Monthly Archives: August 2018

New Delhi, August 23

The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully evacuated two critically ill patients from Leh late Thursday night.

As per the officials, the evacuation took place during the late hours of Thursday, with Indian Air Force aircraft landing in the darkness facilitated by night vision goggles.

“Swiftly responding to a time-critical medical evacuation request, an Indian Air Force aircraft safely evacuated two critical patients from Leh tonight. Pilots were equipped with Night Vision Goggles aiding the landing in the dark hours of the night,” IAF said in a post on X.

The statement further said that the patients—a 38-year-old woman and a seven-year-old girl— were promptly airlifted to Chandigarh for further medical attention.

Earlier in April this year, an IAF transport aircraft had airlifted two critically ill patients—one patient was a victim of a road accident and another was experiencing cardiac issues- from Leh to Chandigarh for treatment.

The incident took place near veterinary hospital in Watergam area of Sopore

Srinagar, August 24

A terrorist was killed on Saturday during an exchange of fire with CRPF personnel deployed at an Election Commission-directed check post in Baramulla district, officials said.

The incident took place around 3 pm near a veterinary hospital in the Watergam area of Sopore in the said district.

Officials said a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) party drawn from the 92^nd battalion was deployed at a ‘naka’ (check post) when a terrorist fired shots at them using a pistol.

The troops, present at the check post along with a magistrate-rank officer, retaliated leading to the killing of the terrorist, they said.

Soon after, Army troops and a police unit too reached the spot and the body of the terrorist was recovered along with a pistol, two grenades and two magazines, the officials said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police also posted about the incident on its X handle.

“Exchange of fire at Watergam area of Sopore. Alert security forces retaliated,” it said.

The check post was erected on the directions of the EC to check illegal inducements like cash and drugs to lure voters in view of the forthcoming polls in the Union Territory.

Jammu and Kashmir will have a three-phase polling beginning September 18. Votes will be counted on October 4.

Guide lines : click to open the file

MOD guide lines click on this to open

His name is Mastana. His story goes back to the time of Indo-Pak war of 1965. One of the Indian battalion got stuck in the mines laid down by Pakistan all around them. At that point of time, they prayed to Jwala Devi for providing a way out and suddenly a male goat (a buck) came running towards them. He jumped alternately through the mines and reached them. Our army followed him and came out of the Pakistani trap safely. Since that day, they named him Mastana and consider him as a messenger of Jwala Devi. When he died… Another buck replace him who is also named Mastana and this is followed continuously since 1965. Our army has given rank to Mastana and he is Hawaldar ranked in army. He gets promoted accordingly. He is the strongest, tallest and finest buck . Call it a myth or a superstitious belief, but this does exist in our Indian Army.

GEN SUNDARARAJAN PADMANABHAN, PVSM,AVSM,VSM 1952 – 56 / SHIVAJI

Life of a Legend

GEN SUNDARARAJAN PADMANABHAN, PVSM,AVSM,VSM 1952 – 56 / SHIVAJI

Gen Sundararajan Padmanabhan assumed charge of the Indian Army, as the Chief of Army Staff from 30 Sep 2000 – 31 Dec 2002.

Born in Trivandrum, Kerala on 05 Dec 1940, he is an alumnus of the prestigious Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Dehra Dun and the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla in Pune. He was commissioned into the Regt of Arty after graduating from the Indian Military Academy (IMA) on 13 December 1959.
His illustrious career included several prestigious command, staff and instructional postings, besides having participated in numerous operations. He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) at Wellington in 1973 and the National Defence College (NDC) at New Delhi. He commanded an Inj where he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM). He has also spent two tenures as Instructor at the IMA. Within army circles, he is affectionately known as Paddy. He commanded an Indep Arty Bde and a Mtn Bde before attending the prestigious NDC course at Delhi.
He commanded an Inf Bde from Dec 1988 to Feb 1991 at Ranchi, Bihar and Punjab and was then appointed as the GOC of an Inf Div in Punjab from Mar 1991 to Aug 1992. He served as Chief of Staff, 3 Corps from Sep 1992 to Jun 1993. After his promotion to Lt Gen, he was cdr of the 15 Corps in the Kashmir valley from Jul 1993 to Feb 1995. It was during his tenure as the 15 Corps Cdr, that the Army made big gains over the militants in Kashmir and could even scale down its ops. He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) for his services as the 15 Corps Commander.
Gen Padmanabhan held the appt of DGMI after the successful culmination of which, he took over as the GOC in C of the Northern Command at Udhampur on 01 Sep 1996. Before being appointed as the Chief of Army Staff, he was the GOC in C of Southern Command. He retired on 31 December 2002, after completing more than 43 years of distinguished military service.

