The recent massacre of paramilitary personnel in hands of Naxal Insurgents has brought forward certain basic flaws in our system. There is also a strong reason to believe that our security set up is nothing but a crisis management infrastructure. The comments of Union Home Minister are well understood but he has a lot of work to be done and begin from the basics. 
An incident worth a debate has happened at Delhi Airport on Wednesday when eight serving Indian Army officers, all in uniform with their identity cards, led by a Major General were denied entry in the Airport by the CISF (Central Industrial Security Force). The officers were there to receive the bodies of Captain Devinder Singh and Naik Selva Kumar who died fighting the terrorists at Jammu & Kashmir. The officers also included a Brigadier, recipient of "Kirti Chakra", Nation's second highest gallantry award during peace time.
The officers as per Indian rules are not VIPs and thus, not allowed to enter without a valid ticket or special permission from the Ministry.Now interestingly, following individuals are allowed to enter the Airports as VIPs:
Imagine the kind of impression it would have created among people at the Airport watching these highly decorated soldiers not even allowed to enter a premises of their own country and that too for security reasons.
Rorke's Drift hero's grave lies in ruins
Last resting place of soldier portrayed by Michael Caine in 'Zulu'
lies mouldering and desecrated By Jonathan Owen
"The bravery of Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead during the defence of the mission stationat Rorke's Drift in the Zulu War of 1879 has come to symbolise courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
But 118 years after the death of this British hero– famously portrayed by Michael Caine in the film Zulu – his grave at Allahabad, India, lies in ruins – the headstone broken on the ground, surrounded by animal dung and overgrown grass.
For his gallantry at Rorke's Drift, Lt Bromhead, of the 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot (later the South Wales Borderers), was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration for valour – and one of a record 11 VCs awarded to the mission's defenders. He helped to command around 140 soldiers, of whom 36 were sick or injured, against about 4,500 Zulu warriors intent on destroying the post and killing the garrison. The battle raged for 12 hours before the Zulu attack was abandoned.
The citation for his VC stated: "Lt Bromhead shared the command of the defenders of the post with Lt JRM Chard of the Royal Engineers, setting a fine example and conducting himself with great gallantry in most trying circumstances."
Promoted to Major, Bromhead went on to serve in Burma during the 1880s before dying of typhoid at Camp Dabhaura, Allahabad, India on 9 February 1892.
Lord Roper, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary War Graves and Battlefields Heritage Group, said last night he would take urgent action to restore the resting place of one of Britain's best-known military heroes. "I will be contacting the British High Commission in Delhi to ask whether they can do anything about it. It is very sad that the grave of someone of such historic distinction is in such a condition," he said.
Brigadier David Bromhead, the great, great nephew of the Rorke's Drift hero said yesterday: "It's sad, and I hadn't realised it had got that bad. It doesn't surprise me, I'm afraid. Maybe it's a heartless thing to say, but you can't really blame anyone at that end – I suppose it's the inevitable result of the passing of time. I don't know quite how one deals with something like that, unless you employ someone to maintain it locally. I'll talk to the regiment about it to see what can be done."
The British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia (BACSA) confirmed that the matter has now been referred to the Indian army. Dr Rosie Llewellyn-Jones of BACSA said: "I am very confident that this grave will be restored in the very near future."
A point of view by Lt-Gen Harwant singh ( Retd ) on the Sukhna Scam
"On a piece of private land, adjacent to Army establishment (Corps HQ) at Sukhna, an educational institution was being planned. Law does not permit construction of any building within 1000 meters of a military installation. This law has been breached at innumerable places. At Badowal (near
At Sukhna the concerned builder had approached the military authorities for an NOC (no objection certificate) to raise an educational institution close to corps HQ on private piece of land. This was just to make sure that at a later stage the army may not obtain a stay or seek demolition of the buildings, through the courts. This request for NOC was turned down by the army for security reasons. In fact army never issues any such NOC. After some gap, concerned builder once more approached the military authorities, for an NOC and on its brochure had the picture of the present military secretary (Lt-Gen Avadesh Prakash) who was shown as the future director of the institute. Being in a key position as MS at army HQ, he pressurized those at Sukhna corps HQ to issue an NOC. Thus it makes a case of gross impropriety and violates the purpose of the law which ensures security of military installations. Equally those who relented to this pressure have become party to this misdemeanor, which included two generals and few other officers. Gen Avadesh Prakash is involved in a similar case at Ranikhet, where in addition there are allegations of misappropriation of regimental funds.
