Prepaid Taxi Woes at IGI Airport

The prepaid taxi service at Indira Gandhi International Airport, in my opinion, is the ultimate 'pain - in- the - backside' for travellers. On 21 December I landed from Muscat at around 9.00 PM and the experience I had was nightmarish. The service is suposed to be run by cops (Delhi Police) who only dole out receipts after charging rounded off fares for the farthest point of any area where one wishes to travel. After that the traveller is left to fend for himself clutching his receipt and pushing his trolley trying to find out where the hell to board the taxi from. I was told that the taxi would be available outside Exit No.2 but when I reached that point I found that taxies arriving were already occupied. Enterprising travellers had made a beeline right upto the taxi stand and grabbed the cab there. I found that there were no takers for short distances and foreigners were being given preferential treatment by touts and hangers-on who were helping them find their cabs in the hope of a hefty tip. There was no cop in sight to regulate this chaos. A couple of them were sitting in a kiosk mechanically noting down names of those who were lucky enough to get the cabs. I refused to budge from the point from where I was supposed to get the cab and wasted an hour in the process. When I was sufficiently pissed off by the proceedings, I went back inside the terminal and got back my fare after arguing with the cops for another half an hour. I then rang up a friend and asked him to pick me up - having wasted nearly two hours at the airport. This was the first time I tried to take a prepaid cab from the airport and it will surely be the last.

Flash Floods

On 11, 12 and 13 December Muscat and some other parts of Oman experienced heavy rainfall (by Gulf standards). Muscat received 16 to 18 mm of rain during these days which I think is the annual average. The advent of rain was a welcome sight but it had a sad fallout. Some of the areas which are bordered by hills were hit by flash floods wreaking havoc in their wake. This is a common occurence whenever it rains and the Government makes it a point to issue cautionary notices to be careful and to avoid 'wadis' (dry river beds or runoffs where roads often criss cross each other). At some known dangerous points, the Royal Oman Police even put road blocks to discourage road users. On 11 December some foolhardy people paid no heed to such advisories and ten lives were lost. One of them was an employee from my company who had just spent a month and a half in Muscat before he got swept away and died. Flash floods are very dangerous and can cause untold devastation in a split second. Vehicles of all sizes were tossed around like corks and were battered beyond recognition, a sight I happened to witness later. Rains are a welcome phenomena in Oman but one needs to be wary of the fury of nature.

UP Sainik School Golden Jubilee Celebrations

Following is a news item published in TOI on 11 Dec 2009 after the Upsainian OBA convened a press conference regarding the subject at Lucknow.
Marathon to celebrate Sainik School landmark
TNN 11 December 2009, 05:54am IST
LUCKNOW: The UP Sainik School Old Boys Association (UPSAINIANS), a body of alumni of Uttar Pradesh Sainik School, Lucknow, is organizing the 21.097 km half marathon in Lucknow on December 20 to commemorate the 50th year of the establishment of the school.
The school was established in 1960 with the objective of increasing the number of students joining the armed forces. The school has achieved this objective of sending more than 800 cadets to National Defence Academy/Indian Military Academy which trains the officers of Indian Armed Forces.
The school has the rare distinction of having produced the bravery icon, Param Vir Chakra awardee (Late) Captain Manoj Pandey, who made the supreme sacrifice during the Kargil war and a host of other bravery award winners. UPSAINIAN undertakes activities for supporting the children aiming to join armed forces besides organising other social activities.
The marathon will be the first such run in state. The events on the day will be half marathon, a five km run and a 1 km run. The run is being branded as `Prerna 2009' with an intent to inspire the people of Lucknow. More than 3,000 people are expected to be participating in the run which will be starting from the KD Singh `Babu' Stadium at 7:30 am and traverse through the main areas of the city. The run would be flagged-off by the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Command.
It will carry a first prize of Rs 1,00,000, second prize of Rs 50,000 and third prize of Rs 25,000. The dream run of 5 kms will carry following prizes, first prize of Rs 15,000, second prize of Rs 10,000 and third prize of Rs 5,000. This dream run will have separate prizes for male and female categories.
The run will also showcase winners of Delhi marathon who will be the star attraction at Prerna 2009. As a special treat to youngsters a special adventure zone is being created by the Indian Army and will feature attractions like hot air ballooning amongst others.
The registration for `Prerna 2009' will commence from December 12 and forms will be available at Dr Mobile, Sri Ram Towers, Hazratganj; Modern Communication, Mithai Walla Chauraha, Gomti Nagar; Mukesh Modern Bazaar, near Punjab & Sind Bank, Alambagh; Vikendra Mobile World, Main crossing chowk amongst others.

