HC refers service matters of armed forces to AFT

Saturday, September 22, 2012, Chandigarh, India
Saurabh Malik/TNS Chandigarh, September 21, 2012
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, by passing a single order, has referred “all service matters concerning members of the armed forces” to the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT). The “matters” involve pension and other retirement benefits pending before the HC.
The significance of the order can be gauged from the fact that the HC has disposed of, through the order, nothing less than 31 writ petitions filed by Army personnel “pertaining to the disability pension, dismissal from service, etc.”
The bunch comprised writ petitions against the orders passed by the CAT and Regular Second Appeals against the judgments and decrees of the courts below.
Taking up the petitions by Naik Prem Singh and other petitioners against the Union of India and other respondents, a Division Bench of the HC asserted the petitions pertaining to the disability pension, dismissal from service, etc. of Army personnel fell within the definition of “service matters” as defined in Section 3(O) of the Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007.
The bench added: “At the outset, counsel for the respondents have raised a preliminary objection by placing reliance on Section 34 read with Section 14 and 3(O) of the Act. A conjoint reading of these Sections would show that all service matters concerning the members of Armed Forces, involving pension and other retiral benefits, pending before this court are required to be transferred to the AFT, Chandigarh Bench, which is constituted for this jurisdiction”.
HC refers service matters of armed forces to AFT

Punjab enhances welfare funds for Veterans

3-fold hike in Sainik welfare Budget- Non-plan expenses up 11 pc by Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 14
Though no new welfare schemes have been announced, a three-fold increase in the planned expenditure by the Department of Defence Services Welfare has been proposed in the state Budget for 2011-12, while the department’s non-planned Budget is earmarked to rise by about 11 per cent.

The non-planned Budget, which relates to establishment-oriented expenditure and recurring expenses, has been pegged at Rs 23.5 crore for the coming fiscal as compared to Rs 21.1 crore for 2010-11.

Similarly, the planned expenditure, which relates to various welfare schemes and other projects introduced or approved by the state government from time to time, is set to rise to Rs 13 crore from Rs 4.1 crore.

The combined expenditure for this department for 2011-12 is pegged at Rs 36.5 crore vis-à-vis Rs 25.2 crore for 2010-11, representing an overall increase of over Rs 11 crore or close to 45 per cent. Punjab has 2.87 lakh ex-servicemen and 53,000 widows.

For the next fiscal, Rs 2 crore has been proposed to meet the expenditure relating to grant of Rs 5 lakh to next of kin of battle casualties in lieu of a plot. Last year the Budget on this account was Rs 4 crore. Departmental sources said that as of now there were no pending cases in the state on this account and payments would be made as and when fresh cases came in. However, the cases for grant of land to 28 war widows of the 1971 Indo-Pak war have still not been resolved.

The planned segment proposed today also includes Rs 6 crore for the construction of Sainik Rest House and Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum at Ludhiana. Coaching classes for entry into service academies, training of wards of ex-servicemen, grant to Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre and ex-gratia to families of martyrs are among schemes falling in this segment. The increase in the Budget also caters to 40 per cent hike in the allowances of gallantry award winners introduced in December 2010 and grant of Rs 1 lakh announced last year to every candidate who enters a service academy for training as an officer.
3-fold hike in Sainik welfare Budget

Exodus from Gujarat and Punjab: Illegal immigration and human smuggling

Los Angeles Times, February 06, 2011|By Richard Marosi and Andrew Becker
Surge of immigrants from India baffles border officials in Texas
Thousands from India have entered Texas illegally from Mexico in the last year. Most are Sikhs who claim religious persecution at home.

Reporting from Harlingen, Texas — Thousands of immigrants from India have crossed into the United States illegally at the southern tip of Texas in the last year, part of a mysterious and rapidly growing human-smuggling pipeline that is backing up court dockets, filling detention centers and triggering investigations.

The immigrants, mostly young men from poor villages, say they are fleeing religious and political persecution. More than 1,600 Indians have been caught since the influx began here early last year, while an undetermined number, perhaps thousands, are believed to have sneaked through undetected, according to U.S. border authorities.

Hundreds have been released on their own recognizance or after posting bond. They catch buses or go to local Indian-run motels before flying north for the final leg of their months-long journeys.

