SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015 DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU daily Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain sion), I got away from my moth- (Veteran) er's gaze and decided to take a Excelsior walk. No time and space Established 1965 y relationship with Jammu of the fifties restricted my mind so I walked Jammu goes back Founder Editor S.D. Rohmetra a jute sack (probably a sand bag) nothing about). I am not even ments of the city. Pedestrians ents. I was petrified by snakes, and walked, past parked vehi- Malmost 60 years. What cles and troops. I was told later and have Inder Singh, my sure what the distance was but were not permitted on the bridge then. can humans remember from the that I was missing for over two time they are aged all of three father's loyal World War II bud- there were about 10 kids in my and had to walk on a most dan- In 1957, my father's tenure dy, tether the sack to a stump on brother's tanga and Ram Singh gerous pedestrian walkway on as Brigade Major was over but hours by the time I was found World Hindi Conference years. My family and friends and restored to my mother. laugh at my ability to recall the bank and immerse the sack the tanga man would tie them up both sides and the path was bare- luckily his unit First Garhwalis, into the water. The more ingen- because they all fell asleep while ly 12 inches or so. I was mortal- moved to Jammu. We had our Jammu being close to the mong a plethora of problems that faced the coun- details of my days when I was a border has always been vulner- try after its independence in 1947, one was of lan- mere infant but there is nothing uous was my father's technique going and coming to/fro. ly scared of this walk and clung shortest move ever, from of cooling his beer bottles,in a Between Damana and Jammu to my mother as I saw the water Damana to Jammu. The GOC of able to espionage activities. I guage. Unlike big countries of the world, the US, I can do about that because pic- was exposed to the needs of A tures of the past are stuck firm- sack with a stone attached to it was a huge khud and the tanga of the Tawi swirling below. the Division I learnt much later security very early in life Russia and China, India then lacked a common language. because cool water would flow had to negotiate the down slope It was hot as hell at Damana was first Maj Gen PP Kumara- ly in the mind. Of Jammu, there because every evening the night People wondered how the country could make progress at the bottom of the current in very carefully. I have tried and there was no power. We did mangalam and then Maj Gen are just too many. password would be conveyed by the canal. Once in a while the searching for that khud or not even have a petromax but for SHFHJ Manekshaw. I never in absence of a lingua franca. The question was not to be There was no railway from the Havaldar Major to Inder brushed aside. The British propagated English language Pathankot to Jammu then, in canal would be shut down for depressed road today but never my father's homework (BMs are knew that the Tiger Div was Singh in whispers and then to and used it for official business. Though vernaculars were 1955-56. My earliest memory is such a high profile one which my father in whispers again, lest not discouraged, yet English remained the medium of of the journey from the Army produced two successive Chiefs some Pakistani spy gets to know transit camp at Pathankot with and later a third in Gen Krishna it. It fascinated me that they all expression. The good thing emanating from this policy Rao. We were now staying was that after independence, we did not feel isolated in my parents, cuddled in my spoke in hushed tones at this mother's warm lap and seated at somewhere near the Tawi bridge particular time in the evening. our global relations because English, like French, had the back of an Army 7 ton vehi- and the river flowed about a So I also joined in conveying been accepted by the world as the main binding language cle. It was raining and the water kilometer away from the house. things in whispers. That was the of the people of the world. Fortunately, India had not to go in the numerous nalas was over- We were in luxury as the house beginning of my security train- through the ordeal of learning English to run the flowing. Jammu was a sparsely had cement walls and asbestos ing. Government. Our political leaders were well educated in populated city but we were roof. Evenings were spent on My first ever trip to Kashmir shikar with my father who English, with many of them having completed their educa- headed to one of the satellite was also undertaken at this time, would walk us a distance and tion in a British university. military locations at Damana probably in a JKSRTC bus and where my father was being post- shoot 'Tilyar', a delectable table Nevertheless, the three -language formula had to be it met with an accident enroute, ed as Brigade Major (BM) with bird. Shikar was not banned then nothing too