General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff, interacts with Army jawans and officers during his visit to Jalandhar Cantonment on Saturday. Tribune Photograph

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 20

General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff, visited the Jalandhar Cantonment today. He reviewed the security situation and the operational preparedness of the formations guarding the Western Theatre in the state of Punjab.The Chief of Army Staff was received by Lt Gen Surinder Singh, Army Commander of Western Command and Lt Gen Dushyant Singh, Corps Commander of the Vajra Corps.Lt Gen Dushyant Singh briefed the Army Chief on the operational preparedness as also the security issues including ways to counter the proxy threat.The matter of Punjab continuing to contribute a large number of youth for enrolment in the Armed Forces also came up for discussions on the occasion. In the past wars and the ongoing counter insurgency operations in J&K and elsewhere, a number of service personnel from Punjab have laid down their lives in the line of duty, it was said.“There are also a large numbers of veterans in the region who continue to be a part of the larger family of the Armed Forces,” it was shared on the occasion.Lt Gen Dushyant Singh also briefed the Army Chief on outreach programmes for veterans including settling of pension issues, resettlement avenues, helplines introduced for medical support in the twilight years of ex-Army personnel and other welfare measures.General Bipan Rawat also interacted with the officers, Junior Commissioned Officers, other ranks and veterans during their visit.

CHIEF COMES CALLING

On 19 July 1919, there was a large Victory Parade through the streets of London to mark the end of the First World War. Around 15,000 troops led by the Allied commanders marched to the cheers of thousands of spectators. Bands played in London’s parks, and a memorial to those killed and wounded was unveiled in Whitehall.

The Indian Army had been invited to send a representative contingent to take part in the parade, but problems with shipping and an outbreak of influenza, prevented the contingent from arriving in time. Instead, it was decided that the Indian contingent would have its own Victory March through London as an acknowledgement of the vital role the Indian Armed Forces had played during the War.

The India Office Records has a number of files on the arrangements for the Peace Contingent’s visit to England, which make fascinating reading. The Contingent consisted of a British detachment of 11 officers and 270 men, an Indian Army detachment of 27 British officers, 465 Indian officers and 985 Indian other ranks, and 34 Imperial Service troops of the Indian Native States. The Contingent arrived in the camp at Hampton Court on 26 July.

The procession on August 2 started at Waterloo Station, continued across Westminster Bridge, along Whitehall, and up the Mall to Buckingham Palace. The King inspected the Contingent on the East lawn of the Palace, and presented some awards, including the Victoria Cross to Naik Karanbahadur Rana of the 2nd/3rd Gurkha Rifles. The King then gave a speech thanking the men for their service during the War, which was repeated in Urdu by General Sir Frederick Campbell. The troops were then given tea before returning to their camp.

After the King’s inspection the British troops were demobilised, but the Indian troops stayed for several weeks camped at Hampton Court. The troops were entertained with outdoor games and sports and in the evenings lectures were given, and a cinema was established by the Young Men’s Christian Association. Groups of officers and men were taken on day trips to London and other parts of Britain.

These trips included a bombing display by the Royal Air Force, the steel works of Vickers Ltd in Sheffield, the shipyards of John Brown and the Fairfield Engineering Works on the Clyde and Portsmouth Dockyard. In London trips were organised to the Houses of Parliament, Tower of London, Kew Gardens, St Paul’s Cathedral, and also to some schools. There were also regular shopping trips to the West End.

The Peace Contingent left for India in the middle of September 1919, and the India Office marked the occasion by issuing a souvenir book, beautifully illustrated by the artist W Luker Jnr.

This article first appeared on the British Library’s Asian and African Studies blog.

