A light-and-sound programme in the picturesque Garhwal Himalayas was the highlight of the three-day centenary celebrations of the Second Battalion of Garhwal Rifles which concluded in Uttaranchal. The one-hour programme, witnessed by over 250 serving and retired Army personnel, depicted the 100 year-old history of the battalion.

Addressing the special sainik sammelan, Lt Gen P S Joshi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command, commended the officers and jawans for their bravery, commitment and devotion to duty. While exhorting them to uphold high traditions, Lt Gen Joshi asked them to always remain prepared to meet any eventuality. He also released a first day postal cover prepared by the Army Postal Service and a commemorative centenary journal.

While Col H S Sodhi, Commanding Officer, received the GOC-in-C, Central Command on his arrival, Brig S S Patwal, Commandant of the Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre delivered the welcome address.

Another highlight of the celebrations was a wreath-laying ceremony at which the seniormost Rifleman Kirpal Singh (Retd), Senior Sub Maj Singh Chauhan, Lt Gen R K Gaur (Retd) and Col H S Sodhi among others laid wreaths in homage to those who made the supreme sacrifice. On the occasion, Mrs Prabha Joshi, President, Central Command Army Wives Welfare Association (CCAWWA), felicitated war widows.

The Chief Minister of Uttaranchal, Mr Nityanand Swamy, the chief guest, announced that an award in the name of late Rifleman Gabar Singh, the recipient of Victoria Cross, would soon be instituted. He assured that all efforts would be made to take care of the welfare of soldiers and families of martyrs of Uttaranchal.

Air Marshal T J Master, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Training Command accompanied by Mrs Daphne Master, President, Air Force Wives Welfare Association (Regional), visited Air Force Academy, Dundigal. It was his maiden visit after taking over the Training Command. He was received by the Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Subhash Bhojwani. During his three-day visit, he inspected various training facilities and met the staff and trainees. He expressed satisfaction over the general functioning of the Academy.

Southern Air Command launched an ambitious green belt project in Akkulam. The project aims to convert the entire 117 acre area of Air Command in Akkulam to a green belt area by planting trees and maintaining an eco-friendly atmosphere. The project, to be implemented in four stages, was inaugurated by Air Marshal MS Sekhon, AOC-in-C, Southern Air Command by planting saplings in Vayu Vihar. A total of 800 saplings of neem, jackfruit, Aanjili and Mahagony were planted at the first stage. The saplings were supplied by the State Forest Department.

Mrs Parminder K Sekhon, President Air Force Wives Welfare Association (Regional), Air Vice Marshal P A Harimohan, Mrs Shobhana Harimohan, Air Cmde SS Nesaraji and Wg Cdr AS Yadav, CO Southern Air Command (Unit) also planted saplings. Senior Air Force officers and their families were present on the occasion.

A "Badge of Sacrifice" and a "Certificate of Honour" were presented to Mr S P Sharma, father of late Maj Ritesh Sharma at a simple ceremony held at a battalion of the Jat Regiment in Lucknow Cantonment.

Commissioned into the 17th Battalion of the Jat Regiment on December 9, 1995, Maj Ritesh Sharma made the supreme sacrifice during operation Vijay in the Jammu and Kashmir Sector on October 6, 1999.

Lt Col Anil Sharma, Commanding Officer of the battalion, said on the occasion that the badge and certificate were instituted by the former Army Chief, Gen V P Malik with the aim that Army men and public would recognise those families whose members laid down their lives in the defence of the country.

The 49th Armed Forces Medical Conference was held at Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. The conference was inaugurated by Lt Gen R K Jetley, Director General Armed Forces Medical Services and Senior Colonel Commandant by lighting the traditional lamp. A souvenir was released by Air Marshal L K Verma, DGMS(Air) to mark the occasion.
Lt Gen Harcharan Singh, PHS DGMS (Army) released two volumes of a laboratory manual during the four-day long conference.