Dear All,
Ref my ealier mail after Sushil Goel left for his Heavenly Abode and specific enquiry from Sunil Ahuja about Honourable Cremation after we leave for our Heavenly Abode.

I met Adm Comdt of Stn HQ, Delhi Cantt, Col Amit Kanwar, 15JAKLI, today.

He gave me following info about Honourable Cremation of Veterans :-

1. On departure of the Veteran, Family Members of the Offr or any of his friends, should contact/ info the following:

For Delhi NCR Area Offrs

(a) Adm Comdt, Stn HQ, Delhi Cantt on his Permanent Mob No. 08448198104.
(Now Col Amit Kanwar, 15 JAKLI).

(b) Col Veteran (Now Col Amol Gill, 7CAV), Stn HQ, Delhi Cantt on his Permanent No. 8448787191.

(c) SO Alpha, Stn HQ, Delhi Cantt on his Permanent No. 8448198103.

(d) Barar Square Cremation Ground JCO/NCO controlling and coordinating all aspects of Cremation : Permanent Mob No. 08448198127.
He is the main person [supported by SO (Maj) Alpha] who gets order from Adm Comdt & Col Veteran and starts coordinating each aspect of the Cremation activities ie Detailing the Unit Concerened, Fixing time slot of Cremation, Pal Bearers (Army Pers), from Gate at Barar Square Cremation Ground till Cremation, Arranging Wood/Pandit Ji / Flower/Sitting arrangements /Water bottles for visitors etc. Arranging decoration as per requirement of Family.

2. Two Wreaths are laid on behalf of COAS and GOC Delhi Area. Wreath is also laid by the concerned Corps/Regt Unit or on behalf of them if the local Unit is info in time.
3. The cost of Cremation is between Rs 15,000/- (minimum) and 35,000/- (maximum) depending on the demand / requirements of the family. Money is collected by the Cremation NCO at the Cremation Ground itself after the Cremation.
4. In case there is demand of Hearse Service for the Body to take it to the Cremation Ground, the same is also arranged by them on Payment basis.
5. The Family should obtain the Doctor’s Cert about death from local Hosp /Dr before going to the Cremation Ground. It should be ensured that these Certs are as per the name in the PPO.
   Cremation Cert is also issued at the Cremation Ground. Copies Both these Certs have to be submitted to the concerned Cantt Board or MCD (on line) or Municipal Auth for issue of Death Cert as per name in PPO.
6. Col Veteran, Stn HQ, Delhi Cantt helps the Lady wife in getting Family Pension. He also guides her on all formalities to be completed by her. They are very positive and helpful
   For this help of Veteran Cell on Maud Lines Delhi Cantt can also be taken.
7. In extreme cases where Lady wife is helpless, Stn HQ details an Army Pers for all help.
8. Army HQ wanted that an Army pers should be detailed for each family of deceased Veteran. It is applicable for all Stns except Delhi as Delhi Area HQ has expressed it’s inabilty due to more than 2 lakh Veterans in Delhi NCR Region

I am attaching herewith the Contact No and email Id for help in NCR Region.

