mandi fake encounter case. The outcome of the writ petition pending disposal before J&K High Court is crucial and may ultimately decide his fate. In the second scenario, if General Singh decided to take the D.O.B row to Court, then Northern Command Chief Lt. General Parnaik has fair chances to succeed him as new Army chief.
It is pertinent to mention here J&K High Court had on October 13, 2011 issued notices to State government and Indian Defence Ministry and asked them to file their objections in a writ petition, seeking reinvestigation of the alleged fake encounter that took place at Janglat Mandi Islamabad in 2001. The court had summoned all the records pertaining to case (FIR 72/2001) from District Sessions Court Islamabad for perusal.
In the writ petition titled Zaituna versus J&K State, it was alleged that the encounter that took place at Janglat Mandi, Islamabad on March 1, 2001 was not genuine but a fake encounter in which many innocent Kashmiris were killed by army and government sponsored gunmen Ikhwanis’ and later passed off as foreign militants.
Contesting claims of Army and police that an elderly foreign militant identified as Mateen Chacha was killed in the encounter, the petition submitted to court that the elderly man dubbed as foreign militant was a civilian.
“The fact is that Mateen was none other than 70 year old civilian Abdullah Bhat son of Qadir Bhat of Machil Kupwara”, said petitioners Zaituna and Jana (mother and sister of the Abdullah Bhat).
The petition has sought re-investigation in the case and prayed that Special Investigation Team of police be tasked to book the culprits.
“We have been running from pillar to post to know the whereabouts of Abdullah Bhat. Somehow they came to know that he was gunned down by forces in 2001 in Janglat Mandi, Islamabad and labeled as a foreign militant”, the petitioners said and demanded that the grave of victim should be identified and DNA test carried out.
They said DNA profile of the deceased should be matched with those of the family members. “The photographs of the victim taken by the police should be shown to family”, they further demanded.
In the encounter, whose veracity is under challenge before the court, besides, Abdullah Bhat two civilians and two army men were also killed. The dead included Colonel J P Jam, the then Commanding Officer of a local R R Unit, Sepoy Ganesh Kumar, Mohammad Shafi son of Abdul Rasheed of Hazratbal Islamabad and Abdul Ahad Sheikh son of Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh of Janglat Mandi.
According to police FIR, two persons also sustained injuries in the 2001 encounter and they included present Eastern Command chief Lt Gen Bikram Singh, who was a Brigadier then and headed 5 Sector Rashtriya Rifles headquarters at Khanabal Islamabad. A civilian Ajaz Ahmad Bhat son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat of S K Colony Islamabad was also injured.
Meanwhile, police has absolved Eastern Command chief of all the charges.
“We have nothing against him as far investigation of the case is concerned”, DGP Kuldeep Khoda told Rising Kashmir.
Sources said police higher ups had recently sought a report from the concerned police district (Islamabad) and it said the encounter was genuine and there was no case against Lt Gen Bikram Singh.
The petition seeking re-investigation of Janglat Mandi fake encounter was listed for hearing before Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar on December 28. However, the petition was deferred and is now expected to be listed for further hearing in February, when High Court, Srinagar re-convenes after month long winter vacations.
The Janglat Mandi “fake” encounter was first highlighted by a youth empowerment organization namely Youth Empowerment Services of Kashmir (YES-Kashmir), headed by Tanweer Ahmad, who in November 2011 held a protest march in New Delhi to highlight the real story behind Janglat Mandi encounter
Race for Army Chief: Janglat Mandi encounter
Comment: Why Fake encounters were encouraged earlier by the AHQ? This was primarily to win the race for the next promotion- a mandatory requirement of a Gallantry award is essential for racing and climbing up the ladder! All fake encouter authors must be identified and suitably punished for killing innocent lives rather than rewarding them to kill the organisation.

