REMEMBERING A WAR: A POW IN TIBET

Remembering a War: A PoW in Tibet (by KK Tewari | rediff.com | August 2002)
 
A highly decorated officer who joined the British Indian Army in early 1942, KK Tewari was taken prisoner during the Chinese attack on India on October 20, 1962, when he was visiting the forward troops. He spoke to Claude Arpi

As a result of the Chinese threat on our northern borders, some time in 1959 the headquarters of the Eastern Command at Lucknow was given the operational responsibility for the defence of the borders in Sikkim and NEFA. I was at that time on the staff at HQ Eastern Command. The 4th (Red Eagle) Infantry Division was located at Ambala. Soon after it was ordered to move to Tezpur in Assam towards the end of 1959, I was posted as its Commander, Signals.
This division, trained and equipped for fighting in the plains, had suddenly been deployed to guard the borders in this high mountainous region. While a normal division is expected to defend a 30-40km front in the plains, we were assigned a front spanning more than 1800km of mountainous terrain.

WHEN WE LEFT THEM BEHIND

WHEN WE LEFT THEM BEHIND

Attached extract from my new book.'Smiles  Tears and Heartbreaks'

Brig Lakshman Singh , VSM

These partings and reunions happen off and on at varying intervals during the service career.  A fate ordained for those who serve and their families, so others can sleep in peace and in the comfort of the feeling of security, unaware of the traumatic experience at every of one of those frequent partings

I WAS SURFING the TV channels when my attention was arrested by a scene from the ‘70s movie, VIJETA, in which the son, a flight cadet, leaves for advance training.

YOU CAN SCRAP THE ARMY

REMEMBERING A WAR - 1962 INDIA CHINA CONFLICT

The Rediff Special/Wing Commander (retd) R V Parasnis

 
"I remember many a time when our senior generals came to us, and wrote to the defence ministry saying that they wanted certain things... If we had had foresight, known exactly what would happen, we would have done something else... what India has learnt from the Chinese invasion is that in the world of today there is no place for weak nations... We have been living in an unreal world of our own creation."
 
Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajya Sabha, 1963

Instead of "I", Nehru used the collective "we", a clear indication of his reluctance to own up his own mistakes as a man.

"The fact of the matter is that Nehru felt a gnawing of conscience throughout this episode. He knew that the blame for the disaster was more his than that of his loyal friend [defence minister V K Krishna Menon]," says journalist and historian Durga Das.

How to Apply for Passport Online

                                                  by NDTV Correspondent, December 10, 2014

As more and more Indians go online, our government services are following suit. A lot of things that used to be extremely difficult and inconvenient are now just a matter of a few clicks. To help our readers make the most of the new services that are now available, we will regularly update guides for using different government websites. The new sites make it easy for anyone to file an RTI, apply for a PAN card or download a copy of their Aadhaar card. Digital governance has made applying for things easier than ever, and nowhere is this more true than in applying for a passport.

FIFTY YEARS AFTER 1962 WAR

                                    50 Years After 1962

 A Personal Memoir -B.G. Verghese

(Then Assistant Editor and War Correspondent, The Times of India)

 

The 1962 Sino-Indian conflict is half a century old, but to understand what happened one needs to go further back to Indian independence and the PRC's establishment and absorption of Tibet. Perhaps one should go back even earlier to the tripartite Simla Convention of 1914 at which the Government of India, Tibet and China were party and drew the McMahon Line. The Chinese representative initialled the Agreement but did not sign it on account of differences over the definitions of Inner and Outer Tibet.

DIABETES - WHATS NEW

DIABETES

What's new on Diabetes India on HealthUnlocked today:

Give Up Skimmed Milk -- Whole milk is healthier than skimmed No comments
So time to switch to Whole Milk as a diabetic? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2114101/Whole-milk-healthier-skimmed-baked-potatoes-make... [continue reading]

Gary Taubes, M.S. - Calories vs. Carbohydrates: Clearing up the Confusion over Competing Obesity Paradigms No comments
Worth watching/listening over your morning coffee Early morning g mind is most receptive http://vimeo.com/54861706 Cheers!!... [continue reading]

i m looking for soursop benefits 1 comment
well recently came accross soursop curing 4th stage cancer with http://www.natureschemocare.com/buy-soursop.html please let me know is that reall... [continue reading]

