Trilogy of the Northeast

By Dipti Bhalla & Kunal Verma
Set of Three Volumes
Published by KaleidoIndia
Released in OTA by Gen VK Singh on 27 Apr 2012
Northeast Trilogy raises a curtain on the wonders of Northeast India – a land, which was to many and perhaps still is a land of mystery and mystique. Published in three volumes, it is an in-depth collection of hundreds of photographs taken in the field by Dipti Bhalla and Kunal Verma over a period of three years. Through their images they have captured a world hitherto unknown to many - the richness and the grandeur of the Northeast. The entire collection goes beyond the realm of one’s imagination.
This lavish set of three is a celebration and a tribute to the people of the Northeast - from stunning portraits to landscapes and the rich flora and fauna. Dipti and Kunal have demystified an entire area that was hitherto unknown not only to the rest of the country but also to the communities that live in the region in isolated pockets demarcated by difficult terrain. The seclusion was geographical. But the story today is different. The Northeastern states are among the best performing ones in the country. There has been immense improvement in literacy, health, and infrastructure.
The first volume of the trilogy takes the reader through Sikkim, North Bengal, Assam, and Meghalaya. The second is devoted entirely to Arunachal. Aptly titled Brahma’s Creation, it explores fourteen of the state’s sixteen districts, from the plains to the deepest core of the Himalaya. The remaining two districts are covered in Volume III of the trilogy – Children of the Dawn – together with Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, and Mizoram.
The Trilogy is a delight – and a nugget!
Northeast Trilogy

Will the ghost of 1962 dragon continue to haunt the South Block?

Ref: The amateurs in charge
In 1962, Intelligence Chief B.N. Mullick ruled the roost. These days it is the mandarins of External Affairs Ministry and Babus in the MOD. There is no single point military advice.
Things are not good at all.
Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh (Retd)

Extract
indian express oped
Posted: Sat Nov 20 2010, 03:34 hrs
Blaming Pandit Nehru for everything wrong with India has grown from a fashion to a rage, so the letters he addressed to American President John F. Kennedy on November 19, 1962, will be used as another stick with which to beat him. Destructive denigration serves him as ill as the idolatry in which he could do no wrong. Of course he made mistakes, who doesn’t, and to pretend they really were not mistakes worse, to conceal facts only feeds his detractors. What our country owes him becomes ever more apparent, time and our travails keep confirming its value. Viewing so great a man whole, faults and all, cannot diminish his stature, or our debt. What we need is to learn from the mistakes, his and ours which we stubbornly refuse to do.

November 1962 was a national disaster, all the more painful for being so self-inflicted: blinding ourselves to it is to invite repeats. Panditji must bear his share of responsibility, but the totality of our failure extends far beyond individuals. India failed to function as an organised state, alive to its challenges and opportunities, appropriately prepared to deal with them. Have we used our experience to become such a state now?
People today cannot realise the horrific pressures of those weeks. Despite our foolishness in imagining that suppressing facts can change them, plentiful evidence has been published by important actors of the time, inter alia recording the frightening situation Delhi saw itself facing that November 19 morning. Key positions had been left to the enemy, Sela and Bomdila augured horrendous dangers, civil officers had started being withdrawn and a complete evacuation from Assam was being considered, the DIB even starting to plan a resistance movement. An outstanding soldier, Major-General Monty Palit wrote 20 years ago that he was shown the draft letter seeking 12 fighter and two bomber squadrons; as DMO, at a desperate stage of a war that seemed to be moving along a course of escalating disasters, [he] could only welcome the proposal of obtaining military help, whatever its source, though confessing he had not for a moment imagined that... the architect of India's non-alignment policy, would ask for actual intervention by US forces. (War in the High Himalayas pp 342-343)
Read more click here

Building Schools and educating children is a novel way to bust insurgency

Greg Mortenson's work, through his non profit Central Asia Institute, continues today. As of 2009, he has established eighty one schools, including fifteen new schools in Afghanistan, and additional scchools in in regions of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, that was devastated in a 2005 earthquake.
Three Cups of Tea has been a freshman, honors, or campus- wide required reading selection in over eighty universities and hundreds of schools. It is required reading for senior US military commanders, Pentagon officers in counter- insurgency training, and Special Forces deploying in Afghanistan. More than two hundred communities have used Three Cups of Tea as a "One Book" common read, and is being published in over thirty one countries. In March 2009, Pakistan's government presented Greg Mortenson with its highest civilian award, the Sitara-e-Pakistan (Star of Pakistan).
Visit: Three Cups of Tea
The best way to combat insurgency in the North East, Jammu and Kashmir, Naxal and Maoist terrorism is to build schools and educate children. Greg Mortenson's method should be studied and emulated by all PMF and the Military commanders invested with the responsibility of combating insurgency.

