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Sandhya Rani answered the question Which are three most important women in your life?.
My mother, daughter and my maternal grandmother. i would like to add one more person to the list - My maternal aunt (My mother's younger sister). My mother, grandmother and aunt are three most powerful women whom I met in my life. Through the hardships they have faced, they were supported the family, took more responsibilities than they can and stood as backbone - financially, emotionally and everything. I have learnt a lot of things from these three, and try to impliment in my life as well. But my daughter is everything to me, my happiness. So she is also an important lady of my life.
9 years ago
Sandhya Rani created new question How to unsubscribe answers given by other members in Q&A answers?.
It's a big headache now. Whenever someone posts a new question or a new answer in Q&A section, I get a notification in my gmail account. I just want a notification only if someone answers to my questions only, but not to all answers answered in the section. How is it possible? Is there any option available? Or can admin help me in any way please?
9 years ago
rambabu answered the question Whom do you think is the best Indian actress?.
There are two. One is Madhubal and another is Meena Kumari. Tghese are the actress who remain evergreen in my memory, even now in 2016.
9 years ago
rambabu answered the question Who has romantic relations with a girl for some years suddenly declare that she is his sister?.
No. I did not come across with such cases as you mentioned. There was only one relationship with my wife, years ago. And that stayed.
9 years ago
rambabu answered the question How to learn PHP Programming in less time of 4 months?.
Definitely you can learn PHP programming in less time. But, I advise you not to hurry and fix deadlines in order to have command over anything you learn. PHP is not an exception.
9 years ago
rambabu answered the question Is seo - Search Engine Optimization is a fools work ? .
No. Search Engine Optimization is a strategy to increase the amount of visitors to a website. No, SEO can neither become obsolete nor useless.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article Remembering the First Jet Plane of the IAF: The De Haviland Vampire.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire
Introduction
I wonder how many people are interested in aviation in particular military aviation. For good or bad, the credit for launching aviation and setting up the air force in India must go to the Raj, that euphemism for British rule. After the first manned flight in 1903 by the Wright brothers in the USA in their plane Kitty Hawk, exciting possibilities opened up. Visionaries came on the scene like Giulio Douhet who formulated theories of air power within the ambit of the Principles of War. The result was the development of military aviation which was a big factor in the First World war ( 1914-18).
The British were keen to have an Air Force in India and accordingly a committee was appointed to study the scope of setting up an Air Aviation wing. Known as the "Skeene Committee", it recommended the setting up of an Indian aviation branch of the Military in India. The Viceroy signed the gazette notification and the Air Wing was formed on 01 April 1932. Subsequently, the first batch of Indian airmen called " Hawai Sepoys" was sent for aviation training on 8 October 1932. The first batch consisted of 10 Hawai Sepoys, of whom S. Mukherjee became the Chief of Air Staff during the Nehru era.
The Indian Air Force was equipped with British aircraft which were seconded from the Royal Air Force and the first base was set up in Drigh Road, close to Karachi ( now in Pakistan). All through the period till independence the Indian Air Force which got the nomenclature Royal Indian Air Force served the British interests loyally.
Independence and Induction of First Jet Plane
Having been an adjunct of the Raj, the Indian Air Force had a penchant for British made aircraft. Thus, when in 1947, Nehru wanted a Jet plane for the Indian air Force, the choice fell on the British De Havilland Vampire.Nehru was an Anglophile and so were the senior officers of the Air Force and all wanted only British aircraft. The choice was made in favor of the Vampire a jet fighter-bomber, then in use by the Royal Air Force.
The Vampire was inducted into the IAF and became part of no 7 Squadron. It was a distinct moment in the aviation history of India and Asia. It was the first jet plane inducted into service in Asia by any Air Force and that is a feather in the cap. It is a pity that later India squandered this great start and became a laggard and was thrashed by China. At that time, China did not even have an air force. what an irony.
The Vampire in Service
The induction of the Vampire was successful and many Indian pilots were sent to the UK to train on the Vampire. The Vampire was among the first jets ever flown in the world and was a versatile plane. it was a sub-sonic fighter-bomber that could be used for bombing, close support to troops in a battlefield as well intercept enemy fighters. In short it was a multipurpose airplane and was used by a dozen air forces in the world.
After the induction of the Vampire, no further planes were added to the IAF arsenal. The Vampire was a success and was a safe plane to fly and not a single aircraft crashed to any technical glitch. It was used in the 1961 invasion of Goa but was used only to shower leaflets on the Portuguese troops asking them to surrender. It was not used in the 1962 conflict with China as Nehru had a morbid fear that the war will escalate and Indian cities would be bombed by the Chinese Air Force. This was a blunder, as we know that at that time the Chinese did not have much of an Air Force in Tibet and use of Air Power may well have dented the invincibility of the Peoples Liberation army.
The Vampire inducted in 1948, had reached the nadir of its operational capability as more modern aircraft were available by 1965. Unfortunately due to a paucity of funds and an outmoded thinking of the Air Staff the Vampire continued in service.
In 1965, war broke out with Pakistan as the enemy made an attempt to wrest Kashmir from India. The Pakistan army mounted a massive thrust in the Chhamb-Jaurian sector with over 70 Patton Tanks. the Indian army confronted by superior firepower was being pushed back when Lal Bahadur Shastri authorized the use of the IAF. It is to the credit of Shastri who took this decision , unlike Nehru who in 1962 just twiddled his thumbs. The air staff led by Air marshal Arjan Singh authorized the use of air power and the choice fell on the Vampire. This was a flawed decision as Pakistan was known to have modern aircraft like the F-86. The Indians had the Hunter and Gnat but why they were not used is a mystery.
Eight Vampires took off from a forward base in Punjab and went into operation against the Pak army. Initially, they halted the thrust, but soon the F-86 appeared on the scene and 4 of the vampires were shot down. The vampires were then withdrawn from the battlefield.
Epilogue
The vampire did yeoman service for the IAF and it was finally phased out in 1968. My father flew the vampire and for me, this is a cherished remembrance. A vampire is kept in the Air Force Museum at Palam in Delhi.
The famous no 7 Squadron was then equipped with MIG planes as a Teutonic shift had taken place with the left-leaning defense minister Krishna Menon, opting for Russian hardware.
The Vampire will always have a cherished role in Indian aviation history. It put India on the Asian map and was the first jet operated by the Indian Air Force.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article History: Indian Air Force Assault on Aizwal( Mizoram).
The Vampire used for bombing. Photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._7_Squadron_IAF#/media/File:No.7_Vampire.jpge
Background
The North East region of India is one of the most beautiful parts of the nation. It consists of the states of Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram. These areas have historically along with Assam never been under the sway of the Delhi Durbar. they were independent entities and their first brush with foreigners were the English. They occupied these areas and incorporated them into their empire as part of India. this was the first tenuous link with India.
The British were, very clever and they allowed missionaries to enter this region and in a short time the entire population of Mizoram, Nagaland along with Meghalaya became Christian. They were also not keen on their integration with Indian main stream politics and rule and thus worked out ingenious devices to keep these people apart from the rest of India. One of the methods was the introduction of a "inner line Permit". This was a permit which had to be issued to a visitor by the local district authority to enter these areas. this effectively insulated these areas from the rest of India.
The Revolt in the East
After the British left in 1947, logically Nehru should have abolished these permits and allowed a free flow of settlers to develop these areas. unfortunately, he did nothing and the old system continued. The Tribals who are the main inhabitants of this region accepted the British as rulers but were not ready to accept Indians from Delhi as rulers. They started an insurrection, demanding secession from India. The Naga revolt was launched in 1955 and shortly after Mizoram was aflame with the Mizo National Front leading the demand for independence and secession from India. These insurgent groups received arms and help from China and the then East Pakistan.
Nehru died in 1964. He did not take any concrete steps to integrate these areas with India. In addition, he did not allow the army to act in a ruthless manner. He thought he will be able to bring these tribals into the Indian fold by persuasion and discussion. These were noble sentiments but were not reciprocated by the tribal groups who were now heavily armed.
Mizo Revolt
After the death of Nehru, the policy of neglect of these areas continued. During this time, the Indian army was given a thrashing by China in 1962 and this acted as a great morale boost for the rebels who intensified their activity. In 1965 end, entire Mizoram was in flames. There were hardly any troops in Aizwal, the capital of Mizoram. the Mizo National Front occupied the entire city and proclaimed de facto Independence. Lal Bahadur Shastri was taken back and he consulted the Air Chief, Air Marshal Arjan Singh, and General Choudhry. He was advised that the only way to dislodge the rebels from Aizwal was an airstrike.
It is to the credit of Shastri, that he gave his agreement for an air assault on Aizwal. This is a historical moment in the history of independent India and is the only single time that air power has been used against local insurgents. It had a telling effect.
Bombing of Aizwal
Orders were immediately issued to the Commander in Chief, Eastern Air Command to mount the air attack. The plan was worked out and two flights of the Vampire Jet fighter-bombers took off from Jorhat to bomb the rebel lines in Aizwal. The use of these fighter-bombers unnerved the rebels who were bombed by the vampire jets. These planes were subsonic, but lethal and were also used by the Royal Air Force.
The bombing by air had an effect and the rebels who suffered casualties retreated into the jungles. In the meantime , a column of the Indian army also reached Aizwal and Indian rule and order was restored.
The use of the IAF was a master stroke and in this Shastri, though a short stature man, showed he had nerves of steel. Tt was a bold decision and brought out the potency of air power. It's sad that this has been the only occasion that an air bombing has been done against local rebel groups.
Last word
One wishes that the Indian government uses air power against the Mujaheddin in Kashmir and the Maoists. There will be collateral damage, but that should be treated as part of the game. The Mizo bombing is not publicized for reasons known to the government. But now with Modi at the helm, a fresh thought process is required
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The Color Bias in India.
India is supposed to be the land of Buddha and Gandhi. A land where nonviolence is a creed and many swear by it. However practically Indian society is violent and towering above everything is a race and color bias. This is something that cannot be denied and is a common thread right from Punjab to Bangalore. Indians in fact, detest African Black Negroes. This finds expression in the word " Hapbshi"; which means someone akin to a barbarian or animal.
This color bar is deep rooted and has existed for centuries. An example is that an Indian couple will accept a white man or girl as a partner for their children, but will not accept under any circumstances a black girl or man as a part of the family. This deep-rooted prejudice against the black Negro, in real terms, flows from the scriptures which in their stories and tales in all languages extoll the virtues of a fair skin. Even among Indians , particularly in the deep South of India, black girls find it difficult to get a husband and despite many South Indians being dark in complexion, not a single heroine in the film and AD world is having a black complexion. It is as if being black is a crime.
This deep-rooted bias against black color is extended to Negroes who come in great numbers to study in India. Historically India has strong connections with Africa and thousands of Indian are settled there and running their businesses and shops. But despite this strong connection, there are reports that even Gandhi was a racist who disliked blacks. It is known that when both Indians and BlackNegroes were imprisoned together in South Africa, Gandhi wrote a wrote a letter to General Smuts, asking the Indian be given a different jail accommodation as they had a higher intellect. He is also reported to have referred to the intellect of a Negro, by making a disparaging remark when he stated: " Can you teach the gospel to a Cow?"
The bias against Negroes is thus deep rooted. One had expected that this would have been toned down after independence, but it did not happen. On the contrary, incidents of racial abuse have multiplied. About a week back a Negro from Congo named Oliver was attacked and killed on a trivial issue of hiring a rickshaw. On 26 July in a village in Mehrauli, 6 negroes were attacked by locals. Luckily the injuries were light, but the lurking undercurrent of violence against blacks is omnipresent. A few weeks back Negroes both boys and girls were assaulted in Bangalore and the government was a silent spectator. The policy was guilty of inaction and later a few policemen were suspended.
This deep bias against the Negro is fraught with terrible repercussions. It has already started with the black nations boycotting the Africa day celebrations in Delhi after the killing of Oliver. The ministry has tried to downplay the incident, but India has got a bad name.
Matters are however not that simple. There are hundreds of thousands of Indian settled in the Black African nations. They have lived there for decades and now with these attacks, they are a vulnerable lot. After the killing of Oliver, Indian businessmen were attacked in Kinshasha , the capital of Congo. They had to down shutters and escape to safety. People attacking Negroes in India fail to realize how much they are putting the lives of their compatriots in Africa at risk.
The attacks on Africans must stop. There is a need for summary trials and quick punishment. The government has promised a fast-track trial in the Oliver case, but this should not be confined to only one case and all cases of assault need an expeditious conclusion. Otherwise, the antiquated system of justice left behind by the British will be a noose around the Indians neck. The Indian people will be putting Indians settled abroad at great risk. I hope this realization trickles down to the common man. There is also a need to understand the psyche of the Negro and use of derogatory words and innuendos need to be stopped. Black or white , it's just a matter of color. The Negro was the slave in America, but now one of them became President. Indians, who are themselves dark skinned can ill afford to discriminate against more dark skinned people. It could be a laughing matter, if murder and violence are not involved.
9 years ago
Babu saroj created new article Two deeds of mine, one with joy, other with regrets!.
We know very well that so many events take place in our life. Among them, some give us joy and satisfaction and others become the causes of deep sorrows and regret. Here I am going to discuss about such two opponent deeds I have done.
Just three months ago our school arranged for an inter-school competition. I was lucky enough for I was selected as a competitor of an inter-school debate contest. At first, a screening was held in our school. The topic was “Is privatization in education right or wrong?” I was thrilled when I saw that I had been selected. My joy knew no bounds, but it was a great task to represent my school with too much responsibility.
I began to prepare well for this competition. I had to prepare all the topics. My school helped me greatly. My family encouraged me always and brought me confidence too.
The day of the competition dawned. I reached the school ground. My parents as well as teachers were encouraging me. There were a number of contestants waiting with bated breaths. As my turn came, I felt very nervous. But as it was my common topic I was quite confident too. I began to make myself realize that nothing was impossible and I would be able to succeed. Then my name was called out and I slowly rose up on the stage. I started speaking and noticed that all the spectators were silent thoroughly. I realized that they are quite satisfied and charmed. I finished my speech.
Ultimately the competition ended. All the competitors were waiting in eager anticipation. And at last one of the judges announces the results. My name was announced that I stood first in the debate contest. I had been the first prize owner such a word was simply unbelievable to me. For a moment I was just amazed and saw that the well wishers had already come to praise me. It was such a memorable day that it is still alive in my mind. I received a cash prize with certificate.
One day, on my way to return home from school I suddenly found that an unknown hand was slightly pressing on my right shoulder. I at once turned to him and heard him requesting me to help him to cross the way. The man had a stick in his hand and wore black sunglasses. I could not read his mind and became annoyed. Then I uttered some slang languages. The man felt very sorry and began to move. Just a few minutes later I found that a helpful man was guiding him to cross the road. I then came to understand my fault and within a fraction of time I came up to him to beg his pardon. Such behaviour on my part still torments me bitterly for it had been a cause of deep regret.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The Indian Political Leadership Never Understood the Dictum" Military Power is an Extension of the Political Aim".
Introduction
Indian history has great examples of the famous dictum by that great military thinker Baron Von Clausewitz " Military power is an extension of the Political aim". A study will show that the great Indian empire builders like the Maurya dynasty, Gupta dynasty, and Raja Harsha built up empires on military might. These periods are referred to as the Golden Age of India and this was possible because the emperors believed in soldiering as an honored profession and built up formidable armies. Chandragupta defeated the Greeks as well and forced the Greek ruler in Western India, Seleucus Nikatar to bite the dust. All these great kings built up a formidable elephant corps. History tells us that some of the Magadha kings had elephant forces that ran to as close as 60,000. This massive force was used to overawe the enemy and these warriors ushered in the Golden Age of India.