Saluting the Disabled Soldier of India

Wed, 09/14/2011 By Sarita Brara
New Delhi, Sept 14, 2011 (Washington Bangla Radio / PIB India) It was year 1999. A young army officer from one of the North Eastern states lay on a bed in one of the wards of the army hospital in Delhi. His leg had been amputated after he hit a land mine during the Kargil conflict. He was one of the over 1500 personnel who had been injured in the conflict.
“How are you?” I asked the young officer.
“I feel one and half Kg lighter!” he said with a smile that lit up his whole face. Brave words indeed!. How could a man in a situation like this have the courage to make light of his grievous injury? I managed to smile back but in the heart of hearts I saluted the spirit of the young man.
Twelve years later I met Lt Col Shoban Singh Danu again. This time for a story on the year of the disabled soldier. I remember that Shoban Singh Danu’s leg had to be amputated after he stepped on mine planted by the militants in the Poonch- Rajouri sector. After his artificial limb fitment he insisted on going back to the same battalion. Why? He says he wanted to boost the morale of his men as three others in the battalion had also lost their limbs in the land mine blast.
Retired Subedar LD Sharma too lost his limb in a land mine blast. Had he not been hit by a mine land blast he would have retired two ranks higher. But he has no regrets. “I did this for my country!” he says with his head held high. “I am ready to serve my country any time I am called to do so.”
These men as they defend our borders, battle against insurgents and take part in other operations, many a time suffer spinal injuries rendering them paraplegics and tetraplegics. Major Mahesh Bisht suffered spinal injury in one of the operations but today he is looking after the administration at the Kirkee (Khadki) Paraplegic Rehab Centre and is a source of inspiration for the paraplegics living there.
Rifleman Latif was on VIP protection duty in Jammu and Kashmir where after an IED blast his vehicle met with an accident and he suffered a spinal injury. He may have been depressed initially but today he is completely transformed. Last year he won three gold medals in national paralympics in Wheel Chair Race, Discuss Throw and Javelin. Latif who belongs to Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir is now staying at the paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre at Mohali with his family.
Gunner Ajit Kumar Shukla had suffered bullet injuries. When he came to the Kirkee Paraplegic Rehab Centre he was very depressed. Today, leaving behind his pain, he too has not only won medals in the sporting events but also worked on contract basis as data operator with one of the government schools in Chandigarh.

Saluting our Heros

2 July 2011
Dear Friends,
I’m delighted to announce that my compilation of posts featuring Param Vir Chakra awardees is finally complete. The series started with a simple idea on a lazy summer afternoon of 2009 – and soon became a labour of love…I pored over numerous articles and web pages to do my research while writing this series…but not for a moment did I feel that the effort was in vain. Writing about these brave men – and their exploits – was perhaps the most inspiring and motivating thing I have done in a very long time. The “book” is now ready. I intend to formally release it on 26th July, on the occasion of “Kargil Vijay Diwas” which marks the most remarkable week of “Operation Vijay” that ended with the award of four Param Vir Chakras.

Needless to add, writing this series has been an extraordinary and extremely fulfilling experience. Each post reminded me of how fortunate and blessed we are to have people like these defend our borders and our freedoms…Sadly the stories of these “Param Veers” are not widely known. This is a humble effort to change that…

The “book” will be available to purchase online. And you can also download a pdf version for a small modest charge. Details to follow shortly.

All the funds raised from the sale of this book will be channeled into my various activities. I will be seeking donations to help me publish large quantities that can be printed/ distributed locally in schools in various cities across India. If you can help with this (even in terms of just managing logistics etc), pl leave a comment below or email me. I would also like to hear from anyone who can help translate this into Indian languages.

This effort would not have come to fruition without the unstinted support of my wife and daughter – who sacrificed countless hours of their time – so that I could work on these blog posts and help spread awareness about these heroes. This is our very humble tribute to the ones who did not come back. They died so that we can live – in peace. Let us ensure that these men are not forgotten. Let us ensure that the stories of their valour are told and re-told. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!
Shantanu
“Saluting our Heroes” and a labour of love

Ex-servicemen throng rally at Ramban

The NorthernLines 6/20/2011 1:03:34 AM NL Correspondent
Jammu, June 19: An ex-servicemen rally was conducted by the Army at Maitra, Ramban under the aegis of Headquarters Counter Insugency Force (Delta). The ex-servicemen turned out in huge numbers and were addressed by representatives from State Bank of India, Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), Soldier Board and Recruitment Node. Stalls were also established for disseminating information on Defence Salary Package accounts, new bank policies, ECHS policies and employment opportunities. A team of Army Doctors was also employed concurrently for the benefit of ex-servicemen. A Grievance Cell was also established for noting grievances the queries and noted grievances for speedy redressel.
Speaking on the occasion, Nk (Retd) Akhtar remarked that the ex-servicemen of J&K have been neglected due to militancy and very few facilities are available when compared to other states. Around 60% of the Army personnel retire as early a stage as 35-37 years and can comprehensively contribute to new wave of developmental activites ushering in the state. Hav (Retd) Girdhari pointed out the fact that there is no Sainik Welfare Officer in the newly carved out district of Ramban. Various speakers and participants emphasized the fact that furthering the cause of Ex Servicemen welfare shall ensure greater participation by the locals in the defence of the nation and national integration.
Ex-servicemen throng rally at Ramban