A HEATLESS PROFESSION

A heartless Profession

Does being a doctor amount to being heartless?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/stoi/deep-focus/A-heartless-profession/articleshow/40839153.cms

Chidanand Rajghatta,TNN | Aug 24, 2014

It is the Holy Grail for almost every Indian parent: that their son and or daughter go to medical college, become doctors, and embark on a thriving career that brings laurels - and sure, some lolly. It's no different with NRIPIO parents, in the US, UK, or elsewhere, which is why the nearly 100,000 Indian American physicians in the US includes some 20,000 who are either born or have 

अशोक वृक्ष - ASHOKA TREE

 ASHOKA TREE - अशोक वृक्ष

 

 शास्त्रों के अनुसार पेड़-पौधों के अलग-अलग उपायों से भी हमारी धन संबंधी और घर-परिवार से जुड़ी तमाम परेशानियों को दूर किया जा सकता है।

यहां जानिए एक ऐसे वृक्ष के चमत्कारी उपाय जो आसानी से हमारे घर के आसपास दिखाई देता है। यह वृक्ष है अशोक का। अशोक के पत्तों का उपयोग घर की सजावट में और अन्य पूजन संबंधी कार्यों में किया जाता है।

SEVEN BLUNDERS THAT WILL ALWAYS HAUNT INDIA

SEVEN BLUNDERS THAT WILL ALWAYS HAUNT INDIA

The Root Cause of these blunders was the denying of Prime Ministership to Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel!!

History is most unforgiving. As historical mistakes cannot be undone, they have complex cascading effect on a nation's future. Here are seven historical blunders that have changed the course of independent India's history and cast a dark shadow over its future. These costly mistakes will continue to haunt India for generations. They have been recounted here in a chronological order with a view to highlight the inadequacies of India's decision-making apparatus and the leadership's incompetence to act with vision.]

AMAZING CAMEL

        AMAZING CAMEL

Very informative. This is one of the most fascinating, awesome things
I've ever read about an animal. You will be utterly amazed and I hope
you take the time to read it.

 

GROWING UP IN INDIA

*GROWING UP IN INDIA*

*This is a "must-read" if you grew up in India.
This is about a generation of
kids who eventually grew up tough and learned to make it on their own with
no government subsidies, no unemployment benefits, no medical plans, no job
openings to apply for, even if you had an education, no savings and for
the most part, no inheritance from our parents. Most families lived from
day to day and had no savings.

THE VALUABLE GIFT

THE VALUABLE GIFT

Author - Unknown

Like most of the ladies, my wife also gets extremely pleased, on buying her an expensive gift. Slowly in her life the cost of the gifts started getting more importance than the occasion or the feeling with which the person gave it. This pained me. No amount of my explaining her that the feeling of love and affection with which the gift is given is more important than the gift itself had any effect on her. The bigger the occasion, her expectation of getting a bigger gift kept on growing. Any sermons on this topic by me were misconstrued by her as my being miser or trying to save the money.

BIWI KI CHAKKAR

 BIWI KI CHAKKAR

Always Love Wife.

No Life without Wife.

Remain Loyal & Faithful to Wife.

Keep Wife Happy & Satisfied.

Never mind "Whose Wife"

..... Happy Wife's Day

SOLDIER’S LIFE

SOLDIER’S LIFE

AN ARTICLE BY UNKNOWN SOLDIER

Please do read this, a beautiful piece of poetry by a young Indian Army officer.

· Though this is not a poetry blog, the newsworthiness of the following ballad merits its inclusion here. It has been composed by a fourth generation, 24-year old career officer in the Indian Armed Forces, spurred by the report of the Sixth Pay Commission and an insensitive article written by a 'respectable' denizen of the country in a national daily on the armed forces and the pertinence of the Sixth Pay Commission therein. This free-flowing verse has not been edited; it's to ensure that the originality of the angst is maintained. After all, when you are in pain, the language of expression is the last thing in your mind

 

WOH BHI KIA DIN THE

"शायद ज़िन्दगी बदल रही है!!
जब मैं छोटा था, शायद दुनिया बहुत बड़ी हुआ करती थी..
मुझे याद है मेरे घर से "स्कूल" तक का वो रास्ता, क्या क्या नहीं था
वहां, चाट के ठेले, जलेबी की दुकान, बर्फ के गोले, सब कुछ,
अब वहां "मोबाइल शॉप", "विडियो पार्लर" हैं, फिर भी सब सूना है..