We must understand that though these kings had not read Clausewitz and his " Principles of War', yet they imbibed what he stated later and practiced the art of war. Unfortunately, by a combination of circumstances aided by traitors and moribund military thought the Hindus lost power to the Muslims and the Muslims in turn, were defeated by the English.
The defeat of the Muslims led to 190 years of English rule. The British ruled in a just and secular way, but the lynch pin of their rule was the military. They also produced some great soldiers like Robert Clive and the First Duke of Wellesley and this added to their luster. The British Indian army as it was called then was a potent force and greatly pampered by the English. It was used not only for law and order in India but also for wars overseas in China, Africa, and Europe.
The Indian political leadership at that time led by Gandhi and Nehru considered the British Indian army a mercenary force and did not trust it. One will recollect that in the massacre at Jallianwallah Bagh in Amritsar, the killing and firing was carried out by Indian soldiers under the overall command of Brigadier General Dyer. The freedom movement in Punjab was crushed and the Congress leadership should have realized the importance of the military. One cannot condone the acts of the British Indian army, but as an example of the military as an extension of political power, this cannot be understated.
The Nehru- Congress Period
The British left India in 1947. As I have pointed out in many of my articles, this withdrawal from India was necessitated not because of the antics of Gandhi or Nehru, but by a stark realization that the instrument by which they controlled India, the Indian armed forces were suspect as many had joined the India Legion and the Indian National army under that firebrand leader Subhash Chandra Bose. The British left India and a vacuum was created and the Congress party led by Nehru stepped in and became the rulers of India.
Nehru is an enigma. He was a scholar and had studied the history of India and was well aware of the potency of military power. But his mind was conditioned by his experience of the Raj and he distrusted the army. This distrust was to have a profound impact on the future of India. Nehru in his mind, still treated it as an imperialist force, forgetting that thousands had joined Bose in the fight for India's independence. Logically, he should have made the army the lynch pin of his political policy on the world stage. He did the opposite. He downgraded the army and refused to acknowledge the role of the Indian National Army and the India Legion. This policy was also dictated by a fear of Subhash Chandra Bose, who terrified him as an arrival of Bose on the scene at that time would have meant an eclipse for him.
Nehru also feared a military coup as in neighboring countries like Burma and Pakistan the army had ousted the civilian government. Add to this, his general distrust of the Indian army as a mercenary force, dictated his reasoning, which to say the least was irrational.
Nehru took the first negative step by recalling Indian troops from Tibet. By virtue of 1913, Simla Agreement between India, China, and Tibet, the British were entitled to position Indian army units in Tibet at about 5/6 places. This was a deterrence to China and made Tibet effectively a buffer state. Nehru in one stroke destroyed everything by calling back the Indian troops, which he felt were doing an 'imperialist duty". The Cin C, Indian army in 1947, opposed this move and warned Nehru of grave consequences. Nehru overruled him and India squandered a first class strategic position.
The Chinese under Mao understood the weakness of Nehru and invaded Tibet. The Peoples Liberation army was at that time a ragtag force and about 13000 troops were used by Mao. The ill-equipped Tibet army was defeated and the Dalai Lama appealed to India for help. Nehru refused, for reasons that have never been understood. Sardar Patel, the then deputy PM and Home Minister was keen for an Indian intervention to support Tibet, but Nehru prevailed. At that time, had Nehru intervened in Tibet, the more professional and better armed Indian army would have routed the ragtag combination of Mao. Tibet was occupied and Nehru just sat twiddling his thumbs.
Nehru started to consolidate his rule, but his fear of a military coup was always at the back of his mind. Matters were not helped when the Chief of the Army Staff General K.S. Thimayya resigned on the merits of promoting B.M. Kaul ( a relative of Nehru) to Lieutenant General.
Nehru did the unthinkable. He kept the army at low strength and refused it the latest armaments, with the result the Indian army till 1964 continued to use outdated tanks and first world war pedigree .303 bolt action rifles. He also destroyed the army command by setting up regional commands, with a view that the army could not unite to overthrow him. He also cut the pay and perks/ privileges of the army and overall de-fanged the best fighting force in Asia. This had its repercussions and resulted in a massive defeat at the hands of China in 1962. Earlier Nehru by his shortsighted policy of not manning the Himalayan Border with Tibet resulted in the loss of significant territory in Ladakh, including the entire Aksai Chin to China.
Nehru died in 1964 a broken man, overwhelmed by his failure to realize the geopolitical importance of military might. His successors who were also from the Congress party continued with the policy of Nehru. Many in the top leadership of the Congress actively distrusted the Army and the result was that when war broke out in 1965 with Pakistan, the Indian army was still using outdated Sherman tanks while the Pakistan army had the latest weaponry including the formidable Patton Tanks.
The Indian army fought Pakistan to a draw. Logically, India being 5 times the size of Pakistan, victory should have been a forgone conclusion. The fact India did not lose the war, is only due to the heroism of the Indian armed forces which fought bravely and stalled a Pakistan victory.
Things did move after that and some weaponry from Russia was obtained. Indira Gandhi had a shrewd Chief of Army in 1971, General Sam Maneckshaw. He orchestrated a victory in Bangladesh. However too much should not be read in the near walk over in East Pakistan as the Pakistan General Staff failed to gauge that US support would be delayed and also had just one squadron and 4 divisions for the defense of East Pakistan. Nevertheless, despite a stalemate in the west, it was a magnificent victory.
Logically this victory should have led to the restoration of the Indian army's perks and privileges. Indira Gandhi who shared the distrust of the army with her father"rewarded" the army by reducing its pension by 25%. This was an unprecedented step as correspondingly the Civilian government servants had their pensions raised by 30%.
Indira also failed to realize the twin danger of China and Pakistan acting together and thus is guilty of not building up the military strength to counter a two front war with both India and China.
The later period: Blunders Compounded
The state of affairs continued till 2010. All governments ( Mostly of The Congress) failed to understand the geopolitical importance of the military. They also seemed oblivious to a twin threat of both Pakistan and China having become allies. The army strength remained pegged and there was no effort to achieve military parity with China or military superiority with Pakistan. All the Prime ministers from Narasimha Rao, Vajpayee and later Man Mohan Singh continued with the Nehruvian policies. The cut pensions were not restored and overall an effort was made to sideline the army.
Vajpayee who was a BJP leader also had no concept of military power as all his life he had spent agitating or doing Dharna and in some significant moments, he surrendered the initiative to Pakistan. This resulted in the Kargil conflict, resulting in massive casualties for the Indian troops, much more than Pakistan. As India had not built up military power, Vajpayee could not strike at any other place on the Indo-Pak border as India did not have the capability of a surgical operation. He also, despite a promise failed to restore the military pensions, which had been cut by Indira Gandhi. Vajpayee's period is a forgettable period in Indian history.
The Congress party now came back to power and brought in a lackey of the Gandhi family as Prime Minister, Sardar ManMohan Singh. This man devoid of any spine simply acted as a regent and failed to lead India. Being an economist and beholden to the Gandhi family, he just passed his time.
The effect of the Man Mohan years on the Indian army was very bad. Pensions were not restored and for the first time in history, the Indian ex-servicemen started an agitation for restoration of pensions and perks. The serving personnel has an umbilical cord connection with ex-servicemen and the result was lowering of morale. In addition, no effort was made to increase Indian military power and the result was that China exerted pressure with 30 division in Tibet.
Last word and Modi
The BJP came to power on the back of the Modi wave as the people were fed up with the Congress and its policies of vote banks and all round corruption.
But Modi has not broken away from Nehruvian policies and still has not realized that Military power is an adjunct to great power status. In two years in power, Modi did restore pension to a limited extent. But he did not restore OROP as defined by the Kosiyari Commission and two houses of Parliament. In addition, the 7th pay commission downgraded even more, facilities for the armed forces. This led to an unprecedented letter to the Prime Minster by the 3 service chiefs protesting the downgrading of the armed forces. This has seriously affected the morale.
Modi has also little comprehension of the need to match China and overawe Pakistan. If he has he does not show it, as the force levels of the army are the same for last 2 decades. The result is that even small powers like Nepal and Lanka cock a snook at India. Pakistan is belligerent as ever and China is flexing its muscles on the Himalayan border. Modi has been the PM for 2 years and he has done precious little to break out of the Congress- Nehru mold. History will judge Modi harshly if he fritters away this golden chance to restore Indian might and pride. Only a strong India with a powerful military, who should be satisfied and have a high morale can command respect. One wonders whether Modi has that mettle. Time and tide wait for none and Modi better realize it.
A look at the map of South Asia will show that China is encircling India. The world is watching and Modi is the leader. Can he break from the past thoughts and go forward for an exceptionally strong military to further India geopolitical interests?
9 years ago
usha manohar created new article Karma - a theory of action and reaction !.
What is Destiny or Karma ?
One wonders whether Destiny or Karma is a concept that evolved and grew only in India and particularly unique to Hinduism or whether it was also known and believed by people elsewhere in the world. But going by all accounts we come to know that Karma is a Sanskrit word, which means action. Chinese culture which is almost as old as that of Hinduism, too has something similar called Ming Yun, which means fate or destiny! Although, it is possible that other older religious communities too might have some similar concepts within their own belief.
Karma as Hindus and Indians perceive it, also means the consequences of one's actions or reactions to one’s own action. When someone refers to Karma it means they are speaking about cause and effect. The general belief is that you get what you give – a good action begets a good response and a bad action can get a bad response or a negative response. This may concern both direct and indirect actions taken by an individual. So, in effect our elders were particular that people are aware of their actions, its consequences and therefore be careful and thoughtful before uttering a word or take any action. It is the same as Physical laws of action and reaction.
What are its pros and cons?
I came across this very interesting quote on destiny "The best years of your life are the ones that come wherein you realise and decide that your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, your neighbor, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny” – So when life itself is a big question, instead of pondering and wasting away precious seconds, minutes and days, is it not better to live life as it presents itself? Take responsibility for your actions and face the consequences!
Life has never been easy for most of us and having a firm faith in either god or Karma gives us strength since when the worst things happen to us, instead of breaking down or giving up altogether, at least one can say it is Karma that we have earned (not just through our actions but our forefathers and ancestors too) so it has to be endured and move on. This also makes us immune to a certain extent. Hindu philosophy of Karma burdens you with your ancestors' actions too - both positive and negative.. Old sins have long shadows!
We should remember that Karma is not religious but a philosophical way of looking at life and its many nuances without being judgmental. You accept things, both good or bad without questioning the outcome with a firm belief that this is what I get out of life. But does this attitude and too much belief in Karma kill ambition and creativity? It does, when people become totally Karma oriented and do not question or analyse even when things go wrong. Even when there is a remedial measure they fail to try it out because of this blind belief in their Destiny, Karma or Fate!
Most situations in our life has a solution if we care to look for one, all that is needed is some soul searching. A person who believes in Karma often believes that he or she cannot change what he or she is destined to get out of life. This is a very fatalistic belief that can make you morose and a pain to live with at times. I have known many cases where people lose interest in their immediate surroundings and do things like a robot because they believe that no matter what they do, their destiny or Karma overtakes them, so what is the point? They also begin to care less and lesser for their family and their surroundings. They fail to realise or feel guilty of the fact that their actions make people around them unhappy.
I love these words from Bhagvad Gita which is a store house of wisdom and superior knowledge - " One does not attain freedom from the bondage of Karma by merely abstaining from work. No one attains perfection by merely giving up work. Because no one can remain without performing any action even for a moment. Everyone is driven to action, many a times without realising by the Gunas ( elements ) of nature. Perform your obligatory duty, because action is indeed better than inaction. Even the maintenance of your body would not be possible by inaction. In every action in life we acquire some karma or the other -either good or bad depending on our action or reaction!
So what does fate mean ? Is it the same a Karma or different ?
Karma is action and reaction but fate is different in that it cannot be changed. I would call it the end result of one's own Karma. According to a wise man – “I can control my destiny, but not my fate. Destiny means there are opportunities to turn right or left, but fate is a one-way street. I believe we all have the choice as to whether we fulfill our destiny, but our fate is sealed“.
Some even go to the extent of saying that fate is predetermined, so can never be changed, if indeed that is so, why go through the motion of living? I wonder if it has to be that definite? sealed and cannot be changed?
Our life is made of the past ,present and the future but past and the present often merge with one another. If we realise that often past plays an important role in our present dealings and our present is going to play an important role in our future days, it would be a starting point to work towards the future by taking care of the present. Once we understand our needs and limitations it is not difficult to shape our destiny. Yet the same time mystery of the unknown future is what makes life interesting and worth living. So, it is better not to have a fatalistic attitude about everything in life.
Conclusions
Most people tend to build a barrier against depressions and distressing just by trying to divert their mind and trying not to think about them. The theory of Karma deals with such a situation. It cushions a human being against their mental agony and prepares individuals to face such eventualities. As long as people are happy in their beliefs and it gives them happiness , strength and peace of mind nothing else matters. To a large extent we can control our life happenings but with all that we are unable to foresee and prevent certain matters which may ruin or have a large impact on our lives and that’s when Karma or the belief in destiny takes over.
In essence, Karma and Destiny have their place in life and our actions and reactions decide what course our life takes which also makes us directly responsible for the course our life takes!
In fact, we create our own little world as we go along. If we create a good cause then we also create a good effect and if we create a bad cause then we will create a bad effect… A cause consists of one’s thoughts, emotions and action. So, if you are just focusing on action or hard work and not on right thoughts and emotions, you are putting in one third of your effort and hence you are getting only one third of results. That does not mean you are failing here but you are putting all your effort on one single factor, which is giving a limited result or output. In order to succeed you need to have the right kind of emotions, right thoughts and the right effort.
Fate, also cannot in anyway change physical aspects of your life. For instance fate cannot decide how much money you can hope to have? Since everything in this world is a matter of cause and effect, fate tries to change the cause and try to bring good or bad fortune into your life. If you are steady and consistent and have developed a great will power , nothing can change the course of your thoughts, action and emotions or let fatalistic thoughts have any powers over you.
To conclude we can easily defeat or change our fate, Karma or destiny using our willpower and strength of character.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The Indian Navy Bids Adieu to the " Sea Harrier".
Photo of Sea harrier from Naval Review
The Navy, in particular, had a close connection with the Royal Navy and the result was that the Naval top brass always opted for British aircraft on the plea that the warships of the navy were all earlier of British pedigree and as such it was best to operate only British aircraft.
The IAF was more open and was ready to accept Russian aircraft despite having a long list of British planes from the Lysander, Hurricane , Spitfire, Canberra, Vampire, Hawker Hunter and Gnat. The crunch came when India asked for the Lightening Mark II Interceptor , which was capable of speeds above Mach II. The British refused and the then Indian Defence minister Krishna Menon made a secret trip to Moscow and met Khrushchev. The Russian leader looking for a window of opportunity to displace western interests readily agreed to supply India with the MIG -21 and this was the beginning as more and more Russian planes were inducted into the IAF.
The Navy needed an aircraft for its aircraft carrier the Viraat and Vikrant. the Sea Hawks ( another British plane) was to be phased out. The Sea Hawk was a subsonic fighter-bomber and had been successfully used in the bombardment of Chittagong in the 1971 war. It was operated by the carrier Vikrant. The Vikrant was for information of readers an old Second World War aircraft carrier, which the Indian Navy had bought.
The Naval top brass insisted on a British aircraft and the choice narrowed down to the Sea Harrier. This plane was a very versatile interceptor with a top speed of 1150 km n hour. Trials for this plane commenced in 1981 and the plane was inducted into the Indian Navy in 1982. It replaced the ageing Sea Hawk.