serious though. I adopted for school and college going students just the famous Brigadier (later Lt and all good faujis had BSA 12 distinctly remember the drip- because the largest spoken language in India, meaning Gen) Harbaksh Singh (of 1965 bore guns. Once in a while a pic- ping roof of the Jawahar tunnel. Hindi, had to be given space to develop in due course of fame). Damana was located nic was organized by the unit. Adoos was the favorite for the time. Although English language remained the language with the Ranbir Singh Pura The most common spot was the most delectable cold coffee and Akhnoor bridge; the same iron for official communication yet local or provincial lan- canal next to it. Our house was my parents could not get enough bridge which was the objective virtually on the canal; a mud of Suffering Moses. guages also continued side by side. Notwithstanding of the Pakistani armour in 1965. baked, thatched house with no When it was pack up time in deep set prejudice for provincial language, something I have been able to discover the power but a huge compound. 1959, after almost four continu- very natural, the Government adopting very flexible and exact spot of these picnics dur- My elder brother was admitted A panaromic view of old Jammu. Courtesy:-http://gojkl.blogspot.in/2010/06 ous years in the City of Temples, resilient attitude, gave a long time to Hindi to develop as to the Presentation Convent. It ing visits to Akhnur in the recent maintenance I suppose and succeeded. Even once in three very busy people) there was a past. none of us were happy to leave. the national language of India. The popularity of Hindi was the best school and all fau- Jammu had grown on us and we today after nearly seven decades of independence is very ji children studied there; admis- those were bad days in our house months outings in Jammu were battery powered light; the bat- The Army had many sports because our provisions were not by tanga, with my parents. A tery was recharged every two competitions in those days and had grown used to Jammu. Ram satisfactory in almost all parts of the country. The Central sion was guaranteed. I was too Singh's 'tanga', Kwality's ice small and perhaps too unintelli- cool enough and my father's very famous Kwality restaurant days. We sat in the compound for us children there was no bet- and State Governments did make substantial investment weekend beer with his head- existed somewhere near Jewel cooled by the evening ter occasion for entertainment creams, Presentation Convent's in theoretical sense to promote Hindi among the citizens gent to be given a chance at edu- annual days, Division sports of cation. So I whiled away my quarters mates was incomplete. theatre, I think. I recall that the 'chhirkao', or sprinkling of water and to munch some nice Army the Tiger Division, the RS Pura of India. Radio and television as well as the print media time in my own world. The RS How did children get trans- best ice cream served anywhere on the parched earth; all seating snacks besides sipping ice cold Canal (our ever present refriger- played significant role in its promotion and popularity. But Pura canal was our home's ported to school in those days? in India could be found at Jam- was on 'sarkandamundhas'. At Vimto and Orangeade made by ator), long journeys by bus and the largest and most effective role in popularizing it has refrigerator because its water The Army was poor in funds so mu Kwality; a particular ice night we had cobras that fought Army units. No television, no back of Army trucks; all this is been played by the film industry in Bollywood. The simple was ice cool at most times. My there were no school buses cream called 'My Fair Lady" with each other on the tarpaulin video games and no internet, we a maze of memories which gives and sweet use of Hindi vocabulary by the Bollywood mother would put milk bottles, authorized. The kids from was a hit with kids and adults. ceiling beneath the 'chhappar' of did more roaming around in the Damana used to go by 'tanga' The iron bridge over the the roof of our four room hut. open air. In a particular event, Jammu a special place in my stands in direct contrast to the verbose and archaic Hindi vegetables and even butter in a plastic cover and then place it in (the horse drawn little buggy Tawi River was perhaps the only One day a cobra fell into the the Division athletics (probably heart and the head. used by the radio. Ultimately, a time came when the AIR, that the new generation knows connection between the seg- room where I slept with my par- at the stadium of the Tiger Divi- [email protected] too, had to change the tone and tenor and shift to simple and pleasant Hindi. The future augurs well for Hindi lan- Dr Bharat Jhunjhunwala is to make the economy effi- guage and literature and a time will come soon when no cient. It is well known that wel- he Indian economy is one province of India will call to be having the monopoly fare programmes are hugely slowing down. Prime The inequity of GST