A post from 'faujnet' !

Following is a post I came across while browsing through 'faujnet' (of which I am a member -www.faujnet.com ). Those of my 'fauji' friends who are not yet aware of this may like to visit the site and become members. Coming to the subject post, here it is :

Carrear in Banking post Release/Retirement
Dear Friends,
I am Captain Bhaskar Bhattacharya (Retd) from 74 Armoured Regiment, left army in 1992. I am 41st SSC was commissioned in Mar' 1986.
I am presently employed in DENA BANK, one of the nationalised banks and working as Sr. Manager Securirty and Estate. DENA BANK is having majority of their branches in the state of Gujarat and Maharashtra. I thought it is appropriate for me to inform my fauji colleagues about carrear in banking after defence service .

The banking sector though advertises for filling up vacancies of Ex defence officers but the job has following short comings:
1. No initiative at any level for ex officers.
2. No residential accomodation,
3. No infrastructure to perform, No assistant to work for you,
4. Excessive expectation to perform
5. Our post is for support system hence no clear career path
6. No vehicle to perform your duties, except for 2 wheelers which is rather demoralising after leaving defence force in certain authoritative position,
7. Salary is also not to match with the market CTC offered by MNCs.
8. NO family life, no social life as security is not looked upon in high esteem.
9. The people wish to be friendly for canteen facilities otherwise do not care.
10. Dealing with guards directly which otherwise being done by Havildars/JCOs in units.
11. Growth in reaching higher scale is limited to Chief Managers provided vacancy exists.
12. Lateral movement/shift in other department is practically impossible.
13. One is provided with a chair and a table with computer no cabins even after 2 decades of bank service.
Financial, positional, emotional or in all parameters the banking carrear is not rewarding except for RBI openings.

Through this forum I wish to inform one and all to weigh all pros and cons and then select banking as carrear post defence job.
I may be contacted on brc161965@gmail.com.
Thanking you & Regards
Bhaskar
PS : There were some comments appended to this post which I have not attached here. Capt Bhaskar says banking 'carrear' is not rewarding except RBI openings. Must say 'ignorance is bliss' for this remark !

The End of 'अज्ञातवास' !

I had thought of various titles for this post viz : 'Breaking News', 'Arvind Resurfaces', and 'Guests in Oman' but ultimately settled for the one as given above as it seemed the most appropriate. 'अज्ञातवास' means 'exile' (whether forced or self imposed). Well, coming down to the story, I was pleasantly surprised when I got a mail from Capt Arvind Sharma some time back informing me that he and his better half would be visiting Oman around the end of the current month. They arrived on 26 Nov (evening) and I was very excited as they happened to be the first 'guests' I would be playing host to in Oman (Seetu's absence, which was sorely missed, notwithstanding !). We spent half the night exchanging notes catching up on lost time.

Secondly, the whereabouts of Arvind have been a mystery of sorts to all his friends and colleagues of late. His 'resurfacing', thus, is verily an event in itself. Well, let me be the first to break the news - Arvind is presently based in Bahrain. Bahrain is an island kingdom which is a part of the GCC states and is an hour's flying time from Muscat. He has recently landed a damn good job with the Kanoo group . Congratulations Avind and Bravo !!

Another happy event was that 27th Nov happened to be Arvind's birthday - the day when he completed four decades of his life (40 carats). This occasion was celebrated in my house by the three of us and later Arvind treated us to dinner at an Indian restuarant. Following are some photos of the birthday bash and an outing which we enjoyed today (click on the pics to enlarge).