I NEVER KNEW THAT ... WHY

             I never knew that... WHY?

Q: Why do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes have buttons on the left?

A: When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right!  And that's where women's buttons have remained since.

DAUGHTER'S RIGHT IN ANCESTORAL PROPERTIES

DAUGHTE’S RIGHT IN ANCESTORAL PROPERTY

The first question after the Supreme Court recent ruling in Prakash & Ors v. Phulavati & Ors, rendered on 16 October 2015 comes to everyone’s mind is whether the Supreme Court is right in giving the ruling or not, but what matters now is not whether the Supreme Court is right or not, but whether the daughters who have been waiting to get their right, can still get their right in the ancestral property if their father have expired before the date of the 2005 Amendment Act. The answer to it is a straight NO. Now let me throw some light on what are the rights of the daughters in co-parcenary property before and after the 2005 amendment.

HOW THE FIGHT STARTED

How The Fight Started

One year, i decided to buy my mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift...
  The next year, i didn't buy her a gift.
  When she asked me why, i replied,
  "Well, you still haven't used the gift i bought you last year!"

WHY DOES INDIA BREED SO MANY TRAITORS

WHY DOES INDIA BREED SO MANY TRAITORS?

                                                            By       Major General Mrinal Suman

While studying Indian history in school days, one was repeatedly told that the foreign invaders resorted to ‘divide and rule’ policy to gain control over India. They were painted as unscrupulous schemers who exploited the simple, trusting and gullible Indians.
It is only at a much later stage that one realised the hollowness of the above assertion. The truth is that we are adept at producing hordes of traitors who revel in India’s ruin. Every victory of the foreign invaders was facilitated by the local collaborators who betrayed their kings for some devious reward or to settle personal scores. No fort was ever conquered without the infidelity of a trusted minister/commander.

ROPE ON SIACHEN

ROPE - ON SIACHEN

        Since 1984 when the Indian Army pre-empted the Pakistani Army from occupying the glaciers and its dominant peaks by just a few hours, Siachen remains the world's highest and most inhospitable battlefield. Living under extremely harsh weather conditions, the Indian Army has over the years, lost over 850 soldiers in the icy expanse of the glacier.

HONY CAPT BANA SINGH, PVC - HERO OF SIACHIN

A TRIBUTE TO THE HERO WHO WON A PARAM VIR CHAKRA ON SIACHEN – HONY CAPT BANA SINGH

http://www.rediff.com/news/special/the-hero-who-won-a-param-vir-chakra-on-siachen/20160211.htm

Honorary Captain Bana Singh won the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest ranking gallantry award, for recapturing a Pakistani post on the Siachen Glacier.
Living a retired life in a quiet village in Jammu and Kashmir, he makes you feel that his act of phenomenal courage was part of a soldier's day at work.
Words: Archana Masih/Rediff.com. Images: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com

IMAGE: Honorary Captain Bana Singh, Param Vir Chakra, outside his modest village home in Kadyal.
Photograph: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com

KAHAN GAYE WOH DIN

 By Shruti

 

Seeing these little girls play in the society today, my mind wondered off to the thoughts of a little girl I had known years back. She was no different from these little girls with their hair tied up in two pigtails. Such a simple and beautiful world she lived in, so colorful and fragrant. Even the little of things brought big joys to her; tensions, responsibilities, suspicion, competition were just another words whose

DOES THE SUN RISE IN EAST

UNDER CONSTRUCTION


DOES THE SUN RISE IN THE EAST AND SET IN WEST?

Posted by Maj Gen Surjit Singh on Dec 22nd, 2013 in Reflections, Abstractions & Historical

http://amolak.in/web/does-the-sun-rise-in-the-east-and-set-in-west/

At the outset, the question seems weird. Right from our Primary school days, we have been taught to believe that it rises in East. But a closer examination reveals that this is not the whole truth. We discovered this when we were working on the 'Sundial' which we erected in the NDA six years ago.

COSMIC WORD - OM

COSMIC WORD OM : ::::::::      Thy Name is GOD !
                                 --- the only Supreme Reality - Revive Vedas!!

Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides (Rig Veda)

Rig Veda mentions that the greatest service to God is to spread the spirit of Vedas with Honesty, Straight-forwardness, Without deceit of any kind --- for all to enjoy true and spiritual happiness.