"It was long … dangerous, very dangerous," said one young man wearing a turban outside the bus station in the Rio Grande Valley town of Harlingen.

The Indian migration in some ways mirrors the journeys of previous waves of immigrants from far-flung places, such as China and Brazil, who have illegally crossed the U.S. border here. But the suddenness and still-undetermined cause of the Indian migration baffles many border authorities and judges.

The trend has caught the attention of anti-terrorism officials because of the pipeline's efficiency in delivering to America's doorstep large numbers of people from a troubled region. Authorities interview the immigrants, most of whom arrive with no documents, to ensure that people from neighboring Pakistan or Middle Eastern countries are not slipping through.

There is no evidence that terrorists are using the smuggling pipeline, FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials said.

The influx shows signs of accelerating: About 650 Indians were arrested in southern Texas in the last three months of 2010 alone. Indians are now the largest group of immigrants other than Latin Americans being caught at the Southwest border.

The migration is the "most significant" human-smuggling trend being tracked by U.S. authorities, said Kumar Kibble, deputy director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. In 2009, the Border Patrol arrested only 99 Indians along the entire Southwest border.

It's a dramatic increase," Kibble said. "We do want to monitor these pipelines and shut them down because it is a vulnerability. They could either knowingly or unknowingly smuggle people into the U.S. that pose a national security threat."

Most of the immigrants say they are from the Punjab or Gujarat states. They are largely Sikhs who say they face religious persecution, or members of the Bharatiya Janata Party who say they are targeted for beatings by members of the National Congress Party.
Surge of immigrants from India baffles border officials in Texas: click here to read more
Comment: The reasons are simple- Villagers are duped by scamsters who are generally Political criminals- India graduating to a Banana Republic which has hastened grinding poverty and farmers committing suicide- Truly the nation is on the path to FAKE democracy!

Foreigners in Ranjit Singh’s court

The Lion’s Firanghis: The Europeans at the Court of Lahore traces the
journey and lives of . An excerpt…

Most of the Europeans who were to have a major impact on the Maharaja’s regime were French and Italians, and they became the most influential and leading personalities at the Court of Lahore

THE Sikh Kingdom under the benevolent leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) known as ‘Sarkar-e-Khalsa’ and the ‘Lion of the Punjab’ was considered a hegemony amongst all the Indian princely states that were under the jurisdiction of the East India Company in the early part of the 19th century. This was the golden era of the Punjab and its inhabitants, who stood firm against its powerful neighbour, British India, a secular and independent nation forming a buffer state against Russia, but wedged precariously between Afghanistan and China. Its inhabitants were not just Punjabis but there was also a minority of Europeans, who had forsaken their homelands to seek their fortunes and to enhance their careers in the political milieu of Punjab — probably the only province in the early 19th century that still offered any scope of military employment to a select group of foreigners newly arrived on its doorstep.

Court chronicles
Bobby Singh Bansal chose to explore a path less explored when he started working on the manuscript that became The Lion’s Firanghis: The Europeans at the Court of Lahore.
Read More:
The Tribune: Firangis in Ranjit Singh’s Durbar

Antony leads nation in paying homage at Jallianwalan Bagh

Tuesday 13 April, 2010.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday led the nation to pay homage at the Jallianwala Bagh on the 91st anniversary of the brutal massacre of innocent people, including women and children who had gathered to listen to their leaders on the occasion of Baisakhi.

He laid the wreath at the Flame of Liberty in the presence of Central Ministers including Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni and Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Punjab Jail Minister Hira Singh Gabria and Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla.

In an emotional speech, Mr Antony said, he felt proud to be in the sacred land of Punjab but at the same time, it was a matter of regret and pain that the dreams of the freedom fighters remained unfulfilled.

''The barbaric episode had electrified the freedom fighters and there was a need to spread the information about this major incident of Indian history,'' he said and appealed to the people to re-dedicate themselves for the national cause.

Appreciating Punjab's contribution in ''ending starvation in remote states like his homeland Kerala'', Mr Antony said Punjab had always been in forefront when the nation was in need.