The Sea harrier had many capabilities including a vertical take-off and short landing ability. It was a VSTOL( vertical and short take off and Landing ) aircraft and in addition was specially adapted for carrier operations. The plane formed the mainstay of the Royal Navy aviation corps in the Falklands war and was a huge success.
I have never flown the plane, but compatriots have told me that it was a high precision aircraft and not easy to fly. There were reports that one of the test pilots had died to fly the plane and it had crashed in the UK. However, the Indian pilots soon got the hang of the plane and were able to operate it from the flight deck of the Viraat. The plane required great skill to land and needed the pilot to come low down on the deck and land at the edge so that the arrester mechanism could be activated. Failure to do this would have meant the aircraft shooting the deck and landing in the sea.
The Indian Navy operated the Sea harrier. No war was fought by the Navy during the 3 decades the harrier was in service. It, however, acted as a deterrent as the Indian Navy is the only Navy in Asia to operate 2 aircraft carrier. In contrast, China operates only one.
The last ceremony of the Harrier was conducted at the Naval Aviation unit at Goa. The plane was given a "water wash up" or water salute and phased out from the Navy arsenal. The Navy has got over its British obsession and now with a Russian-made carrier having joined the fleet, the navy has opted for the MIG 29K as a replacement for the Sea harrier. The latest aircraft carrier is from Russia and was the Russian ship Admiral Gorshkov.
The Sea Harrier did yeoman service for the navy. It had an accident free tenure and was reliable. Despite not having taken part in any naval operation, yet the Harrier on board the Viraat served India's interests as it carried the Indian flag in the Indian Ocean. Pakistan does not have an aircraft carrier and is in some fear of the Karachi port being blockaded by the Indian aircraft carriers. The Sea harrier was a great machine and used by the Royal Navy as well. It will remain part of the history of Indian aviation.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article "Operation Bajadere" German Audacious Plan to Invade India.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Legion( Field Marshal Erwin Rommel inspecting Indian troops of the India Legion in France 1944)
One of the ironies of history is that a valiant group of soldiers who fought on the side of Germany during World War II, with the explicit aim to free India are a neglected lot. This is the India Legion that was created by Hitler and supported by Subhash Chandra Bose in Germany. This force was raised with the grandiose plan of Hitler to conquer India after he was riding high in the battles in Europe. At that time, the plan was to use the India Legion soldiers to carry out an uprising in India and sabotage the British war effort as the German army moved in across central Asia and Egypt . Hitler envisaged an invasion from the West of India like Alexander the Great. For this, he created the India Legion with the active support of Subhash Chandra Bose.
Hitler also formulated a plan that goes by the code name " Operation Bajadere". Unfortunately, the Indian government after 1947 led by Nehru, relegated this exciting episode of the bravery of the Indian army to the background and the role of the India Legion fighting on the Nazi side is relegated to a footnote in the history books.
The Plan of "Operation Bajadere"
The Wehrmacht assumed that the after the defeat of Russia and the victory of the Afrika Corps in Egypt, both the German army groups in a pincer movement would head for India. Before that, the troops of the India Legion would be parachuted into East Iran and enter India from the west. They would be tasked with the destruction of British assets and carry out sabotage. They would with Subhash Bose at the helm, orchestra an uprising of the Indian people to make things easy for the German army.
In 1942, this plan appeared a reality as the Afrika Corps commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel had conquered Libya and had reached the gates of Alexandria in Egypt. In Russia, 3 German army groups under Field Marshal Von Rundsetd and Von Manstien had brought the Stalin Regime to its knees and one group had reached the Volga river.
Action Plan
The plan was put into action as the German army reached the River Volga. Nearly a 100 specially trained soldiers of the Indian Legion were parachuted into Eastern Iran in the winter of 1942. These were highly trained troops who had been trained by the special group of the German army called the Brandenburgs. One needs to salute the bravery of these soldiers who were both Sikh and Muslim and vowed to fight and work together. What a change now!
The dropping of the Indian parachute troops of the India Legion was a success and these soldiers entered India through Baluchistan. They set about their task of sabotage and the British defense already thinned out was at a loss to fight these soldiers. A secret report was sent to Berlin by the German attache at Kabul, which confirmed the success of the initial plan of operation Bajadere. Unfortunately, the German army was stopped at Stalingrad and Rommel lost at El Alamein. With these defeats, the plan to invade India was abandoned and so was ' Operation Bajadere".
Role of the India Legion after Abandoning "Operation Bajadere"
Subhash Bose who had been the nominal leader of the India Legion was moved by the Axis powers to Japan. This was in 1943. His departure was a blow as the India Legion was left leaderless. Despite the absence of Bose,the India Legion was well looked after and integrated with the German army for the defence of France and Hitler's Atlantic Wall. The India Legion was put under the overall command of Field Marshal Rommel, who now commanded the Atlantic Wall.
The India Legion fought bravely and were given due respect by the Germans. It is interesting to know that the Germans, respected the food susceptibility of the Hindu and Muslim troops and Beef and Pork were taken out of the rations of the Legion soldiers. Even, Vegetarian food was served. In addition, the India Legion was very well equipped with guns and mortars and shows the deep trust the Wehrmacht had in the India Legion.
Last word
Operation Bajadere is a footnote in History. The role of the India Legion is relegated and not talked about. This state of affairs continued for 60 years as the Congress party led first by Nehru and later by his daughter sought to erase the contribution of Bose and the Indian national Army as well as the India Legion from the history books. It was as if the Congress party was ashamed of the brave soldiers who fought under Bose and were part of the audacious plan to free India.
One sincerely hopes that this negative trend is reversed and the India Legion is given its due. They fought bravely and need to be respected and their contribution to the freedom of India acknowledged.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article India is the Laggard in South Asia.
The Political Scenario
If one has a look at South Asia one can conclude that India by the very nature of its size should have been the dominant power. India is a giant and dwarfs all the nations around it viz Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan. All these nations should have been in awe of India, but in real terms, none of them gives any weight or respect to India. All these nations see India as a lumbering giant with a weak leadership and despite its size as a nation that can be trifled with at will.
Examples abound and one will recollect that when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime Minister in 2003, Bangladesh Border guards killed nearly 15 troops of the BSF. There was no reaction from the Vajpayee government, whose deputy foreign minister parroted the comment " Bangladesh is our friend". Such a comment at the time with 15 soldiers shot dead looked obscene.
None of the nations consider India any great shakes as a power and know that whatever they do, India will not react as it does not have the political will and its armed forces are not so powerful as to strike fear in anybody's heart. People can realise, what the American reaction would have been in case 15 American servicemen would have been killed.
This is not all, but a puny nation like Lanka routinely arrests and detains hundreds of Indian fishermen every month. These poor persons are supposed to be fishing in Lanka territorial waters. This has been going on for decades and yet there has been no reaction from India. With the advent of Modi, one expected a more nationalist policy, yet the sequence of arrests and detention of Indian fishermen continues unabated.
Looking at Pakistan which is the bette noir for the Indians, the situation is worse. India is 5 times the size of Pakistan and logically a nation as small as Pakistan in comparison to India should be in some awe. Unfortunately, Pakistan treats India with disdain. It organizes terror activity against India, foments an uprising in Kashmir and harbors known terrorists and gangsters like Dawood Ibrahim and Azar Masoor and makes India look like a flabby giant unable to react. The Indians do not have the political will, nor the dominant firepower to subdue Pakistan and in a conflict on the western borders, one is not sure of a result. One has only to compare with China and USA to realize how impotent India is, as a power of any standing.
India and China
India's relations with China are bedeviled as the Indian political leadership right from the days of Nehru has been in awe of China. There is a lurking fear to antagonise China and yet, the Chinese treat India as a subsidiary power and do not consider it their equal. They occupied Tibet due to the folly of Jawaharlal Nehru and India is now paying the price for this massive historical mistake of Nehru.
China's contempt for India is apparent as it refuses to issue proper Visa to Indian nationals from Arunachal Pradesh and Kashmir and insists that visa issued will only be stapled to the passport. In contrast, the Modi government developed cold feet in giving Visa to two Chinese dissidents to attend a conference at Dharamshala. The Chinese maps routinely show Kashmir as disputed territory and large areas of Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh as parts of China. The Indian reaction is just a feeble protest. There is a lurking fear of China militarily and who is responsible for making India a subservient power militarily to China? It started from Nehru and that mistake is not rectified though Modi is in power. He has talked big, but on the ground, he has made no attempt to match China militarily.
China also supports the militant groups in the North East and the result is a live insurrection, that is ongoing for the last 60 years. One can recollect that AZ Phizo, raised the banner of revolt in 1955 and the problem remains unsolved. China also supports the Maoists rebellion in the heart of India in the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, MP and Bihar and these so called Maoists, who profess the leadership of Mao is a force to reckon with. The Home Minster Rajnath Singh when taking over talked tough, but on the ground, the situation has not changed.
India was badly defeated in a war with China in 1962 and this has deeply affected the Indian psyche. The clock has continued to tick forward, but no India leader has made amends.
China Builds an Axis Against India
The Chinese have deep pockets and these add to the Chinese clout. They also have a vibrant military which is so powerful that even the no. 1 power in the world, America is wary of it. One can get an idea of the Chinese power as it flexes its muscles in the South China Sea, as it claims the entire Sea as a Chinese sphere of influence. In addition, it deploys almost 30 divisions in Tibet to keep India on tenterhooks. It also has been able to turn the traditional friendship of Nepal against India. The Maoists are a force in Nepal now and they are inimical to India. Nepal despite getting all the benefits from India is going more and more into the Chinese orbit. India has a visa-free regime with Nepal and a million Nepalese stay and work in India. In addition, India gives employment to the Gurkhas in the army, yet Nepal seems ungrateful as it needles India. The reason is that Nepal is aware that in a showdown with China, India will be browbeaten and despite Modi coming, he has failed to realize the mistake of Nehru in not building military power.
China - Pakistan Axis
For historical reasons and the furtherance of Hindu-Muslim conflict, Pakistan remains an antagonist state. It has sworn to bleed India with a 100 cuts and it is actively being supported by China, both militarily and economically. China is financing a massive economic corridor and spending nearly $50 billion on it. The corridor along the old Silk route is to be from Tibet, through Kashmir to Gwadar, the latest deep sea port that China is developing. India is a bystander.
Pakistan has also built up its military and has more than parity with the Indian armed forces. One will recollect that in 4 wars with Pakistan on the western front, the Indian armed forces have failed to make any penetration into Pakistan. Pakistan also cocks a fist to India as it runs training camps for terrorist training and sends them across the border. So many terror attacks have taken place that they are not worth recounting here. India is unable to react as the Indians do not have overwhelming military superiority. This is the key to the entire problem. Lack of decisive military power. That is the reason the Indians have not been able to carry out a surgical strike in Pakistan to eliminate Dawood and others like the USA did to Bin Laden.
Last word
Two aspects stand out that are the shackles to India as a regional power. First, is the lack of decisive political will. This attitude has continued right from the time of Nehru. I am afraid despite the arrival of Narendra Modi, there is no change on the ground.
Secondly, the Indian political leadership has not yet realised as brought out by Clausewitz that military power is an extension of the political aim. The Indian military does not have Military edge in South Asia. Until India matches China, this state of affairs will continue. One aspect of the political philosophy of Modi and the BJP is that finishing the Nehru-Gandhi family is more important than the geopolitical world status. That is the bane of India.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The Essence of Bravery: The Lot of the Soldier.
While travelling on a flight from Singapore to Delhi I had the company of a fairly well to do businessman.He sat in the seat adjacent to mine. We got into a conversation and this man was pretty happy to know that I had served quality time in the armed forces. One comment by the man intrigued me. He mentioned that the forces in India were a pampered lot. I asked him what made him feel this way. He replied that the forces were given more than their due and also goodies like free rations and Rum.
I narrated to him two incidents from history and after hearing them he replied that he saw my point of view and did not grudge the perks of the armed forces. In fact,later he informed me that he had donated Rs one lakh to the armed forces welfare fund. This, he informed me by email a few weeks later. I shall now relate these two incidents in some detail.These incidents bring out the bravery of the soldier who even in the face of certain death will not say 'die' but go from this world, unsung and unknown.
Stalingrad
The battle of Stalingrad in end 1943 is one of the most famous battles in world military history. The battle for the city between the German army and the Red army had bravery written on both sides. It was a death struggle. During this battle, the Soviet High Command under Marshal Stalin issued its famous order no 227. The order simply states that the Russian army would not " step back at all under any conditions...".
The stakes in the battle were high as a loss at Stalingrad on the river Volga would have opened the floodgates to the Wehrmacht to strike deep into Central Asia and on to India. Hitler at that time was formulating a plan for the invasion of India with the help of the Indian National army.
During this battle, the Russian 37th Infantry Guards division was holding a tractor factory. This division consisted about 10,000 soldiers and was commanded by Colonel Zholudev. The German army mounted an assault and there was bitter fighting, but the superiority of firepower gave victory to the German army. The guards had to cede the factory to the Germans.
Much later the commander of the Soviet group general Yeremenko called Colonel Zholudev and demanded an explanation as to why the factory had been lost despite the explicit order by the Russian High Command.This was tantamount to disobeying order no 227.
Colonel Zholudev replied with a grim and dark face, that the division performed its duty heroically and did not yield an inch to the German army.The colonel continued and informed the general, that the soldiers fought heroically and almost all the 10,000 perished as nobody retreated even an inch. This was in the face of repeated attacks by overwhelming numbers of the German army with heavy artillery and air support. He informed the General that almost all our officers and men died fighting to the last man and bullet. Surrender or retreat was never contemplated.
General Yeremenko realized the bravery of the division who had not disobeyed order 227, but all died as per their oath of allegiance. The factory was lost as all the 10,000 soldiers guarding it was overwhelmed and thus had shown exemplary bravery. This is a classic case of bravery where honor and oath were important even if it resulted in sure death. Later the Soviet army liberated Stalingrad and the German army under Von Paulos surrendered. 93000 Germans Soldiers became POWs. There can be no more classical example of bravery than this one.
Battle in Ladakh
Another incident which I narrated was the famous last stand by the Garhwal regiment under Major Shaitan Singh. This was during the Sino- India war of 1962.
As is well-known war clouds were hovering over the Himalayas for many months, but our prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru smug in his belief that he was a ' great world leader' could not see it. The Chinese made a tremendous buildup while the Indians just sat and watched. This is explicitly brought out by Brigadier Dalvi in his book " Himalayan Blunder". On 20th October 1962 the Chinese army threw in some 15 division against a handful of Indians. They almost had a walkover in the East And NEFA( Now Arunachal Pradesh).
The Chinese also mounted a ferocious attack in Ladakh. The Chinese had the most modern weaponry. The Indians, on the other hand, faced them with vintage .303, the First World War rifles. There was a severe battle around Chusul where the Chinese army came face to face with the force under Major Shaitan Singh. The Chinese mounted the attack with a propaganda barrage on loudspeakers asking the Indian army troops to surrender.They promised an honorable treatment to all who surrendered.
The Indians, however, held firm and repeated attacks by the Chinese made no headway. The Chinese now brought in heavy field guns and started a bombardment.The Indians soldiers still held firm,but slowly the men began to fall one by one. Major Shaitan Singh led the men heroically and died fighting in the mountain heights of the Himalayas. All the 400 men died fighting to the last man and bullet. The Chinese could not take a single prisoner. These facts came out later. In addition, in a rare admission Radio, Peking acknowledged the bravery of the Indian troops in a broadcast in November 1962. It is rare for an enemy to acknowledge the bravery of opposing troops. Major Shaitan was awarded the PVC, but this is small consolation to the 400 men who died unsung and unknown. I wonder if Nehru felt any remorse for the fallen warriors.
