Our Hero

Sunder · 12-08-2006, 10:50 PM

Got this by mail. (am posting it as is, with the typos et al.)

______________________________________________________________

Star versus 'Star'

The body of Major Manish Pitambare, who was shot dead at Anantnag, was cremated with full military honours at Thane on Wednesday

On Tuesday a news swept across all the news channels 'Sanjay Datt relieved by the court'. 'Sirf Munna Not a bhai' '13 saal ka vanvaas khatam' 'alhough found guilty for possession of armory, Sanjay can breath sigh of relief as all the TADA charges against him are withdrawn'

And then many experts like Salman khan saying 'He is a good person. We knew he will come out clean' Mr. Big B 'Datt family and our family have relations for years he's a good kid. He is like elder brother to abhishek'. His sister priya Datt 'we can sleep well tonight it's a great relief'

In other news, Parliament was mad at Indian team for performing bad; Greg chapel said something..; Bomb scare in gorakhpoor express; and Shah Rukh Khan replaces Big B in KBC and Sonia asked PM to consider reducing petroleum prices (I wonder who's the PM anyways that is not the topic so leave it) But most of the emphasis was given on Sanjay Datt's "phoenix like" comeback from the ashes of terrorist charges.

Surfing through the channels, one news on BBC startled me, it read, Hisbul Mujahidin's Most wanted terrorist 'Sohel Faisal' killed in anantnag, India. Indian Major leading the operation lost his life in the process. Four others are injured.

It was past midnight, I started visiting the Indian channels, the ones who are 'Sabse TEZ', but Sanjubaba was still ruling . They were telling How Sanjubaba pleaded to the court saying 'I am the sole bread earner for my family' 'I have a daughter who is studying in US who will look after her'. And then they showed how sanjubaba was not wearing his lucky blue shirt while he was hearing the verdict. Also how he went to every temple and prayed for last some months. A suspect in Mumbai bomb blasts, convicted under armory act..was being made into a hero.

Sure Sanjubaba has a daughter; sure sanjubaba did not do any terrorist thing as in bombing some place or hijacking an airplane etc. Possessing an AK47 is considered too elementary in terrorist community and also one who possesses an AK47 has a right to possess a pistol so that again is not such a big crime; Sure sanjubaba went to all the temples; Sure he did a lot of gandhigiri but then.., people please read on.

Major Manish H Pitambare got the information from his sources about the terrorists' whereabouts. Wasting no time he attacked the camp killed the Hisbul mujahidin's suprimo and in the process lost his life.. To the bullets fired from an AK47

He has a wife and a daughter (just like sanjubaba), age ..18 months.

Major Manish never said 'I have a daughter' before he took the decision to attack the terrorist hide out in the darkest of nights?

He never thought about having a family and he being the bread earner

No news channel covered this since they were too busy hyping a former drug addict, an actor in real and reel life, a suspect who's linked to bomb blasts which killed hundreds. Their aim was to show how he defied the TADA charges and they were so successful that his conviction in possession of armory had no meaning. They also concluded that his parents in heaven must be happy and proud of him.

Parents of Major Pitambare are still on this earth and they have to live rest of their lives without their beloved son. His daughter won't ever see her papa again.

Definition of a Star has changed Major it really has. So sanjubaba always has a gun in every one of his movies then in real life if he has an AK47 then what's the big deal we are used to see him with some ammunition without it he's just a 49yr old hero so he did it for us..so that we feel normal;

Even if one of the bullets from one of such AK47's took a Real Star's life.

Finally Sir, to my generation there is no greater hero than one who laid his life in the name of this great nation. Hence Sir, I salute you. You are the real Star, Vande mataram.

12-09-2006, 01:15 AM

Dear Friends,

Lt.Nawang was born in December 1975 ,
This year we are putting up a Memorial Stone at Mahim Nature Udyan .

We get together , for a small function in memory of Lt.Nawang ,

On Sunday 10th December 2006.
between 10 and 11.30 a.m.

at :Maharashtra ( Mahim )Nature Udyan ,
Dharavi Sion Link Rd
opposite Dharavi Bus Depot

Please , join us on Sunday .

Geeta , Harish ,
Charu, Sonam, and Ayee.
If any1 is near Dharavi or any1 u know there, pl join Lt. Nawang's memorial.

12-09-2006, 01:37 AM

QUOTEFinally Sir, to my generation there is no greater hero than one who laid his life in the name of this great nation. Hence Sir, I salute you. You are the real Star, Vande mataram.

Yes sir, we salute you !! Another obit for Major Pitambare..

http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/nov/28obit.htm

QUOTEI was very proud of him, and envious of him. Envious because, as a kid I wanted to join the Armed Forces, but could not do so because of my polio-affected left hand. As a small kid, I always thought that God was cruel to me for he had stopped me from serving my motherland directly and in the noblest manner.