ARYA SAMAJ AND ARYAS

Arya Samaj And Aryas

Arya & Arya Samaj

The meaning of the word Arya is Noble person. India was calledAryavrat, in ancient times. Swami Dayanand Sarswati  defined an Arya by specifying ten golden rules for him. A collective body of such people was called Arya Samaj by him. His ten rules are the guiding principles of Arya Samaj. But he never meant that Arya is the name of a person who follows Arya Samaj.  Headdressed all the citizens of Aryavart , as Aryas in the 11th chapter of his book – Satyarthprakash. He wanted all citizens of the world to be noble hence this definition.

HOW DO NON-INDIANS VIEW SIKHISM

How do non-Indians view Sikhism ?

Some facts explained by  Dr. Janet Lant 

 
       Listen my friend, I never got around to telling you some of the things about Sikh religion that convince me of its authenticity.

     One major evidence is the "Holy Book" of Sikh religion known as the "Granth Sahib". The Granth Sahib was complied over a period of 240 years by the hands of the beings that founded Sikh religion. All copies are matched to the original handwritten one. It is scientifically impossible for any known being to write a book with all the qualities found in the Granth Sahib. Below are some of those amazing qualities:

A STORY OF LOVE

A Story of Love

                                     --- makes one Ponder about Life ! ----

Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith. That was the day I first saw Tommy. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long.  I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn't what's on your head but what's in it that counts; but on that day. I was unprepared and my emotions flipped.  I immediately filed Tommy under "S" for strange... Very strange. 

YOU CAN LEAVE THE MILITARY - BUT IT NEVER REALLY LEAVES YOU

YOU CAN LEAVE  THE MILITARY -- BUT IT NEVER REALLY LEAVES YOU   By Ken Burger, The Charleston Post and Courier  March 4, 2010 Occasionally, I venture back out to the air base where I'm greeted by an imposing security guard who looks carefully at my identification card, hands it back and says, "Have a good day, tech sergeant."

REMEMBER SACRIFICES OF THOSE TO WHOM WE OWE OUR FREEDOM

Remember Sacrifices Of Those To Whom We Owe Our Freedom

       By Lieut Colonel (Retd) Pritam Singh Jauhal World War II Veteran

The Remembrance Day is observed to remember the sacrifices made by men and women who fought during the two World Wars, the Korean Conflict, Afganistan War and many other United Nations Missions to protect the Commonwealth and to preserve the Democracy that allows different people to live together in peace and enjoy freedom.

In Canada, the Remembrance Day is celebrated in all Royal Canadian Legions, Colleges and Schools on November 11 at 11 after 11 a m. Ceremonies in Legions include Parades Marches with Colour Parties, Guests, Veterans, Cadets, Scouts and Pipes/Brass Bands. Ceremonies at the Cenotaphs are Offering of prayers for the War Dead, Placing of wreaths, Observance of 2 minutes Silence, Sounding of Last Post, Sounding of Reveille and delivering of Speeches by invited Guests/Dignitaries in Lounges.

BUTLAR IN PUBLIC - BY LT COL SR JAFRI PAK ARMY

ARTICLE  CONTRIBUTED  BY  LT GEN  D  KUMAR (VETERAN)

Butler in Public

An article emerged in Pak Daily (Interesting reading)
By Lt Col S. Riaz Jafri (Retd), Pak Army

During the recent swearing in ceremonies of the PM and others being televised live, I noticed a senior army officer pushing the chair for a dignitary, which took me back in years to1954. Allow me to narrate it in some detail:

WHEN YUSUF CROSSED THE LINE (loc)

AN AMAZING STORY

WHEN YUSUF CROSSED THE LINE(LOC)

A true story from the midst of madness and bloodshed, the ‘Kargil War’.

       The early morning calm was rudely shattered by numerous blasts that rang out in quick succession. The sound was akin to repeated hammering of a wooden mallet on corrugated, galvanized iron (CGI) sheets. Soldiers sprinted hither and thither to find some cover while Paki artillery shells rained down on them and burst with ear shattering explosions. The intense Paki artillery barrage continued for about half an hour. When it ended, there was sudden silence and troops waited inside their bunkers for another half hour or so before they tentatively emerged from numerous hiding places and went about their routine morning chores.