Islamabad, January 16

Pakistan is examining a proposal for a DGMO-level meeting with India after a gap of four years to reduce tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary through fresh confidence-building measures, a media report said on Tuesday.The report comes a day after Pakistan said four of its soldiers died and five others injured in cross-border firing by Indian troops across the Line of Control. The Indian Army, however, said seven Pakistani soldiers were killed in its retaliatory firing.At a meeting, a Pakistan defence ministry official yesterday told the Senate defence committee that a “fresh proposal of DGMOs’ (Director Generals of Military Operations) meeting is being considered,” the Dawn reported. The official also briefed the senators about the latest trend in Indian ceasefire violations, it said.In November, a telephonic conversation between the two Director Generals of Military Operations took place following a request by the Pakistani side.According to the report, one of the confidence-building measures being considered for the planned meeting of Director Generals of Military Operations is “calibre reduction” of the arms being used at the Line of Control.Pakistan-India Director Generals of Military Operations have a frequent hotline contact, but they last met face-to-face four years ago at Wagah, a village which serves as a transit terminal between Lahore and Amritsar. The December 24, 2013, Wagah meeting had taken place after a break of 14 years. That meeting too was held to discuss ways to ensure peace along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary.Meanwhile, a resolution adopted by the Senate committee condemned Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat’s statement about “calling nuclear bluff of Pakistan” as “stupidity and provocative”. They termed it a “war-like” proclamation, the report said. — PTIMove after 4 Yrs 

• Pakistan is examining such a proposal after a gap of four years to reduce tension along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary through fresh confidence-building measures
• At a meeting, a Pakistan defence ministry official on Monday told the Senate defence committee that a ‘fresh proposal of Director Generals of Military Operations meeting was being considered’
• The official also briefed the senators about the latest trend in Indian ceasefire violations

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. File photo

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, January 11

In an unprecedented attack on the defence services, Union Minister for Shipping and Transport Nitin Gadkari on Thursday hit out at the naval top brass for refusing permission for the construction of a floating hotel, or floatel, and a private jetty on the Arabian Sea.Gadkari said the construction of the floatel and the jetty near the base of Malabar Hill did not pose any security risk. “What has the Navy to do with Malabar Hill? They should be guarding the country’s borders. You should be going to the Pakistani border and do patrolling,” Gadkari said at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the International Cruise Terminal here. Among those who present on the occasion included Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Chief, Western Naval Command.Incidentally, the site of the proposed floating hotel and the jetty for it are located just a few km from where Kasab and his fellow terrorists from Pakistan landed on November 26, 2008.Continuing with his harangue against the naval authorities, Gadkari alleged that the men in white were after the minister to allot plots of land for construction of housing for them. “These navy officers wanted a plot of land to build houses in South Mumbai. I will not give you even one inch of land. Why do you want to build houses in South Mumbai? I will not entertain you,” he said.Gadkari went on to say that he headed a committee to clear stalled infrastructure projects and would push for the construction of the floating jetty and hotel when the project comes to him for clearance. “We are the government. The Navy and the defence ministry are not the government,” he added.The Navy and the Coast Guard had earlier refused to give the green signal to the little-known private company, Rashmi Development Private Ltd, to build a floating hotel in the Arabian Sea and construct a floating jetty near Malabar Hill to offer seaplane services and ferry tourists to the floatel. Both the agencies had warned of security threats to several vital installations should private companies and foreigners were allowed access to the coast.Gadkari, as Union minister for shipping and transport, is aggressively pushing for the construction of tourism-based infrastructure along the coast of Maharashtra.

@narendramodi @DefenceMinIndia Ur minister must know without Indian Navy in Mumbai he is inviting Pak Adventurers for another 26/11.

Pl advise Nitin Gadkari remain within limits.

2019 is NOT far

New Delhi, January 7

In an offshoot of the Bofors guns purchase case, two executives of a private company have been convicted by a Special CBI court, Mumbai, in a 25-year-old matter pertaining to criminal conspiracy and cheating in exports to the Swedish company.Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Laxmi Kant Bidwai has convicted Abhay V Udeshi, director of Jayant Oil Mills, and Harish Pandya, an employee of the company, for criminal conspiracy and cheating and sentenced them to two years of imprisonment.In a recent order, Bidwai said it was a case of cheating to cause “damage or harm” to the reputation of the Indian government in the international market. “This is not only an attempt to commit cheating but it is a complete act of cheating,” he said.India had inked a deal with Swedish company Bofors for the supply of 400 155-mm Howitzer guns for the Army worth Rs 1,437 crore in 1986 through a counter trade agreement.One of the conditions of the agreement was that in return of the sale of guns, Bofors would import from India commodities such as coffee and castor oil and its byproducts. The Indian government had nominated the State Trading Corporation (STC) as the nodal agency to monitor the import of castor oil and other commodities by Bofors from India.Similarly, Bofors had nominated London-based Alexander Crichton Associates Limited to import various commodities from India on its behalf under counter trade obligation. Jayant Oil Mills agreed to export castor oil and its byproducts to Bofors through the London-based company. As part of the trade, Jayant Oil Mills had to pay 0.5 per cent of the Free On Board value of the export to the STC as a service charge.In 1989-90, Abhay V Udeshi and Vithaldas G Udeshi — both directors of Jayant Mills — along with Harish K Pandya, an employee of the company, entered into a criminal conspiracy to cheat the STC.  The trio submitted the forged documents to Alexander Crichton Associates Ltd which forwarded those papers to STC, without the actual export of a goods consignment.The STC officials noticed the fraud and informed the CBI which started the investigation in 1992. — PTI25-year-old export fraud

