Current Events :
President helps homeless veteran in need
“On a bitterly cold December evening in 1997, President Bill Clinton was leaving a holiday concert at the Kennedy Center when he noticed a homeless veteran sitting outside the entrance, shivering in a thin jacket & holding a cardboard sign that simply read ‘Marine – Desert Storm – Hungry.’ What happened next shocked everyone in the presidential motorcade. Clinton immediately stopped, took off his own overcoat, draped it around the stunned man’s shoulders, & sat down on the freezing concrete beside him to talk. The veteran, forty-two-year-old Marcus Williams, later recounted to reporters that the President didn’t ask him what went wrong or lecture him about getting help, instead, Clinton asked about his service, which battles he’d seen, & whether anyone had properly thanked him for his sacrifice. Secret Service Agent Larry Cockell documented in his memoir that Clinton spent twenty-five minutes sitting on that sidewalk in the bitter cold, & when Marcus mentioned he hadn’t eaten in two days, the President sent an agent to get food from a nearby restaurant & insisted on staying until Marcus had finished eating. What makes this story so incredibly moving is what Clinton said to Marcus before leaving, words that Marcus repeated to social workers, shelter staff, & eventually his own children years later when he’d gotten back on his feet: ‘Brother, this country failed you when you came home, & I’m sorry, but your story isn’t over yet, & I’m going to make sure someone follows up to help you write the next chapter.’ True to his word, Clinton personally called the VA the next morning, & Marcus was enrolled in a comprehensive support program within forty-eight hours that included housing, job training, & mental health services. Marcus Williams eventually became a veterans’ advocate, & he told the Washington Post in 2015 something that still gives me chills: ‘The most powerful man in the world sat on frozen concrete with a forgotten Marine & made me feel like I still mattered, that’s the moment I decided to fight my way back.’ He reminds us that dignity & hope can be restored with one genuine conversation, one warm coat, & the willingness to sit beside someone the world has walked past.
GOD BLESS BHARAT
A chance glance at Shashi Tharoor’s ‘A Wonderland of Words’ at a friend’s house two years ago gave former Army chief Gen Manoj Naravane the idea of his new book – a lively exploration of the “underexplored, bizarre and often wildly amusing aspects” of the Indian armed forces.
The general, who was in the news recently over his unpublished controversial memoir ‘Four Stars of Destiny’, mentions some of the most riveting nuggets about the legends and lore of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force in his book ‘The Curious and the Classified: Unearthing Military Myths and Mysteries’.
In its introduction, he writes about how he was impressed by Tharoor’s book, which is a collection of essays centred around the idiosyncrasies of the English language.
“If such a captivating book could be written on the quirks and peculiarities of the English language, how about a similar one about the Indian Army,” Gen Naravane, who served as the 28th chief of the Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022, wondered.
“The germ of this idea had popped up in my mind on the very first day when I looked at the book, but I could start thinking about it seriously only in mid-2025…,” he writes.
In the book, published by Rupa, Gen Naravane shares several vignettes – how the popular cheer of ‘Chak de phatte’ actually has its roots in the Sikh army of the 17th and 18th centuries or the inspiration behind the foot-tapping number ‘Badluram ka badan’. Badluram was killed in action in the decisive Battle of Kohima in 1944.
“Be it the enduring spirit of Baba Harbhajan, the fate of INS Khukri, the extraordinary sagas of airmen and their call signs, or the raw courage of Pedongi, the military mule, you will find it all and more in this thoroughly entertaining yet meticulously researched foray into the underexplored, bizarre and often wildly amusing aspects of our armed forces,” the publishers said in a statement.
On ‘Badluram ka badan’, which has become the regimental anthem of the Assam Regiment and sung at the Attestation Parade (Kasam Parade) at their Regimental Centre in Happy Valley, Shillong, during passing-out ceremonies, the general describes how the song, complete with marching, stomping, clapping and spirited footwork, has even transcended borders.
Badluram was a rifleman in the 1st Battalion of the Assam Regiment, who was part of the garrison deployed at Kohima, and was killed in the early stages of the clash.
“After his death, Badluram’s CQM (Company Quartermaster), either by accident or design, never removed his name from the ration strength. As long as the supply lines remained open, rations authorised for Badluram continued to arrive, accumulating into a small surplus.
“When the Japanese forces besieged the unit at Kohima and supply lines were cut, it was that extra ration stock that saved countless lives,” the book says.
In 1946, Major MT Proktor, moved by the saga of how the absurdity of drawing rations for a dead man long after he was gone eventually served to save lives, composed the marching song ‘Badluram ka badan’.
Gen Naravane said he was keen to have the tales appeal to the wider population, be anecdotal rather than academic, and yet have an underlying theme highlighting the military ethos.
“They could not be based on some obscure military facts buried in some dusty archive. They had to be closer to the surface in order to resonate with a wide readership through aspects the latter could identify with, possibly through frequent encountering though sans any knowledge of the historical background or importance,” he writes.
All the stories, according to him, have their origin in some real-life event, which, over a period of time, has got embellished through telling and retelling.
The purpose of each story is to bring to life momentous events or characters, to bridge the gap between the Armed Forces and civilian society while giving a glimpse into our world, he adds.
According to the general, his book is “supposed to be an entertaining read and not a serious academic endeavour intended to be a competitive exam aid”.
Amid reports of unauthorised copies of Gen Naravane’s ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ in circulation, publisher Penguin Random House India had in February said it holds the exclusive publishing rights to the memoir and clarified that the book has not yet been published.