For Outside Offrs

1. Adm Comdt or SSO of Stn has to be info. He coordinates and details an NCO for Honourable Cremation. His contact No should be obtained in adv.
   In case the contact number is not available, Family Member or a friend should ring 1904 (prefixed with STD Code eg 0201904 for Pune) and info them about the issue and give him IC/SS No, Name of the Offr, Corps/Regt and his own Contact No. Mil Exch will info concered Auth who in turn will contact him.
2. Stn HQ of small Stn, detail an Army Pers who remains with Family till Cremation is over.
3. Other actions are same as enumerated above.

Other Info
These Cremation facilities are also available for Lady wife and the Dependant Kids less the Wreath Laying ceremony & Army pers attendance. Civ Pal Bearers are detailed by the Stn HQ.

Misc.

I met Col RS Yadav, Dir ECHS, HQ Delhi Area at Col Veteran’s office. He is from 15 Armd Regt / 16 CAV. If any one wants any help from him, he can contact him

*Cremation Ground, Brar Square -,NCO, Stn HQ, Delhi Cantt – 8448198127

Staff Offr Alpha, Stn HQ, Delhi Cantt- 8448198103*

Gen S Padmanabhan (1940-2024)

Gen S Padmanabhan, affectionately known as Paddy in Army circles, passed away on August 18. His admirers from across the country arrived in Chennai to bid him adieu. What made him such a popular Army Chief?

I had the privilege of serving with him during the peak of militancy in Punjab, counter-insurgency operations in J&K — where we had to raise and operationalise the Rashtriya Rifles — when he took over as the Director General of Military Operations in post-Kargil period and then as Army Commander at the time of Operation Parakram.

He was a visionary leader and a compassionate human being. His style of command was simple: After laying down the policy, he would allow operational freedom to subordinates and welcome inputs from juniors. During the Hazratbal crisis, he directed troops not to load their weapons in a bid to prevent damage to the shrine by inadvertent shooting.

After Kargil, he wanted the Army to rebalance and stabilise. His instructions were to prepare and stay battle-ready at all times. He allowed the Operations Directorate a free hand for the execution of the directions. Impressed by our operational preparedness, the then PM gave the go-ahead to the plans.

I also had the privilege of accompanying Gen Padmanabhan to all Cabinet meetings. He stayed forthright, yet polite, in rendering his military advice. The Cabinet would listen to him with rapt attention. His charisma, oratory skills and clear thinking made them agree to his suggestions and demands. In fact, it was he who insisted that the government approve and sanction the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).

New Delhi, August 21

An Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jet “inadvertently” dropped its on-board ammunition near the Pokhran firing range area in Rajasthan on Wednesday.

It was “inert ammunition”, IAF sources said. It happened “due to technical malfunction”, the IAF said. The jet had taken off from an IAF base in Rajasthan.

An inquiry by the IAF has been ordered into the incident. No damage to life or property has been reported, the IAF said. The Pokhran firing ranges are in western Rajasthan and are barely 100 km from the border with Pakistan. These ranges are used for air exercises by the IAF when its pilots test out new equipment or newly inducted arsenal.

Maj Gen Ashok K Mehta (retd)

Faced with a crisis of legitimacy and the backsliding of democracy, Hasina’s port of call was New Delhi.

N a conversation with me after Pakistan’s surrender at Bogra in the 1971 Liberation War, Maj Gen Nazir Hussain Shah, General Officer Commanding of the 16 Pakistan Infantry Division, had said prophetically: “Bangladesh will be a disturbed desh.”

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, head of the 16-member non-political interim advisory council that has two student leaders, has described Sheikh Hasina’s exit as ‘the second Liberation’. It has also been referred to as the ‘third revolution’, a redux of the 2006 Nepalese revolution and ‘Arab Spring on steroids’, and likened to the 2022 Aragalaya (uprising) in Sri Lanka.

There are conspiracy theories attached to last month’s Anti-Discrimination Students Movement. A warning by Bangladeshi filmmaker and philanthropist Chanchal Chowdhury about an impending US-led coup has gone viral on social media. The immediate fallout from Hasina’s eviction will be for India, which has historically put all its eggs in the Awami League basket. Faced with a crisis of legitimacy and the backsliding of democracy, Hasina’s port of call was New Delhi, which welcomed her with a bit of nervousness. The mayhem that marked the violence and revenge killings was similar to those witnessed during the regime change in Afghanistan in 2021. The army under Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman, praised by the US, carried out a coup, the fifth in 53 years.