All the speakers were unanimous in noting that the ''dreams'' for which the freedom fighters sacrificed their life remained ''unfulfilled'' and there was a need to spread awareness about the freedom struggle and instil the feeling of patriotism among masses as barely 400 people had gathered on the occasion.

Ms Soni agreed to Ms Laxmi Kanta Chawla's suggestion that a daily slot should be dedicated on television and radio for programmes, films or documentaries on the freedom struggle highlifghting the life of martyrs, to spread awareness among the youth.

Noting that today was also an auspicious day as the beginning of harvest season and founding day of the 'Khalsa Panth', the leaders felicitated the people on the occasion.

A light and sight programme would be formally inaugurated later in the day to highlight the Jallianwalan event and the freedom struggle.(ST-13/04)
Antony leads nation in paying homage at Jallianwalan Bagh

Capt Amarinder Singh Maharaja of Patiala

The Last Word
Capt Amarinder Singh
This Singh is not king, as yet
New Delhi, March 29, Roopinder Singh and Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
He loves the good life, yet is equally at home in the rough and tumble of politics. The Akali Dal engineers his expulsion from the House, he makes headlines outside it. The Congress has not made him chief of the state party, people take him to be one anyway. Reams are written about his extra-curricular activities, yet he shrugs them off and they don’t seem to affect his political fortunes.

In his crisp white kurta pajama, equally in his blue blazers, he fills the room with his presence, and floors the audience - there is always one - with his span of information and the felicity with which he cites facts and figures, switching between English and Punjabi as the occasion demands.

Whether he is on the political throne of the state or not, he is called “Maharaj”, even by his detractors - a reflection of both his lineage, as well as his personal style. Yet, right now, there is no throne (read official position) for this king, who is seen as the tallest leader that the Congress can field in the political arena of Punjab.
click here to read the full article

Captain Amarinder Singh (born March 11, 1942), is the current Maharaja of Patiala. He served as the Chief Minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007 and presently represents the Patiala assembly segment of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. He currently resides in New Moti Bagh Palace, Patiala.

Background
Captain Singh is the son of late Maharaja of Patiala His Highness Yadavindra Singh of Patiala, and Her Highness Rajmata Mohinder Kaur of Patiala. He is the head of the royal house of Patiala belonging to the Phulkian dynasty. He is of Jat ethnicity. He was educated at the Lawrence School Sanawar and The Doon School, Dehradun. He has two children: Yuvraj Raninder Singh and Maharaj kumari Jayainder Kaur.

Army background
He was commissioned in the Indian Army in June 1963 and resigned in early 1965. He rejoined the Army immediately because hostilities broke out with Pakistan and took part in the actual operations in war against Pakistan and again resigned after the war was over in early 1966.

Wedding of Captain Amarinder singh and Preneet Kaur. The present Maharaja is His Highness Capt. Amarinder Singh. Heir to the throne is Yuvraj Raninder SinghA soldier-turned-politician, Singh was a personal friend of, and was inducted into the Congress, by Rajiv Gandhi. Singh quit the Congress in protest against Operation Bluestar - in which security forces attacked the Sikhs holiest shrine the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab. In the immediate aftermath of Operation Bluestar, the then prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated. Singh went on to join the Akali Dal. Patiala royal scion Amarinder Singh, also a Doon School alumni, came into the Congress at about the time Sonia Gandhi took over the reigns of the party. Singh is also a former Punjab minister.

The Sikh Soldiers Saga at SARAGARHI, 12 Sep 1897

The Sikh Regiment Insignia

Sikh Regt Soldiers Circa 1890

Burnt out Fort Saragarhi

The breached wall at Fort Saragarhi

Gurdwara Saragarhi at Firozpur

MEMORIAL TABLET AT SITE OF BATTLE

Present Day Sikh Regt Soldier
LT Col Haughton signaled his HQ in Punjab about the battle that had transpired. Within a few hours, tales of their bravery were making news across India. The Governor General of India Earl of Eglin wrote a personal telegraph to the Queen Victoria on the bravery of the Sikhs soldiers defending the post till their death.

The news reached the House Of Common, as the tales of sacrifice of the 21 Sikh soldiers were narrated; tears flowed freely in the August house, at the end the Chief Whip speech, the entire parliament gave a rousing standing ovation to the Gallant 21, as their name were called out aloud in a symbolic roll call.

