226 Arty Regt: Officers and Jawans clash at Mahe Field Ranges

Officers-jawans clash in Ladakh not mutiny: Army
Ladakh, May 12 (IBNS): The Indian Army on Saturday said the 'minor scuffle' between officers and jawans in Ladakh is an 'isolated act of indiscipline'.
Army officers and jawans of an artillery unit clashed at the Mahe Field Ranges in Ladakh Region during the field firing exercise of Field Regiment on Thursday.
"The entire episode can at worst be seen as an isolated act of indiscipline. It can in no way be termed as mutiny," read a media statement issued by Army spokesperson Colonel Jagdeep Dahiya on Saturday.
"No arms and ammunition have been used by anybody. The armoury has not been captured by the troops as is being wrongly reported."
"Misinterpretation and mischievous reporting to sensationalise the incident by some sections of print and electronic media need to be dispelled," he said.
Dahiya said the Brigade Commander of the Artillery Brigade and General Officer Commanding of the Division interacted with the troops on Friday.
"The situation was brought well under control and the Regiment is being moved back from ranges to its location with effect from 12 May 2012," said the spokesperson. "A Court of Inquiry to investigate into the circumstances under which the incident took place has commenced," he said.
"The Court of Inquiry will identify the complicity of the officers and men. However, nobody has been removed, dismissed or suspended," said Dahiya.
"Col P Kadam, the Commanding Officer was not assaulted by other officers, as has been wrongly reported. The CO as well as Maj AK Sharma and Sepoy Suman Ghosh who suffered superficial injuries, have been given medical treatment," he said.
"The situation is well under control," said the Army spokesperson.
Officers-jawans clash in Ladakh not mutiny: Army

Army officers, jawans battle it out in Ladakh
Rajat Pandit, TNN | May 12, 2012, 02.17AM IST
NEW DELHI: In a shocking breach of discipline in the Army, officers and jawans of an artillery regiment deployed in the Nyoma sector of eastern Ladakh violently clashed with each other on Thursday evening. The ugly brawl ended with the commanding officer (CO) of the 226 Field Regiment deployed in Durbuk, Colonel Prasad Kadam, a Major, S K Sharma, and two jawans being admitted to the military hospital at Leh with multiple injuries.
The entire artillery unit of around 550 soldiers, which was at the high-altitude Mahe range in Nyoma to practise firing of their 105mm guns, was subsequently "disarmed" by additional forces rushed to the spot.
The incident sent ripples down the 1.13 million-strong Army, justifiably proud of its disciplined ethos and esprit de corps, and the entire defence establishment in South Block. Even as Karu-based 3 Division commander Major General A L Chavan rushed to the spot, Army chief General V K Singh briefed defence minister A K Antony on Friday morning after talking to Northern Army commander Lt-Gen K T Parnaik.
The artillery regiment will "eventually be disbanded", much like a few Sikh regiments were in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar in the mid-1980s, after the court of inquiry ordered into the incident establishes the chain of events and identifies the guilty. "It's an isolated act of indiscipline. The situation is under control...the accused will face court martial,'' said a senior officer.
Army officers, jawans battle it out in Ladakh
Comment: Sadly this a complete command Control breakdown in the Regiment. Undue coverage by media will surely dent the image of the Indian Army. Units undergoing training in harsh conditions need good leadership to acquire requisite skills for warfare... one must remember the Chetwode Motto. Veterans should reserve and control their comments in the public domain.