Arvind and me with the 'spread' - pastries & wine !

Arvind 'scored' one by smearing me with pastry.
(It was 'his' day and I got smeared - not done man)
Now the score was even ! Cheers to those who cheer for us !!

Arvind and me with 'Marina Bandar Al Rowdha'

in the background.

Arvind, Anju and myself at the same spot as above.

Photographed on the way back home. Arvind

seems to be emphasizing some moot point !

Remembering Mumbai Terror Attacks !

On 26th Nov 2009 print and audiovisual media was full of news regarding the subject, which was along expected lines, as an year has passed since that blatant attack which traumatised an entire city for nearly three days. On this occasion my friend and fellow blogger Balli has posted a thought provoking and insightful article titled 'We can bring the Change'. It can be read at www.balvindersingh.blogspot.com

For and in depth and minute by minute account of that episode I recommend all should read 'Sixty Hours of Terror : By the Grace of Allah' by Jason Motlagh. It is a very well researched account of the 60 hours when the city of Mumbai was in panic and the entire nation full of uncertainity and indignation. It is replete with photos and accounts of interviews and interrogations. The article can be read in the Virginia Quarterly Review at http://vqronline.org

Do's and Dont's for Security Personnel

In order to augment the basic training input which the national security guards and watchmen are being exposed to, a list of 'Do's and Dont's' in English and Arabic is being published in a booklet form which will be issued to all the security personnel. This will serve as an aide-de-memoire for the security guards. The most important ones will be depicted pictorally or by caricatures to have a better impact (a picture is worth a thousand words !). These 'Do's and Dont's' are not comprehensive by any means and have been framed keeping in mind the local conditions and practices prevalent here. The said list is as follows :

DO’s
1. Keep this booklet/pamphlet with you while on duty.
2. Always obey and follow the policy of the company/department.
3. Wear your proper uniform.
4. Your uniform should be neat and properly ironed.
5. Your shoes should be neat and polished.
6. Shave daily/keep beard and mustache trimmed.
7. Ensure that you have a proper haircut.
8. Wear ‘Massar’ properly in case uniform is not issued to you.
9. Display your identity card on your person while on duty.
10. Be punctual.
11. Be alert and vigilant.
12. Be polite and courteous.
13. Be enthusiastic.
14. Be respectful to all customers/visitors.
15. Be aware of the Company’s locations.
16. Greet and reply the greetings in a friendly way.
17. Keep yourself healthy and fit.
18. Stay calm with an angry customer.
19. Deal respectfully with lady customers.
20. Know your senior staff.
21. Inform your supervisor/superiors about any unexpected or emergency situation.
22. Ensure secrecy of Company information.
23. Make sure you know your duties/responsibilities at every post.
24. Proper duty handing over should be carried out.
25. Be cooperative and build a good relationship with all.
26. Be available and flexible for any Emergency duty.
27. Do simple stretching exercises every hour while on duty.
28. Keep yourself updated about functional processes and procedures.
29. Maintain your cool while speaking over telephone.
30. Be aware of the vulnerable areas, security threats and emergency exits at your location.
31. Ensure that the premises are secure after business hours.
32. Carry a torch with you for night duty.
33. Keep a list of important telephone numbers with you.
34. Be aware of the actions to be taken in case of any emergency.
35. You should know how to frisk and check visitors if required.
36. Keep an eye on the movement of personnel and vehicles in your area.
37. Be aware of hiding places in vehicles which have to be checked.
38. Carry out regular patrolling of your area of responsibility.
39. Ensure that all security gadgets in your area are working properly.
40. Report any breaches of Security to your superior immediately.
41. Ensure proper key management.
42. Ensure that display vehicles are secured.
43. Barriers to be down/gates to be closed when not in use.
44. Make sure the first aid box is available in your post and is to be used in an emergency.
45. Make sure you know the types of fire extinguishers and how to use them in case of an emergency.
DON’T’s
1. Do not leave your post unless permitted by your supervisor or for patrolling.
2. Do not allow entry to any unauthorized person into the premises without permission.
3. Do not come to work under the influence of liquor/narcotic substances.
4. Do not smoke while on duty.
5. Do not chew gum or tobacco while on duty.
6. Do not sleep on duty.
7. Do not engage in unnecessary conversation while on duty.
8. Do not take leave without permission.
9. Do not argue with or shout at customers.
10. Don’t be busy in secondary matters while on duty.
11. Don’t indulge in rumour mongering.
12. Do not use company property or services for personal gain.
13. Do not entertain your friends/relatives in the guard post.
14. Do not listen to music while on duty.