A modest proposal on AFSPA

The Hindu 05 Sep 2010 by Siddharth Varadarajan

Students of various organisations hold placards during a protest demonstration, demanding withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from northeast and Kashmir, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 21, 2010. File Photo: S. Subramanium

Change the blanket ban on trials without official sanction to one where the government has the power to bar prosecution in individual cases provided it satisfies the courts that its reasons for doing so are valid.

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has come in for widespread criticism in Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and other parts of the northeast because of the human rights abuses that have come to be associated with its operation. So strong is the sentiment against AFSPA in Kashmir that in recent months Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have all spoken of the need to re-examine the law. The Army, on the other hand, says this is unnecessary.

The Army Chief, General V.K. Singh, has gone so far as to say that the demand for the dilution of AFSPA is being made for “narrow political gains.” On his part, Lt. Gen. B.S. Jaswal, GOC-in-C, Northern Command, has compared the Act to scripture. “I would like to say that the provisions of AFSPA are very pious to me and I think to the entire Indian Army. We have religious books, there are certain guidelines which are given there, but all the members of the religion do not follow it, they break it also … does it imply that you remove the religious book …?”

On paper, AFSPA is a deceptively simple law. First passed in 1958, it comes into play when the government declares a particular part of the northeast (or Jammu and Kashmir under a parallel 1990 law) a “disturbed area.” Within that area, an officer of the armed forces has the power to “fire upon or otherwise use force, even to the causing of death, against any person who is acting in contravention of any law or order for the time being in force in the disturbed area prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons or the carrying of weapons or of things capable of being used as weapons or of fire-arms, ammunition or explosive substances.”

Even though activists have made this the focus of their criticism, giving soldiers the “right to kill” is not, in my opinion, AFSPA's principal flaw. After all, if a ‘law and order' situation has arisen which compels the government to deploy the Army, soldiers have to be allowed to use deadly force. Even a private citizen has the right to kill someone in self-defence, though the final word on the legality of her or his action belongs to the courts. Similarly, a civilised society expects that the use of deadly force by the Army must at all times be lawful, necessary and proportionate. Here, the Act suffers from two infirmities: the requirement of prior sanction for prosecution contained in Section 6 often comes in the way when questions arise about the lawfulness of particular actions. Second, AFSPA does not distinguish between a peaceful gathering of five or more persons (even if held in contravention of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code) and a violent mob. Firing upon the latter may sometimes be justified by necessity; shooting into a peaceful assembly would surely fail any test of reasonableness. ...Read more click here

Gen Nathu Singh & AFSPA: Readers Views

Dear Chander,
1.Seen a series of 'hagiographic' / hard line mails related to these unrelated topics. Did not wish to follow the long trails, and unable to resist a comment, am resorting to this device.
2. Have interacted- a fairly intense exposure in 1988/89- with the formidable General and admired his overpowering personality and principles even at that stage. Also recall an informal moment with Bipin Joshi in the Chief's office wherein he declared Gen Rajendrasinghji as his most admired Chief.At that time I thought that he was over-indulging his Regimental loyalty! However, the character and selflessness shown by these stalwarts in the 'succession stakes' makes them stand very tall; notwithstanding any warts.
3. The moot point is as to why is this 'model' out of date now-at least in the essential numbers required. Are we not selecting right or developing wrong? I don't buy the line that the 'manufacture' has stopped. My considered view is that, in our obsession with numbers/quantification, we have discounted/ under weighted the non-quantifiable core character values.We tried, not very successfully, to remedy the balance and others have since followed up- but the present systems need radical tweaking. And for that you need creative Leadership like Gen Nathu'- the kind not chained by 'conventional/received wisdom'.
4. Which brings me to AFSPA - the rash of 'conventional' defence of, the content and need for this Act, is getting 'dyspeptic'. Ironically, highly respected and admired colleagues have plugged this line. By definition, LICO are politico-military in nature; the strategic space/objs are public sp vs alienation- the existing CONTEXT can, therefore, not be disregarded.The Valley and Manipur are getting alarmingly alienated.
5. No one can question the need for legal/ prophylactic cover for tps; the issue is how best to package it. Justice REDDY Report provides a take-off platform-but all heels are dug deep in the conventional rut/ turf battles? Also, the lack of synergy and the blame-games are no longer amusing. One hopes that the Army will ultimately play the salvager as always,through some innovative thinking and leadership.
Yogi
Lt Gen YN Sharma, Former Army Commander