AHQ CSD Liquor Smuggling: MOD, Civil Staff and Politicians

Who else is the beneficiary of CSD Liquor?
By Maj Gen Chander Nandwani
Issue: IDR Net Edition | Date: 11 May, 2012
Way back in 1995, I was posted as Additional Director General of Supplies & Transport in Army Headquarters. Apart from my routine responsibilities, I was also given additional charge of managing Army Headquarters (AHQ) canteen, as its Chairman. It wasn’t much of a prized post, since a retired Colonel appointed as the Canteen Manager with around 50 to 60 civilian employees working under him, was essentially accountable, for the day-to-day functioning of the canteen.
Therefore, my area of focus would be to strictly monitor the indenting and sale of such items. For this purpose, computers would be installed in the canteen and sale of liquor strictly regulated through issue of new cards after due verification of the cardholders. Soon after taking over the additional responsibility, I decided to pay a visit to the AHQ canteen during the lunch hour break to get a ‘Feedback’ from the employees with regard to their working conditions as also motivate them to provide better service to the customers. After patiently listening to their woes and giving ‘on-the-spot’ decisions to improve their working conditions, I made a remark that while being posted at Delhi on three earlier occasions, I had never patronized AHQ canteen, as more often than not, all the attractive consumer items including popular brands of liquor were seldom accessible to the customers. Therefore, my area of focus would be to strictly monitor the indenting and sale of such items. For this purpose, computers would be installed in the canteen and sale of liquor strictly regulated through issue of new cards after due verification of the cardholders. Further, the existing liquor cards in use would be discontinued straightaway and destroyed.
The next day, all hell was let loose against me. Big posters were pasted at every nook and corner of Sena Bhawan and South Block, making serious allegations against me. Radhe Shyam (name changed), a labourer and the union leader of AHQ Canteen civilian employees, having three buses and two flats in Delhi, threatened that there would be ‘Mass Joint Self Immolation’ by all employees at Jantar Mantar on the Republic Day (due after 10 days or so), if Maj Gen Chander Nandwani was not immediately removed from the post of Chairman of the canteen. News items on similar lines were also published in the reputed national dailies. The allegations made against me included taking of a big bribe for purchase new computers, favouring purchase of specific liquor brands, coercing women employees for sexual favours and so on. I was particularly tickled by the allegation of sexual favours and cheekily informed my wife that surely my standing in this regard was now far better than what she had imagined during past several years of our married life!!!
I was immediately summoned by the Quarter Master General (QMG), under whom the canteen functioned, and was asked to brief him on this sudden turn of events when everything was going on so smoothly before I took over the charge of the AHQ canteen. I requested for a couple of days time to make discreet enquiries. Before I could say ’Jack Robinson’, there was a note from the MOD signed by a Director level officer asking the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to comment on the allegations made against me and take all possible measures, including removing me from the post of Chairman, to avoid any embarrassment to the Govt., should the threat of ‘Mass Self-Immolation’ materialize, just prior to the Republic Day. What a joke! The matter did not end there. This note from MOD was followed by another note through which, a memorandum signed by 13 MPs and addressed to the Defence Minister, was also forwarded to the COAS, urging him to remove me from the post. This raised the hackles of the then COAS, late General BC Joshi. He called the QMG to his office and asked him to take the matter very seriously and put up a draft reply to both the notes of the MOD, for his approval. In the meanwhile an interim reply was sent to the MOD that the matter was being investigated.
My preliminary investigations revealed that a perfect nexus existed between the canteen civilian staff union leader Radhe Shyam, a few officials of MOD and a large number of politicians, to whom liquor was being supplied from AHQ canteen, on a regular basis. Of course the demand increased manifold during the time of elections. What intrigued me the most was the ‘modus operandi’ of smuggling out of such large quantities of liquor, with the Military Police and several other security agencies working in the highly sensitive areas of Army Headquarters and MOD. The actuality came to light when a disgruntled ex civilian employee of the canteen spilled the beans to me on promise of strict anonymity. I was shaken out of my bones when the truth came to light and immediately ran to the office of QMG to give him the details. He dis-believed me and decided to get the facts verified through a field security agency of the army and learnt to his horror that what I had disclosed to him was the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
The court of Inquiry proved these allegations to be false, baseless and malicious with the sole aim of having me removed from the post due to ulterior motives.
Well this is how the system worked. The union leader had in his custody hundreds of old liquor cards of servicemen and/or ex-servicemen who had either left the station or had died. He drew choicest brands of liquor from the canteen in the names of these personnel and had simultaneously perfected a distribution system through which the liquor was delivered right at the doorsteps of the selected MOD officials and several politicians apart from other influential clients in the ministry. Surprisingly, right next to the AHQ canteen was the parking lot of VIP staff cars and some of these staff car drivers had been bought over by Radhe Shyam by giving them free bottles of rum and other lucrative canteen items such as expensive watches etc. During the lunch break when security was lax, these drivers would reverse their cars next to the canteen bulk store, wherefrom crates of liquor were loaded into the dickey of these staff cars. Radhe Shyam instructed these drivers to deliver the liquor crates at various locations after dropping the VIPs at their respective residences. Wow what an ingenuous idea! The irony of the matter is that the staff cars with the flags & star plates of Generals, Admirals and Air Marshals (including the QMG), without the knowledge of the occupants, were being illegitimately used by unscrupulous individuals for their unholy deeds. Sadly these very senior officers had unknowingly become couriers of liquor for the politicians. No wonder there was such a sharp reaction from all quarters, when I had only hinted at introducing computers to check the sale of liquor from the AHQ canteen!
The Chief on being informed of the facts of the case directed the QMG to give me full protection and total support to cleanse the system. I obtained legal advice from a leading civilian lawyer. He advised me to request for an enquiry against myself since I had taken over the post barely 10 days earlier and had nothing to hide. Thereafter, on my specific request on file, a court of inquiry was ordered by the QMG to investigate into the allegations made by Radhe Shyam, which were supported by the MOD and the MPs. The court of Inquiry proved these allegations to be false, baseless and malicious with the sole aim of having me removed from the post due to ulterior motives. To avoid several heads from rolling, the MOD and the MPs were politely told by the then COAS verbally that the matter had been thoroughly investigated by a high-powered court of Inquiry, which had opined that there was no truth in the allegations made by the union leader. Hence the matter was not being pursued further to save all concerned from grave embarrassment.
On directions of the QMG, the services of the union leader were terminated under my signatures and the whole system revamped with the introduction of computers, thus bringing to an end the sordid drama of “The Canteen Liquor Connection of MOD!”
My only regret still remains that the allegation of my so-called sexual exploits with women employees was also quashed in the bargain, thus proving the obvious!!!
Who else is the beneficiary of CSD Liquor?
Comment: We need officers with courage and guts like Maj Gen Chander Nandwani to take on the growing corruption in CSD. Even officers in staff college use liquor for bartering with servants and for other services. The malaise is much more deep routed than in 1995...

