A tale of two land forces: Army and Police
Originally published by Vijayvaani on 26 March 2009 A tale of two land forces: Army and Police If India is united and intact today, it is because of its military and in spite of our frenzied polity. I dare you to name a colonel or a general who is either communal or a zealot. Marching Shoulder to Shoulder On Republic …
Indian military: Nation owes you
Originally published by ‘Vijayvaani on 23 Feb 2009. Indian military: Nation owes you [On 21 Feb. 2009, scores of ex-servicemen, including officers, returned their medals to the government to protest non-implementation of the demand for “one rank, one pension” in the armed forces. This was the second protest after 8 Feb., when retired officers and jawans under the banner of …
Manohar Malgonkar and his “Bandicoot Run”
Originally posted on 16 Jan 2012 : Public memory is notoriously short. And therefore, if Lt Col Manohar Malgonkar (1913-2010) is not remembered any more, it should not surprise any one. He stopped writing several years before he passed away on 10 June 2010 at the ripe old age of 97. Col Malgonkar published about twenty five books, including …
A New Year’s Resolution for 2012
Originally posted on 5 Jan 2012 : A New Year’s Resolution for 2012 Inspired by a ‘Middle’ written by Raj Chatterjee 35 years ago It is said that ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’. In the same vein, borrowing words and ideas from an eminent writer is a tribute to his genius, and not plagiarism, if the source is …
A TRIBUTE TO PROF PRITI SHANKAR
Originally posted on 27th Oct 2011 : A great deal of research has been undertaken on the causes and treatment of cancer. Yet very little work has been done on why this killer disease attacks only the most lovable people on the earth. Over the years, I have known over a dozen persons falling prey to cancer, and I …
GAAGAR MEIN SAAGAR
Originally posted on 28 Oct 2011 : I am neither a poet nor a singer; but if it were not for people like you and me the likes of Ghalib, Gulzar, Abida Begham and Jagjit may not have been what they are! The great queen of melody, ‘Malika-e-tarannum’ Noor Jehan once said, “Phankar ka phan (the fine-art of the …
Jesus and the Buddha, can a person follow both?
A few months ago, I heard about a person who got into a heated argument with the persons who came to his house for recording the census data. When asked about his religious affiliation, he maintained that he practiced more than one faith, and he wanted it to be recorded in the proforma. The census officials said that there was …
A BESOTTED LOVER’S DILEMMA
Originally posted on 17 Oct 2011 A TRIBUTE TO ‘GHAZALJIT’ SINGH Once upon a time, there was a lover who was so besotted that he did not know what to do with the letters which he had received from his beloved. The obvious disposal for unwanted pieces of paper is to burn it, and then crush the ash so that …