15. Do not bring your laptop/electronic devices to the work place.

'ANAQA' Training Programme for National Security Guards

We have recently emabarked on an ambitious project - that of training the national security guards and watchmen all over Oman -totalling approximately 450 personnel. These security personnel do not have a military or police background and are thus quite clueless about the basic security principles and practices. All this time they were learning on the job and were being imparted training by visiting security officers off and on at various locations. There was no structured training module which was being delivered uniformally to everyone.

A basic training programme titled 'ANAQA' which, in Arabic, means 'SMART' (which is also an acronym for 'Smile, Morale, Alert, Respect and Turnout' - the basic qualities/requirements of any security guard) has thus been launched which is being conducted every Wednesday for a batch of 15 personnel (attendance of a larger number would hamper the operations). The programme contains inputs on knowledge about the company, expectations from the cadre, legal issues and strictures, how to do one's job effectivey, emphasis on discipline, turnout and attitude, consequences of security lapses and practical demonstrations. It is expected that by June 2010 all the nationals would have been trained in this basic module. The fourth batch was trained yesterday. Following are some photos from the programmes conducted so far.

Inauguration of the Programme.
Demonstration on how to check a vehicle properly.
Proper Checking & Frisking Technique.
A session in the classroom.

The inevitable group photo !

High Speed Joyride !

Recently when I was going on a branch visit I saw a funny sight on the road. It is not uncommon to behold such events in Oman but they are rare on the highways where vehicles are zipping past at speeds in excess of 120 km per hour. Since I was accompanying a colleague who was at the wheel, I got an opportunity to click the following photos. The camels were apparently enjoying the ride as they sat side by side in a snug fit in the Toyota Hylux pickup in front of us, unperturbed at the curios stares of other road users. This is what is called a true blend of tradition with modernity !!

"Whatcha looking at man ?" "C'mon, dont bother about their stares !"

UP Sainik School - Golden Jubilee Celebrations

The programme for the forthcoming 'UP Sainik School Golden Jubilee' celebrations has been finalised. A host of events have been planned by the organizing committee of the Old Boys Association to commemorate this event. Since the school was established in 1960, the next year (2010) will be celebrated as the Golden Jubilee year. This year's events planned for 19th and 20th December will mark the start of the year long celebrations. Events like Flagging off the Hot Air Ballooning, Unveiling the Golden Jubilee Trophy, Baseball match and Tug-of-War between the old boys and present cadets, Wreath laying at the War Memorial, Cultural evening followed by Cocktails and dinner are some of the events for the first day.

On 20th December the 'Golden Jubilee Open Marathon' will be flagged off from KD Singh Babu Stadium, Lucknow at 0730 hrs. This is going to be a prize money, annual event which will be conducted by the OBA every year.

So, all you Upsainians out there, plan your itinerary accordingly. I am hoping to catch up with some long lost friends and am eagerly waiting for this mega event.

Interesting Mail Forwards

Following are three interesting mail forwards which I wanted to share with you all. The first one was titled 'Why Pappu Failed" ! Here goes.....

And this is the second one :

"One paragraph that explains life "
Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983. From world over, he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed: "Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease"? To this Arthur Ashe replied: "The world over -- 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals, when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD 'Why me?'. And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?' "

"Happiness keeps you Sweet,

Trials keep you Strong,

Sorrow keeps you Human,

Failure keeps you humble and
Success keeps you glowing,
But only Faith & Attitude Keeps you going... "

The third one is a personal favourite...

THE SENILITY PRAYER :
Grant me the senility to forget the people

I never liked anyway,
The good fortune to run into the ones I do, and
The eyesight to tell the difference !!