Last Word
This narration of these incidents had a profound effect and my companion realized that bravery must be honored. There are some in India who still feel that the services are demanding too much. These people must realize that it is the soldier who makes the supreme sacrifice. The situation is now tense with the ISIS threatening India and local Muslims ( albiet at present a small minority) sympathetic to them.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article Dubai and its Fascination For Cars.
Photo of Mustang by me
Oil changed the lifestyle of Dubai and overnight it was transformed into a vibrant city. Money from oil fueled an upsurge in the development and when the British left, they left behind a state that was on the threshold of a gigantic lift-off.
Petro dollars flowed in and Dubai became a metropolis that rivals the best cities in the world. Much of the development of Dubai was powered by expatriates from the sub-Continent. Many of the expatriates were blue collar and qualified workers and managers who drew very high salaries.
This abundance of cash brought in an auto revolution in Dubai. The locals sheikhs flush with money picked up the biggest and fanciest cars. Dubai became a sellers markets for luxury automobiles. It became the biggest market for the Rolls-Royce, the epitome of luxury as far as automobiles are concerned. One can gauge its value as the Rolls Royce Phantom is marketed in India at a cost of Rs 4.53 crores. At one time it was the most sought after car by Indian royalty and the Maharajah of Patiala reportedly had a fleet of 36 Rolls. One of these was even used to carry garbage.
The maharajah has gone with the wind and their place is taken by the Sheikh from Dubai. It is reported that over a 100 Rills Royce cars are sold every year in Dubai, making it the biggest market for rolls Royce, more than the UK itself. A drive around Dubai will reveal a dozen Rolls cruising along the roads at any given time.
The expatriates also joined the car splurge and with high salaries and easy finance cars like the Ford Mustang, Mercedes, BMW, Porsches and other luxury brands were sold in Dubai like hot cakes. The city shows affluence and it's no wonder that it, along with the UAE has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.
There was a moment of alarm in 2008 when the construction boom tapered off and recession had set in. At that time many expatriates who could not pay for their car loans having lost their jobs just ran away from Dubai, leaving the hypothecated cars at the airport. This was the big flight and at one time it was estimated that nearly 3000 cars were left at Dubai airport, with the keys in the ignition slot.
This was just an aberration as the ruler of Abu Dhabi bailed out Dubai and very soon Dubai was back on its feet. The old swerve has come back and once again the cars and the expatriate force has returned. Dubai is also aided by the finest road network in the world and one can cruise at 200 km an hour without batting an eyelid. One cannot dream of driving at these speeds in India even on the so-called freeway between Pune and Mumbai.
Dubai is home to the biggest brands in the auto industry and despite Dubai having no oil unlike Abu Dhabi which has billions of barrels in reserves, the economy of Dubai is diversified as a tourist and business centre and its is healthy and ticking. Not many know that Dubai rivals London as a business centre and even the ICC( International Cricket Conference) has its headquarters here.
The cars in Dubai are sold with minimal taxes and are cheap. Unfortunately, the Maruti, the staple diet of Indians is never seen in Dubai as it is felt to be a low-grade car, unfit for the super roads of Dubai. The luxury S-Class Mercedes and high-end Volvo, Toyota, Impala, Maybach, Ford Mustang, Porsche and Bentleys are great sellers here. The Rolls-Royce has a special niche for itself and most Sheikhs will drive this as a symbol of status.
Along with the cars, there are also repair centres which service these cars. Most of them are staffed by mechanics from India, mostly from the state of Kerala. They do a good job and its to the credit of India. What surprises me is that Indians when they go abroad work so hard and yet when in India, the Indian worker looks for ways to shirk work. What a contrast! I wonder who can explain this?
Dubai is the modern El Dorado, the proverbial city of gold. No wonder many Indians want to work here. It's much better than Saudi Arabia, which is more like a closed world and you may have money but life is bleak. The automobile has revolutionized Dubai and the camel, the old ship of the desert is now a relic, for tourists to sit atop and ride it for an experience. So far so good, but there is always a sense of unease as what happened in 2008 is not revisited again.
9 years ago
D.shireesha created new article GOA.
tuna
honest ,
Goa
The most famous tourist destination in India is GOA. It is a place where you can find many beaches from its top to bottom. each of these beaches extend to a distance of at least 3-4 km.The Portuguese were one of the first ones to inhabit Goa. Many portugese can be found here even today. the practices of the Portuguese are followed by the Goans even today. The local language of Goa is Konkani. It does not have a defined script and the most commonly used script is the Bramhi script. The people here are very simple and honest ,you can always take their suggestions and implement them. The food consumed here is mostly seafood. Many fishes found here are nocturnal ones like the Tuna. People here build houses using concrete and cement mostly using Portugal techniques.
South goa is a place filled with beaches,whereas North Goa is a place where you can find temples,monuments and Cathedrals. In South goa there are two famous beaches namely Cocoa and Condolom. If you have a collection of shells and you require more you need to visit the cocoa beach, provided that you can't swim in this beach as the water in this beach is untidy. Goa is also known for its famous water sports like paragliding,jet skiing and banana ride, if you would like to take part in these water sports then you need to visit the condolom beach. The water in this beach is more neat and tidy as compared to cocoa beach. You can swim in this beach as the waves are also comparatively less here. This is a beach where you can build sand castles. Here you can sunbathe while eating your favorite seafood that you can order from the beach shacks. You can also enjoy the sunset here.
In North Goa you can find an endless number of cathedrals which were built by the Portugese themselves. The st.peters is a famous church which you need to visit in Goa. Not only cathedrals, you can also find ancient temples here. One of the most ancient temple in North Goa is the 15th century lord shiva temple. A number of water resorts are located here. Many families here are Goan bramhins. Although they are bramhins, their staple diet forms rice and seafood. If you visit North Goa you should never forget to visit the Saturday bazaar. It is a place where you can find several stalls selling Portuguese food and accessories. If you visit this bazaar then you should surely order Portugal recipes. Goa is the only place where you can find fun out of everything. It is the best place for families.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The Schieffelin Plan: Can India Draw any Lessons from it?.
Introduction
The Shieffelin Plan is a document of great value. Its author was Field Marshal Von Schieffelin, who was the chief of the German army. During the 18-19-20th century, Germany was obsessed with a two-front war against both Russia and France. This was a perpetual danger to the political leadership and the German General Staff. Germany always felt endangered if both France and Russia attacked Germany. It would mean fighting a two front war.German army would have to face the Russian attack from the East and on the western border, France was a source of great trouble.
The German general Staff was thus always plagued by such a scenario. Right from the time of the Napoleonic wars to the First World War this scenario haunted Germany. Field Marshal Von Schieffelin a remarkable soldier formulated a plan for such an eventuality. This was called the " Schieffelin Plan" and is a document that is studied in the war College.
Basically, the plan called for the destruction of France first, by an invasion of France through the low countries namely Holland and Belgium. Schieffelin envisaged the defeat of France inside 40 days. After the defeat of France, Schieffelin proposed the en-masse transfer of German armed forces to attack Russia.This transfer of troops would be done expeditiously due to the excellent rail system of Germany. The key point of the plan was to breach the French defences by attacking through the low countries.
It must be mentioned that Hitler studied the writings of Von Schieffelin and put the plan into effect by an invasion of France through the low countries. The German army brushed the channel and breached the formidable Maginot Line( French defenses to thwart an invasion from Germany). France was defeated inside 40 days. After the French surrender, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa:The invasion of Russia on 22nd June 1941.
Threat to India
The purpose of this article is not to discuss the Schiffelin Plan but see how it can be made applicable to India. During the 20th and 21st century India also like Germany faces a twin threat. India has China on the North and Eastern border and with this nation, there have already been 3 encounters with India. There is the 1962 war which resulted in a Chinese victory and the 1967 artillery duel at Nathu Law. In the artillery duel, the Indian armed forces covered themselves with honor and forced the Chinese to withdraw in Sikkim.There was also a face off in 1987. On the western border, India faces Pakistan, a sworn enemy of India. India and Pakistan have already fought 4 wars and all have ended in a stalemate on the western front.
India like Germany faces the danger of a two-front war. This is a reality as China could attack all along the North and Eastern Himalayan border while Pakistan mounts an attack from the West through Punjab and Kashmir. The old concept of Jawaharlal Nehru that the Himalayas were India natural protectors was an extremely silly concept. Modern armies easily cross tall mountains and these are no longer a ' natural barrier'. These comments are found in his " History of India"and to say the least led to to the Indian debacle in 1962.
The danger of a two-front war has now been taken seriously by the Indian General Staff. Accordingly plans have been worked out and many war games on this subject are held at the Staff College. While undergoing the 41st staff course at Wellington, the undersigned took part in these war gaming exercises.
Likely Indian Plan
The Indian general Staff must take a leaf out of the plan of Schiffelin and adapt it with minor modifications to the likely two-front war with Pakistan and China. What would the Indian plan be ?
The Indian Plan will be to annihilate Pakistan inside 14 days. This is the maximum time that can be allowed and would involve a thrust across the Rajasthan border into Sind. The purpose would be to divide the province of Punjab from Sind and Baluchistan, as both these states are inimical to Muslim Punjabi rule. During this period, the Indian army must hold the Chinese attacks on the Himalayan border.
Once the situation in the west has stabilized, the Indian general Staff must mount a concentrated thrust into Tibet. The Indian strike corps must advance by the shortest route to Lhasa through Sikkim. There is no point in going on an offensive in Pakistan occupied Kashmir or in Ladakh. The Indian aim should be to reach Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Here, the Indians are at a great advantage as the entire Tibetan poulation is pro- India and this will work to the Indian advantage.
The war cannot last for more than 3-4 weeks and speed will be the essence. The Indian army will have the advantage as both in the West ( Sind and Baluchistan) and Tibet in the north the people will welcome Indian arms. With a friendly population, 30% of the battle is won and it will be the job of the Indian leadership to exploit this opportunity.
There are many variables in this scenario and the battle will be long and hard. There will have to be flexibility and a build up of the Indian armed forces. Just as Hitler disregarded the neutrality of the low countries so India will also have to disregard the neutrality( in reality Pro China attitude) of Nepal. A thrust by a strike corps from Kathmandu along the road to Lhasa would be another option. the factor going in India's favor is that the Chinese army will be in hostile lands as the local population is yearning for Indian intervention.
Last word
A two front war with both China and Pakistan is a real possibility and in case the Indian think tank disregards it, I am afraid it will be at their own peril.The old saying " If you want peace , be prepared for war" is never as true as today when China and Pakistan are ringing India. Their aim is simple: to destroy the unity and integrity of India. One hopes the Indian political leadership is alive to this problem. Brushing it aside would be a great disservice to the Indian people.
The main ingredients of the Scheffelin plan, namely disregarding the neutrality of a nation and finising of the weaker enemy hold true in a future two front war.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article Aurangzeb and Guru TegBhadur: Clash of Religions.
Islam entered India in the 10th century with the invasions of Mohamud of Ghazni. In 1525, the Muslim ruler Babur who had been expelled from his homeland came searching for a kingdom to rule in India. A year later in 1526, he founded his kingdom after he had defeated Ibrahim Lodhi the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. Babur established a dynasty called the Mogul dynasty which ruled India with absolute power till about 1725 and in varying degrees of power till 1857. It remains the longest ruling dynasty in India.
In 1469, a child was born to a high caste Hindu called Nanak Dev. He was a rebel who questioned the ancient Hindu scriptures and in due course, his followers established a faith that was both militant as well as temporal. The concept became "Miri-Piri" and was epitomized by the words " Sant Sipahi" or "soldier Saint".
Guru Nanak was respected by both Muslims and Hindus and Muslims refer to him as Nanak Pir. Before the commencement of the battle of Panipat, it is reported that Babur sought the blessings of the Guru. From about the time of 4th Guru Hargobind, the sword had to be taken up as at that time the Sikhs had allied more with Hindu thought and philosophy. Intermittent battles continued till Aurangzeb came to power. The stage was now set for an epic face-off.
At that time, the 9th Guru of the Sikhs Teg Bahadur made his abode in the Punjab and both Hindus and Sikhs flocked to him as Aurangzeb had unleashed a reign of terror in the Punjab. Hindus were forced at the point of the sword to convert to Islam and Hindu girls were abducted at will to pleasure the Muslim harems.There was almost total anarchy in the Punjab and many historians have commented on this aspect of Mogul rule.Sikhs and Hindus approached the Sikh guru for succour.
Aurangzeb had heard of Guru Teg Bahadur and he surmised in case he could get the Guru to convert to Islam the battle against the Hindus and Sikhs would be won and his followers would willingly accept to be Muslims. He sent his emissaries to the Guru and invited him to Delhi.
The Guru accepted the invitation and reached Delhi in 1675. He was 54 years old at that time. It is reported that Aurangzeb tried to convert the Guru to Islam, but the guru steadfastly refused to convert. He was warned that he would be executed in case he did not convert. All Punjab waited for the Gurus reaction. When the Guru repeatedly refused to convert, Aurangzeb gave the order that the Guru be beheaded. This was conveyed to the Guru who was then kept in a dungeon in the red Fort.
On the morning of 24, November 1675 the Guru was taken from his cell to a place opposite the Red Fort to a small Kotwali and in front of his followers mercilessly beheaded. This place now has a hallowed gurudwara named after the Guru and is called Gurudwara Sisganj. At that time, Aurangzeb decreed that the body should not be handed over to the Sikhs/ Hindus and also it should not be cremated but buried.
The body was left under a tree, which is still standing ; a mute witness to a horrific crime.The noted English historian William Irving states that the Guru was repeatedly tortured every day on orders of Aurangzeb but he refused to convert to Islam. After the execution, the Guru's body was loaded on an elephant which was paraded through the streets of Delhi to overawe the Hindus. At night, the body was brought back to the Kotwali. As the body lay, two fearless Sikhs in the middle of the night carried away the head and body of the Guru. The body was taken to the place where the gurudwara Rakabganj now stands and was cremated as per Sikh /Hindu rites. One of the Sikhs took the head to Anandpur Sahib about 300 Km away and the head was cremated there in the presence of his son the 10th guru Gobind Singh.
When the emperor came to know of the disappearance of the body he was furious and many of the guards at the kotwali were executed.Guru Teg Bahadur by his martyrdom showed the Muslims that Hindus and Sikhs were men of mettle and courage. A nascent flame was lit as the 10th Guru Gobind Singh marshalled the Sikh army for battle with the Muslims. This is the brightest chapter of Hindu-Sikh resistance to Muslim rule in the 17th century when the Hindus were being tread upon.
Aurangzeb died in 1707 and after him the Moguls were defeated in the Punjab and Banda Bahadur routed the Muslim army at the battle of Srihand in 1712 and laid the foundation of the Sikh Empire. the bravery of Guru Teg Bahadur is remembered to this day and Sikhs and Hindus alike revere the Guru as the saviour of Hinduism. The RSS lays particular stress on Guru Teg Bahadur and his martyrdom.
The place where the Guru was beheaded was under Muslim control and the Muslims refused to hand it over to the Sikhs. However during the days of the Raj, the Sikhs filed a case for its possession. The case was heard in the privy council and the British government decreed that Sisganj would be handed over to the Sikhs. A beautiful gurudwara adorns this place which is located in the heart of the famous Chandani chowk, opposite the Red Fort.