During a lecture tour to the Centre for the Study of Genocide and Justice at the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka last November ahead of the January 2024 parliamentary elections, I failed to read the graffiti (read writing) on the wall: ‘Hasina go’. And so did India. My driver told me that if a free and fair election were held, the Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Begum Khaleda Zia, would sweep the polls. This was echoed by an officer of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and several journalists. Still, India backed Hasina to the hilt. The civil-military relations seemed harmonised, with both sides marking their red lines. During several visits to Bangladesh since 1971, one saw the Awami League focus on two areas: the glorification of the legacy of the Liberation War and strengthening India-Bangladesh relations despite the lurking anti-India sentiment.

The battle between the two Begums (and the proxy war between their sons Sajeeb Wazed and Tarique Rahman) was clearly manifest in their love-hate approach towards India. During the BNP’s rule, the India connect with the Liberation War diminished. And when the Awami League regained power, especially in the last 15 years, emphasis was laid on reviving the cult of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the war. Therefore, the image of a student defacing Mujib’s statue in Dhaka and the public hangings of Awami League workers illustrate the vicious cycle. India’s Eastern Command, which oversaw the 1971 war, commemorates the Liberation War with Mukti Jodhas from Bangladesh every year in December. And Dhaka reciprocates with warmth through a lavish felicitation of Indian veterans of the conflict. That ritual was sanctified by the construction of a war memorial for India’s 1,670-odd martyrs (similar to the one for the Indian Peace-Keeping Force in Colombo) at Ashuganj. It was to be inaugurated later this year by PM Narendra Modi and Hasina. Scholarships, medical schemes and myriad welfare facilities have been introduced for the dependants of Mukti Bahini personnel, and free medical treatment has been made available for members of the Bangladeshi armed forces.

The rise in military-to-military relations is a stellar achievement, given that the Bangladeshi military used to wargame scenarios with India as an enemy until recently. Almost everyone, other than the military and the beneficiary families, seems to have forgotten about the Liberation War. Enhanced defence cooperation between the two nations is marked by the $500-million line of credit extended by India.

There are tri-service interactions with institutionalised staff and training-level dialogue. Visits by military leaders are common. Gen Zaman was to visit India later this month. Last year, personnel of the Bangladesh Air Force had visited Dimapur, where it was christened in 1971. Bangladesh was also supposed to take part in the Tarang Shakti multi-national air exercise with the Indian Air Force this month. Joint exercises and sea patrols are rising. Service chiefs presiding over passing-out parades in each other’s military academies is a regular feature. Non-kinetic military equipment has been sold, as the armed forces division responsible for modernising Bangladesh’s military has categorised defence acquisitions under A, B and C groups. While India still falls in the C category, China — the mainstay of military hardware — comes under A. How much of the enhanced defence ties will survive the regime change is crucial for India.

Anti-India sentiment, a familiar refrain in the neighbourhood, has become a metaphor for New Delhi’s unflinching support to Hasina. Some Indian leaders have repeatedly called for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act/National Register of Citizens and described Bangladeshis as ‘insects’ and ‘infiltrators’. The China Media Group, along with Pakistan’s ISI, is encouraging the banned Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, to fuel anti-India sentiments.

Bangladesh shares its border with five Indian states. The turmoil along the India-Myanmar border, coupled with simmering unrest in Manipur, can wreck India’s Act East and Neighbourhood First policies if an unfriendly regime returns to Dhaka. The threat from China to the Siliguri corridor will also reappear. The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) will also be destabilised as a regional grouping. Consequently, the role of the Army will be the key to maintaining India’s strategic interests and ensuring stable and friendly relations with Bangladesh, given the love and labour that have gone into building them. India must send the right feelers to the keepers of the keys in Dhaka. A great deal is at stake for New Delhi, which took its eyes off the neighbourhood.