Gen Naravane had also clarified that no copies of the book “in print or digital form have been published, distributed, sold” or otherwise made available to the public
The Patiala administration has requested the Home Affairs Department to seek assistance from the Army to evacuate Punjab farmer Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, 43, who will end his 560-day protest atop a 400-ft BSNL tower on April 24.
Khalsa on Sunday had agreed to climb down the tower he had mounted seeking an anti-sacrilege law in October 2024. The development came hours after Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria gave his nod to the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, paving the way for the enactment of the law.
The administration has sought Army’s help in terms of men and equipment to bring down Khalsa, given the gravity of the situation and the threat involved in coming down the tower.
Meanwhile, Samana tower morcha members are holding an akhand path near the protest site at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk, with the dharna ending on the day of the bhog on Friday. A resident of Kheri Nagaiyan village in Patiala, Khalsa told The Tribune that he would wait for bhog of the akhand path to conclude and come down in the presence of people, who had been protesting in his support.
NEW DELHI- China has constructed hundreds of so-called “Xiaokang” or “well-off” villages along its border areas facing India, particularly opposite Arunachal Pradesh, according to senior officials of the Indian Army. The development has raised strategic concerns regarding the evolving security dynamics along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy), highlighted the issue during a seminar organised by the Assam Rifles in collaboration with the United Service Institution (USI) in New Delhi. The seminar examined emerging security challenges in India’s Northeast region.
According to the Army, China has built around 628 Xiaokang villages along its northern borders over the last two decades. Of these, approximately 72 percent — nearly 450 villages — are located across from India’s northeastern states.
China is constructing hundreds of “Xiaokang” (moderately prosperous) dual-use villages along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to solidify territorial claims, enhance surveillance, and support military logistics. These settlements, often placed in contested areas, serve as civilian-military, fortified outposts to reinforce China’s sovereignty claims and create a, permanent,, controlled population. ChinaPower Project +2
Key Reasons for Construction:
These initiatives are part of a broader strategy to assert dominance in the region and increase pressure on India along the entire border.
India and Germany on Wednesday inked a “defence industrial roadmap” to enable technology sharing and explore opportunities in emerging domains.
Described by sources as a “two-way street”, the roadmap will allow Indian companies bidding for contracts in the German military equipment market to partner with German firms under a formal government-to-government framework.
Conversely, it is expected to facilitate cooperation as India and Germany move closer to finalising a deal to co-produce next-generation conventional submarines in India.
The document was signed in Berlin after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his German counterpart Boris Pistorius during his three-day visit (April 21 to 23).
“Exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including deepening our defence cooperation,” Singh posted on X.
The Ministry of Defence said the two ministers discussed bilateral security issues, including priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment, particularly in niche technologies. They also reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing military-to-military cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership.
The roadmap comes as German firm ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems has tied up with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited to build six submarines in a deal estimated at around $8 billion, with discussions in the final stages before a formal contract is signed.
In June last year, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on building stealth submarines equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP) technology, enabling them to remain submerged for longer durations.
TKMS is a global leader in non-nuclear submarines based on AIP technology, which allows submarines to stay underwater for extended periods. India has sought operational AIP capabilities that could enable submarines to remain submerged for up to six days.
The agreement aims to combine German technology with MDL’s manufacturing capabilities. Under the arrangement, TKMS will contribute to engineering and design, and provide consultancy support, while MDL will be responsible for construction and delivery. The submarines will be built in India with significant local content.
Singh is also expected to interact with key representatives of the German defence industry to promote joint development and co-production under the Make in India initiative.
Earlier, the minister laid a wreath at the Bundeswehr Memorial, honouring personnel who died in the line of duty.
When asked about India’s role in facilitating peace in West Asia, Singh said: “India has tried, but everything has its time. It is possible that tomorrow the time may come when India plays a role and achieves success. We cannot rule out this possibility.”
Speaking at an exhibition organised by the Indian Embassy on the ‘Human Cost of Terrorism’, Brad Sherman remembers the victims of the Pahalgam attack on the first anniversary of the incident
US Congressman Brad Sherman has called on Pakistan to clamp down on terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which has been linked to the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
Speaking at an exhibition organised by the Indian Embassy here on the ‘Human Cost of Terrorism’, Sherman remembered the victims of the Pahalgam attack on the first anniversary of the incident.
“The attackers, identified as The Resistance Front, targeted innocent people, reportedly separating victims by religion. The group is widely seen as linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has found sanctuary in Pakistan,” Sherman said at the exhibition on Wednesday evening.
“We must use this moment to demand that the Pakistani government clamp down on Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and other terrorist groups,” the Democrat leader said.
The exhibition, organised at Capitol Hill, comes at a time when Pakistan is projecting itself as a peacemaker by mediating efforts to end the seven-week US-Iran war.
The event was attended by lawmakers from both Democratic and Republican parties.
The digital exhibition also displays major terror attacks perpetrated across the world, including the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and the Pahalgam attack. It also identifies the terror outfits responsible for the attacks, including several Pakistan-based individuals and entities such as Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group.
“The special exhibition essentially serves to remind us of a few things. One, the scourge of terror upon humanity remains determined to destroy our societies. Countries around the world need to come together and remain resolute in defeating terrorism,” India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra told reporters.
Kwatra said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been clear about India’s unwavering resolve to deal with and defeat the scourge of terrorism.