Scholarships for ex-servicemen’s children
Bangalore June 22 DH News Service Sunday 26 June 2011
The Department of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement has invited merit scholarship application for the year 2009-10 from domicile ex-servicemen’s wards from the State. Scholarships includes ‘General K S Thimmaiah Cash Award’ for male students and ‘Infosys Cash Award’ for female students, who have secured more than 60 per cent in SSLC and PUC II respectively.
Eligible candidates can collect the application forms from the office of the Joint Director, Department of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement, Field Marshal K M Cariappa Bhavan, Field Marshal K M Cariappa Road, Bangalore- 560 025 and submit before July 10, according to a press release
Scholarships for ex-servicemen’s children

National Security: Is Hasan's Hawala transactions financing Pakistan Terrorists?

Hawala trader Hasan Ali's $ 8 billion (about Rs 36,000 crore) network of illegal money transactions is unravelling.

On Saturday, Ali revealed to agencies probing his accounts that a substantial portion of the thousands of crores in his Swiss bank and other accounts elsewhere belonged to top Indian politicians and bureaucrats, including three former chief ministers of Maharashtra.

This breakthrough has come as a breather to the investigating agencies that have been at the receiving end of the courts for their lacklustre probe into Ali's case.

In what could place Ali at the centre of a devious parallel banking network for the country's most corrupt politicos and babus, investigators have found an ingenious money- laundering mechanism that succeeded in turning black money into legitimate earnings through the stock market.

Following these revelations from Ali, the investigators have summoned Indian representatives of international banks such as UBS, Barclays and Credit Suisse to share more information on his transactions with them.

According to probe agencies, Ali took unaccounted black money from Indian politicians out of the country through the hawala channel and parked them in bank accounts in various countries across the globe, especially Mauritius.

He would then bring this money back to India, invest it in the stock market through participatory notes to buy up shares for people named by the politicians. At times, the money would come in as foreign investment straight into companies floated by friends and family of these politicians.

"In those years, especially the late 1990s and early 2000s, the stock markets had huge black money riding on it, which was often untraceable. Ali smartly bought participatory notes which were not required to be registered with SEBI. In the same fashion, some of the money would also come into companies that would have a beneficiary of the politician's family or in some cases, a completely new business entity in the name of a beneficiary of the politician," said a source close to the probe agencies. Through this strategy, Ali is believed to have pumped in money into the businesses of the son-in-law of one of these former CMs.

Ali was remanded to four days' custody of the enforcement directorate (ED) on March 17. His custodial interrogation was extended by the Supreme Court by another three days.

Ali has told his interrogators that between 1990 to 2000, he got in touch with several top bureaucrats as well, who like the politicians wanted him to launder their ill-gotten wealth. "He says these introductions then became permanent contacts and he did launder money for them several times, also getting his own share of the profit from these transactions. However, he claims that he was just a small fish in the entire episode," said another official source.

Officials however are not yet ready to give out the names of the politicians, bureaucrats or bankers whose names Ali has allegedly revealed. They are piecing the hawala jigsaw together to crack the case before letting out the details of the network. Ali's claims of laundering black money for politicians and bureaucrats probably explain why no probe was initiated against him for a very long time.

According to sources, Ali has told investigators that he did not have any direct links with most politicians whose money he handled but were in fact introduced to them by his friends and partners in his hawala affairs.

Although he claims to be a small fish, the investigators are not willing to buy the claim. The ED has apparently sought explanation from Ali regarding the initial deposit of Rs 5 crore in his bank account with the UBS Bank, Singapore, in 1982, which mysteriously grew to US $1 billion (`4,500 crore at current conversion rates) in 1999, a year-and-a-half before the 9/11 attacks in the US.

"This aspect of his business is something we must look into as his close connections with Adnan Khashoggi, the international arms dealer, run very thick," says an official. Investigators probing the Pune businessman's accounts have found a phenomenal jump in his assets after 2001, with money coming in from 'suspicious' accounts from countries such as Dubai and Saudi Arabia, among others.

The date is significant because investigators believe that after the terror attacks in September 2001, the US and other countries had stopped transactions of money in different bank accounts related to terrorist organisations. Ali's account on the other hand just kept growing with money flowing in from many Middle Eastern countries. This has what raised eyebrows among the many investigating agencies.

" The money could have been routed to his account as other banks were being pressured to freeze accounts. This explains how the money in his account jumped from a few hundred crores to thousands of crores.

The alarming jump and the freezing of funds after the terror attack could not be a coincidence," said an investigator.

The Comptroller and Auditor General's report ( CAG report) indicates how Ali's income jumped from Rs 529 crore in 2001- 2002 to Rs 5,404 crore in 2002- 2003.