of Hindi language be it UP or Bihar or Madhya Pradesh. inefficient with problems like TMinister Modi recently hand, an upper class person that price of textiles consumed is presently available to small because the economy will that of bogus ration cards being Hindi as a subject is included in the curriculum of almost held a meeting with top indus- may earn Rs 10 lacs per month by the poor will decline. industries be removed. This become efficient. The Task all universities, colleges and schools in India. Most of endemic. The increase in effi- trialists of the country to find and spend two lac rupees on Presently, many goods that are will hit lacs of small industries- Force concluded from this that ciency from introduction of national level competitive examinations including those ways of reviving the economy. consumption. He would pay an consumed mainly by the poor -hard. These industries are the wage rate will increase by one GST will, therefore, be can- for IAS, IFS, and IPS etc. are conducted by the UPSC One suggestion made by the additional tax of Rs 10,000 due such as coarse cloth, bicycle major employers today. Many percent. This is, again, rubbish. celled by decrease in efficien- simultaneously in English and Hindi languages. Former industrialists was to speedily to increase in rates of GST. tires and rubber slippers are will close down leading to a The wage rates are determined cy in the welfare programmes. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first Indian implement the Goods and Ser- This would amount to only one taxed at lower rates. Taxes huge loss of employment. Most mainly by supply and demand; That said GST has its posi- vices Tax (GST). It is true that Prime Minister to address the UN General Assembly in percent of his income. The poor imposed on these goods will amusingly, the Task Force has not by the amount of goods pro- tive aspects. It will lead to an implementation of GST will will pay five percent more tax- increase in the GST regime. simultaneously assumed that duced. A factory may install an increase in taxes on consump- Hindi. make it easier to undertake Addressing the 10th World Hindi Conference in Bhopal es while the rich will pay only The prices of goods consumed full employment is prevalent in automatic machine and that tion and a corresponding interstate trade. The cost of one percent more. The 375 will lead to an increase in the in which delegates from about forty countries of the world decrease in taxes on incomes. I shipping goods from Maha- rupees paid by the poor house- A poor household may earn production made by the work- am in favour of this overall participated, the Prime Minister said that English, Chinese rashtra to Gujarat would be hold will create much greater er. But wages will not increase approach because India is a and Hindi are going to be influential in the digital world. reduced. The growth rate of the pain in the family than the Rs 8,000 per month and use because other unemployed per- developing country and we Citing a personal example, the Prime Minister said that he economy will increase. But 10,000 rupees paid by the rich sons will be more than happy need to reduce consumption often thinks if he had not learnt Hindi, what would be his whether Modi may take hit household. A similar debate is to work at the previous wage and increase investment. This because voters will not like Rs 7,500 for housing, food and position today. However, sounding a note of caution, the raging in Malaysia where GST rates. Another study by Nation- comes wit a caveat, however. this. was implemented recently. al Council of Applied Econom- The reduction in consumption Prime Minister rightly warned that patronizing Hindi The Government in Aus- clothing. An increase in GST should not mean ignoring regional languages. We should Survey by a Malaysian news- ic Research has similarly made should be of the rich, not of the tralia has proposed to increase paper indicated that families many false assumption and not allow regional language to die down just because we poor. Need is to increase the the rates of GST from the earning more than 12,000 ring- of, say, five percent, would concluded that GST will lead to taxes on consumption on items remained glued to Hindi or English. Regional languages presently applicable 10 percent git were positive about GST enhanced welfare. The Gov- such as cars, flat screen TVs, contain very rich fund of knowledge and wisdom and we to 15 percent; and to bring serv- while those earning below mean an additional payment of ernment is trying to implement smart mobile phones and the cannot afford to lose that at any cost. We would like to go ices such as those of health and 5,000 ringgit were mostly GST on the basis of these false like; and reduction in taxes on beyond what the PM has suggested. In the modern world, education, and fresh food items unhappy with it. One person Rs 375 per month by it. This studies. The professors who items mainly consumed by the the concept of global village is gaining