• As part of the 1986 deal for purchase of 400 155-mm Howitzer guns for the Army, Bofors was to import from India commodities such as coffee and castor oil and byproducts
• In 1989-90, on behalf of directors of Jayant Mills Abhay V Udeshi and Vithaldas G Udeshi, employee Harish K Pandya prepared false export shipment papers and sought payment
• The CBI started the probe in 1992 and framed charges against Abhay, Vithaldas and Pandya in 2004. Vithaldas died during the trial and proceedings against him were dropped

Indian Deputy High Commissioner stands outside as Jadhavs meet; no consular access given: Islamabad

A glass screen separating them, Kulbhushan Jadhav interacts with his mother and wife in Islamabad. PTI

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 25

Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav’s mother Avantika and wife Chetna today met him in Islamabad for the first time since he was arrested by Pakistan in March 2016. Tried by a military court on charges of espionage and terrorism, he has been sentenced to death. The meeting was carefully choreographed. Avantika and Chetna reached Islamabad this afternoon. Accompanied by Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh, they met Jadhav at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building amid high security. The meeting lasted nearly 40 minutes. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)From their arrival till their departure, mediapersons closely followed each step with a wall-to-wall coverage of the meeting, which the Pakistan Government claimed was testimony to its “humanitarian” face.“This is a very important day for Pakistan, being the birth anniversary of our founder Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It was in this light that this day was chosen for the humanitarian meeting of  Jadhav with his wife and mother,” said Mohammad Faisal, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson.Images released by Pakistani officials showed Jadhav speaking with his wife and mother through the intercom and a glass interface as JP Singh stood outside. The Pakistan Foreign Office confirmed there was no consular access since the Indian diplomat was kept at a distance, observing the visuals. “This meeting was not consular access as we had told India its diplomat would ‘see’ the meeting but would not be allowed to speak or participate,” the spokesperson responded to queries after Foreign Minister Khwaja Asif claimed otherwise in an interview. The Pakistan Foreign Office reiterated the charges against him, calling him the face of Indian terrorism. “His passport bears a Muslim name, Hussein Mubarak Patel, which clearly is not Commander Jadhav. India has been unable and unwilling to provide an explanation about how and why an authentic Indian passport was used on a false ID, not once but at least 17 times, as Commander Jadhav travelled in and out of India. Indian silence is telling,” Faisal remarked.Sources said today’s meeting will have no bearing on the case being heard by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for consular access to Jadhav. The court had in May ordered an interim stay on Jadhav’s execution pending completion of trial. News channel CNN-News18 quoted Harish Salve, who argued Jadhav’s case in the ICJ, calling the meeting a “farce”.  The Pakistan Foreign Office, meanwhile, said it was not the trio’s “last meeting”.