Cheers !

Red Terror - The Greatest Security Threat in India

I am reproducing two very thought provoking articles regarding the greatest internal security threat which is staring India in the face today. One was published in a leading daily forwarded to me by IISSM and the other was published by 'ISN Security Watch' a couple of days back.

Reign of Terror
RK Vij
The inhumane and merciless murder of Inspector Francis Induwar of Jharkhand Police, by those claiming to operate hefty schemes like ‘Janatana Sarkaar’ (people’s government), has exposed their real face once again. Many such instances have taken place in other Naxal-infested states. Until recently, before being pronounced as one of the most serious threats to the internal security of the country, Maoism was mostly downplayed by various actors of civil society including the media, irrespective of a higher death toll and the gruesome lynching of men as compared to other acts of violence. The list of martyred security men, which is read out on every 21st October (on ‘Shaheed Diwas’) is growing longer. Fearing the governments’ more focused approach now, Naxalites are trying to spread waves of terror once again. Whenever their senior cadre are arrested or killed in exchange of fire or their very existence is challenged, they take recourse to brutality.

Inspector Hemant Mandawi of Jagargunda Police Station was killed when he was assisting the villagers repair an interior road in order to restore public transport. His feet were severed, as the Naxals wanted his shoes. In another incident, Central Paramilitary Force (CPMF) personnel’s eyes were smashed with sharp weapons and hands cut to remove wrist watches. In the village of Kudur in Bastar district, policemen were ambushed with Claymore mines and then charred to death. In Ranibodli in March 2007, one of the rooms of the police camp was bolted from outside by the Maoists, and petrol bombs thrown inside towards the unaware, off-duty police personnel. Some escaping security men were targeted from tree tops, killing a total of 55 police officers including 36 Special Police Officers (SPOs). As if this couldn’t pacify the Naxals quest for sadism, they laid down Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) all around the building to hinder even the evacuation of casualties. The charred bodies of the SPOs — who were all local residents of surrounding villages — could not be recognised even by their kin. Similarly, when a Chhattisgarh Electricity Board (CGEB) party was on its way to repair a blown up high tension tower near the dreaded ‘Zhara Ghatee’ of Narayanpur, its truck was blown up with an 80 kg plus IED, killing 3 civilians. The explosion was so intense that various pieces of their bodies had to be gathered from as far as 300 metres. These were handed over to their families in bag-shaped folded bed sheets, without us even knowing whether they belong to the same person or not. The law of the jungle applies to the public as well. On-the-spot killings of civilians in the name of dispensing quick justice in ‘jan adalats’ (public court) is an old-fashioned governance style of the Maoists. Tying hands behind and beheading with sharp weapons is the Maoists’ favoured method. Showing disrespect to dead bodies is routine. Killing men and tying hidden IEDs to their dead bodies is yet another ploy to misguide the police and invite them to the scene of crime for inquest, leading to more explosions and more casualties.
Many seized documents have clearly shown that the birth of ‘Salwa Judum’(meaning peace march) in June 2005 in South Bastar infuriated the Naxalites. The villagers were forced to flee due to continuous attacks and escalating fear. The state government, realising its constitutional obligations, promptly responded and created rehabilitation camps to provide people with basic amenities. Though Salwa Judum came up as a self-motivated people’s movement in a response to the Naxalite atrocities, it was soon dubbed as a state-sponsored move. This is a well thought out propaganda by the Naxalites to malign the government. Quite a few times, the Naxalites have dared to attack even the rehabilitation camps. Though most of such attacks have been foiled by the police force, yet an attack on Errabore Rehabilitation Camp (situated on the national highway), left more than 30 killed and many injured. The fact is that the Naxalites were shaken by the increasing strength of the Salwa Judum and its commitment to re-establish peace in the area. The spurt of violence is due to the retaliation by the Naxalites in the face of the rising popularity of Salwa Judum, which led them to intimidate people so that they do not ever raise their heads.
Presently, there are about 3,000 SPOs, who assist security forces in the maintenance of order in Naxal-infested areas. These SPOs have played an important role in breaking and weakening the network of the Naxalites. Naxalites’ brutality has not even spared the families of the SPOs. Many SPOs have been killed, only to discourage them from associating with the police.
The number of policemen who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty was about ten only until 2004, but this number shot up nearly eight-fold in the last four years. Similarly, the number of civilians killed by the Naxalites was less than 70 till 2004, but swelled to more than 200 in 2006. This further strengthens the fact that the Maoists were afraid of the people’s resistance groups which had rejected their ideology in their own stronghold. The attacks on schools, panchayats and ashram buildings have unravelled their hollow talk of development. They are even opposed to developmental works. Schemes like ‘Jantana Sarkaar’ are being propagated only to hide their ugly face, smeared with cold blood. A country which was built on the edifice of non-violence cannot accept the ideology of armed struggle for class annihilation. Such mindless brutal killings by the Maoists must act as a wake-up call for civil society.