First President Vs Present President: Comparative Study

First President Deshratna Dr RAJENDRA PRASAD
He remained and lived in a thatched-roof house before he shifted to DELHI in 1946 & took to office as MINISTER, FOOD & AGRICULTURE, later as PRESIDENT of the CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY (1946-1949) & still later, as the FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA (1952-1962). After relinquishing the office of the PRESIDENT OF INDIA in MAY 1962, he returned to PATNA on 14th MAY 1962 and preferred to stay in the campus of BIHAR VIDYAPEETH rather than anywhere else. He lived for some months in the old house with thatched roof, which he had occupied earlier till 1946. This house was not at all suitable for his age and the state of health. Therefore LOKNAYAK JAYPRAKASH NARAYAN volunteered and collected some funds to get a small house constructed in a corner of BIHAR VIDYAPEETH'S MANGO-GROVE. DESHRATNA Dr. RAJENDRA PRASAD lived in this house until his passing away on 28th FEBRUARY, 1963.

Present President Her Highness Pratiba Patil
Contrast this with our (Madame) Present President Pratiba Patil
Pratibha Patil has been indulging in luxurious life. Since becoming the President, Pratibha Patil made twelve trips to foreign countries with her family to 22 countries. This has cost the government a whopping Rs.205 crore. Her last visit with her family members ended yesterday with trip to South Africa before her term ends. On all her foreign trips, a chartered Boeing 747-400 was kept ready for her entourage including her family members. She also made the government incur expenditure on her luxurious accommodation in five star hotels, local travel, miscellaneous expenses and daily allowances. A life of lavish royalty. Will she be forgotten for her misdeeds? She attempted to ursurp military lands at pune for her family and build a Palace worth Rs 5 crore ... she just failed! She moved in with a dozen boxes to Rashtrapati Bhavan and she will leave with a couple of container loads of artefacts and furniture... totally denude the Presidential House! A shameful present President indeed.... Watch out for more news in the media...
India's growth story is really continous history.... slaves, feudals, political criminals, intrigue, Indian bureaucracy, Swiss secret accounts, terror, black money, money laundering, hawala transancions, benami operations and exploitation of the weak.....
A Banana Republic-
New Avatar of Democracy.... India's Growth story is worth watching... The President leads the nation in morals and ethics!