In new video, Jadhav hails Pak for meeting

Kulbhushan Jadhav. File photo

Islamabad, December 25

Pakistan today issued a new video of Indian prisoner on death row Kulbhushan Jadhav in which he is purportedly seen thanking the Pakistan government for arranging a meeting with his wife and mother.The video message played by the Pakistan Foreign Office during a press conference after Jadhav’s meeting with his family was recorded before their meeting, officials said. The meeting came after the International Court of Justice had asked Pakistan, in May, to stay his execution.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Dalbir Kaur, the sister of Sarabjit Singh, who died in a Lahore jail in 2013, said Pakistan played a “cruel joke” by not allowing Jadhav to meet his wife and mother freely and dubbed the entire exercise a “drama”.Kaur found no “humanism” in the meeting. “When it was held under such tight security and close relatives are separated by a glass screen, it has little meaning,” she said. Having lost her brother four years back in Pakistan, Kaur said she could fully understand what Jadhav’s family must be going through at this hour.BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, meanwhile, said Jadhav and his family should have been allowed to meet in private. “They should have been allowed to meet in private. Instead, they were called to the Foreign Ministry’s office and made to meet on camera… What kind of a meeting can this be? She must be wanting to talk to her husband to find out how he had been all this while? How will a couple feel when somebody is watching them talk to each other,” asked Swamy. Congress leader Manish Tewari, on the other hand, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should bring back Jadhav and asked whether his government had the determination to do so. “narendramodi Mr. Prime Minister you need to bring this Gentleman back home. Does your government have the determination to do what it takes and walk the talk?????? (sic),” Tewari tweeted along with a picture of Jadhav. — Agencies

PETITION.

No PG / 05/2017                                      Dated  21 Nov 2017.

 To,

            The Council of States,

            Rajya Sabha, Secretariat. (Petitioning Sabha)

            New Delhi Pin 110 001.

 ARTICLE 51A – FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES NOT INCLUDED IN DEFENCE SERVICES RERULATIONS (DSR) & CHAPTER X CORRUPTED TO ILLAGALLY FORCE POSTAL BALLOT ON SOLDIERS ON MILITARY DUTY IN INDIA INCLUDING J&K.

Sir,

            I, the petitioner Brigadier Hardip Singh Ghuman, Shaurya Chakra Retd, resident of # 1043 Sector 71, SAS Nagar, Punjab Pin 160071 (Tele – 0172- 2224636); President AIVCG, an apolitical & secular NGO; strive for excellence in all spheres of individual / collective activities, so that the Nation constantly rises to higher level of endeavour & achievement Article – 51A (Encl-1); omitted from DSR, despite request to RM, ignored.  

Sheweth

1.         India is a sovereign, secular, democratic republic of India. Apolitical & Secular Armed Forces (AFs) under oath of allegiance to the Constitution of India, responsible for protecting sovereignty & integrity of India, at any cost, placed at strategic places throughout India, as also to protect Law & Order; a State Subject – Article 35A, for which State Govt. compensates wages for that duration – ignorant of Fundamental Duties / RP Act since DSR Chapter X corrupted (Encl-2) – ‘a service voter is a voter with service qualification’ when ‘service qualification’ ceases on posting back to India.

2.         AFs posted in India, submit wrong declaration – Form No 3 for Postal Ballot; not objected by single service EC / MoD since it suits convenience of Politicians. AFs not granted NFU/OROP despite shortage of Officers – not in best National Interest.

3.         Govt. constituted KSB & RSB at each State, to settle grievances of AFs & Veterans since Welfare of AFs on concurrent list, who failed to take note of: –

(a)       Soldiers not enumerated at Duty Station, where subjected to all local taxes, when taxation without representation is tyranny & only those listed in Rolls have right to vote. Soldiers cannot leave Duty Station on holidays/festival days, known to PM / RM but not enumerated at Duty Station by single service EC, hence denied equal democratic right, to elect best Qualified, Secular Candidate, instead registered at hometown, overlooking chances of promoting regionalism in AFs, ignoring Article 51A – omitted from DSR.

(b)       After ‘Blue Star Operations in Punjab’, Soldiers illegally taxed upto 1994, till objected by Secy. RSB since not enumerated at Duty Station, when taxation without representation is tyranny.

(c)        Law & Order, a State Govt. subject & AFs deployed to maintain Law & Order, when State Govt. fails Article 35A; have same electoral right applicable to State Govt. Employs’. The J&K problem would have been resolved long back, if EC / MoD had impartially implemented RP Act / Rules / SC rulings & not corrupted Chapter X of DSR. BJP won 2014 elections based on apolitical & secular votes of AFs, except FM.