much ground. This under the GST. These were who was surveyed said "The have done these studies will poor such as bicycle tires and exempted till now. The leader government wants to tax us and surely make good money but rail travel in second class. The is because of a number of factors like fast growing trade of opposition attacked these would be about five percent of relations, development and commonality of futuristic tells us to save. But then it goes Modi may well lose his job GST regime does not make a proposals saying, "you and buys a new private jet." because of the backlash from vision and approach to human problems and increased distinction between consump- increase the GST, you increase Studies by government the household income. the voters! tion by the poor and the rich. It interaction between people and nations. This implies that the number of products it institutes in India paint an It is suggested in economic is like asking the malnourished people begin to learn many important languages. There applies to, you hit poorer peo- opposite picture, however. The by the poor will, therefore, face the economy. This assumption literature that a reduction in poor fellow to compete with was a time when Chinese and Japanese people thought ple hardest." Reason is that the Task Force constituted by the two opposite effects. Their is total rubbish. Unemploy- rates of income tax could com- the well fed goon of the land- it unpatriotic to learn and speak English. Today that think- poor use more of their incomes Thirteenth Finance Commis- prices will decline due to the ment will certainly increase pensate for the negative impact lord and is harmful for the poor. ing stands reversed. In this context, therefore, for us in for consumption. A poor sion has concluded that GST overall improvement in effi- due to the implementation of of GST on the poor. This will Modi must not be carried away household may earn Rs 8,000 will be beneficial for the poor. ciency but the same prices will GST. not work in India since most by the business lobby and take India, just because ours is a developing country, our per month and use Rs 7,500 for youth need to learn as many important foreign languages But the study is grossly flawed. increase due to higher rates of The Task Force has said that workers are employed in the a hard look at the impact of housing, food and clothing. An It says that the poor will be ben- taxes imposed on these items. the value of goods produced by informal sector and pay no as they can besides Hindi and English. We have about a GST on the people of the coun- increase in GST of, say, five efitted from a reduction in The Task Force has remained a worker will increase by income tax. Another sugges- try before moving fast forward million Indians working in Gulf countries where Arabic is percent, would mean an addi- prices of manufactured goods, surprisingly silent on this around one percent. A worker tion is that subsidies such as on this issue. spoken. If they learn Arabic, chances of improving their tional payment of Rs 375 per textiles in particular. It is true issue. who is presently producing Rs those on food grains could be (The author was formerly job conditions become bright. That is the benefit of learn- month by it. This would be that the price of all textiles pro- The Task Force has recom- 100 worth of goods will pro- increased and targeted towards Professor of Economics at IIM about five percent of the house- ing a foreign language besides our own. In final analysis, duced in the country may mended that the exemption of duce Rs 101 worth of goods the poor. This will be self- Bengaluru) hold income. On the other it will be said that for Indians, speaking good Hindi and decline. But that does not mean Rs 1.5 crores in excise duty that after GST is implemented defeating. The purpose of GST [email protected] learning other languages including the local dialects is an asset. Lt Col Mukund Singh Jamwal (Retd) manding Officer about the ammunition situation. The Commanding officer was not In a position to help uring the 1965 war with Pakistan , battle of much but he offered to provide artillery support. This Patnitop ropeway in doldrums Assal Uttar was the most decisive where ene- Hero of Assal Uttar was quite dicy because in the din of battle and in e are not surprised to learn that Patnitop aerial Dmy was handed over a crushing defeat. This view of the close proximity of Indian and Pakistani ropeway project is abandoned by the is considered the largest tank battle after second world er insurgency operations in the eastern sector. Soon , Having reached the area on 4th and 5th Sep , the attack however , there was war with China where ill equipped on Kasur was launched on the 6th. Expecting to be troops , such support could have hit own troops also. Hyderabad-based Nagarjun Construction war with highest tank casualities in which Pakistan However , the situation was desparate and Capt Prab- W lost 97 American M 46 Patton tanks , considered the and ill prepared