Victory in the Valley 

Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain

Indian Express, Wed Dec 11 2013

(Article contributed by Maj Gen BPS Grewal, Signals)

Define what it means before you decide what the army should do.

For the first time in years, a newspaper's leadership has thrown up a serious strategic issue for debate. Kashmir is far too complex for inexperienced minds to fully comprehend and there are so many stakeholders it confounds even those who have a semblance of an idea. In a recent article in this paper ('Disarming Kashmir', IE, December 7, goo.gl/SWPD7G), 

LIEUTENENT DID YOU DIE IN VAIN

LIEUTENANT DID YOU DIE IN VAIN?

  I learned  about your demise from the ticker tape on one of the news channels, last evening. It was a big encounter and a very fierce one at that. A feeling of deep sadness enveloped me as I reflected on your youth which had been sacrificed in Gurez Sector,in the line of duty. What does your death mean? By now your mortal body would be lying embalmed at the Base Hospital and will be flown out of Srinagar later in the day,on its final journey to the cremation ground in your native town or village. You were too young to die,far too young! For whom and for what did you die then? This question haunted me last night and I will attempt to answer you. You were probably from a village or a small town of India. 
 

DON'T YOU QUIT

Don't You Quit

An Inspirational Poem

---

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit-

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

BATTLE OF ASHUGANJ - 1971 BANGLA DESH

BATTLE OF ASHUGANJ – 1971 BANGLADESH

THE MEGHNA BRIDGE – 9 DECEMBER 1971

Maj Gen Ashok Kalyan Verma, AVSM

   (Then CO 18 RAJPUT)

One of the most significant events in the War for the Liberation of Bangladesh was the blowing up of the Bridge over the Meghna River on midday of 9 December 1971. Today being the 41st anniversary of the event, I am writing this piece as a remembrance and a tribute for our boys who were killed in this action. 

WHY INDIA BECAME INDEPENDENT

Why India Became Independent

--a view point--

Role of the Defence Services for India’s independence

 http://us.asiancorrespondent.com/atanu-dey-blog/2005/08/23/netajis-ghost-the-freedom-struggle

 When BP Chakravarti was acting as Governor of West Bengal, Lord Attlee visited India and stayed as his guest for three days at the Raj Bhavan. Chakravarti asked Attlee about the real grounds for granting Independence to India . Specifically, his question was, when the Quit India movement lay in ruins years before 1947, what was the need for the British to leave in such a hurry. Attlee’s response is most illuminating and important for history. Here is the Governor’s account of what Attlee told him:

 “In reply, Attlee cited several reasons, the most important were the activities of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose which weakened the very foundation of the attachment of the Indian land and naval forces to the British Government. Towards the end, I asked Lord Attlee about the extent to which the British decision to quit India was influenced by Gandhi’s activities. 

TIME LINE - LORD KRISHNA

Time Line of Lord Krishna

Supported by Science

(An Excerpt from "Advancements of Ancient India’s Vedic Culture")

By Stephen Knapp

One aspect that can show us the early nature of Vedic society, and with a little more reliability, is highlighting the time when Lord Krishna was present. This is another point that has generated many opinions, but is now much clearer than ever with more recent research and findings.

Astrophysicist Dr. Narahari Achar, a physicist from the University of Memphis, clearly showed with astronomical analysis that the Mahabharata war took place in 3067 BCE. Examining the Mahabharata, books 3, 5, and 18, his sky map software showed that all these descriptions converge in the year 3067. Achar also acknowledged that some 30 years earlier, in 1969, S. Raghavan had arrived at the same date. 

INDIA'S FIRST TRAIN -1853

APRIL 18 | 1853  Indias 1st train: When Sahib,Sindh & Sultan blew steam  Indias first passenger train was flagged off on its maiden run between Bori Bunder (later Victoria Terminus,now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) and Thane a distance of 21 miles covered in 57 minutes,at 3.35pm on April 16,1853.Drawn by three engines,Sahib,Sindh and Sultan,the train lurched forward amid fanfare and celebration. TOI exulted: Nothing couldve been more magnificent than the train of 20 enormous carriages with their three stupendous engines,all spick and span new,with the most perfect forms engineering could suggest,and the most beautiful tints taste could impart,occupying a line from first to last on close to four hundred feet.  The inaugural report noted with pride,The 16th of April 1853 was,and would long continue to be one of the most memorable days,if not the most memorable day,in the annals of British India.