I never had the good fortune of knowing the famous and gallant general (Lt Gen Nathu Singh), the account by VK was absolutely spellbinding!
When Gen Nathu Singh was Army Commander, Brig (later Lt Gen K Umrao Singh) was, (perhaps) Chief of Staff. I used have daily and leisurely chats with Gen Umrao on the Ham Radio. I had my 'home brew rig in the corner first floor room in Central Vista Mess (Air Force).
His call sign was VU2US and was popularly know by his 'handle' Uncle Sam (U for uncle and S for sam). We were all very pally and while discussing something, unwittingly, I cracked an old Army joke: Sant Singh is better than Natha Singh (Something is better than Nothing).
Uncle Sam retorted seriously, Rai do'nt repeat that ever because Gen Nathu Singh has just been succeeded by Gen Sant Singh!
Col BK Rai
Former Secretary to Government of India, 3rd Graduates Course of the IMA, Premature Retirement in 1970

Dear Sir,
I had had the privilege of meeting General Thakur Natu Singh at his younger son, Cmde. Ranvijay Singh's residence in Delhi in the mid seventies. He took me into his study and gave me a glass of beer while my wife chatted with pretty Kumud, his daughter-in-law, in another room.
He told me that, contrary to general belief, he was from a humble background. One day when he was playing with other children, the Raja come riding and the other kids ran helter-kelter but he did not. The Raja approached him and asked sternly, " Why have you not run away like the others?" Natu Singh replied that he had done no wrong so why run away. The Raja was impressed by his candour and gave orders to have him brought to the palace and requested his parents to allow their son to be brought up by him. He was first sent to Mayo College and then to Sandhurst.
Hearing this frank admission, and the manner in which he told me made me feel very privilaged to meet a great gentleman. Regrettably, both Ranvijay, a fine Navy pilot, and Kumud, a lovely lady, are no more. As also General Thakur Natu Singh.
Regards,
Hirak Nag
Cdr HK Nag, Joined JSW in August 1952

Dear Chander,
I would like to add that Lt Gen Nathu Singh had two sons in the Services. Pratap Singh the elder, joined our Course- 1st Course (JSW) NDA, while Ranvijay joined the Navy in the 2nd Course. Pratap was commissioned in the Infantry and took premature retirement as a Major to join the tea gardens. I haven't met him since commissioning but about two years ago he had long chat with me on telephone, while staying with Ranvijay at Sainik Farms. No contact with him since. Both the brothers are thorough gentlemen.
SK Bahri
Lt Gen SK Bahri, 1st JSW Course, Former MGO, Army HQ

Dragon spews fire and India feels the heat

China's threat: India gets serious
Nidhi Razdan,
August 31, 2010 22:07 IST
New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met in New Delhi on Tuesday where top ministers and the PM discussed about the recent tension with China. India's envoy to Beijing S Jaishankar has also been called to give his inputs.

There was consensus to act tough with the Chinese and show a firmness in approach while dealing with them.

Earlier, a top Indian Army General was denied permission to visit China because he serves in what they call a "sensitive" state like Jammu and Kashmir.

India and China certainly have their differences but this time Indian officials say Beijing has gone too far.

Government sources have told NDTV they are mulling their options and much will depend on what Beijing now signals through a senior defence officer who is expected to come here soon.

The latest worry for New Delhi are reports that 7,000 to 11,000 Chinese troops are here in Gilgit in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), which the government is trying to verify. Some experts say that a more aggressive China needs a stronger response from India.