9 years ago
Sandhya Rani answered the question Which are three most important women in your life?.
My mother, daughter and my maternal grandmother. i would like to add one more person to the list - My maternal aunt (My mother's younger sister). My mother, grandmother and aunt are three most powerful women whom I met in my life. Through the hardships they have faced, they were supported the family, took more responsibilities than they can and stood as backbone - financially, emotionally and everything. I have learnt a lot of things from these three, and try to impliment in my life as well. But my daughter is everything to me, my happiness. So she is also an important lady of my life.
9 years ago
Sandhya Rani created new question How to unsubscribe answers given by other members in Q&A answers?.
It's a big headache now. Whenever someone posts a new question or a new answer in Q&A section, I get a notification in my gmail account. I just want a notification only if someone answers to my questions only, but not to all answers answered in the section. How is it possible? Is there any option available? Or can admin help me in any way please?
9 years ago
rambabu answered the question Whom do you think is the best Indian actress?.
There are two. One is Madhubal and another is Meena Kumari. Tghese are the actress who remain evergreen in my memory, even now in 2016.
9 years ago
rambabu answered the question Who has romantic relations with a girl for some years suddenly declare that she is his sister?.
No. I did not come across with such cases as you mentioned. There was only one relationship with my wife, years ago. And that stayed.
9 years ago
rambabu answered the question How to learn PHP Programming in less time of 4 months?.
Definitely you can learn PHP programming in less time. But, I advise you not to hurry and fix deadlines in order to have command over anything you learn. PHP is not an exception.
9 years ago
rambabu answered the question Is seo - Search Engine Optimization is a fools work ? .
No. Search Engine Optimization is a strategy to increase the amount of visitors to a website. No, SEO can neither become obsolete nor useless.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article Remembering the First Jet Plane of the IAF: The De Haviland Vampire.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire
Introduction
I wonder how many people are interested in aviation in particular military aviation. For good or bad, the credit for launching aviation and setting up the air force in India must go to the Raj, that euphemism for British rule. After the first manned flight in 1903 by the Wright brothers in the USA in their plane Kitty Hawk, exciting possibilities opened up. Visionaries came on the scene like Giulio Douhet who formulated theories of air power within the ambit of the Principles of War. The result was the development of military aviation which was a big factor in the First World war ( 1914-18).
The British were keen to have an Air Force in India and accordingly a committee was appointed to study the scope of setting up an Air Aviation wing. Known as the "Skeene Committee", it recommended the setting up of an Indian aviation branch of the Military in India. The Viceroy signed the gazette notification and the Air Wing was formed on 01 April 1932. Subsequently, the first batch of Indian airmen called " Hawai Sepoys" was sent for aviation training on 8 October 1932. The first batch consisted of 10 Hawai Sepoys, of whom S. Mukherjee became the Chief of Air Staff during the Nehru era.
The Indian Air Force was equipped with British aircraft which were seconded from the Royal Air Force and the first base was set up in Drigh Road, close to Karachi ( now in Pakistan). All through the period till independence the Indian Air Force which got the nomenclature Royal Indian Air Force served the British interests loyally.
Independence and Induction of First Jet Plane
Having been an adjunct of the Raj, the Indian Air Force had a penchant for British made aircraft. Thus, when in 1947, Nehru wanted a Jet plane for the Indian air Force, the choice fell on the British De Havilland Vampire.Nehru was an Anglophile and so were the senior officers of the Air Force and all wanted only British aircraft. The choice was made in favor of the Vampire a jet fighter-bomber, then in use by the Royal Air Force.
The Vampire was inducted into the IAF and became part of no 7 Squadron. It was a distinct moment in the aviation history of India and Asia. It was the first jet plane inducted into service in Asia by any Air Force and that is a feather in the cap. It is a pity that later India squandered this great start and became a laggard and was thrashed by China. At that time, China did not even have an air force. what an irony.
The Vampire in Service
The induction of the Vampire was successful and many Indian pilots were sent to the UK to train on the Vampire. The Vampire was among the first jets ever flown in the world and was a versatile plane. it was a sub-sonic fighter-bomber that could be used for bombing, close support to troops in a battlefield as well intercept enemy fighters. In short it was a multipurpose airplane and was used by a dozen air forces in the world.
After the induction of the Vampire, no further planes were added to the IAF arsenal. The Vampire was a success and was a safe plane to fly and not a single aircraft crashed to any technical glitch. It was used in the 1961 invasion of Goa but was used only to shower leaflets on the Portuguese troops asking them to surrender. It was not used in the 1962 conflict with China as Nehru had a morbid fear that the war will escalate and Indian cities would be bombed by the Chinese Air Force. This was a blunder, as we know that at that time the Chinese did not have much of an Air Force in Tibet and use of Air Power may well have dented the invincibility of the Peoples Liberation army.
The Vampire inducted in 1948, had reached the nadir of its operational capability as more modern aircraft were available by 1965. Unfortunately due to a paucity of funds and an outmoded thinking of the Air Staff the Vampire continued in service.
In 1965, war broke out with Pakistan as the enemy made an attempt to wrest Kashmir from India. The Pakistan army mounted a massive thrust in the Chhamb-Jaurian sector with over 70 Patton Tanks. the Indian army confronted by superior firepower was being pushed back when Lal Bahadur Shastri authorized the use of the IAF. It is to the credit of Shastri who took this decision , unlike Nehru who in 1962 just twiddled his thumbs. The air staff led by Air marshal Arjan Singh authorized the use of air power and the choice fell on the Vampire. This was a flawed decision as Pakistan was known to have modern aircraft like the F-86. The Indians had the Hunter and Gnat but why they were not used is a mystery.
Eight Vampires took off from a forward base in Punjab and went into operation against the Pak army. Initially, they halted the thrust, but soon the F-86 appeared on the scene and 4 of the vampires were shot down. The vampires were then withdrawn from the battlefield.
Epilogue
The vampire did yeoman service for the IAF and it was finally phased out in 1968. My father flew the vampire and for me, this is a cherished remembrance. A vampire is kept in the Air Force Museum at Palam in Delhi.
The famous no 7 Squadron was then equipped with MIG planes as a Teutonic shift had taken place with the left-leaning defense minister Krishna Menon, opting for Russian hardware.
The Vampire will always have a cherished role in Indian aviation history. It put India on the Asian map and was the first jet operated by the Indian Air Force.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article History: Indian Air Force Assault on Aizwal( Mizoram).
The Vampire used for bombing. Photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._7_Squadron_IAF#/media/File:No.7_Vampire.jpge
Background
The North East region of India is one of the most beautiful parts of the nation. It consists of the states of Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram. These areas have historically along with Assam never been under the sway of the Delhi Durbar. they were independent entities and their first brush with foreigners were the English. They occupied these areas and incorporated them into their empire as part of India. this was the first tenuous link with India.
The British were, very clever and they allowed missionaries to enter this region and in a short time the entire population of Mizoram, Nagaland along with Meghalaya became Christian. They were also not keen on their integration with Indian main stream politics and rule and thus worked out ingenious devices to keep these people apart from the rest of India. One of the methods was the introduction of a "inner line Permit". This was a permit which had to be issued to a visitor by the local district authority to enter these areas. this effectively insulated these areas from the rest of India.
The Revolt in the East
After the British left in 1947, logically Nehru should have abolished these permits and allowed a free flow of settlers to develop these areas. unfortunately, he did nothing and the old system continued. The Tribals who are the main inhabitants of this region accepted the British as rulers but were not ready to accept Indians from Delhi as rulers. They started an insurrection, demanding secession from India. The Naga revolt was launched in 1955 and shortly after Mizoram was aflame with the Mizo National Front leading the demand for independence and secession from India. These insurgent groups received arms and help from China and the then East Pakistan.
Nehru died in 1964. He did not take any concrete steps to integrate these areas with India. In addition, he did not allow the army to act in a ruthless manner. He thought he will be able to bring these tribals into the Indian fold by persuasion and discussion. These were noble sentiments but were not reciprocated by the tribal groups who were now heavily armed.
Mizo Revolt
After the death of Nehru, the policy of neglect of these areas continued. During this time, the Indian army was given a thrashing by China in 1962 and this acted as a great morale boost for the rebels who intensified their activity. In 1965 end, entire Mizoram was in flames. There were hardly any troops in Aizwal, the capital of Mizoram. the Mizo National Front occupied the entire city and proclaimed de facto Independence. Lal Bahadur Shastri was taken back and he consulted the Air Chief, Air Marshal Arjan Singh, and General Choudhry. He was advised that the only way to dislodge the rebels from Aizwal was an airstrike.
It is to the credit of Shastri, that he gave his agreement for an air assault on Aizwal. This is a historical moment in the history of independent India and is the only single time that air power has been used against local insurgents. It had a telling effect.
Bombing of Aizwal
Orders were immediately issued to the Commander in Chief, Eastern Air Command to mount the air attack. The plan was worked out and two flights of the Vampire Jet fighter-bombers took off from Jorhat to bomb the rebel lines in Aizwal. The use of these fighter-bombers unnerved the rebels who were bombed by the vampire jets. These planes were subsonic, but lethal and were also used by the Royal Air Force.
The bombing by air had an effect and the rebels who suffered casualties retreated into the jungles. In the meantime , a column of the Indian army also reached Aizwal and Indian rule and order was restored.
The use of the IAF was a master stroke and in this Shastri, though a short stature man, showed he had nerves of steel. Tt was a bold decision and brought out the potency of air power. It's sad that this has been the only occasion that an air bombing has been done against local rebel groups.
Last word
One wishes that the Indian government uses air power against the Mujaheddin in Kashmir and the Maoists. There will be collateral damage, but that should be treated as part of the game. The Mizo bombing is not publicized for reasons known to the government. But now with Modi at the helm, a fresh thought process is required
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The Color Bias in India.
India is supposed to be the land of Buddha and Gandhi. A land where nonviolence is a creed and many swear by it. However practically Indian society is violent and towering above everything is a race and color bias. This is something that cannot be denied and is a common thread right from Punjab to Bangalore. Indians in fact, detest African Black Negroes. This finds expression in the word " Hapbshi"; which means someone akin to a barbarian or animal.
This color bar is deep rooted and has existed for centuries. An example is that an Indian couple will accept a white man or girl as a partner for their children, but will not accept under any circumstances a black girl or man as a part of the family. This deep-rooted prejudice against the black Negro, in real terms, flows from the scriptures which in their stories and tales in all languages extoll the virtues of a fair skin. Even among Indians , particularly in the deep South of India, black girls find it difficult to get a husband and despite many South Indians being dark in complexion, not a single heroine in the film and AD world is having a black complexion. It is as if being black is a crime.
This deep-rooted bias against black color is extended to Negroes who come in great numbers to study in India. Historically India has strong connections with Africa and thousands of Indian are settled there and running their businesses and shops. But despite this strong connection, there are reports that even Gandhi was a racist who disliked blacks. It is known that when both Indians and BlackNegroes were imprisoned together in South Africa, Gandhi wrote a wrote a letter to General Smuts, asking the Indian be given a different jail accommodation as they had a higher intellect. He is also reported to have referred to the intellect of a Negro, by making a disparaging remark when he stated: " Can you teach the gospel to a Cow?"
The bias against Negroes is thus deep rooted. One had expected that this would have been toned down after independence, but it did not happen. On the contrary, incidents of racial abuse have multiplied. About a week back a Negro from Congo named Oliver was attacked and killed on a trivial issue of hiring a rickshaw. On 26 July in a village in Mehrauli, 6 negroes were attacked by locals. Luckily the injuries were light, but the lurking undercurrent of violence against blacks is omnipresent. A few weeks back Negroes both boys and girls were assaulted in Bangalore and the government was a silent spectator. The policy was guilty of inaction and later a few policemen were suspended.
This deep bias against the Negro is fraught with terrible repercussions. It has already started with the black nations boycotting the Africa day celebrations in Delhi after the killing of Oliver. The ministry has tried to downplay the incident, but India has got a bad name.
Matters are however not that simple. There are hundreds of thousands of Indian settled in the Black African nations. They have lived there for decades and now with these attacks, they are a vulnerable lot. After the killing of Oliver, Indian businessmen were attacked in Kinshasha , the capital of Congo. They had to down shutters and escape to safety. People attacking Negroes in India fail to realize how much they are putting the lives of their compatriots in Africa at risk.
The attacks on Africans must stop. There is a need for summary trials and quick punishment. The government has promised a fast-track trial in the Oliver case, but this should not be confined to only one case and all cases of assault need an expeditious conclusion. Otherwise, the antiquated system of justice left behind by the British will be a noose around the Indians neck. The Indian people will be putting Indians settled abroad at great risk. I hope this realization trickles down to the common man. There is also a need to understand the psyche of the Negro and use of derogatory words and innuendos need to be stopped. Black or white , it's just a matter of color. The Negro was the slave in America, but now one of them became President. Indians, who are themselves dark skinned can ill afford to discriminate against more dark skinned people. It could be a laughing matter, if murder and violence are not involved.
9 years ago
Babu saroj created new article Two deeds of mine, one with joy, other with regrets!.
We know very well that so many events take place in our life. Among them, some give us joy and satisfaction and others become the causes of deep sorrows and regret. Here I am going to discuss about such two opponent deeds I have done.
Just three months ago our school arranged for an inter-school competition. I was lucky enough for I was selected as a competitor of an inter-school debate contest. At first, a screening was held in our school. The topic was “Is privatization in education right or wrong?” I was thrilled when I saw that I had been selected. My joy knew no bounds, but it was a great task to represent my school with too much responsibility.
I began to prepare well for this competition. I had to prepare all the topics. My school helped me greatly. My family encouraged me always and brought me confidence too.
The day of the competition dawned. I reached the school ground. My parents as well as teachers were encouraging me. There were a number of contestants waiting with bated breaths. As my turn came, I felt very nervous. But as it was my common topic I was quite confident too. I began to make myself realize that nothing was impossible and I would be able to succeed. Then my name was called out and I slowly rose up on the stage. I started speaking and noticed that all the spectators were silent thoroughly. I realized that they are quite satisfied and charmed. I finished my speech.
Ultimately the competition ended. All the competitors were waiting in eager anticipation. And at last one of the judges announces the results. My name was announced that I stood first in the debate contest. I had been the first prize owner such a word was simply unbelievable to me. For a moment I was just amazed and saw that the well wishers had already come to praise me. It was such a memorable day that it is still alive in my mind. I received a cash prize with certificate.
One day, on my way to return home from school I suddenly found that an unknown hand was slightly pressing on my right shoulder. I at once turned to him and heard him requesting me to help him to cross the way. The man had a stick in his hand and wore black sunglasses. I could not read his mind and became annoyed. Then I uttered some slang languages. The man felt very sorry and began to move. Just a few minutes later I found that a helpful man was guiding him to cross the road. I then came to understand my fault and within a fraction of time I came up to him to beg his pardon. Such behaviour on my part still torments me bitterly for it had been a cause of deep regret.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The Indian Political Leadership Never Understood the Dictum" Military Power is an Extension of the Political Aim".
Introduction
Indian history has great examples of the famous dictum by that great military thinker Baron Von Clausewitz " Military power is an extension of the Political aim". A study will show that the great Indian empire builders like the Maurya dynasty, Gupta dynasty, and Raja Harsha built up empires on military might. These periods are referred to as the Golden Age of India and this was possible because the emperors believed in soldiering as an honored profession and built up formidable armies. Chandragupta defeated the Greeks as well and forced the Greek ruler in Western India, Seleucus Nikatar to bite the dust. All these great kings built up a formidable elephant corps. History tells us that some of the Magadha kings had elephant forces that ran to as close as 60,000. This massive force was used to overawe the enemy and these warriors ushered in the Golden Age of India.