Manish was a brave officer, always leading his team from the front. I think he was 1975-born, and he was already a Major in the Army. When I last met him a few years ago, he was posted in Kashmir ï¿½ I asked him why don't you take a transfer outside Kashmir. He said his country needs him the most there. I again felt proud and envious of him.

12-14-2006, 10:17 PM

I recently received this letter in email and I have to admit it was a very sad experience to read it.
I would like to explore what is the opinion held by my fellow Indians in how the situation that Saurav and his troops found themselves in should be handled by Indian army and Indian Govt.

-Digvijay

--------------------------------------------------

From: kamal deep
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2006 10:05:23 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Fwd: [ INDIAN ARMY.....it really needs ur attention!!!!]]

Dear Sir/Madam,

SPARE 5-MINUTES from ur busy schedule ...PLEASE !!!
Lt. Saurabh Kalia of 4 JAT Regiment of the Indian Army laid down his
life at the young age of 22 for the nation while guarding the
frontiers at Kargil.
His parents, indeed the Indian Army and nation itself,
lost a dedicated, honest and brave son.
He was the first officer to detect and inform about
Pakistani intrusion. Pakistan captured him and his patrol party of 5
brave men alive on May 15, 1999 from the Indian side of LOC.
They were kept in captivity for three weeks and
subjected to unprecedented brutal torture, evident from their bodies handed over
by Pakistan Army on June 9, 1999.
The Pakistanis indulged in dastardly acts of inflicting burns on these Indian officers with cigarettes, piercing their ears with hot rods, removing their eyes before puncturing them and breaking most of the bones and teeth.
They even chopped off various limbs and private organs of the Indian soldiers besides inflicting unimaginable physical and mental torture.

After 22 days of torture, the brave soldiers were ultimately shot dead. A detailed post-mortem report is with the Indian Army. Pakistan dared to humiliate India this way flouting all international norms.
They proved the extent to which they can degrade humanity. However, the Indian soldiers did not break while undergoing all this unimaginable barbarism, which speaks volumes of their patriotism, grit, determination, tenacity and valour - something all of India should be proud of.
Sacrificing oneself for the nation is an honour every soldier would be proud of, but no parent, army or nation can accept what happened to these brave sons of India . I am afraid every parent may think twice to send their child in the armed forces if we all fall short of our duty in safeguarding the PRISONERS OF WAR AND LET THEM MEET THE FATE OF LT.SAURABH KALIA.
It may also send a demoralising signal to the army personnel fighting for the Nation that our POWs in Pak cannot be taken care of. It is a matter of shame and disgust that most of Indian Human Rights Organisations by and large, showed apathy in this matter.

Through this humble submission, may I appeal to all the civilized people irrespective of colour, caste, region, religion and political lineage to stir their conscience and rise to take this as a NATIONAL ISSUE !!!
International Human Rights Organizations must be approached to expose and pressure Pakistan to identify, book and punish all those who perpetrated this heinous crime to our men in uniform.
If Pakistan is allowed to go unpunished in this case, we can only imagine the consequences.
Below is the list of 5 other soldiers who preferred to die for the country rather than open their mouths in front of enemy -

1. Sep. Arjun Ram s/o Sh. Chokka Ram; Village & PO
Gudi. Teh. & Dist.
Nagaur, (Rajasthan)

2. Sep. Bhanwar Lal Bagaria h/o Smt. Santosh Devi;
Village Sivelara;Teh.&
Dist.Sikar (Rajasthan)
3. Sep. Bhikaram h/o Smt. Bhawri Devi; Village
Patasar; Teh.
Pachpatva;Distt.Barmer (Rajasthan)

4. Sep. Moola Ram h/o Smt. Rameshwari Devi; Village
Katori; Teh. Jayal;Dist.
Nagaur(Rajasthan)

5. Sep. Naresh Singh h/o Smt. Kalpana Devi; Village
Chhoti Tallam;
Teh.Iglab; Dist.Aligarh (UP)

Yours truly,
Dr. N.K. Kalia (Lt. Saurabh Kalia's father).
Saurabh Nagar,
Palampur-176061
Himachal Pradesh
Tel: +91 (01894) 3xxxx

12-17-2006, 03:04 AM

came in via email

QUOTEIN THE LINE OF FIREâ¦ REALLY WORTH READING!!!

Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the
air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi express could not cool his
frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to
air travel. It was not the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason
with the admin person, it was the savings in time. As PM, he had so
many things to do. He opened his case and took out the laptop,
determined to put the time to some good use.

"Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was
staring appreciatively at the laptop.

Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop
nowÂ with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive
car.

"You people have brought so much advancement to the country sir. Today
everything is getting computerized."

"Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look.

He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young
and stocky like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of
place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep
school. He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his
free traveling pass.

"You people always amaze me," the man continued, "You sit in an office
and write something on a computer and it does so many big things
outside."

Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naivety demanded reasoning not anger. "It
is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of
writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it."
For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software
Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement.
"It is complex, very complex."