From here, it kept soaring as Rs 54,268.6 crore were accumulated in his account in 2006- 2007. Investigators believe that Ali's income did not match with the money coming in to his account.

" He has claimed to be a businessman, a stud farm owner and a scrap dealer. However, even if you do all this together you can't have so much money in your account," said the investigator. He said that Ali has not been able to explain where the money had come from.

" Forget about the thousands of crores. To date, Ali has not been able to explain the source of Rs 5 crore, which was the initial deposit in his UBS Bank account in Singapore in 1982. Apart from arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, we believe he could be in touch with other sources too," said the officer.

It remains to be seen whether the ED would seriously investigate or simply ignore Ali's revelations as the agency has been unable to initiate any action since 2007 against the money- launderer, until the SC rapped the government on its knuckles. The ED's veil of secrecy on Ali's revelations also does not inspire confidence that it will pursue the hawala trail.
Hasan Ali laundered money for 3 former Maharashtra CMs
Comment: We now know how bankrupt Pakistan is getting money for financing Terror Activities around the globe. Shame on Indian Hawala Money Launderers.
Did Dawood invest in 2G? Was this fuelling and financing Terrorist Activities worldwide? Click here to learn more

Army to enhance 'Awam-Jawan' relationship

New Year's Resolutions

To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.” By James Agate

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” By Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Zee News Srinagar: Vowing to enhance 'Awam-Jawan' relationship in Kashmir in the New Year, the army's top general has said the security forces will work with sincerity and honesty to establish peace and ensure respect and dignity for everyone.

"(Army) begins the new year with a renewed resolve to work for the betterment of society with unadulterated sincerity and honesty in the pursuit of peace and the desire to quantitatively enhance the 'Awam' and Jawan relationship of respect and love," General Officer Commanding of the strategic 15 Corps of the Army Lieutenant General S A Hasnain said in his New Year message.

Hasnain is the second Muslim Army officer to be made Corps Commander of the strategic 15 corps which looks after Line of Control (LoC) area in the Valley.

Recalling his message when he took over a fortnight back, he said that heart will be 'army's weapon' and respect and dignity of every member of the Awam will be its slogan and philosophy to achieve an environment where the mind is without fear and the head is held high. "2011 is viewed as a year in which education, health and economic progress will be the hallmarks. The Kashmiri tradition of Sufiyat values -- nothing more than happiness -- and it is eternal happiness that the Chinar Corps wishes to each individual of the Awam in 2011," he said.

The Army "has always had the love of the Awam in peace and in calamity for which it is grateful," the General added. PTI
Army to enhance 'Awam-Jawan' relationship

Steady decline of Military status will erode morale and combat effectiveness

Respected Sir/Madam,
The following report -- released by the United News of India news agency on December 17, 2010 -- is for your kind perusal.
With regards,
Abhi

Anti-India strategy part of Pak mindset: IESM Chairman
By Abhijit C Chandra
Bhopal, Dec 17 (UNI) An anti-India strategy is an indelible part of the Pakistani mindset and generations of that country's military officers and civilians alike have been raised with it, opines Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement Chairman Lieutenant-General (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, Param Vishisht Seva Medal, AVSM, VSM.
"At any point in the future, Pakistan will never stop short of exploiting any chink in the Indian armour to stage a Kargil-type offensive," the veteran told UNI on the sidelines of yesterday's celebrations commemorating Vijay Diwas, the anniversary of the 1971 Bangladesh War.
Regretting the lack of enthusiasm among youngsters to enlist in the Indian Armed Forces, Lt-Gen Kadyan pointed out that society is becoming increasingly consumerist.
"At the juncture when I joined the Army, opportunities were limited and chiefly comprised the engineering profession, the medical stream and the military. Today, the Government and the Armed Forces simply cannot match the private sector mainly in terms of financial returns," he explained.
Soldiers are being increasingly deployed in insurgency-affected areas but that is not the Army's 'primary' role -- defending the nation against external aggression.
"Earlier, the general public simply had no idea of the hardships of a military existence but now television journalists have given them more than a peek into what it takes to be an officer or even a jawan," the veteran said.
Limited avenues for promotion also form a key factor that keep youth away from the olive green uniform.
"Respect is what one can earn even in society by being an ideal citizen but status is something that the Government accords. Unfortunately, the status of the military hierarchy has been constantly declining. In 1947, the Chief of Army Staff was the third position in the country but has now been relegated to 12th place," he lamented.
The spectre of leading a life of separation from families and in isolation from the social mainstream also haunts those shying away from a military career.