(d)       Previous RM/FM introduced E-voting, without clarifying E-voting is applicable to those posted abroad. EC & MoD also failed to clarify the same. Consequently Soldiers posted in Gujarat & HP again not enumerated at duty Station. MoD failed to evolve foolproof registration system for Soldiers at Duty Station after 2014 elections who are paid best wages possibly for bending law of the land suiting convenience of Politicians.

(e)       Right to be registered in Electoral Rolls is applicable to ‘ordinarily ordinarily’. DSR Chapter X if not corrupted (Encl-2), J&K problem would have been resolved long back.

(f)        Apolitical War Veterans brought the above anomaly to the notice of 3 Chiefs during 2004 (Gen VK Singh), without any outcome since DSR is corrupted. Due to selfless efforts of MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar to uphold election law; Soldiers voted at Duty Station – 2014 elections for the 1^st time (Encl 3)

(g)       2017 EC again registered Soldiers posted in India & abroad, at their home town, with chances of promoting regionalism, overlooking 2014 elections. Service Qualification ceases on posting back to India, illegally forced on Soldiers posted in India / J&K where they sacrifice life maintaining Law & Order a State Subject including J&K.

4.         RM requested to amend DSR in line with SC rulings of 1971 & 2013 ignored due to which Solders on Military Duty in Gujarat & HP again registered at hometown. Need exists to create Multi Service EC & MoD in best National Interest.

5          Physical Fitness Officers. Minimum fitness standard mandatory for AFs Officers for which Officer Ration rations sanctioned at peace stations in best interest of ‘Combat Fitness’; withdrawn by RM/FM without fear of Electoral Loss, since E-postal Ballot illegally introduced for those posted in India/abroad, without objection from EC / 3 Chiefs, at the cost of risking National Sovereignty / Integration overlooking Article 51A.

6.         Law & Order a State Subject, but J&K Govt. took no notice of ‘Stone Pelting on Soldiers on Military Duty’ amounting to assault on sovereignty of our Nation, who protect State Govt. / Public Property when Civil Administration fails. If need be President Rule imposed & the State Police takes orders from AFs under AFSPA to prevent violence. Army Law permits trial of Civilians by Court Martial since Stone Pelting on Soldiers on Military Duty amounts to offence against ‘sovereignty of our Nation’ ignored.

7.         Meaning of Service Qualification. Naga Land – 1967 elections; 12 Assam Rifles under command Army, voted at Duty Station, to block entry of un-desirable elements – upheld by SC, AIR 1971 SC 2123. Based on corrupted Chapter X of DSR; AG issued SAO 16/S/72 that AFs entitled to vote through Postal Ballot, not objected by MoD / EC suiting convenience of Politicians. SC ruled, ‘service qualification’ cannot takeaway right to be registered at place of posting, if residing there ignored.

8.         Prayer. Lord Krishna said ‘if you are right don’t give-up’. No Nation can afford to have its Officers lacking physical fitness. Rations to Officers posted in Peace Stations, may please be restored without further delay in National Interest.

9.         Chapter X of DSR may please be amended in line with SC ruling of 1971 & 2013 i.e. right to be registered at place of posting cannot be taken away including J&K and Article 51A Fundamental Duties be added as a new Chapter.

10.       Multi Service EC consisting of AFs, IPS & IAS may be constituted since single service EC failed, not objected by single service MoD even after 2014. Foolproof registration system at duty station may be evolved & Regimental Centers be directed to register only those posted abroad for E-postal Ballot & Service Officers posted to MoD.

11.       Commission may be constituted for AFs / Veterans in place of KSB / RSB & Stone Pelting on Soldiers on ‘Military Duty’ – an offence against Sovereignty of our Nation; may be tried under Military Law in best National Interest to settle J&K problem.

12.       OROP & NFU may be settled since there is huge deficiency of Officer who function on more than one post.

 Yours faithfully,

Brig HS Ghuman, SC, War Veteran.

President AICVG NGO Registered.

Copy to:-

RM, MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, MLA Balbir Sing. Secy.RSB Punjab & KSB, Col of PROA & MROA, GOC-in-C West Comd. IEXSL & IEXSM.   