The conference put focus on the review of various research activities undertaken in the Armed Forces to improve the quality of medical care. Matters relating to academic activities and practical problems were also discussed and awards were presented to those doctors of Armed Forces who were outstanding in the field of research work. Concurrent sessions on continued medical education in various specialities were held. A symposium on "Gift of Life : Organ Transplant Y2K and Beyond" was conducted by the medical students.

More than 300 service delegates, eminent doctors and scientists from civil medical institutions and Defence Research and Development Organisation attended the conference.

Lt Gen R S Kadyan, Director General and Colonel of the Rashtriya Rifles, visited 41 RR (Maratha LI) at Belgaum. The battalion is under raising and comprises troops from the Maratha Light Infantry Regiment alongwith two companies from the Corps of Artillery.

Soon after arrival, Lt Gen Kadyan inspected the unit Quarter Guard. The turnout and drill of the troops manning the Quarter Guard were of an exceptionally high standard. The unit is commanded by Col S V Chaudhari of the Maratha Light Infantry Regiment.

After a detailed briefing by the Commanding Officer, the General Officer addressed all ranks of the battalion under raising. He gave an account of its sterling performance during counter insurgency operations. Explaining the operational and administrative conditions prevailing in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, he exhorted all ranks of the battalion to put their best foot forward and to carve out a niche for themselves as a specialised counter-insurgency force. Commenting on the morale of the battalion, he said that he was assured that the battalion would come out with flying colours in operations. After the sainik sammelan, Gen Kadyan had an informal meeting with the troops of the battalion.

Gen Kadyan has been visiting all the new RR battalions under raising in different parts of the country to interact with the troops and to monitor the progress of the raising. The DGRR has also been visiting RR formations and units operationally deployed in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. During such visits he has also been assessing their operational performance.

The 59th raising day of the 17th Battalion of the Rajput Regiment, popular as Barhe Chalo battalion, was celebrated somewhere in the Central Sector recently.

The highlight of the three-day celebrations was a special sainik sammelan presided over Col B P Chandran. It was addressed among others by former Commanding Officers, Lt Col P N Saxena, Col N S Rajawat, Brig Virpal Singh, presently Commander Lucknow Sub Area, Lt Col P P S Dhillon and Maj Vishambhar Singh and three Subedar Majors. While recalling the deeds of valour, the speakers commended all ranks for their dedication and professional competence. They asked them to feel proud of their rich traditions and to follow the three principles of Truth, Honesty and Discipline of Field Marshal K M Cariappa who had raised the battalion on April 15, 1942 at Fatehgarh in UP.

Prizes to winners of various competitions were also distributed on the occasion. The 85 year-old Lt Col Mustasad Ahmed (Retd) who has authored the history of the Rajput Regiment attended the raising day functions for the first time since he left the battalion in 1959.

A welfare meet held on the occasion was attended by the families of all ranks. A display of the unit’s history in an audio-visual show with which the celebrations concluded was another highlight. The use of computer, multimedia and video projection system added colour and showcased the unit’s competence in the information technology.

The Indian Army formally handed over the task of restoration of Harike Wetland to the government of Punjab. The pilot project, Sahyog, was launched in July last year by the Golden Arrow Division of the Army as a joint venture on the behest of the state government. It was aimed at saving the Harike Wetland from the cancerous growth of hyacinth.

The Chief Minister of Punjab, Sardar Prakash Singh Badal was the chief guest of the ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, Lt Gen Surjit Singh, GOC-in-C Western Command lauded the cooperation and efforts of the government of Punjab and its commitment towards ecology. He reminded everyone that though a good start had been made, much hard work and more innovative methods needed to be incorporated relentlessly in order to ensure a bright future for the Harike Wetland. The contribution of the Army in restoration of Harike Wetland was an apt tribute to the people of Punjab, he added.

Lt Gen Kamal Davar, GOC Vajra Corps in his welcome address at the ceremony said that project Sahyog has been a success only due to the close and effective co-operation between the Army, the various departments and several NGOs. He also said that the Army would continue in an advisory role in the Harike Wetland Project to ensure smooth transition and continuity.

The Chief Minister of Punjab, Sardar Prakash Singh Badal, in his speech, thanked the Army for the wonderful, pioneering work that it performed despite its own commitments. He reiterated his resolve to restore Harike Wetland to its pristine glory.