"It has to be.Â No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply.

This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence
came into his so far affable, persuasive tone.

"Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we
have to put in.Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work.Â Just
because we sit in an air-conditioned office does not mean our brows do
not sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe
me that is no less taxing."

He had the man where he wanted him and it was time to drive home the point.

"Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway
reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket
between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized
booking centres across the country. Thousands of transactions
accessing a single database, at a time concurrency; data integrity,
locking, data security. Do you understand the complexity in designing
and coding such a system?"

The man was stuck with amazement, like a child at a planetarium. This
was something big and beyond his imagination. "You design and code
such things."

"I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "But now I am the Project Manager,"

"Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, "so your life
is easy now."

It was like being told the fire was better than the frying pan. The
man had to be given a feel of the heat.

"Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder.
Responsibility only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the
easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and
believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done
in time and with the highest quality. To tell you about the pressures,
there is the customer at one end always changing his requirements, the
user wanting something else and your boss always expecting you to have
finished it yesterday."

Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with
self-realisation. What he had said, was not merely the outburst of a
wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while
defending the truth. "My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you
don't know what it is to be in the line of fire."

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization.
When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that
surprised Vivek.

"I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire," He was
staring blankly as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast
expanse of time.

"There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the
cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no
knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In
the morning when we finally hoisted the tricolour at the top only 4 of
us were alive."

"You are a..."

"I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in
Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a land
assignment. But tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it
makes life easier. On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues
lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding
behind a bunker. It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to
safety."
"But my captain refused me permission and went ahead himself. He said
thatÂ the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put
the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety
and welfare of the men he commanded."
"His own personal safety came last, always and every time. He was
killed as he shielded that soldier into the bunker. Every morning now,
as I stand guard I can see him taking all those bullets, which were
actually meant for me. I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line
of fire."

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of his reply. Abruptly he
switched off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a
word document in the presence of a man for whom valour and duty was a
daily part of life; a valour and sense of duty which he had so far
attributed only to epical heroes.

The train slowed down as it pulled into the station and Subedar
Sushant picked up his bags to alight.

"It was nice meeting you sir."

Vivek fumbled with the handshake. This hand had climbed mountains,
pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tricolour. Suddenly as if by
impulse,he stood at attention and his right hand went up in an
impromptu salute. It was the least he felt he could do for the
country.

PS: The incident he narrates during the capture of Peak 4875 is a
true-life incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his
life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was
within sight. For this and his various other acts of bravery he was
awarded the Param Vir Chakra the nation's highest military award.

Live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn!

Winners are too busy to be sad, too positive to be doubtful, too
optimistic to be fearful and too determined to be defeated!

12-17-2006, 09:09 PM

Many thanks for sharing this email with us !

Simply....elevating....

12-22-2006, 09:20 PM

QUOTEVote for him, for what it's worth , who die for an uncaring country.

xx
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: 22-Dec-2006 14:07
Subject: Re: vote for Veer Major Manish Pitambare
To: colonelrajan srinivas <colonelrajan@...>

Done. I salute my brave fellow countryman.

Dr. xxxxx

On 22 Dec 2006 13:40:13 -0000, colonelrajan< colonelrajan@...> wrote:
Dear Friends,Indians and Countrymen,
I request all of you to vote for as the NDTV Indian of the year 2006. Please visit the following link and vote :

http://www.ndtv.com/indian/default.asp

Major Manish Pitambare of 3 PARA Battalion died from injuries he received during an operation, in which he killed the Hizbul's most wanted commander Suhail Faisal in J&K.
Please devote a minute and vote for the brave Army Officer who laid down his life for THE NATION . 

Pass on this message to your friends.
Regards,

Colonel SS Rajan,
....
Shankarpuram, Basavanagudi,
Bangalore-560004
Tele No.91-80-.............

Bodhi · (This post was last modified: 10-03-2007, 11:46 AM by Bodhi.)

often forgetten or shadowed fact is that 2-October is also the Jayanti of Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Anil Shastri remembers his father, in Jagran. couple of the tales he told, translated below.

Our Babuji (Shastriji) was in jail. Lala Lajpat Rai who was wealthy, had arranged to send some money every month to the freedom fighters families whose bread-earners were in jail, and he used to send 50 Rs every month to our mother too. Once when we went to meet our babuji in jail, babuji asked mother, whether she was able to make-do. She replied that she was able to manage in 40 Rs and kept 10 Rs for some cotingency. Upon this, babuji immediately wrote to Lalaji, to only send Rs 40 to us as that much was sufficent, and made sure we received only that much.