"This is very serious, for the first time they have belatedly questioned the status of Jammu and Kashmir. We need to take strong political steps like stapling the visas of Tibetans and stressing on Tibet as an autonomous part of China not a militarised one as it is now," said Kanwal Sibal, former Foreign Secretary.

India's China challenge
China refuses to stamp the passports of Indians from Jammu and Kashmir instead giving them stapled visas on separate sheets of paper. Despite repeated protests by New Delhi for two years now the practice still goes on.
Since they see Arunachal as a part of China, Beijing often denies visas to those from Arunachal saying they are from the same country!
In 2007, a study tour to Beijing of over 100 IAS officers was cancelled after China refused to give a visa to an officer from Arunachal Pradesh even former Chief Minister Gegong Apang was not given a visa for the same reason.
The Chinese have also angrily protested a meeting between the Dalai Lama and the PM earlier this month and even criticised the PM's visit to Arunachal evoking an angry reaction from Delhi.

For now New Delhi is waiting and watching to see what Beijing signals but the shift in the public Chinese stance on Jammu and Kashmir has South Block officials very worried and they know they need to find a new way to deal with the problem.
China's threat: India gets serious by Nidhi Razdan

Adopt carrot and stick policy against naxals: expert

Respected Sir,
The following report-- released by the United News of India news agency on August 27, 2010 -- is for your kind perusal and the fourth in a series.
With regards
Abhi
Adopt carrot and stick policy against naxals: expert by Abhijit C Chandra
Bhopal, Aug 27 (UNI) An Indian Army veteran with extensive combat experience against Northeast rebels advocates adoption of a carrot and stick policy for tackling the naxalism menace.
"There is always the human element that simply cannot be ignored. Besides, the Maoists are Indian citizens with a divergent ideology and certainly not imported terrorists to be crushed with an iron heel," Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement Vice-Chairman Major-General (Retd) Satbir Singh, Sena Medal, told UNI over telephone.
Reminiscing his tenure as Brigadier in Assam (now Asom), the veteran narrated an example to prove his point that struggle-truce-struggle is the golden mean for eventually terminating the scourge of militancy.
"In 1997, I was stationed at Tezpur performing duties as Administrator of the Unified Command in a heavily insurgency-affected area. It was well past midnight when the telephone rang," he narrated.
The man on the line mentioned that he was calling from a village about 40 km away where an acute shortage of water was the root cause of misery. "Please supply water Sir. There are women and children here," the caller lamented.
"Though I was well aware that the village was a den of ultras I did not reject the request right away. I informed the caller that I will arrange for the water but if a single shot was fired at my boys I will give the order to massacre the entire village," the Maj-General recalled.
In the succeeding minutes, 15 tankers were mobilised and filled prior to undertaking the hazardous journey. Atop the tankers were positioned soldiers cradling light machine-guns.
"My officers and men were in constant radio contact with me. They reached the village, supplied the water and returned sans incident," the veteran said. What happened the following day seems to prove the Maj-General's point.
"A speeding motorbike carrying two masked youths shot past my camp and one of them lobbed a stone with a piece of paper wrapped around it. On reading the message we found the words 'Thank you Brigadier Singh'. When I was eventually sent to a new posting, a teeming multitude saw me off at the airport," he said.
Emphasising that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act must not be diluted under any circumstance, the veteran went on to state that as the Army is authorised to employ deadly force in achieving its objectives, collateral damage is inevitable.

National Security: Special powers for armed forces

We need clarity, not emotions by Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi (retd)
The Tribune Sunday, July 11, 2010, Chandigarh, India
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, better known as AFSPA, has been brought out of wraps at various opportune times – opportune for those who have either something to gain, i.e. the insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir, political parties always ready to fish in troubled waters, with an eye on electoral gains or those who are regular establishment-baiters, who have made it a habit to take the plunge headlong in any controversy with the belief that if it is against an organ of the government, it needed to be opposed!

Many have called AFSPA a draconian law and have vehemently supported its repeal, but having read quite a few of their views and watched them pontificating on TV, I am convinced that most lack even a rudimentary, let alone in-depth knowledge on the subject. This Act has been in force for over five decades because it was essential for the conduct of smooth counter-insurgency operations by the army. It will continue to be needed as long as the army is employed on counter-insurgency/ terrorism tasks.