We must understand that though these kings had not read Clausewitz and his " Principles of War', yet they imbibed what he stated later and practiced the art of war. Unfortunately, by a combination of circumstances aided by traitors and moribund military thought the Hindus lost power to the Muslims and the Muslims in turn, were defeated by the English.
The defeat of the Muslims led to 190 years of English rule. The British ruled in a just and secular way, but the lynch pin of their rule was the military. They also produced some great soldiers like Robert Clive and the First Duke of Wellesley and this added to their luster. The British Indian army as it was called then was a potent force and greatly pampered by the English. It was used not only for law and order in India but also for wars overseas in China, Africa, and Europe.
The Indian political leadership at that time led by Gandhi and Nehru considered the British Indian army a mercenary force and did not trust it. One will recollect that in the massacre at Jallianwallah Bagh in Amritsar, the killing and firing was carried out by Indian soldiers under the overall command of Brigadier General Dyer. The freedom movement in Punjab was crushed and the Congress leadership should have realized the importance of the military. One cannot condone the acts of the British Indian army, but as an example of the military as an extension of political power, this cannot be understated.
The Nehru- Congress Period
The British left India in 1947. As I have pointed out in many of my articles, this withdrawal from India was necessitated not because of the antics of Gandhi or Nehru, but by a stark realization that the instrument by which they controlled India, the Indian armed forces were suspect as many had joined the India Legion and the Indian National army under that firebrand leader Subhash Chandra Bose. The British left India and a vacuum was created and the Congress party led by Nehru stepped in and became the rulers of India.
Nehru is an enigma. He was a scholar and had studied the history of India and was well aware of the potency of military power. But his mind was conditioned by his experience of the Raj and he distrusted the army. This distrust was to have a profound impact on the future of India. Nehru in his mind, still treated it as an imperialist force, forgetting that thousands had joined Bose in the fight for India's independence. Logically, he should have made the army the lynch pin of his political policy on the world stage. He did the opposite. He downgraded the army and refused to acknowledge the role of the Indian National Army and the India Legion. This policy was also dictated by a fear of Subhash Chandra Bose, who terrified him as an arrival of Bose on the scene at that time would have meant an eclipse for him.
Nehru also feared a military coup as in neighboring countries like Burma and Pakistan the army had ousted the civilian government. Add to this, his general distrust of the Indian army as a mercenary force, dictated his reasoning, which to say the least was irrational.
Nehru took the first negative step by recalling Indian troops from Tibet. By virtue of 1913, Simla Agreement between India, China, and Tibet, the British were entitled to position Indian army units in Tibet at about 5/6 places. This was a deterrence to China and made Tibet effectively a buffer state. Nehru in one stroke destroyed everything by calling back the Indian troops, which he felt were doing an 'imperialist duty". The Cin C, Indian army in 1947, opposed this move and warned Nehru of grave consequences. Nehru overruled him and India squandered a first class strategic position.
The Chinese under Mao understood the weakness of Nehru and invaded Tibet. The Peoples Liberation army was at that time a ragtag force and about 13000 troops were used by Mao. The ill-equipped Tibet army was defeated and the Dalai Lama appealed to India for help. Nehru refused, for reasons that have never been understood. Sardar Patel, the then deputy PM and Home Minister was keen for an Indian intervention to support Tibet, but Nehru prevailed. At that time, had Nehru intervened in Tibet, the more professional and better armed Indian army would have routed the ragtag combination of Mao. Tibet was occupied and Nehru just sat twiddling his thumbs.
Nehru started to consolidate his rule, but his fear of a military coup was always at the back of his mind. Matters were not helped when the Chief of the Army Staff General K.S. Thimayya resigned on the merits of promoting B.M. Kaul ( a relative of Nehru) to Lieutenant General.
Nehru did the unthinkable. He kept the army at low strength and refused it the latest armaments, with the result the Indian army till 1964 continued to use outdated tanks and first world war pedigree .303 bolt action rifles. He also destroyed the army command by setting up regional commands, with a view that the army could not unite to overthrow him. He also cut the pay and perks/ privileges of the army and overall de-fanged the best fighting force in Asia. This had its repercussions and resulted in a massive defeat at the hands of China in 1962. Earlier Nehru by his shortsighted policy of not manning the Himalayan Border with Tibet resulted in the loss of significant territory in Ladakh, including the entire Aksai Chin to China.
Nehru died in 1964 a broken man, overwhelmed by his failure to realize the geopolitical importance of military might. His successors who were also from the Congress party continued with the policy of Nehru. Many in the top leadership of the Congress actively distrusted the Army and the result was that when war broke out in 1965 with Pakistan, the Indian army was still using outdated Sherman tanks while the Pakistan army had the latest weaponry including the formidable Patton Tanks.
The Indian army fought Pakistan to a draw. Logically, India being 5 times the size of Pakistan, victory should have been a forgone conclusion. The fact India did not lose the war, is only due to the heroism of the Indian armed forces which fought bravely and stalled a Pakistan victory.
Things did move after that and some weaponry from Russia was obtained. Indira Gandhi had a shrewd Chief of Army in 1971, General Sam Maneckshaw. He orchestrated a victory in Bangladesh. However too much should not be read in the near walk over in East Pakistan as the Pakistan General Staff failed to gauge that US support would be delayed and also had just one squadron and 4 divisions for the defense of East Pakistan. Nevertheless, despite a stalemate in the west, it was a magnificent victory.
Logically this victory should have led to the restoration of the Indian army's perks and privileges. Indira Gandhi who shared the distrust of the army with her father"rewarded" the army by reducing its pension by 25%. This was an unprecedented step as correspondingly the Civilian government servants had their pensions raised by 30%.
Indira also failed to realize the twin danger of China and Pakistan acting together and thus is guilty of not building up the military strength to counter a two front war with both India and China.
The later period: Blunders Compounded
The state of affairs continued till 2010. All governments ( Mostly of The Congress) failed to understand the geopolitical importance of the military. They also seemed oblivious to a twin threat of both Pakistan and China having become allies. The army strength remained pegged and there was no effort to achieve military parity with China or military superiority with Pakistan. All the Prime ministers from Narasimha Rao, Vajpayee and later Man Mohan Singh continued with the Nehruvian policies. The cut pensions were not restored and overall an effort was made to sideline the army.
Vajpayee who was a BJP leader also had no concept of military power as all his life he had spent agitating or doing Dharna and in some significant moments, he surrendered the initiative to Pakistan. This resulted in the Kargil conflict, resulting in massive casualties for the Indian troops, much more than Pakistan. As India had not built up military power, Vajpayee could not strike at any other place on the Indo-Pak border as India did not have the capability of a surgical operation. He also, despite a promise failed to restore the military pensions, which had been cut by Indira Gandhi. Vajpayee's period is a forgettable period in Indian history.
The Congress party now came back to power and brought in a lackey of the Gandhi family as Prime Minister, Sardar ManMohan Singh. This man devoid of any spine simply acted as a regent and failed to lead India. Being an economist and beholden to the Gandhi family, he just passed his time.
The effect of the Man Mohan years on the Indian army was very bad. Pensions were not restored and for the first time in history, the Indian ex-servicemen started an agitation for restoration of pensions and perks. The serving personnel has an umbilical cord connection with ex-servicemen and the result was lowering of morale. In addition, no effort was made to increase Indian military power and the result was that China exerted pressure with 30 division in Tibet.
Last word and Modi
The BJP came to power on the back of the Modi wave as the people were fed up with the Congress and its policies of vote banks and all round corruption.
But Modi has not broken away from Nehruvian policies and still has not realized that Military power is an adjunct to great power status. In two years in power, Modi did restore pension to a limited extent. But he did not restore OROP as defined by the Kosiyari Commission and two houses of Parliament. In addition, the 7th pay commission downgraded even more, facilities for the armed forces. This led to an unprecedented letter to the Prime Minster by the 3 service chiefs protesting the downgrading of the armed forces. This has seriously affected the morale.
Modi has also little comprehension of the need to match China and overawe Pakistan. If he has he does not show it, as the force levels of the army are the same for last 2 decades. The result is that even small powers like Nepal and Lanka cock a snook at India. Pakistan is belligerent as ever and China is flexing its muscles on the Himalayan border. Modi has been the PM for 2 years and he has done precious little to break out of the Congress- Nehru mold. History will judge Modi harshly if he fritters away this golden chance to restore Indian might and pride. Only a strong India with a powerful military, who should be satisfied and have a high morale can command respect. One wonders whether Modi has that mettle. Time and tide wait for none and Modi better realize it.
A look at the map of South Asia will show that China is encircling India. The world is watching and Modi is the leader. Can he break from the past thoughts and go forward for an exceptionally strong military to further India geopolitical interests?
9 years ago
usha manohar created new article Karma - a theory of action and reaction !.
What is Destiny or Karma ?
One wonders whether Destiny or Karma is a concept that evolved and grew only in India and particularly unique to Hinduism or whether it was also known and believed by people elsewhere in the world. But going by all accounts we come to know that Karma is a Sanskrit word, which means action. Chinese culture which is almost as old as that of Hinduism, too has something similar called Ming Yun, which means fate or destiny! Although, it is possible that other older religious communities too might have some similar concepts within their own belief.
Karma as Hindus and Indians perceive it, also means the consequences of one's actions or reactions to one’s own action. When someone refers to Karma it means they are speaking about cause and effect. The general belief is that you get what you give – a good action begets a good response and a bad action can get a bad response or a negative response. This may concern both direct and indirect actions taken by an individual. So, in effect our elders were particular that people are aware of their actions, its consequences and therefore be careful and thoughtful before uttering a word or take any action. It is the same as Physical laws of action and reaction.
What are its pros and cons?
I came across this very interesting quote on destiny "The best years of your life are the ones that come wherein you realise and decide that your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, your neighbor, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny” – So when life itself is a big question, instead of pondering and wasting away precious seconds, minutes and days, is it not better to live life as it presents itself? Take responsibility for your actions and face the consequences!
Life has never been easy for most of us and having a firm faith in either god or Karma gives us strength since when the worst things happen to us, instead of breaking down or giving up altogether, at least one can say it is Karma that we have earned (not just through our actions but our forefathers and ancestors too) so it has to be endured and move on. This also makes us immune to a certain extent. Hindu philosophy of Karma burdens you with your ancestors' actions too - both positive and negative.. Old sins have long shadows!
We should remember that Karma is not religious but a philosophical way of looking at life and its many nuances without being judgmental. You accept things, both good or bad without questioning the outcome with a firm belief that this is what I get out of life. But does this attitude and too much belief in Karma kill ambition and creativity? It does, when people become totally Karma oriented and do not question or analyse even when things go wrong. Even when there is a remedial measure they fail to try it out because of this blind belief in their Destiny, Karma or Fate!
Most situations in our life has a solution if we care to look for one, all that is needed is some soul searching. A person who believes in Karma often believes that he or she cannot change what he or she is destined to get out of life. This is a very fatalistic belief that can make you morose and a pain to live with at times. I have known many cases where people lose interest in their immediate surroundings and do things like a robot because they believe that no matter what they do, their destiny or Karma overtakes them, so what is the point? They also begin to care less and lesser for their family and their surroundings. They fail to realise or feel guilty of the fact that their actions make people around them unhappy.
I love these words from Bhagvad Gita which is a store house of wisdom and superior knowledge - " One does not attain freedom from the bondage of Karma by merely abstaining from work. No one attains perfection by merely giving up work. Because no one can remain without performing any action even for a moment. Everyone is driven to action, many a times without realising by the Gunas ( elements ) of nature. Perform your obligatory duty, because action is indeed better than inaction. Even the maintenance of your body would not be possible by inaction. In every action in life we acquire some karma or the other -either good or bad depending on our action or reaction!
So what does fate mean ? Is it the same a Karma or different ?
Karma is action and reaction but fate is different in that it cannot be changed. I would call it the end result of one's own Karma. According to a wise man – “I can control my destiny, but not my fate. Destiny means there are opportunities to turn right or left, but fate is a one-way street. I believe we all have the choice as to whether we fulfill our destiny, but our fate is sealed“.
Some even go to the extent of saying that fate is predetermined, so can never be changed, if indeed that is so, why go through the motion of living? I wonder if it has to be that definite? sealed and cannot be changed?
Our life is made of the past ,present and the future but past and the present often merge with one another. If we realise that often past plays an important role in our present dealings and our present is going to play an important role in our future days, it would be a starting point to work towards the future by taking care of the present. Once we understand our needs and limitations it is not difficult to shape our destiny. Yet the same time mystery of the unknown future is what makes life interesting and worth living. So, it is better not to have a fatalistic attitude about everything in life.
Conclusions
Most people tend to build a barrier against depressions and distressing just by trying to divert their mind and trying not to think about them. The theory of Karma deals with such a situation. It cushions a human being against their mental agony and prepares individuals to face such eventualities. As long as people are happy in their beliefs and it gives them happiness , strength and peace of mind nothing else matters. To a large extent we can control our life happenings but with all that we are unable to foresee and prevent certain matters which may ruin or have a large impact on our lives and that’s when Karma or the belief in destiny takes over.
In essence, Karma and Destiny have their place in life and our actions and reactions decide what course our life takes which also makes us directly responsible for the course our life takes!
In fact, we create our own little world as we go along. If we create a good cause then we also create a good effect and if we create a bad cause then we will create a bad effect… A cause consists of one’s thoughts, emotions and action. So, if you are just focusing on action or hard work and not on right thoughts and emotions, you are putting in one third of your effort and hence you are getting only one third of results. That does not mean you are failing here but you are putting all your effort on one single factor, which is giving a limited result or output. In order to succeed you need to have the right kind of emotions, right thoughts and the right effort.
Fate, also cannot in anyway change physical aspects of your life. For instance fate cannot decide how much money you can hope to have? Since everything in this world is a matter of cause and effect, fate tries to change the cause and try to bring good or bad fortune into your life. If you are steady and consistent and have developed a great will power , nothing can change the course of your thoughts, action and emotions or let fatalistic thoughts have any powers over you.
To conclude we can easily defeat or change our fate, Karma or destiny using our willpower and strength of character.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The Indian Navy Bids Adieu to the " Sea Harrier".
Photo of Sea harrier from Naval Review
The Navy, in particular, had a close connection with the Royal Navy and the result was that the Naval top brass always opted for British aircraft on the plea that the warships of the navy were all earlier of British pedigree and as such it was best to operate only British aircraft.
The IAF was more open and was ready to accept Russian aircraft despite having a long list of British planes from the Lysander, Hurricane , Spitfire, Canberra, Vampire, Hawker Hunter and Gnat. The crunch came when India asked for the Lightening Mark II Interceptor , which was capable of speeds above Mach II. The British refused and the then Indian Defence minister Krishna Menon made a secret trip to Moscow and met Khrushchev. The Russian leader looking for a window of opportunity to displace western interests readily agreed to supply India with the MIG -21 and this was the beginning as more and more Russian planes were inducted into the IAF.
The Navy needed an aircraft for its aircraft carrier the Viraat and Vikrant. the Sea Hawks ( another British plane) was to be phased out. The Sea Hawk was a subsonic fighter-bomber and had been successfully used in the bombardment of Chittagong in the 1971 war. It was operated by the carrier Vikrant. The Vikrant was for information of readers an old Second World War aircraft carrier, which the Indian Navy had bought.
The Naval top brass insisted on a British aircraft and the choice narrowed down to the Sea Harrier. This plane was a very versatile interceptor with a top speed of 1150 km n hour. Trials for this plane commenced in 1981 and the plane was inducted into the Indian Navy in 1982. It replaced the ageing Sea Hawk.