Other occasion. After Sardar Patel, Shastriji was the home minister. His stature was the tallest in the politics, besides Nehruji. We used to go to school in Delhi on a Tanga, whereas the children of home ministry officials and police officers used to come in motor cars. We asked our mother to ask Babuji to send us in the car too. When the matter came up before him, he arranged the car, and asked his secretary to make arrangements to deduct the money from his salary at the rate of howmuch it would cost for a private car. And even then, he was not satisfied. The very next day before we left for the school, he called us. He said, he could only afford a car for us temporarily, as he was a minister in the cabinet. There is no guarantee that this would be the case always, and they might have to return to Tanga if he could not afford it in future. Shifting from car to Tanga would be difficult. He convinced us that Tanga is what we could really afford, but left the choice to us. Finally we on our own decided to go to school in Tanga, and never used the motor car to go to school.

10-05-2007, 10:57 PM

The whole family is dedicated to saving India. His father, himself an ex-service man, says he will advise his grandson also to enter the service! My humble gratitude to the whole family!

http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/05/stories/...871400.htm

NEW DELHI: The cargo area at Palam airport here bore a sombre look on Thursday with the aggrieved family members of Major D. Raghu Raman awaiting the arrival of his body from Srinagar.

Major Raghu Raman and his colleague Major P. Vinay were killed on Wednesday during a gunbattle with militants at Tangmarg.

âI am an ex-serviceman and very proud of my son, who laid down his life for the country. That is all I can say,â said S.K. Murthy, father of Major Raghu Raman. He said Major Ramanâs wife was six months pregnant.

The Majorâs sister, a Lieutenant-Surgeon with the Navy, was also present.The family members, accompanied by friends, were escorted inside the airport, where the bodies were accorded a ceremonial salute by officers from Major Raghu Ramanâs unit. Major Vinayâs body was air-lifted to his hometown Hyderabad.

Major Raghu Raman hailed from Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. Commissioned in 1999, he was assigned to the 19 Jat Regiment. Major Vinay, who was also commissioned in 1999, belonged to the 37 Med Regiment.

Both officers led from the front during the encounter, in which nine militants were killed. While Major Vinay died on the spot, Major Raghu Raman and three injured soldiers died in the hospital.

10-08-2007, 07:20 PM

Just placing a copy of this in what I think is the correct thread.
QUOTE(Sadamarshna @ Oct 5 2007, 10:57 PM)The whole family is dedicated to saving India. His father, himself an ex-service man, says he will advise his grandson also to enter the service! My humble gratitude to the whole family!

http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/05/stories/...871400.htm

NEW DELHI: The cargo area at Palam airport here bore a sombre look on Thursday with the aggrieved family members of Major D. Raghu Raman awaiting the arrival of his body from Srinagar.

Major Raghu Raman and his colleague Major P. Vinay were killed on Wednesday during a gunbattle with militants at Tangmarg.

âI am an ex-serviceman and very proud of my son, who laid down his life for the country. That is all I can say,â said S.K. Murthy, father of Major Raghu Raman. He said Major Ramanâs wife was six months pregnant.

The Majorâs sister, a Lieutenant-Surgeon with the Navy, was also present.The family members, accompanied by friends, were escorted inside the airport, where the bodies were accorded a ceremonial salute by officers from Major Raghu Ramanâs unit. Major Vinayâs body was air-lifted to his hometown Hyderabad.

Major Raghu Raman hailed from Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. Commissioned in 1999, he was assigned to the 19 Jat Regiment. Major Vinay, who was also commissioned in 1999, belonged to the 37 Med Regiment.

Both officers led from the front during the encounter, in which nine militants were killed. While Major Vinay died on the spot, Major Raghu Raman and three injured soldiers died in the hospital.
[right][snapback]73931[/snapback][/right]

01-29-2008, 01:02 AM

Day after getting award, Capt dies fighting militantsQUOTENew Delhi: Twenty-four hours after he was decorated with Sena Medal for gallantry, an Army officer was killed in a gun battle with militants near Tinsukia in Assam on Sunday.

Capt S K Choudhary received the Sena Medal for his courage during a gun battle with militants in Jammu and Kashmir killing two last year.

Twenty-seven-year-old Choudhary perished after killing two ULFA militants and wounding a third in a raid, said an Army spokesman.

Based on a tip off, Army's Gorkha regiment raided Mechaki forest area at Hankhati where the militants, including hardcore ULFA rebel Joond Bhuyan, involved in serveal heinous crimes, were sheltered.

As the Army troops approached, the militants opened fire triggering a heavy exchange of fire, which continued for nearly an hour.

Now India's PM Moron Singh can give reward to jihadist and his kin for killing decorated Army Officer.

06-10-2008, 10:49 PM

The loyal Indian soldier stands alone

Bodhi · 07-24-2008, 10:11 AM

Saluting Sam Bahadur 
Tarun Vijay

Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw was the name of the hero India saluted. He died at the age of 94 at Wellington early last Friday. The only Indians who didnât mourn were the people in the UPA government.