The Act was promulgated on September 11, 1958. The rationale for bringing the Act on the statute book needs to be appreciated. When the army was first employed on counter-insurgency tasks in Nagaland in the 1950s, two aspects came to the fore immediately. First, unlike in the case of maintenance of law and order, when the army is called out in ‘aid to the civil authority’, where time is available to employ the police before committing the army, operations against insurgents are entirely of a different genre, as the insurgents do not give any time for such niceties.

The insurgents we are fighting today are heavily armed, they act speedily, commit heinous crimes and disappear. Unless the army counters such actions with speed and not wait for orders from higher civil or military authorities, nothing would be achieved.

Secondly, the soldiers and officers of the army had to be protected from prosecution for consequential action taken against insurgents in good faith as part of their operations. Here too, the Act does contain the important caveat that the army personnel can be prosecuted with the Centre’s sanction, if their actions warrant it. There is, therefore, no blanket immunity from the laws of the land.

Over the years, some army personnel have indeed been prosecuted where a prima facie case existed. However, it is also true that due to the exceptional care which all army commanders take when their troops are employed against insurgents, such cases are few and far between.

After the initial employment in Nagaland, the employment of the army on counter-insurgency tasks continued increasing, till it was progressively employed in all the north-eastern states for such tasks. Along with such employment, AFSPA was also invoked in all affected states.

When insurgency erupted in Srinagar in 1990, the Act was extended to the Valley. Later, as the activities of the insurgents spread, first to the Poonch-Rajauri area, then to Doda and Bhadarwah and finally to the whole state, the entire state was brought under the Act’s purview in stages. It can thus be seen that AFSPA was invoked progressively only when the situation required the deployment of the army.

The army is designed and structured for fighting external enemies of the nation. Consequently, they are not given any police powers. However, when the nation wants the army to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations, then they must be given the legal authority to conduct their operations without the impediment of getting clearances from the higher authorities.

If this is not done, they would be unable to function efficiently and defeat the insurgents and terrorists at their own game. It is for this reason that the Act gives four powers to army personnel. These are for ‘enter and search’, ‘arrest without warrant’, ‘destroy arms dumps or other fortifications’ and ‘fire or use force after due warning where possible’. Once again, there is a safeguard in the Act, which stipulates that the arrested person(s) will be handed over speedily to the nearest police station.

The law stipulates that AFSPA can be imposed only after the area in question is declared a ‘disturbed area’ by the state government concerned. When this writer was the Director-General Military Operations (DGMO) and the army was asked to deploy in the Doda-Bhadarwah area, we requested for the invocation of the Act. The state government was reluctant to do so on account of political considerations, but we did not commence operations till the Act was invoked.

Clearly, the Army has no desire to get embroiled in counter-insurgency tasks. It is not the army’s job. However, despite over 50 years of insurgency in our country, the state police as well as the central police forces (CPOs) have not been made capable of tackling insurgency. Consequently, in each case the army was inducted to carry out counter insurgency/ terrorist operations. If the national leadership tasks the army for conducting such non-military operations, then it is incumbent on the leadership to provide the legal wherewithal to all army personnel employed on such tasks.

It is only then that the operations will be conducted in the usual efficient manner of the army and would be result-oriented. They also must be legally protected. It is because these two aspects have been catered for that the army has been neutralising the insurgents and terrorists, so that normalcy is restored and the political leaders and officials can restart governing.
The writer is a former Vice-Chief of the Indian Army
Special powers for armed forces: The Tribune
Special powers for special needs: Army chief to NDTV by Nitin Gokhale

SCPC: Resentment after pay hike

February 24th, 2009
By Our Correspondent
Feb. 23: In what has created a resentment among the officers of the Central and state services, the government of India has offered additional allowance of 25 per cent of basic salary as special allowance to the officers of All-India Services posted in Northeastern states. In this regard the ministry of personal, public grievances and pension has issued a separate notification on February 10 to the state governments of the region. The notification no 14017/4/2005-2005 AIS (II), signed by director (services) Harjot Kaur said, “The ministry has decided to grant special allowances to officers belonging to any cadre of All-India Services working in Northeastern states.

