Archive for the ‘Opinions & Articles’ Category
Friday, February 22nd, 2008 |
From: The Tribune Chandigarh by Harwant Singh
THERE are strange and yet compelling bonds that bind together troops and their officers. Perhaps these are born out of shared experiences of hardships, dangers and risks, putting shoulders to the wheel, winning a well-contested match and the joys of camaraderie and espirit-de-corps. Equally, bonds are cemented through pranks and digs at each other or simply a hearty laugh at an absurd situation.
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Monday, February 11th, 2008 |
Our lives are filled with everyday questions of fact and factors contributing to our career success. Success can be attributed to our measure of comfort zone we wish to live in. Therefore success depends on our upbringing, education, acquiring skills , hard work, determination or just our good luck. Well truly it is our overdrive to maintain the steam of life under full pressure. Success in life is integration of many factors, which is generally gauged in one’s financial ability or his net worth.
However the fundamental questions of our lives is neither question of fact or career graph or financial strength. The fundamental issues of life are those questions which affect every aspect of our life. What is that gives genuine meaning to human values? What things are reallyworth striving for? What is that makes life worth living for? Are
there values that transcend cultural differences or nationalities?
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Sunday, February 10th, 2008 |
His General Officer Commanding (GOC, Maj Gen I K Verma, 9 G R) was only grievously wounded by the militants in J&K, but Jagwant was killed. Remember him tearing down the Rajapath in his open jeep on Republic Day ’80. Ramrod straight in his starched and stiff trousers, wouldn’t sit down on the co-driver’s seat lest they crease for the PM’s homage to the Unknown Soldier, at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, under the India Gate! Regular Second Third breed, well known for their immaculate turn out over the decades. Rose from the ranks to do Staff College, commanded the Battalion, was nominated for Higher Command course, after completing which he went and got himself shot, just like that, chasing militants in the Valley. Jayant was also one of the same. More on him later.
That Republic Day, I was on duty at the India Gate checkpoint. It was bright, crisp and sunny, also rather nippy whenever the North-wind in whispery gusts, chilling the bones, under the Ceremonial SD & Sam Browne, some what. The sun still got in the way despite the, repeatedly adjustment of the cockiness of the Regimental Gorkha Hat. The Regimental Burhos, who had come all the way from the remote fastness of Nepal’s high altitude interiors like Char Hajar Parbat, Gulmi & Pokhra.. etc, were eagerly awaiting the mechanized columns to come rolling by. Many of the still keen-kumar-types, were in their perches since 5 AM! Cuckoo, Manju & the rest of the 2/3rd families were sitting quite comfy in the special enclosure right at the foot of one for the President. They, indeed had the grand stand view!
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Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 |
by Maj-Gen G.G. Dwivedi
The Tribune, Chandigarh
IT was past midnight. Feeling restless, I came out of the operations room. What could be happening hundred-odd km away made me perspire.
The moment of reckoning was nearing. It was the culmination of 16 months of a relentless offensive to clear South Manipur of insurgents.
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Saturday, January 19th, 2008 |
He was six foot one, ram-rod straight, partially bald, and heavily mustachio-ed, every inch a Guardsman, every inch the lay-man’s picture-book soldier. His eyes lit up the moment he saw her. Tall, aquiline features, high cheek-bones, wheat-ish-fair, bob-haired, large brown eyes, and that un-mistakable flutter of the eyelashes that gives a lady away; and the jet black chiffon hipster confirmed it all, he thought.
Hastily gulping the remnant of the first tot of rakshi that he was nursing, the soldierly-gentleman took off the large blood-red carnation that he was wearing on the lapel of his jacket, and in one effervescent gush of gallant affection, blurted out to the little boy hanging on to the lady; “ Here young man this is for you; actually I would like to give it to your mother , but protocol does not permit that ; therefore you keep this flower from my side.”
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