The Sea harrier had many capabilities including a vertical take-off and short landing ability. It was a VSTOL( vertical and short take off and Landing ) aircraft and in addition was specially adapted for carrier operations. The plane formed the mainstay of the Royal Navy aviation corps in the Falklands war and was a huge success.
I have never flown the plane, but compatriots have told me that it was a high precision aircraft and not easy to fly. There were reports that one of the test pilots had died to fly the plane and it had crashed in the UK. However, the Indian pilots soon got the hang of the plane and were able to operate it from the flight deck of the Viraat. The plane required great skill to land and needed the pilot to come low down on the deck and land at the edge so that the arrester mechanism could be activated. Failure to do this would have meant the aircraft shooting the deck and landing in the sea.
The Indian Navy operated the Sea harrier. No war was fought by the Navy during the 3 decades the harrier was in service. It, however, acted as a deterrent as the Indian Navy is the only Navy in Asia to operate 2 aircraft carrier. In contrast, China operates only one.
The last ceremony of the Harrier was conducted at the Naval Aviation unit at Goa. The plane was given a "water wash up" or water salute and phased out from the Navy arsenal. The Navy has got over its British obsession and now with a Russian-made carrier having joined the fleet, the navy has opted for the MIG 29K as a replacement for the Sea harrier. The latest aircraft carrier is from Russia and was the Russian ship Admiral Gorshkov.
The Sea Harrier did yeoman service for the navy. It had an accident free tenure and was reliable. Despite not having taken part in any naval operation, yet the Harrier on board the Viraat served India's interests as it carried the Indian flag in the Indian Ocean. Pakistan does not have an aircraft carrier and is in some fear of the Karachi port being blockaded by the Indian aircraft carriers. The Sea harrier was a great machine and used by the Royal Navy as well. It will remain part of the history of Indian aviation.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article "Operation Bajadere" German Audacious Plan to Invade India.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Legion( Field Marshal Erwin Rommel inspecting Indian troops of the India Legion in France 1944)
One of the ironies of history is that a valiant group of soldiers who fought on the side of Germany during World War II, with the explicit aim to free India are a neglected lot. This is the India Legion that was created by Hitler and supported by Subhash Chandra Bose in Germany. This force was raised with the grandiose plan of Hitler to conquer India after he was riding high in the battles in Europe. At that time, the plan was to use the India Legion soldiers to carry out an uprising in India and sabotage the British war effort as the German army moved in across central Asia and Egypt . Hitler envisaged an invasion from the West of India like Alexander the Great. For this, he created the India Legion with the active support of Subhash Chandra Bose.
Hitler also formulated a plan that goes by the code name " Operation Bajadere". Unfortunately, the Indian government after 1947 led by Nehru, relegated this exciting episode of the bravery of the Indian army to the background and the role of the India Legion fighting on the Nazi side is relegated to a footnote in the history books.
The Plan of "Operation Bajadere"
The Wehrmacht assumed that the after the defeat of Russia and the victory of the Afrika Corps in Egypt, both the German army groups in a pincer movement would head for India. Before that, the troops of the India Legion would be parachuted into East Iran and enter India from the west. They would be tasked with the destruction of British assets and carry out sabotage. They would with Subhash Bose at the helm, orchestra an uprising of the Indian people to make things easy for the German army.
In 1942, this plan appeared a reality as the Afrika Corps commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel had conquered Libya and had reached the gates of Alexandria in Egypt. In Russia, 3 German army groups under Field Marshal Von Rundsetd and Von Manstien had brought the Stalin Regime to its knees and one group had reached the Volga river.
Action Plan
The plan was put into action as the German army reached the River Volga. Nearly a 100 specially trained soldiers of the Indian Legion were parachuted into Eastern Iran in the winter of 1942. These were highly trained troops who had been trained by the special group of the German army called the Brandenburgs. One needs to salute the bravery of these soldiers who were both Sikh and Muslim and vowed to fight and work together. What a change now!
The dropping of the Indian parachute troops of the India Legion was a success and these soldiers entered India through Baluchistan. They set about their task of sabotage and the British defense already thinned out was at a loss to fight these soldiers. A secret report was sent to Berlin by the German attache at Kabul, which confirmed the success of the initial plan of operation Bajadere. Unfortunately, the German army was stopped at Stalingrad and Rommel lost at El Alamein. With these defeats, the plan to invade India was abandoned and so was ' Operation Bajadere".
Role of the India Legion after Abandoning "Operation Bajadere"
Subhash Bose who had been the nominal leader of the India Legion was moved by the Axis powers to Japan. This was in 1943. His departure was a blow as the India Legion was left leaderless. Despite the absence of Bose,the India Legion was well looked after and integrated with the German army for the defence of France and Hitler's Atlantic Wall. The India Legion was put under the overall command of Field Marshal Rommel, who now commanded the Atlantic Wall.
The India Legion fought bravely and were given due respect by the Germans. It is interesting to know that the Germans, respected the food susceptibility of the Hindu and Muslim troops and Beef and Pork were taken out of the rations of the Legion soldiers. Even, Vegetarian food was served. In addition, the India Legion was very well equipped with guns and mortars and shows the deep trust the Wehrmacht had in the India Legion.
Last word
Operation Bajadere is a footnote in History. The role of the India Legion is relegated and not talked about. This state of affairs continued for 60 years as the Congress party led first by Nehru and later by his daughter sought to erase the contribution of Bose and the Indian national Army as well as the India Legion from the history books. It was as if the Congress party was ashamed of the brave soldiers who fought under Bose and were part of the audacious plan to free India.
One sincerely hopes that this negative trend is reversed and the India Legion is given its due. They fought bravely and need to be respected and their contribution to the freedom of India acknowledged.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article India is the Laggard in South Asia.
The Political Scenario
If one has a look at South Asia one can conclude that India by the very nature of its size should have been the dominant power. India is a giant and dwarfs all the nations around it viz Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan. All these nations should have been in awe of India, but in real terms, none of them gives any weight or respect to India. All these nations see India as a lumbering giant with a weak leadership and despite its size as a nation that can be trifled with at will.
Examples abound and one will recollect that when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime Minister in 2003, Bangladesh Border guards killed nearly 15 troops of the BSF. There was no reaction from the Vajpayee government, whose deputy foreign minister parroted the comment " Bangladesh is our friend". Such a comment at the time with 15 soldiers shot dead looked obscene.
None of the nations consider India any great shakes as a power and know that whatever they do, India will not react as it does not have the political will and its armed forces are not so powerful as to strike fear in anybody's heart. People can realise, what the American reaction would have been in case 15 American servicemen would have been killed.
This is not all, but a puny nation like Lanka routinely arrests and detains hundreds of Indian fishermen every month. These poor persons are supposed to be fishing in Lanka territorial waters. This has been going on for decades and yet there has been no reaction from India. With the advent of Modi, one expected a more nationalist policy, yet the sequence of arrests and detention of Indian fishermen continues unabated.
Looking at Pakistan which is the bette noir for the Indians, the situation is worse. India is 5 times the size of Pakistan and logically a nation as small as Pakistan in comparison to India should be in some awe. Unfortunately, Pakistan treats India with disdain. It organizes terror activity against India, foments an uprising in Kashmir and harbors known terrorists and gangsters like Dawood Ibrahim and Azar Masoor and makes India look like a flabby giant unable to react. The Indians do not have the political will, nor the dominant firepower to subdue Pakistan and in a conflict on the western borders, one is not sure of a result. One has only to compare with China and USA to realize how impotent India is, as a power of any standing.
India and China
India's relations with China are bedeviled as the Indian political leadership right from the days of Nehru has been in awe of China. There is a lurking fear to antagonise China and yet, the Chinese treat India as a subsidiary power and do not consider it their equal. They occupied Tibet due to the folly of Jawaharlal Nehru and India is now paying the price for this massive historical mistake of Nehru.
China's contempt for India is apparent as it refuses to issue proper Visa to Indian nationals from Arunachal Pradesh and Kashmir and insists that visa issued will only be stapled to the passport. In contrast, the Modi government developed cold feet in giving Visa to two Chinese dissidents to attend a conference at Dharamshala. The Chinese maps routinely show Kashmir as disputed territory and large areas of Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh as parts of China. The Indian reaction is just a feeble protest. There is a lurking fear of China militarily and who is responsible for making India a subservient power militarily to China? It started from Nehru and that mistake is not rectified though Modi is in power. He has talked big, but on the ground, he has made no attempt to match China militarily.
China also supports the militant groups in the North East and the result is a live insurrection, that is ongoing for the last 60 years. One can recollect that AZ Phizo, raised the banner of revolt in 1955 and the problem remains unsolved. China also supports the Maoists rebellion in the heart of India in the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, MP and Bihar and these so called Maoists, who profess the leadership of Mao is a force to reckon with. The Home Minster Rajnath Singh when taking over talked tough, but on the ground, the situation has not changed.
India was badly defeated in a war with China in 1962 and this has deeply affected the Indian psyche. The clock has continued to tick forward, but no India leader has made amends.
China Builds an Axis Against India
The Chinese have deep pockets and these add to the Chinese clout. They also have a vibrant military which is so powerful that even the no. 1 power in the world, America is wary of it. One can get an idea of the Chinese power as it flexes its muscles in the South China Sea, as it claims the entire Sea as a Chinese sphere of influence. In addition, it deploys almost 30 divisions in Tibet to keep India on tenterhooks. It also has been able to turn the traditional friendship of Nepal against India. The Maoists are a force in Nepal now and they are inimical to India. Nepal despite getting all the benefits from India is going more and more into the Chinese orbit. India has a visa-free regime with Nepal and a million Nepalese stay and work in India. In addition, India gives employment to the Gurkhas in the army, yet Nepal seems ungrateful as it needles India. The reason is that Nepal is aware that in a showdown with China, India will be browbeaten and despite Modi coming, he has failed to realize the mistake of Nehru in not building military power.
China - Pakistan Axis
For historical reasons and the furtherance of Hindu-Muslim conflict, Pakistan remains an antagonist state. It has sworn to bleed India with a 100 cuts and it is actively being supported by China, both militarily and economically. China is financing a massive economic corridor and spending nearly $50 billion on it. The corridor along the old Silk route is to be from Tibet, through Kashmir to Gwadar, the latest deep sea port that China is developing. India is a bystander.
Pakistan has also built up its military and has more than parity with the Indian armed forces. One will recollect that in 4 wars with Pakistan on the western front, the Indian armed forces have failed to make any penetration into Pakistan. Pakistan also cocks a fist to India as it runs training camps for terrorist training and sends them across the border. So many terror attacks have taken place that they are not worth recounting here. India is unable to react as the Indians do not have overwhelming military superiority. This is the key to the entire problem. Lack of decisive military power. That is the reason the Indians have not been able to carry out a surgical strike in Pakistan to eliminate Dawood and others like the USA did to Bin Laden.
Last word
Two aspects stand out that are the shackles to India as a regional power. First, is the lack of decisive political will. This attitude has continued right from the time of Nehru. I am afraid despite the arrival of Narendra Modi, there is no change on the ground.
Secondly, the Indian political leadership has not yet realised as brought out by Clausewitz that military power is an extension of the political aim. The Indian military does not have Military edge in South Asia. Until India matches China, this state of affairs will continue. One aspect of the political philosophy of Modi and the BJP is that finishing the Nehru-Gandhi family is more important than the geopolitical world status. That is the bane of India.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The Essence of Bravery: The Lot of the Soldier.
While travelling on a flight from Singapore to Delhi I had the company of a fairly well to do businessman.He sat in the seat adjacent to mine. We got into a conversation and this man was pretty happy to know that I had served quality time in the armed forces. One comment by the man intrigued me. He mentioned that the forces in India were a pampered lot. I asked him what made him feel this way. He replied that the forces were given more than their due and also goodies like free rations and Rum.
I narrated to him two incidents from history and after hearing them he replied that he saw my point of view and did not grudge the perks of the armed forces. In fact,later he informed me that he had donated Rs one lakh to the armed forces welfare fund. This, he informed me by email a few weeks later. I shall now relate these two incidents in some detail.These incidents bring out the bravery of the soldier who even in the face of certain death will not say 'die' but go from this world, unsung and unknown.
Stalingrad
The battle of Stalingrad in end 1943 is one of the most famous battles in world military history. The battle for the city between the German army and the Red army had bravery written on both sides. It was a death struggle. During this battle, the Soviet High Command under Marshal Stalin issued its famous order no 227. The order simply states that the Russian army would not " step back at all under any conditions...".
The stakes in the battle were high as a loss at Stalingrad on the river Volga would have opened the floodgates to the Wehrmacht to strike deep into Central Asia and on to India. Hitler at that time was formulating a plan for the invasion of India with the help of the Indian National army.
During this battle, the Russian 37th Infantry Guards division was holding a tractor factory. This division consisted about 10,000 soldiers and was commanded by Colonel Zholudev. The German army mounted an assault and there was bitter fighting, but the superiority of firepower gave victory to the German army. The guards had to cede the factory to the Germans.
Much later the commander of the Soviet group general Yeremenko called Colonel Zholudev and demanded an explanation as to why the factory had been lost despite the explicit order by the Russian High Command.This was tantamount to disobeying order no 227.
Colonel Zholudev replied with a grim and dark face, that the division performed its duty heroically and did not yield an inch to the German army.The colonel continued and informed the general, that the soldiers fought heroically and almost all the 10,000 perished as nobody retreated even an inch. This was in the face of repeated attacks by overwhelming numbers of the German army with heavy artillery and air support. He informed the General that almost all our officers and men died fighting to the last man and bullet. Surrender or retreat was never contemplated.
General Yeremenko realized the bravery of the division who had not disobeyed order 227, but all died as per their oath of allegiance. The factory was lost as all the 10,000 soldiers guarding it was overwhelmed and thus had shown exemplary bravery. This is a classic case of bravery where honor and oath were important even if it resulted in sure death. Later the Soviet army liberated Stalingrad and the German army under Von Paulos surrendered. 93000 Germans Soldiers became POWs. There can be no more classical example of bravery than this one.
Battle in Ladakh
Another incident which I narrated was the famous last stand by the Garhwal regiment under Major Shaitan Singh. This was during the Sino- India war of 1962.
As is well-known war clouds were hovering over the Himalayas for many months, but our prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru smug in his belief that he was a ' great world leader' could not see it. The Chinese made a tremendous buildup while the Indians just sat and watched. This is explicitly brought out by Brigadier Dalvi in his book " Himalayan Blunder". On 20th October 1962 the Chinese army threw in some 15 division against a handful of Indians. They almost had a walkover in the East And NEFA( Now Arunachal Pradesh).
The Chinese also mounted a ferocious attack in Ladakh. The Chinese had the most modern weaponry. The Indians, on the other hand, faced them with vintage .303, the First World War rifles. There was a severe battle around Chusul where the Chinese army came face to face with the force under Major Shaitan Singh. The Chinese mounted the attack with a propaganda barrage on loudspeakers asking the Indian army troops to surrender.They promised an honorable treatment to all who surrendered.
The Indians, however, held firm and repeated attacks by the Chinese made no headway. The Chinese now brought in heavy field guns and started a bombardment.The Indians soldiers still held firm,but slowly the men began to fall one by one. Major Shaitan Singh led the men heroically and died fighting in the mountain heights of the Himalayas. All the 400 men died fighting to the last man and bullet. The Chinese could not take a single prisoner. These facts came out later. In addition, in a rare admission Radio, Peking acknowledged the bravery of the Indian troops in a broadcast in November 1962. It is rare for an enemy to acknowledge the bravery of opposing troops. Major Shaitan was awarded the PVC, but this is small consolation to the 400 men who died unsung and unknown. I wonder if Nehru felt any remorse for the fallen warriors.