Indian army under megalomaniac opposed by a single infantry battalion , the attack Company Ltd. to which it was contracted a decade back. political leadership suffered an ignominious defeat launched by two brigades and a Regiment of Second hu Singh agreed to have artillery support without with- most modren and highly sophisicated at that time. drawing even an inch from his defensive position. We have kept a track of the journey of this case through Pakistan had planned to capture Khem Karan and which had filled the entire army with rage. The Chi- world war vintage Sherman tanks found a Brigade a host of departments and agencies all this one decade nese declared ceasefire and withdrew to their prede- reinforced with armour and entire Pak Ist Armd Div The steadfastness of Capt Prabhu Singh and his then make a dash to river Beas , seize a bridge over men so unnerved the Pakistanis that they started aban- termined positions. However , there were a lot many sitting in front. The Indian attack failed miserably. and we were convinced that loss of a decade would ulti- the river and then turn north thus isolating nearly half doning their tanks and running away even while leav- wounded Indian soldiers who had not been able to However , on the southern flank , in the area of mately force the contracting company to abandon it of the Indian army in Punjab and J&K including ing their engines running.The Pak attack on 18 RAJ withdraw and were stranded or lost in agony in the 4 responsibility of 18 RAJ RIF , Capt Prabhu Singh because of the cost factor. The cost estimate was 50 Ladakh. Had they succeeded , the road to Delhi would RIF front thus ran out of steam due to the doggedness then have opened for Pakistan and there may have Corps sector. assaulted and captured three Pak posts against stiff crore rupees when the idea was conceived and today and heroic resistance offerred by Capt Prabhu Singh been another battle of Panipat in the offing. Pakistan's Gen SHFJ Maneckshaw who took over 4 Corps opposition. Capt Prabhu Singh and his men thus and his men and also due to the unbearable tank loss- after more than one decade it has escalated to over 100 pride , the I Armoured Division reinforced with anoth- from Gen kaul decided to send a large patrol party to became isolated and were in danger of immediate es inflicted on them by this band of brave men. Pak crore rupees. The reason is the inordinately long delay in er Brigade was earmarked for this purpose and find such stragglers and bring them back. Capt Prab- counter attack by the superior Pak forces. He was Armd Div thereafter withdrew from this sector. The obtaining permission from various Governmental and unknown to the Indian army , lay hidden in the jun- hu Singh volunteered for this job and even when therefore ordered to fall back and relocate to his unit next day i.e. on 10th Sep they attacked the other legal agencies. Why should the construction company gles of Kasur. nobody was sure about the actual positions of Chi- alongwith his company. brigade position where they received further beating nese troops his patrol party was able to bring back In the face of imminent attack by Pak Armd Div suffer for something for which the Government is respon- This is the story of Col Prabhu Singh Vir at the hands of 4 Grenadiers when Company Quarter Chakra(Vr.C), son of the soil , who as a young Capt around 35 wounded and stranded soldiers to safety , entire 4 Mtn Div was asked to fall back and take up Master Havildar (CQMH) Abdul Hamid knocked out sible? with only 3 years service in 1965 played a stellar part often venturing very close to the Chinese positions. defensive position at village Assal Uttar in a horse 4 Patton tank with his 106 mm RCL gun before he Only a few days back almost identical story about the in decimating the Pakistan juggernaut , their I The origin of 1965 war is too well known and does shoe shape. 18 RAJ RIF alongwith other units were was killed in action. For his act of gallantry he was Ratle Hydroelectric Power project in Kishtwar was report- Armoured Division and literally stopping it in its not merit recapitulation. Suffice it to say that once diggging trenches and Capt Prabhu Singh was told to awarded Param Vir Chakra. ed by us. That too was a Hyderabad-based company and tracks. He was born in village Sochani of Samba Dis- Pakistan's Op Gibralter failed , it launched Op Grand site his company' defences. The land was soft and it In addition to the Infantry battalions , our Armd Slam which was aimed at capturing Akhnoor and cut was an uphill task to dig as the mud kept slipping and the reason for that company to back out were almost the trict in the year 1939. Within a year after his birth his regiments with inferior Centurian , Sherman and off J&K from rest of India. To relieve pressure on falling. There was , however , an unexplicable delay AMX tanks played a stellar role in the battle of Assal same though much was not given out. The question is father Col Bhagwan Singh Jamwal who was com- manding Ist J&K Mountain Battery led his unit out Akhnoor , the Indian army decided to invest Lahore of one day on the part of PAK Armd Div in attacking Uttar. Because of shorter range of their guns as com- that the Government makes announcements only to win of India to participate in second world war in the mid- and launched offensive towards Sialkot as well as , which gave Indians time to dig defences and also to pared to guns of Patton tanks , the Indian tank com- public favour without taking into account whether the proj- dle east theatre. Col Prabhu Singh was thus brought Lahore sectors. 