Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 7

Call it a miscommunication or a faux pas, the Armed Forces Flag Day, which is annually organised on this day by the Directorate of Sainik Welfare, was this time not observed in any of the districts of Punjab today.

Jalandhar DSWO Major Yashpaul said, “Since we got the communication, we postponed the celebration by three days.” Asked as to how it could be as it seemed unprecedented, he replied, “We cannot counter-question the orders.”

Col Davinder Singh, DSWO, Hoshiarpur, said, “We too have got the orders. We are duty-bound. So we will observe the day on December 10.”

Asked about the same, officials at the Raj Bhawan said that there was clearly some error in comprehending what Governor VP Singh Badnore had intended to convey.

“Since he was away to Indore today, he wanted to inform the Sainik Welfare Directorate staff that he will not be available for flag pinning ritual this morning and that they could come to him on Tuesday for this. In no way he intended that the programmes in the entire state be postponed for three days. This is entirely a goof up on the part of the directorate,” said an official attached with the Governor.

Director Sainik Welfare Punjab Brig Satinder Singh (retd) said, “We postponed the programmes today as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wanted the ceremonies to be held for a week. So we are celebrating the day on December 10. The reason is that the Governor will be in Chandigarh.”