The collective courage of the 21 Sikh soldiers moved Queen Victoria so much that her majesty decreed that due to conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity beyond and above the call of duty displayed by the 21 soldiers, all of them shall be awarded the Indian Order Merit (IOM) posthumously. IOM is the highest award for bravery given to colonial troops and it was equivalent to the British Victoria Cross. This was the only time in history of warfare where each soldier who took part in the same battle was given the highest award. Additionally, Her Majesty decreed that the net of kin of these brave soldiers would be given a stipend of 500 rupees and 50 acres of land.

Finally a memorial cenotaph was to be erected near the place where all these 21 soldiers fell, as a perpetual record to the heroic action of these gallant soldiers who died at their posts in the defense of Fort Saragarhi, on the 12 September 1897. Without the stiff resistance of the 21 Sikh soldiers at Saragarhi both Fort Lockhart and Gulistan would have fallen to the enemy. By defending their position long enough for the relief column to arrive with artillery support, the 21 Sikh soldiers became the crucial factor in turning the tides of battle in favour of the British.

The 21 Sikh soldiers fought on continuously for 7 punishing hours without food and water, completely surrounded and pounded from all flanks. Unwearied by constant charges and mortal danger they stood their ground against daunting odds, they repealed wave after wave of attack and fought till their last bullets. Out of ammunition they did not abandon their post and instead chose to engage in a fatal hand to hand combat, till all made the ultimate sacrifice.

When the relief column arrived a day later, they saw the burnt out bodies of all the 21 Sikh soldiers, together with at least 600 dead bodies of the tribesmen strewn only yards in front of their position. The Sikhs faced 10,000 and vanquished but not before taking 600 tribesmen with them.

12th of September officially became the regimental day of the Sikh Regiment, Gurdwara Saragarhi was built in Firozpur as a remembrance to the 21 brave souls. Their name forever etched within the marbles of the Gurdwara, close to the gurus that they were true till the end.

Read the detailed battle account:
THE GALLANT 21: SAGA OF THE SIKH SOLDIERS AT SARAGARHI 12 September, 1897

Punjab: War memorial alterations irk ex-servicemen

Jalandhar, January 20
The modern-day need for the railway overbridge across the Lyallpur Khalsa College crossing is leading to the squeezing up of the prestigious Punjab State War Memorial which stands up as an epitome of sacrifices laid down by the valiant soldiers of the region.

Major-Gen G.S. Sohi (Retd) had suggested, “This war memorial is the pride of Punjab and it was not built in a day. It took 26 years to bring it to this level. These things cannot be recreated. So instead of disturbing the memorial, the PWD should look out for some engineering alternatives.”

The plan to set up the Punjab State War Memorial was conceived in 1976 and it was raised in 1982. Though the site belongs to the Jalandhar improvement trust, its maintenance was handed over to the sainik welfare office in 1991 due to poor upkeep by the trust.

However, PWD SE Ram Pal said, “No alternative plan is possible in this case. A portion of memorial has to be covered in the project.”
War memorial alterations irk ex-servicemen

Rally held at Mohali, Punjab

A big 'Rally cum Protest March' was held at MOHALI (Punjab) on 18 May 2008 by the Military Veterans of the town, wearing black arm bands and some even medals. Though the area was under Section 144IPC but a prior permission was obtained. In the Rally the speakers strongly condemned the 6thCPC and its recommendations. The 'March' was led by Veterans wearing totally Black garments.

On reaching DC's office, a 'Duty Officer' (a Tehsildar) was to receive the Memorandum (as was tied up with the DC it being a Sunday), for the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister. Lot many slogans were raised against 6thCPC before handing over the memorandum .

When the duty officer showed reluctance to come down and receive the memorandum some PBOR wanted to burn DC's Office who with great persuasion were dissuaded from doing so. Finally an ultimatum was given that if he did not come down in ten minutes the disciplined Veterans would turn in to a 'Crowd' and he would be responsible for the consequences. Finally he came down and received the Memorandum amidst great slogan shouting.

Next Rally is on 25 May 2008 at Fateh Garh Sahib, near Sirhind

Request info all. Regards
Brig Harwant Singh (Retd)