The allowance, known as special allowances, will be at the rate of 25 per cent of basic pay and in addition to other allowances payable to officers posted in Northeastern states.” If insiders are to be believed, there has been no recommendation of the Pay Commission in this regard or decision of the Cabinet. The letter written to all chief secretaries and finance department of the Northeastern states said that this notification has been issued after an effective concurrence of the department of expenditure, ministry of finance and will be made effective since the day the notification has been issued (February 10, 2009). The special incentive that has been given to IAS, IPS and IFS only has created resentment among the officers of other Central services and the state governments as well as they started questioning the relevance of this “special treatment”.

This has come close on the heels of alleged distortion of Cabinet decision in September last year on the Pay Commission report by the government in formulating certain pay scales for IAS and IFS officers. The exorbitant 25 per cent special allowance is also going to create a serious problem for the state governments which are yet to mobilise fund for its employees who are agitating for salary hike already given to Central government employees in the Sixth Pay Commission. Most of the Northeastern states have expressed their inability in implementing the Sixth Pay Commission of the Central government to its employees. The officers of other Central services posted in Assam and other Northeastern states have also expressed surprise that such important notification was issued “secretly” and not displayed on the sites of the ministry.
Resentment after pay hike

Chain of command, demand

Pune War MemorialChandigarh War MemorialThe Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall
The last thing a columnist should do is begin an argument on an apologetic note, and certainly that is not what readers of National Interest have come to expect. But let this one be an exception, only because it concerns a group of the most honourable, most loved and admired Indians, our armed forces.

Therefore the apologetic note. This newspaper under this editor, and under the leadership of his eminently worthier predecessors, has stood by the armed forces as has no other. It has engaged, intellectually and professionally, with key issues concerning the armed forces, from the high strategy of war-fighting, to higher defence management, civil-military relations and even the benefits and welfare of professional soldiers. This newspaper’s commitment to the soldiers’ cause is also shared by its readers.

The finest examples of that commitment are the two war memorials that have been built, in Pune and Chandigarh, with contributions of nearly Rs 2 crore, raised entirely by the readers of The Indian Express and, indeed, members of its staff. And the logic behind that ambitious — and ultimately successful — fund collection drive was that our governments, or rather politicians, are much too cynical and self- centred to even extend such elementary courtesies to the armed forces as a proper memorial to their martyrs. This, when other democracies honour even who died in unpopular wars — the Vietnam war memorial in Washington is an example — and even animals, dogs, horses, camels who perished in war — see the British armed force’s touching “Animals in War” memorial, sculpted by David Backhouse, between Hyde Park and Park Lane in London.

It is because The Indian Express considers itself to be so much a soldier’s paper, and because of the kind of affection it has received from the armed forces over the decades, that it’s been traumatic for it to take a view of the ongoing tussle between the top brass and the Union cabinet that could be considered most unpopular — if you go by the evidence of so many SMS polls on TV channels and even on this newspaper’s front page. You ask the people of India to choose between the political class and the soldier, and the latter will win 95 to 5.
Shekhar Gupta
Chain of command, demand
Expression of our gratitude: All personnel of the Defence Forces Serving as well as Veterans, will ever remain indebted to the Citizens and the Indian Express team, who have erected the Memorials as an "Eternal Tribute" to the Soldiers who have laid down their lives, to preserve the freedom and sanctity of the Nation.