Command Headquarters at
Military draws its manpower from within the country, where moral standards have fallen, corruption is rampant and a climate of loot and plunder prevails right across the national landscape. The difference is that this fall in standards is unacceptable in the military. That is how military’s internal mechanism searches out cases of corruption, misdemeanor and misconduct etc, (liquor, ketchup, local purchase frauds, moral turpitude and Sukhna like cases, violators of civil rights etc types,) irrespective of the rank of the miscreant and apply to these the rigors of military law. It is not that every crook is caught. Some do manage to hoodwink the system but their number is minimal.
The process of application of Military Law has well defined set of rules and procedures and these cannot be short circuited without prejudicing the legal position. No senior commanders in the chain of command is expected to show undue interest is a case while under investigation and being dealt with at the lower level. Military’s justice system is not only prompt but eminently fair and this is borne by the fact that not more than 4 to 5 % of the military’s cases are reversed by the high courts/supreme court and that percentage is far less than judgments of lower courts reversed by the higher judiciary
The RM and the media ought to be aware of this. Therefore, RM’s, summoning the Army Chief and telling him that severe disciplinary action ( in the interest of morale of the army etc ) should be taken against officers involved in Sukhna and Ranikhet cases, tend to subvert the military’s legal system. Eastern Army Commander is known for his sense of propriety, probity and fairness. It was best to have left the case to his judgment at that stage. What, if the President of India was to call upon the Chief Justice of India to dole out severe punishment in a particular case or take a lenient view! Now that the case has comes up before the Army Chief and the RM, they can .do whatever is proper: keeping in focus the evidence on record, nature of the case and army commander’s recommendations.
Nor should the RM try to link this need for action against these officers with the morale of troops. Morale is an area and domain entirely the province of the Army Chief and his officers. What one expected the RM to do, if he wanted to make morale of troops and officers his concern as well, was to look carefully at the, distortions and disparities brought about by the Sixth Pay Commission, as these relate to the defence services and which have adversely impacted the morale of troops and veterans and not left this vital issue in the hands of the bureaucrats, who in the first place are the ones to bring about the distortions. In this important area of his direct concern, the RM has singularly failed.
Handing over the case to the CBI will achieve double purpose. One, it will put it on a long drive. Two, it will not be possible to build a legal case against the officer (s) under the civil law, for what they did.
Military does take prompt disciplinary action against offenders, when and where they are detected, irrespective of the rank. But do look at the MoD, which oversees the military. Bhatnagar, as the defence secretary was charge sheeted by the CBI in the Bofors case and instead of taking legal action against him, he was moved as Lt-Governor to Sikkim, placing him beyond the reach of the Indian Law. Another defence secretary, Ajit Kumar was indicted by the
So it is best to leave the army to deal with such cases. Media, both print and electronic, whatever its compulsions, should refrain from sensationalizing such cases, for they serve no useful purpose except highlight its own naivety. Now that we are on this subject of dealing with such cases, the media may as well tell us what action has been taken against all those officers of the MoD, involved in the Tehelka Sting Operation. Additional secretary who took a gold chain from the Tehelka team was promoted, because, we are told, and hold your breath, he did not take the chain home but kept it in the safe in his office! While all the army officers involved in the case were dealt with without delay, interference by civil courts not with standing. One of then ending up behind bars and others faced various degrees of disciplinary actions. In one case a general officer was merely entertained to a dinner by the Tehlka Team and that was enough to end, his otherwise bright career.
THE END"
SIDE VIEW: BROKEN MEMORIAL (GRAVE) OF MAJOR GONVILLE BROMHEAD,VC ALONG WITH THE REGIMENTAL MEMORIAL OF SOUTH WALES BORDERERS
BACK VIEW
CLOSE VIEW
This write up has been received by me via mail from a good friend of mine. The contents are quite interesting and deserves at least one reading....Dear All
I have been busy with my professional commitments off late; due to which, not enough time is being left for blogging. Although, I have been trying hard to make it, but would surely take some time. However, It would be my sincere effort to keep you updated from time to time.
Apropos my last write up on Naik Kirpa Ram, an amendment on "The Background of Naik Kirpa Ram" has been made on 08/12/2009 as it could not be verified earlier. The text is an original work of Ashok Nath which was given to DNW medal auctions 02 Dec 2009.
I thank Mr. Ashok Nath for his personal feedback on this subject.