The Harike Wetland was virtually being choked by hyacinth and would have perished over the next few years had it not been for this urgent ecological succour by the Army. The Army completed its vanguard action in the project in a record time of four months.

All data collected during the project and various techniques used for carrying out the task along with several innovative equipment fabricated by the Army have been handed over to the government of Punjab. The personnel of wildlife department have also been trained by the Army in handling of these equipment. The Punjab state government has already allocated funds for the purpose of sustaining his project.

The Army, in the initial phase of the pilot project, cleared seven square kms of the lake to take out 1.5 lakh tons of the dangerous weed. An accurate survey was carried out using global positioning system and position azimuth determining system. A team of Indian Navy from INS Investigator carried out the survey of wetland. The survey comprising a map and digital data has been received from the Chief Hydrographer, Survey of India.

A record number of migratory birds turned out in their full glory this season at their newly cleaned winter home. Among the multitude of plumed visitors from North were the scaup duck, falcated teal and white headed stiff tailed duck.

The Valedictory function of Long Defence Management Course -31 was held at College of Defence Management, Bolarum, Secunderabad. The course was attended by 71 defence officers, civilian officers from Ministry of Defence and one officer each from Bangladesh, Botswana and Sri Lanka. This course gives the participants a wide exposure to modern management concepts, techniques and their applications for higher organisational effectiveness. Participants were also awarded the Master of Management Studies (MMS) degree by Osmania University.

Lt Gen R K Sawhney, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (T & C) was the chief guest at the valedictory function. While presenting his end course report, Maj Gen Keshav Padha, Commandant of the College congratulated the participants for displaying a rich blend of intellect, experience and potential during the course. He highlighted the various measures which have been initiated to further enhance the image of the College and enrich the course content of LDMC. These include modernisation of training aids, training in media interaction and finding solution to the problems of different establishments through project studies.

The chief guest called upon the participants to realise the need to identify the national interests and work to grow into a vibrant and modern industrial economy. He exhorted the participants to keep abreast of international relations, strategic views and internal security dynamics. He stressed the importance of military - media relations and cautioned that overfeeding the press without deeds might generate boredom and that the Armed Forces should not go overboard to seek undue publicity. He also emphasised that interface between the Armed Forces and the society at large is an urgent need for the smooth functioning of the defence services.

He congratulated the graduating participants and expressed the hope that they would gainfully utilise the concepts and techniques learnt by them to analyse the problems in such a way that deployment of the resources would increase the effectiveness of their organisations. Gp Capt S Diwan, who appeared first in the merit list, got a special prize while the Chief of Army Staff Trophy for inter services was won by Lt Col P Kapoor of the Army Medical Corps. Best dissertation and best case study award was also bagged by him.

The Army has been assisting the administration of Assam in fighting insurgency. As part of this ongoing process, Army had started operation Samaritan which aimed at providing the much needed succour to the people of Assam. Under this operation, a number of projects have been taken which include the repair of various roads and school buildings while providing vocational training to the unemployed youth of Assam. Vocational training is being imparted in welding and manufacture of fibre re-inforced plastic (FRP) sheets.

The 8 Engineer Regiment at MISA has been given the responsibility of organising FRP training by Headquarters 4 Corps. Accordingly, FRP training has been organised in three batches of 20-25 persons for three weeks duration each. First batch consisted of two girls and 19 boys. The youth were given a comprehensive and systematic training by the team of 8 Engineer Regiment. The sheets produced during the training will be used for the repair of school buildings in Tezpur, Nagaon, Samaguri and Amoni villages. These sheets have also been used for the renovation of Lanchit Borphukan Maidan at Jorhat. Three bus stands at Solmara and Tezpur will also be constructed using the sheets produced by these youth.

Col Ajay Anand, CO, 8 Engineer Regiment and Station Commander MISA Camp handed over the proficiency certificates to the youth.