Itâs still unbelievable that a government formed by Indians would be so rude and indifferent to the greatest military leader India has produced post-independence, to use the words of former army chief General V.P. Malik. Rare are the heroes of a nation admired by commoners as their idol, inspiration and icon. Manekshaw was one such hero India always looked up to with pride and excitement. A government that decided to lower the national flag for three days as a mark of mourning when the Pope died didnât send its defence minister to attend the funeral of Field Marshall Manekshaw; nor did it allow the other two service chiefs to attend.

Manekshaw was the only living Field Marshal, was listed on the active list of army officers as number one and hence drew a full salary. He participated in action in the Second World War, in the 1947 war with Pakistan, the â62 war with China, and the Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971. Manekshaw received the Military Cross, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. Above all, he provided hope when light was dimming and courage when disillusionment was setting in. He was utterly contemptuous of politicians and often spoke fearing no one. He was proven right about them. The Field Marshall became a legend, leaving behind the dwarves occupying South Block as dustbin material for history.

A nation that canât honour its heroes canât produce them either. A Bharat Ratna canât be given to persons like Manekshaw. In fact till this date no soldier has been given the highest award though they won four wars for us. We hardly see a politician whose child is serving in the forces. If you know some, kindly pass on the information to me.

The people ruling the nation today are infested with a slavish mentality â taking orders sheepishly and trying to preserve their wealth and position. History will do justice. Itâs not wealth and power, but grit and spine that matters ultimately. Sam Bahadur, as Gen. Manekshaw was affectionately known, had both in abundance. The leaders who chose to stay away from giving a last salute to this brave man one last time may have huge money but thatâs not a factor to give them a place in history and public memory. They die a double death, one of the body and the other of infamy. Their system orders the national flag to be lowered for a third-rate corrupt politician, but the nationâs bravest man was denied the honour because some bureaucrats in the defence ministry looked at Sam just like another career officer ranked at par with the Cabinet Secretary, hence undeserving of an official national mourning. The heavens would not have fallen if the President and Prime Minister had attended the last rites of our Field Marshall. But chained to 10 Janpath, the smallness couldnât rise to the Himalayan call of duty. The government failed but the nation rose to say: âSam Bahadur Zindabad.â

When Nehruâs two protÃ©gÃ©s, V.K. Krishna Menon and Gen B.M. Kaul, failed the nation during the 1947 war (remember the infamous jeep scandal involving Menon?) and after the 1962 defeat at the hands of the Chinese, Maneksahw was called to take command of the eastern sector. His first order was: âNo more withdrawals, march to the posts and recapture.â This re-energised the demoralised troops but both Kaul and Menon tried their best to make life hell for the brave Manekshaw, though they couldnât succeed beyond a point. I was told by a senior military officer that they also instituted an inquiry against him for committing âanti-national activitiesâ when Manekshaw replaced the name of a Gandhi Hall with Sardar Patelâs at Wellington (though there are other more interesting stories for that inquiry having been set up).

Fighting on the Burma front against the Japanese in 1942, Manekshaw was almost pronounced dead when brought to Rangoon hospital with nine bullets in the lung, liver and kidneys. The military surgeon was reluctant to operate seeing the hopeless condition even though Sam was just about conscious. The surgeon asked what had happened to him. Sam replied: âOh, a donkey kicked.â The surgeon decided that if a soldier could have such a sense of humour at that critical hour, he must operate to save him. Sam survived and rose to become Indiaâs eighth army chief.

He led India to glory in 1971 when after many centuries our soldiers decisively defeated a foreign force and ensured its complete surrender. Able lieutenants always assist a leader, but the credit should always go to the commanding abilities of the captain. Sam had great colleagues in Lt. Gen. JFR Jacob and Lt. Gen J.S. Aurora. Yet it was his leadership that won the day for us.

Manekshaw was outspoken. He literally refused to take Indira Gandhiâs orders and finally had the cabinet accept his timing on when to declare war. At the height of his popularity Indira Gandhi feared he might take over in a military coup, but he assured her that he didnât have such ambitions.

After retirement Manekshaw was denied the honours usually given to a Field Marshall. No assistant, no bungalow and staff car and no emoluments befitting his rank. Only last year when he was in military hospital, the old dues were restored and a cheque of Rs 1.6 crore presented to him covering all his past dues. But to what avail?

He was a true Parsi. The story goes that when the Parsis landed in India a thousand years ago driven out of their land, Iran, by Muslim rulers, they prayed for shelter in the Hindu kingdom of Jadu Rana in Gujarat. The king offered a jar of milk filled to the brim and the Parsis returned the jar after adding sugar to it indicating they would be part of the larger society as a contributing, sweetening factor and not as an alien segment demanding extra space. And they proved it too.

During the framing of the Constitution Parsis were offered special status as minorities but politely refused. They have contributed greatly to the national wealth, pride and valour. Dadabhai Naoroji, Jamshetji Tata, Madam Bhikaji Cama, Ardeshir Godrej, Homi Jehagir Bhabha and Nani Palkivala are among the best who have added to the glory of their adopted nation without ever asking for anything special in return. Manekshaw was one of the greatest gems among them, nay among us all. Recently, a book by Bakhtiar K. Dadabhoy titled Sugar In Milk (Rupa publications) has admiringly presented the great lives of 12 eminent Parsis, which I recommend as a must-read.