18 RAJ RIF by then was part of 4 flood the sugar cane fields. The attack came in full manders devised the art of holding their fire till the ect announced is technically sound and whether the allo- up in a military atmosphere. Joining army was the only Mountain Division , which along with 7th and 15th force on 9th Sep. Pattons came well within their range thus causing hav- cation made takes into consideration the hike in case of option that he had in his mind all through his grow- Infantry Divisions was given the task of attacking On the 18 RAJ RIF front , Capt Prabhu Singh's oc to Pak tanks. The water logged sugar canes fields Lahore. 4 Mountain Division was launched on the position was under furious attack. The response was added to the woes of Pak armour as many tanks got its delay. These are all preliminary questions which have ing years especially when his cousins and brothers also had exercised the same option. Col Prabhu Singh southern axis from Khem Karan to Kasur. equally severe. His 106 mm RCL guns , mortars and bogged down in the marshy land and became sitting to be given due attention. Hundreds of millions of rupees is the second of three brothers , the eldest being Major Before we proceed further , it would be in order other weapons were continously engaging Pak tanks ducks. Pakistani Artillery Brigade Commander was and long years have been spent in the hope of projects Dr.K Brahma Singh , a writer and military historian to distinguish between units in a mountain and and were destroying them. Pak tanks kept coming on killed in Indian firing and although GOC Ist Pak Armd like Ratle and Patnitop ropeway would see the light of the of repute who has written the Regimental history of infantry diivisions. The main difference is in the relentlessly. They were coming over the trenches and Div was also in the same jeep , he somehow escaped day and that would bring prosperity to the State. The erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state forces now weapons. Since in mountains the possibility of tank then criss crossing them with tracks in order to crush death. Ultimately Pak tank losses reached unaccept- able level rendering their Armd Div unfit for war and hopes and expectations of the people are belied, our known as Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAK RIF) warfare is either remote or non existent , the units have those inside the trench and bury them. Capt Prabhu nearly half the anti tank capability as compared to the Singh and his men withstood this mighty onslaught that was the end of Pakistani dream of having tea at money is wasted and we are left to lick our wounds. This besides other books and numerous articles. The younger brother of Col Prabhu Singh was late Maj units of infantry division. For an infantry battalion in with courage. Battle field noises were immense with Red Fort Delhi. is unacceptable. The Government must come out with its Gen Keshav Singh who was Chief of Staff of 3 corps a mountain division , it is big handicap if it has to fight artillery , tanks , RCL guns and the infantry weapons Capt Prabhu Singh (now a retired Colonel) was explanation as to why important projects and schemes fail when he was killed in helicopter crash while going for the tanks with lesser no of 106 mm RCL guns capa- all firing at the same time. awarded Vir Chakra (Vr.C) for exhibiting exception- us and it has to find a permanent solution to the problem. a border meeting with Mynmar army officials in 1997. ble of destroying the tanks. Gradually , the ammunition started depleting. At al courage and bravery in the face of continous ene- my onslaughts and contributing towards defeat of ene- If rules and procedures are complicated, these have to be Commissioned into 18 Rajputana Rifles (RAJ As already stated , Pakistan's Ist Armoured Divi- one stage somebody even spread the rumour that the sion with American M46 Patto tanks was lying hid- entire Batallion had withdrawn but this had no effect my's famed Ist Armd Div , thus turning the tide of war made easier and less time consuming. Bottlenecks have RIF), in Jun 1962 , the officer had his baptism to fire straightaway as his unit was engaged in active count- den in the jungles of Kasur. 4 Mountain Division , on Capt Prabhu Singh and his men as withdrawal was in India's favour. to be removed. however , did not have the time for a proper reccee. the farthest from his mind. He informed his Com- [email protected]