Last Word
This narration of these incidents had a profound effect and my companion realized that bravery must be honored. There are some in India who still feel that the services are demanding too much. These people must realize that it is the soldier who makes the supreme sacrifice. The situation is now tense with the ISIS threatening India and local Muslims ( albiet at present a small minority) sympathetic to them.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article Dubai and its Fascination For Cars.
Photo of Mustang by me
Oil changed the lifestyle of Dubai and overnight it was transformed into a vibrant city. Money from oil fueled an upsurge in the development and when the British left, they left behind a state that was on the threshold of a gigantic lift-off.
Petro dollars flowed in and Dubai became a metropolis that rivals the best cities in the world. Much of the development of Dubai was powered by expatriates from the sub-Continent. Many of the expatriates were blue collar and qualified workers and managers who drew very high salaries.
This abundance of cash brought in an auto revolution in Dubai. The locals sheikhs flush with money picked up the biggest and fanciest cars. Dubai became a sellers markets for luxury automobiles. It became the biggest market for the Rolls-Royce, the epitome of luxury as far as automobiles are concerned. One can gauge its value as the Rolls Royce Phantom is marketed in India at a cost of Rs 4.53 crores. At one time it was the most sought after car by Indian royalty and the Maharajah of Patiala reportedly had a fleet of 36 Rolls. One of these was even used to carry garbage.
The maharajah has gone with the wind and their place is taken by the Sheikh from Dubai. It is reported that over a 100 Rills Royce cars are sold every year in Dubai, making it the biggest market for rolls Royce, more than the UK itself. A drive around Dubai will reveal a dozen Rolls cruising along the roads at any given time.
The expatriates also joined the car splurge and with high salaries and easy finance cars like the Ford Mustang, Mercedes, BMW, Porsches and other luxury brands were sold in Dubai like hot cakes. The city shows affluence and it's no wonder that it, along with the UAE has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.
There was a moment of alarm in 2008 when the construction boom tapered off and recession had set in. At that time many expatriates who could not pay for their car loans having lost their jobs just ran away from Dubai, leaving the hypothecated cars at the airport. This was the big flight and at one time it was estimated that nearly 3000 cars were left at Dubai airport, with the keys in the ignition slot.
This was just an aberration as the ruler of Abu Dhabi bailed out Dubai and very soon Dubai was back on its feet. The old swerve has come back and once again the cars and the expatriate force has returned. Dubai is also aided by the finest road network in the world and one can cruise at 200 km an hour without batting an eyelid. One cannot dream of driving at these speeds in India even on the so-called freeway between Pune and Mumbai.
Dubai is home to the biggest brands in the auto industry and despite Dubai having no oil unlike Abu Dhabi which has billions of barrels in reserves, the economy of Dubai is diversified as a tourist and business centre and its is healthy and ticking. Not many know that Dubai rivals London as a business centre and even the ICC( International Cricket Conference) has its headquarters here.
The cars in Dubai are sold with minimal taxes and are cheap. Unfortunately, the Maruti, the staple diet of Indians is never seen in Dubai as it is felt to be a low-grade car, unfit for the super roads of Dubai. The luxury S-Class Mercedes and high-end Volvo, Toyota, Impala, Maybach, Ford Mustang, Porsche and Bentleys are great sellers here. The Rolls-Royce has a special niche for itself and most Sheikhs will drive this as a symbol of status.
Along with the cars, there are also repair centres which service these cars. Most of them are staffed by mechanics from India, mostly from the state of Kerala. They do a good job and its to the credit of India. What surprises me is that Indians when they go abroad work so hard and yet when in India, the Indian worker looks for ways to shirk work. What a contrast! I wonder who can explain this?
Dubai is the modern El Dorado, the proverbial city of gold. No wonder many Indians want to work here. It's much better than Saudi Arabia, which is more like a closed world and you may have money but life is bleak. The automobile has revolutionized Dubai and the camel, the old ship of the desert is now a relic, for tourists to sit atop and ride it for an experience. So far so good, but there is always a sense of unease as what happened in 2008 is not revisited again.
9 years ago
D.shireesha created new article GOA.
tuna
honest ,
Goa
The most famous tourist destination in India is GOA. It is a place where you can find many beaches from its top to bottom. each of these beaches extend to a distance of at least 3-4 km.The Portuguese were one of the first ones to inhabit Goa. Many portugese can be found here even today. the practices of the Portuguese are followed by the Goans even today. The local language of Goa is Konkani. It does not have a defined script and the most commonly used script is the Bramhi script. The people here are very simple and honest ,you can always take their suggestions and implement them. The food consumed here is mostly seafood. Many fishes found here are nocturnal ones like the Tuna. People here build houses using concrete and cement mostly using Portugal techniques.
South goa is a place filled with beaches,whereas North Goa is a place where you can find temples,monuments and Cathedrals. In South goa there are two famous beaches namely Cocoa and Condolom. If you have a collection of shells and you require more you need to visit the cocoa beach, provided that you can't swim in this beach as the water in this beach is untidy. Goa is also known for its famous water sports like paragliding,jet skiing and banana ride, if you would like to take part in these water sports then you need to visit the condolom beach. The water in this beach is more neat and tidy as compared to cocoa beach. You can swim in this beach as the waves are also comparatively less here. This is a beach where you can build sand castles. Here you can sunbathe while eating your favorite seafood that you can order from the beach shacks. You can also enjoy the sunset here.
In North Goa you can find an endless number of cathedrals which were built by the Portugese themselves. The st.peters is a famous church which you need to visit in Goa. Not only cathedrals, you can also find ancient temples here. One of the most ancient temple in North Goa is the 15th century lord shiva temple. A number of water resorts are located here. Many families here are Goan bramhins. Although they are bramhins, their staple diet forms rice and seafood. If you visit North Goa you should never forget to visit the Saturday bazaar. It is a place where you can find several stalls selling Portuguese food and accessories. If you visit this bazaar then you should surely order Portugal recipes. Goa is the only place where you can find fun out of everything. It is the best place for families.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The Schieffelin Plan: Can India Draw any Lessons from it?.
Introduction
The Shieffelin Plan is a document of great value. Its author was Field Marshal Von Schieffelin, who was the chief of the German army. During the 18-19-20th century, Germany was obsessed with a two-front war against both Russia and France. This was a perpetual danger to the political leadership and the German General Staff. Germany always felt endangered if both France and Russia attacked Germany. It would mean fighting a two front war.German army would have to face the Russian attack from the East and on the western border, France was a source of great trouble.
The German general Staff was thus always plagued by such a scenario. Right from the time of the Napoleonic wars to the First World War this scenario haunted Germany. Field Marshal Von Schieffelin a remarkable soldier formulated a plan for such an eventuality. This was called the " Schieffelin Plan" and is a document that is studied in the war College.
Basically, the plan called for the destruction of France first, by an invasion of France through the low countries namely Holland and Belgium. Schieffelin envisaged the defeat of France inside 40 days. After the defeat of France, Schieffelin proposed the en-masse transfer of German armed forces to attack Russia.This transfer of troops would be done expeditiously due to the excellent rail system of Germany. The key point of the plan was to breach the French defences by attacking through the low countries.
It must be mentioned that Hitler studied the writings of Von Schieffelin and put the plan into effect by an invasion of France through the low countries. The German army brushed the channel and breached the formidable Maginot Line( French defenses to thwart an invasion from Germany). France was defeated inside 40 days. After the French surrender, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa:The invasion of Russia on 22nd June 1941.
Threat to India
The purpose of this article is not to discuss the Schiffelin Plan but see how it can be made applicable to India. During the 20th and 21st century India also like Germany faces a twin threat. India has China on the North and Eastern border and with this nation, there have already been 3 encounters with India. There is the 1962 war which resulted in a Chinese victory and the 1967 artillery duel at Nathu Law. In the artillery duel, the Indian armed forces covered themselves with honor and forced the Chinese to withdraw in Sikkim.There was also a face off in 1987. On the western border, India faces Pakistan, a sworn enemy of India. India and Pakistan have already fought 4 wars and all have ended in a stalemate on the western front.
India like Germany faces the danger of a two-front war. This is a reality as China could attack all along the North and Eastern Himalayan border while Pakistan mounts an attack from the West through Punjab and Kashmir. The old concept of Jawaharlal Nehru that the Himalayas were India natural protectors was an extremely silly concept. Modern armies easily cross tall mountains and these are no longer a ' natural barrier'. These comments are found in his " History of India"and to say the least led to to the Indian debacle in 1962.
The danger of a two-front war has now been taken seriously by the Indian General Staff. Accordingly plans have been worked out and many war games on this subject are held at the Staff College. While undergoing the 41st staff course at Wellington, the undersigned took part in these war gaming exercises.
Likely Indian Plan
The Indian general Staff must take a leaf out of the plan of Schiffelin and adapt it with minor modifications to the likely two-front war with Pakistan and China. What would the Indian plan be ?
The Indian Plan will be to annihilate Pakistan inside 14 days. This is the maximum time that can be allowed and would involve a thrust across the Rajasthan border into Sind. The purpose would be to divide the province of Punjab from Sind and Baluchistan, as both these states are inimical to Muslim Punjabi rule. During this period, the Indian army must hold the Chinese attacks on the Himalayan border.
Once the situation in the west has stabilized, the Indian general Staff must mount a concentrated thrust into Tibet. The Indian strike corps must advance by the shortest route to Lhasa through Sikkim. There is no point in going on an offensive in Pakistan occupied Kashmir or in Ladakh. The Indian aim should be to reach Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Here, the Indians are at a great advantage as the entire Tibetan poulation is pro- India and this will work to the Indian advantage.
The war cannot last for more than 3-4 weeks and speed will be the essence. The Indian army will have the advantage as both in the West ( Sind and Baluchistan) and Tibet in the north the people will welcome Indian arms. With a friendly population, 30% of the battle is won and it will be the job of the Indian leadership to exploit this opportunity.
There are many variables in this scenario and the battle will be long and hard. There will have to be flexibility and a build up of the Indian armed forces. Just as Hitler disregarded the neutrality of the low countries so India will also have to disregard the neutrality( in reality Pro China attitude) of Nepal. A thrust by a strike corps from Kathmandu along the road to Lhasa would be another option. the factor going in India's favor is that the Chinese army will be in hostile lands as the local population is yearning for Indian intervention.
Last word
A two front war with both China and Pakistan is a real possibility and in case the Indian think tank disregards it, I am afraid it will be at their own peril.The old saying " If you want peace , be prepared for war" is never as true as today when China and Pakistan are ringing India. Their aim is simple: to destroy the unity and integrity of India. One hopes the Indian political leadership is alive to this problem. Brushing it aside would be a great disservice to the Indian people.
The main ingredients of the Scheffelin plan, namely disregarding the neutrality of a nation and finising of the weaker enemy hold true in a future two front war.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article Aurangzeb and Guru TegBhadur: Clash of Religions.
Islam entered India in the 10th century with the invasions of Mohamud of Ghazni. In 1525, the Muslim ruler Babur who had been expelled from his homeland came searching for a kingdom to rule in India. A year later in 1526, he founded his kingdom after he had defeated Ibrahim Lodhi the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. Babur established a dynasty called the Mogul dynasty which ruled India with absolute power till about 1725 and in varying degrees of power till 1857. It remains the longest ruling dynasty in India.
In 1469, a child was born to a high caste Hindu called Nanak Dev. He was a rebel who questioned the ancient Hindu scriptures and in due course, his followers established a faith that was both militant as well as temporal. The concept became "Miri-Piri" and was epitomized by the words " Sant Sipahi" or "soldier Saint".
Guru Nanak was respected by both Muslims and Hindus and Muslims refer to him as Nanak Pir. Before the commencement of the battle of Panipat, it is reported that Babur sought the blessings of the Guru. From about the time of 4th Guru Hargobind, the sword had to be taken up as at that time the Sikhs had allied more with Hindu thought and philosophy. Intermittent battles continued till Aurangzeb came to power. The stage was now set for an epic face-off.
At that time, the 9th Guru of the Sikhs Teg Bahadur made his abode in the Punjab and both Hindus and Sikhs flocked to him as Aurangzeb had unleashed a reign of terror in the Punjab. Hindus were forced at the point of the sword to convert to Islam and Hindu girls were abducted at will to pleasure the Muslim harems.There was almost total anarchy in the Punjab and many historians have commented on this aspect of Mogul rule.Sikhs and Hindus approached the Sikh guru for succour.
Aurangzeb had heard of Guru Teg Bahadur and he surmised in case he could get the Guru to convert to Islam the battle against the Hindus and Sikhs would be won and his followers would willingly accept to be Muslims. He sent his emissaries to the Guru and invited him to Delhi.
The Guru accepted the invitation and reached Delhi in 1675. He was 54 years old at that time. It is reported that Aurangzeb tried to convert the Guru to Islam, but the guru steadfastly refused to convert. He was warned that he would be executed in case he did not convert. All Punjab waited for the Gurus reaction. When the Guru repeatedly refused to convert, Aurangzeb gave the order that the Guru be beheaded. This was conveyed to the Guru who was then kept in a dungeon in the red Fort.
On the morning of 24, November 1675 the Guru was taken from his cell to a place opposite the Red Fort to a small Kotwali and in front of his followers mercilessly beheaded. This place now has a hallowed gurudwara named after the Guru and is called Gurudwara Sisganj. At that time, Aurangzeb decreed that the body should not be handed over to the Sikhs/ Hindus and also it should not be cremated but buried.
The body was left under a tree, which is still standing ; a mute witness to a horrific crime.The noted English historian William Irving states that the Guru was repeatedly tortured every day on orders of Aurangzeb but he refused to convert to Islam. After the execution, the Guru's body was loaded on an elephant which was paraded through the streets of Delhi to overawe the Hindus. At night, the body was brought back to the Kotwali. As the body lay, two fearless Sikhs in the middle of the night carried away the head and body of the Guru. The body was taken to the place where the gurudwara Rakabganj now stands and was cremated as per Sikh /Hindu rites. One of the Sikhs took the head to Anandpur Sahib about 300 Km away and the head was cremated there in the presence of his son the 10th guru Gobind Singh.
When the emperor came to know of the disappearance of the body he was furious and many of the guards at the kotwali were executed.Guru Teg Bahadur by his martyrdom showed the Muslims that Hindus and Sikhs were men of mettle and courage. A nascent flame was lit as the 10th Guru Gobind Singh marshalled the Sikh army for battle with the Muslims. This is the brightest chapter of Hindu-Sikh resistance to Muslim rule in the 17th century when the Hindus were being tread upon.
Aurangzeb died in 1707 and after him the Moguls were defeated in the Punjab and Banda Bahadur routed the Muslim army at the battle of Srihand in 1712 and laid the foundation of the Sikh Empire. the bravery of Guru Teg Bahadur is remembered to this day and Sikhs and Hindus alike revere the Guru as the saviour of Hinduism. The RSS lays particular stress on Guru Teg Bahadur and his martyrdom.
The place where the Guru was beheaded was under Muslim control and the Muslims refused to hand it over to the Sikhs. However during the days of the Raj, the Sikhs filed a case for its possession. The case was heard in the privy council and the British government decreed that Sisganj would be handed over to the Sikhs. A beautiful gurudwara adorns this place which is located in the heart of the famous Chandani chowk, opposite the Red Fort.
9 years ago