Honouring Manekshaw doesnât mean he was an angel incarnate. But he was a man with a capital âMâ. He had weaknesses and an officerâs arrogance. But who among us and among the âworshipped tall deitiesâ comes without their share of such points. Any dearth of tall men with feet of clay? But the primary driving force to bestow honours on men and women has always been their principal achievements and conduct. Manekshaw too should be judged on his greater contribution to national life. In our daily lives we see ordinary people doing great deeds and becoming extraordinary. The nation must learn to appreciate them and bow her head before such people.

Such acts alone enliven a civilisation and provide oxygen to grow. Every nation worth her name does that. The body of the lone officer to die in the Entebbe operation was received at the airport by the Israeli Prime Minister. The British monarchy and the democratic government take the greatest pride in honouring their soldiers and so do other nations who have a soul. Heroes are always beyond the regime of bureaucratic protocol but this can be understood only by those who have their own mind to decide and do not follow othersâ diktats. In India, soldiers are treated second rate, their prestige is often mocked at and their fate is decided by the IAS babus who have earned notoriety for reasons other than providing a clean administration and efficient governance. Hence joining the forces is no longer a matter of pride and preference, see the number of vacancies the forces have now. When the ugly politicians look down on patriotism and honour of the soldier, we see heroes laid to rest unsung and soldiers committing suicide.

This is the government which has put up special instruction boards at airports authorising free access to a gentleman belonging to the royal family to pass security gates without frisked, for reasons not unknown, but has denied that privilege to army chiefs, who are entrusted with defending our nation. This government has also another dubious distinction of having been returned the bravery medals awarded posthumously to security personnel who died fighting the jihadis while protecting Parliament and the MPs sitting inside it. The medals were returned because the parents of these armymen were stunned to see the rulers protecting the attacker, Afzal Guru. They regarded this as an insult to their brave children who had laid down their lives fighting Afzal for the sake of the nation.

The government also refused to celebrate the Pokharan-II blast anniversary as it thought the day eulogises the Vajpayee government. Pokharan made the nation proud but the government of the day didnât want to share that elation. There is no more a Kargil victory day celebration and the level of Vijay Diwas, celebrated on December 16 each year to commemorate the 1971 victory, has also been drastically scaled down. There is not a single Victory Memorial worth its glory dedicated to the Indian soldiersâ bravery. The Jai Jawan Jyoti lies under the shadow of a memorial erected by the colonial masters in honour of those who fought for their empire and not for Indian freedom. And the British memorial is so gigantic and overpowering that it literally dwarfs the small memorial lit for the Indian national heroes.

The politicians ruling our nation have myopic dreams and a shrunk vision for the great land called India but huge manoeuvring power and insatiable greed for their personal empowerment. Hence their houses are clean and ostentatious, but public hospitals stink, railway platforms are dirty and airports look like anemic bodies dating back to the 1950s famine. Policies are not people-oriented but commission-driven. Any surprise if the Manekshaws are ignored and traitors of the 1962 war honoured?

http://tarunvijay.org/2008/07/saluting-sam-bahadur/

dhu · 08-01-2008, 01:52 PM

Hundreds turned up to pay their last respects to jawan Ajit Gaokar, who died in the recent exchange of fire between India and Pakistan at the Line of Control at Rajouri in Jammu, and was cremated with full military honours in Mumbai on Thursday. Images

<img src='http://im.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/31sld1.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

<img src='http://im.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/31sld4.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

<img src='http://im.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/31sld6.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

Bodhi · 12-04-2008, 08:31 AM

OPEN LETTER TO MR. UNNIKRISHNAN

Dear Mr. Unnikrishnan,

You do not know me but I owe you a great debt. It sits on my shoulder like the body of a much loved brother, it shrouds my heart and casts a pall on all that I doâ¦.I know not how to repay you and that is my biggest agony. I see you as you speak to the media without a quaver in your voice, I see your wife with a broken heart and I am lashed with a pain that has no voice. Your son died saving my son and it weighs me downâ¦speak to me and ask for something in returnâ¦I will give you my blood and the very marrow from my bone! Forgive me as I am the cause of your brilliant son fadingâ¦I did not see the enemy neither did I recognize it and when it attacked me with the ferocity of a thousand lions, I could only run and try to hide. I left the battle to your son and he has gone to the soldier's paradise. He has done his duty and asked for nothing and I am cursed.

I am cursed as I lie at night wrestling with sleep as images of the dead and dying call out to me. I am cursed when I see the beautiful face of your son. I am cursed when I look at the face of grief that is your wife. I look at my sleeping son lying safe in his bed and I am overwhelmed. I cannot begin to imagine what courage it takes you to get up in the morning and face another day.