A two-day workshop on counselling was held at 12 Wing, Air Force Station, Chandigarh. President, Air Force Wives Welfare Association (AFWWA), Western Air Command (WAC), Mrs Harveen Krishnaswamy inaugurated the workshop.

The workshop was organised by Mrs Githa Govindarajan, President, AFWWA (L), 12 Wing under the aegis of AFWWA (Regional), WAC, New Delhi. A total of 35 delegates including AFWWA presidents of various Air Force Stations located in the WAC Zone participated. Mrs Sayara Ansari, a psychologist and counsellor associated with the Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute, New Delhi, conducted the workshop.

The objective of the workshop was to sensitise the delegates on various areas of counselling including psychological, educational and career related problems so that they could start counselling services at their respective stations.

The Air Force Wives Welfare Association has started a software computer training programme at subsidised rate at Vayu Vihar, Pulayanarkotta. The programme was inaugurated by Mrs PK Sekhon, President, AFWWA (R). The course, which is initially for the AFWWA members and their families, would later be extended to general public.

Air Marshal Manjit S Sekhon, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command was also present on the occasion. Senior officers including Air Vice Marshal PA Harimohan, Air Cmde S C Kumar, Air Cmde P K Kuruvila, Wg Cdr A S Yadav and Air Force personnel and their family members attended the function.

Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun organised its annual flower show which included competitions in the categories of compound garden, public garden, kitchen garden, flower arrangements, cut flower/exhibition bloom and miscellaneous exhibits. In addition, a painting competition in two categories, below 7 years of age and 7 to 12 years of age, was also conducted. A photography competition for Gentlemen Cadets was also held as part of the show. Maj Gen Jitendra Singh, Officiating Commandant, IMA was the chief guest on the occasion.

In compound garden competition, the house of Lt Col N J George was adjudged the best and the house of Lt Col R P Singh second. Among Majors and Captains, houses of Maj Neeraj Arora and Maj D N Jha were adjudged first and second respectively. In JCOs and OR category, the kitchen gardens of Sub Maj Daljit Singh and Hav L B Chhetri were adjudged best ones.

Mrs N J George and Mrs P P Singh stood first and second respectively in the category of coffee table arrangements. In dining table arrangements, Mrs H Sidhu and Mrs N J George bagged first and second prize respectively. Mrs H Sidhu and Mrs N J George won first and second position respectively in mantle piece arrangements. In dry arrangements, Mrs H Sidhu’s two pieces bagged both first and second prize.

In the children’s painting competitions in the below 7 years age group, Pratik Rodney, Saumya Kapoor and Mayank Pun were adjudged first, second and third respectively. In the age group of 7 to 12 years, Awantika Mohan stood first and Arunima Chandel came second. In the photography competition, G C Vikas Gupta bagged both first and second prize.

Maj Gen K C Padha, Commandant, College of Defence Management (CDM) inaugurated the new complex of the college at Sainikpuri, Secunderabad.

The new complex has been built at a cost of Rs 20 crores. The first phase of the complex consisted of main administrative building and modern classrooms attached with computer network. A central auditorium and information technology facilities are linked within the complex. In the second phase, 65 single married accommodation, sports complex, garages, a MI room, a shopping complex and an Officers Mess took shape.

The foundation stone of this complex was laid by the then Chief of Army Staff, Gen V P Malik. The construction has been completed within a record time of two years. Established at Bolaram in December 1970, the college has played a vital role in developing management culture and techniques in defence service.

As part of the World Health Day, as ‘healthy baby show’ was held at Vatika in Chandimandir Cantonment. The baby show was organised in three categories in the age groups of 0-1 year, 1-2 years and 2-3 years. The competition was open only to the children of JCOs and other ranks living at the Military Station.

There was an overwhelming response from the parents as 195 babies, in all, participated in the show. Personal hygiene, growth, physical development, activeness, speech, parents’ knowledge of child health care and their family planning status were the criteria for judging the best babies in the respective categories.

President, Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), Western Command, Mrs Deep Surjit Singh gave away the prizes to the winners. The Chief of Staff, Western Command,
Lt Gen H R S Mann, other senior officers and Command ladies were also present at the function.

- D S Rawat