Rejoinders and Responses

Dear sir,
Apropos 'Chain of command, demand' (4th Oct 08); all the perfumes of Arabia cannot sweeten the odour emanating from the core message conveyed by your leading article. According to its view, when the cynical, scheming, vindictive (your adjectives) politico-babu nexus, stabs the Defence Forces in the back, the Service Chiefs should politely request them to allow our Armed Forces to be subjected to yet another 10-yr Anomaly-resolution plan just because they are so-honourable, apolitical, nation-before-all (your adjectives). This, after many anomalies of 4thCPC were never resolved and 75% of the 5thCPC remain unresolved even 12 years later.
Office-bound people cannot comprehend the Forces' ethos. Service Chiefs are required to and do give orders that put at risk the life and limb of their subordinates – our fellow countrymen. Consequently, it is vital that they and other Commanders retain moral authority over subordinates - a prerequisite for eliciting unquestioned obedience, which may even result in some more brave sons being martyred at the altar of Bharat Mata. Therefore, they cannot stand by when two key ranks are double-downgraded and PBOR deprived of 33% pension through unashamed and unprecedented bureaucratic skulduggery. Despite the gravest of provocations, they have exercised admirable restraint and performed their duty to their men by entirely constitutional means.
'An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.' (Arab proverb). The flagrant threat bureaucrats have conveyed through your paper, seeks to transform our lions into pussy-cats. If the nation is to preserve its national security in the most dangerous neighbourhood on earth, we must nurture powerful lions to lead the forces or be doomed to repeat history and face national dismemberment.
Furthermore, as a nascent N-power with major-power aspirations, we need to emulate the stature enjoyed by military commanders of other democracies and even China, specially when they conduct military diplomacy around the globe and particularly in our neighbourhood. Hence all patriotic Indians and media need to support our lion-hearted Chiefs in their struggle for justice and MoD would be well advised to desist from inter-departmental wars against the Forces.
Additionally, Indian Express should introspect whether to change its mast-head to Bureaucratic Express – or remain in consonance with over 95% Indians (your poll results).
Yours etc.
Maj Gen Pushpendra Singh, (Retd)

To,
Shri Shekhar Gupta,'Indian Express',New Delhi.
"REVENGE OF THE 'PETTIFOGGERS"
Sir,
The 'inspired' lead editorial in IE on 3 September, severely admonished the Armed Forces for their temerity in seeking a fair deal, for retaining their pre-existing parity with the "superior" civil services. Now your 'op-ed, with screaming head-line "DisService Chiefs" (IE, 4/10/2008), unabashedly becomes a vehicle to convey to the 'offending' soldier, a dire warning and a threat of the oncoming retribution from these 'superiors'- "behave or else!" A great role indeed, for the "Journalism of Courage"!

Moral percepts are credible only if seen as honest and sincere; otherwise these are treated as so much humbug, and sophistry. Notwithstanding many column-inches of the 'op-ed' admittedly proving your record of support for the Armed Forces, you have failed to examine the issue on it's merit - your failure lies in not seeking answers to some basic questions, before castigating the Service Chiefs for doing their bounden duty. First, what National imperatives dictated at this point of time, that the pre-existing civil/military equations be distorted to the detriment of the military ? Were the operational and moral implications of this disturbance analysed, understood and discussed with those responsible for the country's defence ? Second, Who is responsible (and accountable) to let things slide to such a desperate pass, when the Chiefs have been making their representations right from the MoD upwards, to the PM ? And most importantly, exactly which individual(s) is/are responsible (and accountable) for the distortions and skullduggary in the proceedings, after the Cabinet had approved the 6th CPC report ? As the self-appointed 'guardians of National Interest', it was morally incumbant on you to obtain the answers, before insulting the Chiefs.

Statute restricts the Fundamental Rights of speech and assembly, for the soldier, and thus it the institutional duty of the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee to be, what you call the 'union leader' of the Indian Armed Forces and of the Service Chiefs, for their Services. It should be a matter for great satisfaction and pride for all thinking citizens, that our Chiefs have fulfilled their bounden duty of safeguarding the interests of those they command, and the three Services speak with one voice. This is the 'jointness', for which the armed forces world-over, strive. It is too bad, if those with who place the country's interests after personal and parochial interests do not like it; and shame on those, who for a moment cast aspertions on the staunch loyalty, fidelity and honour of the Indian Armed Forces. Administering their commands and and keeping all ranks informed is an established command function. So this contrived alarm and brouhaha over normal informatory signals sent by Service HQ to Commands is nothing else but pettifogging by ill-minded, who have no intimate knowledge of Services functioning. All honour to the Chiefs !

Soldiers with high 'elan' win battles; those with low self-esteem, don't! Let Indian Armed Forces be proud of themselves, their uniform. By belittling our Chiefs, no one is doing any favour to this country.

I know that this letter will not be published in the IE, but I trust you will read, it to learn what we think of you!

Yours faithfully,
Maj Gen Rajendra Prakash (Retd)

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