If it gives you any small iota of relief, let me tell you that it is the sacrifice of soldiers like your son which make me hold up my head high. It ignites a feeling of great self esteem and it is what makes me hopeful. If we have men like your son still left in India , then we will come into our own. These men show me a bright, shining vision of the future and make me a believer.Our fat, ugly, disillusioned sorry caricatures who are our politicians who suck out hope and glory and tarnish all that is good in our world fail in their task of destroying our faith.Men like Major Sandeep who live by their ideals unflinchingly are our saviours. We see them and recognize in them a pure spirit burning bright. They are our beaconsâ¦they shine forth like our star of hope and we can weather all storms.

Mr. Unnikrishnan, you are the exceedingly brave father of a lion among men. In your grief, know this that all Indians have seen him and his faith and his love for our countryâ¦in his death he has become immortal.

Death will come to us all. It will carry us away leaving only our loved ones sorrowfulâ¦your son's funeral has made a whole nation grief-stricken. It has made all Indians say a prayer for him and his family. It has made us sit up and has lit a fire under us. He singlehandedly silenced Mr. Raj Thackeray with his deed. This sorry politician's career is over before it beganâ¦the so-called leader of the Marathi hides his face at home when a soldier rams home his point in so direct a fashion. Raj Thackeray was cowering beneath his bed when "his" Mumbai was burning and the men in uniform fought and gave up their lives for an India they unite and protect. No talk, no rhetoric just a heroic fight to the finish!

Mr. Unnikrishnan, if we have more men like your son then India WILL become a superpower.

I salute you and your family.

An indebted Indian

12-12-2008, 08:13 PM

We'll be forever in your debt
<img src='http://im.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/09slid1.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
Rediff
QUOTEThe first thing you notice as you enter D B Marg police station in south Mumbai is the photograph of Tukaram G Omble, who died battling terrorists early on the morning of November 27.

The assistant police sub-inspector had grabbed a terrorist's AK-47 and did not let go even as six bullets ripped through him. Omble knew that if he let go his comrades would also die. His heroic action helped his colleagues kill one terrorist and nab the other -- Ajmal Qasab.

01-09-2009, 11:08 PM

He held off terrorists for four hours
QUOTEThe doctors have told Inspector Deepak Dole of the Colaba police station in south Mumbai to avoid sunlight and dust for at least three months. The reason: Large swathes of his skin, burnt by the fire started by terrorists in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, are peeling off.

New skin will grow, the doctors have assured Inspector Dole -- one of Mumbai's heroes who saved eight of his men's lives and held off the terrorists till the commandos arrived -- but he should not aggravate his condition.

Husky · (This post was last modified: 01-25-2009, 05:36 PM by Husky.)

More on Tukaram Omble.

http://rajeev2004.blogspot.com/2009/01/uns...aram-omble.html
QUOTEunsung hero: tukaram omble
jan 17th, 2009

amazing, nobody has heard of this man and his supreme sacrifice and bravery. he single handedly enabled us to catch the prize exhibit, the terrorist qasab, dying in the process. qasab has been singing like a canary under interrogation, much to india's benefit.

i guess that's because he's named tukaram. if he had been named abdul or thomas, we'd never hear the end of how brave he was. for instance, everybody went to town mourning some christist army captain from bangalore who was killed in j&k.

ibnlive.in.com/news/mumbai-hero-ombles-family-wants-police-reforms/81420-3.html
Posted by nizhal yoddha at 1/17/2009 08:12:00 AM 0 comments 
ibnlive.in.com/news/mumbai-hero-ombles-family-wants-police-reforms/81420-3.html
QUOTETRIBUTE TO OMBLE

Mumbai hero Omble's family wants police reforms

CNN-IBN

TimePublished on Sat, Dec 27, 2008 at 10:41, Updated on Sat, Dec 27, 2008 at 11:19 in Nation section

[photo caption:] WITH PRIDE: Tukaram Omble's brother (L) and daughter sit in front of his photograph in their home.

WITH PRIDE: Tukaram Omble

January 25, 2009

Mumbai: Assistant Sub Inspector with the DB Marg Police Station in south Mumbai Tukaram Ombleâs exceptionally bravery ensured that at least one terrorist of the Mumbai terror attack was caught alive.

Tukaram Omble fought Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab and his associate with just his lathi (stick) and fell to the terrorist's bullet but also ensured that most crucial link to prove Pakistan's involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack was in the custody of Indian security agencies.

Omble fell down after being shot at by a burst of fire from Kasab's AK47 while he fought to capture a terrorist with just a lathi in his hand on the night of November 26.

It was his courage that helped his team capture Kasab alive during the terror attack.

"The entire family is proud of him. His village, the police department and India are proud of his bravery," says Tukaram Omble's brother Eknath Omble.
(Sonia and christoislamis are unhappy that Qasab was caught. They wanted to pin the islamoterrorism on Hindus and use it take the Christo Inquisition to even more extreme lengths, but the heroism of Omble thwarted their intentions.
Dharmics, however, are grateful for Tukaram's bravery.)