The INS Kalvari submarine. AFP

Cmdre Mukund Kunte (retd)

THE second INS Kalvari, a made-in-India diesel-electric submarine, was commissioned on December 14 in Mumbai’s Mazagon Dock by the Prime Minister with an invigorating speech, which is his style. For conventional submarines, the name of the game is “Sea Denial”, their primary role being interdiction of the enemy’s trade and energy routes, blocking its ports and attacking land targets with missiles. A few weeks ago, another entrant into the Navy was the stealth frigate INS Kiltan (the second) commissioned by the intrepid Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman. It was a pleasure to see her perform in military style, standing strong and erect while climbing the steps to proceed on board. Incidentally, the first Kiltan commissioned in Vladivostok in 1969 was, like the first Kalvari, wholly built by the Soviets. And look at the change — the process of training, building and fitting out has become indigenous, which has been our quest to achieve a higher degree of self-reliance. It exemplifies our shift from a “buyer’s Navy to a builder’s Navy”.  It was in 1966 after she was elected Prime Minister that Indira Gandhi gave nod to the acquisition of four, followed by another four, submarines from the USSR, making it possible for us to decisively win the 1971 war. The decision to take a nuclear-powered submarine on loan in the 1980s was made to gain experience in nuclear propulsion at sea – but there was a spinoff, viz handling of a small reactor would give us an insight into operating such reactors for generating power for civilian use.As for a “Builder’s” Navy, Mrs Gandhi had inaugurated the submarine construction programme on May 6, 1984, also in the Mazagaon Docks. The PM garlanded and broke a coconut following this Sanskrit invocation by Mrs Suhasini Mulgaonker :“Shri Rashtren vruta jale vinihita 

rashtrasya rakshanvita

Deshapritikruta prashastrajanita

tantradnyata nirmita

Satputrairghatita varimjjanrata nauka adhombhasrutaah

Jeeyat bharatata sada prakatita

nausainya sampat bhruta.

(This project of submarine construction is of great honour to our country’s skill and excellence in technology and science. Long live our Navy and its able men).We observed Vijay Diwas on December 16 to mark the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani troops. In 1971, we had come into our own because our intrepid PM did not hesitate to approve Admiral Nanda’s innovative plan (it, in fact, surprised even the Russians) to carry out a missile attack on Karachi. In fact, that operation was by led by INS Kiltan and resulted in damaging/sinking of the destroyer Khaiber, mine-sweeper Muhafiz and MV Venus Challenger, which was carrying war material.The ‘Make in India’ slogan has now been fully honoured. It is unfortunate that an irresponsible ‘opposition’ continued to object to both HDW submarines and Bofors (shoot & scoot) guns. The latter went on to save our honour in the war in 1999 and, as for the submarines, we would have been in the export market today.

Air Commodore DV Khat pays tributes to the Param Vir Chakra winner, Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, on his martyrdom day at his memorial in the Mini-secretariat complex on Thursday. Tribune photo: Himanshu mahajan

Kin pay tributes to Param Vir Chakra Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon on his martyrdom day at his memorial inside the Mini-Secretariat in Ludhiana on Thursday. Tribune photos: Himanshu Mahajan

Kin pay tributes to Param Vir Chakra Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon on his martyrdom day at his memorial inside the Mini-Secretariat in Ludhiana on Thursday. Tribune photos: Himanshu Mahajan

Ludhiana: Tributes were paid to Param Vir Chakra Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon on his martyrdom day at his memorial situated inside the Mini-Secretariat here on Thursday. The district administration organised a memorial meet in the memory of the brave Air Force officer. Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Agrawal, Air Commodore DV Khat, former Indian Air Force jawans paid tributes to the martyr. The DC said: “The officer laid down his life for the nation. We pay heartfelt tributes to the martyr. His bravery will be remembered throughout the life.”He was a pilot of a Gnat detachment based in Srinagar for the air defence of the Valley against Pakistani air attacks. On December 14, 1971, Srinagar airfield was attacked by Sabre aircraft. Flying Officer Sekhon was on duty. Nearly six enemy aircraft were overhead and they started bombing the airfield. In spite of the danger of attempting to take off during the attack, Sekhon took off and immediately engaged a pair of attacking Sabres. In the fight that ensued, he secured hits on one aircraft and set another on fire. —TNS

REMEMBERING VALOUR AND SACRIFICE