But the sacrifice of this simple and caring man has left a void in the lives of his friends and family.

"When he returned from work, he brought my favourite cake for me. He gave it to me with his own hands," reveals his daughter Vaishali Omble.

But even in their grief, the family's main concern is that the attacks should not happen again.

"These types of terror strikes have happened too many times. Our policemen are being killed in these attacks and after every incident the government says it will modernise the police department. But after a few months the government forgets its promise," laments Eknath.

It is now for the nation to ensure that Omble's sacrifice does not go in vain.

~~Pandyan~~ · (This post was last modified: 01-25-2009, 02:03 PM by Pandyan.)

Sorry I forgot to post it here.

Dharmarakshaka Dara Singh

Summary from Husky's post

QUOTESummary - Graham Staines:
1. Was staying illegally in India on a long expired visa. That would make him a serious criminal in any country.
2. Was in illegal possession of a gun in India and fired several shots into a crowd
3. Was a rapist according to the witness of a convert to christianism
4. His character was that of a typically mean-spirited and spiteful christian: hateful about others' Gods and inciting his converts to attack Hindus.
5. Was indulging in illegal conversion activities, which the missionary organisation he was working for - it being a typical criminal=christian organisation - would not provide details of to the Indian courts investigating Staines' murder. So the courts had to obtain these from Staines' own dispatches.


QUOTEWhile Dara may a villain the eyes of the Christians, he is the hero of the majority community in the Mayurbhanj-Keonjhar belt where he is seen as the protector of faith.

And rightly so.

<img src='http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/7770/darasinghwc5.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

QUOTETukaram Omble fought Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab and his associate with just his lathi

This is why all bongross and other politicians should be tarred and feathered and paraded on a donkey. Cops don't even get a sidearm.

Husky · (This post was last modified: 01-25-2009, 06:03 PM by Husky.)

QUOTE(Pandyan @ Jan 25 2009, 12:57 PM)January 22nd was 10th anniversary of Dara Singh's heroic act.

Dharmarakshaka Dara Singh[right][snapback]93809[/snapback][/right]But what act was that Pandyan? Dara kept saying he was innocent and not even there in the first place (where and when Staines was burnt) AND the courts also had no actual evidence of his having done anything. And what they did have against Dara and his co-accused, the courts had to confess was "speculative evidence" that was "absolutely weak" - not anything they could hold them guilty for (they said the evidence against Dara was "of identical nature" to what they had against his co-accused).

The least Hindus can do is believe him when he says he is innocent.

Some relevant bits of what I'd posted:
QUOTE(Husky @ Nov 21 2008, 07:58 PM)Court Case against Dara Singh

What should interest every heathen however, is the following - excerpts from the actual news articles follow after:
1. Courts acquitted 11 of the 13 because said the courts "the nature of evidence is absolutely weak and on the basis of such speculative evidence, it is not possible to hold any of the accused guilty for criminal conspiracy". About Dara Singh, they said the evidence against him was the same! "Evidence against the accused including Dara Singh" were "of identical nature". Consequently, that "No justification is available from the evidence in record to single out Dara Singh for convicting him".
2. CBI investigation was seriously dubious:
Courts said âWe cannot accept the investigation to be an impartial oneâ about the way the prosecution (CBI) side conducted the investigation.
Courts noted that CBI had tortured at least one of the accused to get confessions.
Courts noted that the CBI had cheated in getting their eyewitness testimony: the courts essentially said the Test Identification parade was rigged by the Christian Bureau of Inquisition, CBI.

[...]

4. The CBI was not pleased when the lack of real evidence against Dara meant the courts overturned his death sentence and gave him life imprisonment instead. Because a dead Dara can't talk and a live Dara had something else to say. CBI tried to get the Supreme Court to go back on HC and give Dara a death sentence, on the grounds that it was a special case "because the motive was communal".
5. Most interestingly for a heathen reader, Dara Singh himself says he is innocent: that he was never at the scene, that his presence at the murder site was only *presumed* because the people who'd gathered there shouted their slogans in his name.
Next to that, he was not allowed to even speak to his lawyer or his brother thanks to christoterrorism having prevailed on his jailors. In his incarceration, Dara was fettered, not given any water or access to toilet facilities.Â He asked for free communication with the media, water and toilet facilities and to be released from the *shackles* on his feet.
[...]
[right][snapback]90473[/snapback][/right]
ADDED: The 'evidence':
http://www.christianaggression.org/item_di...S&id=1129761524
QUOTEPointing out loopholes in the evidence, the high court had said it was âriskyâ and âdangerousâ to convict so many accused on the basis of speculative evidence of a witness who did not disclose the matter to anyone except a CBI officer five months after the incident.

Dara is a hero (for protecting Hindus and cows), but not for what you were connecting him to: he did not murder Staines.

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