The writer is a senior police officer of Chhattisgarh

The Indian Express- October 9, 2009

India Battles ‘Red Terror’
The Maoist-Naxalite threat turns up the heat in India, with extremists on the rampage, attacking civilians and killing 17 police officers this month, and the government preparing for a major military offensive, Animesh Roul writes for ISN Security Watch.
By Animesh Roul in New Delhi for ISN Security Watch
In a brutal show of force, hundreds of left-wing extremists (also known as Maoists or Naxalites) attacked a police unit killing 17 officers in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district on 8 October, despite threats from state and federal governments of a strong military response if extremists failed to renounce violence.
Earlier that week, Maoists extremists beheaded an abducted senior police official in Chhattisgarh state following a failed bid to swap jailed Maoists leaders.
Reacting to the latest Taliban-style execution, Minster of Home Affairs P Chidambaram told local media that the violence was a possible response to the arrest of some senior CPI-Maoist leaders.
Samarji, Maoist leader in Jharkhand, had reportedly demanded through local media that the abducted police official be swapped for three recently arrested cadres — Kobad Ghandy, Chhattradhar Mahato and Chandra Bhushan Yadav.
Maoists have been targeting legislators, security officials and government properties in regular intervals in their so-called Red Corridor, which comprises swathes of territory including parts central and eastern India.
According to government sources, the extremists control nearly 40,000 square kilometers across 20 states.
The Indian government now concedes that the Naxalites pose one of the greatest threats to the country’s security.In India, left-wing extremism emerged from a place called Naxalbari in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal in 1967 under the leadership of Charu Mazumdar. Since then, the movement has come a long way from what was a rather small-scale local rebellion of farmers and tribal peoples.
Maoists in India, as elsewhere, have adopted the ‘Protracted People’s War’ (PPW) as the strategy to achieve their political objective. The PPW is divided into three phases: occupy the land; step up the guerilla struggle; and bring power to the people.
Urbanizing terror
Speaking to ISN Security Watch, Rajat Kujur, co-author of Maoism in India: Reincarnation of Ultra Left Wing Extremism in the Twenty-First Century (Routledge, 2009, Forthcoming), said that some significant changes [have] occurred in the Maoist modus operandi of late.” He said that the Maoists were moving away from the traditional guerilla formula of ambush towards a novel hit-and-run formula and an urban strategy.
There been violent clashes between armed tribal groups backed by Maoists and security forces in West Bengal’s Nandigram, Singur and Lalgarh areas over land acquisition by the state government. And of late, many Maoists cadres from Indian metropolises including New Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur and Hyderabad have been arrested.
According to Kujur, these developments should largely have been expected.
“Encircling the Urban areas definitely is a Maoist technique,” Kujur said, explaining that “once the guerilla warfare reaches a point, the classic Maoist formula says they must start encircling the cities, which they are doing now.”
Nihar Nayak, Maoist expert at the New Delhi-based Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses (IDSA), agrees. “In their mass mobilization effort, Maoists are now garnering support from intellectuals, students, slum dwellers, minority populations and laborers in the Cities and towns,” he told ISN Security Watch.
“In urban areas, the CPI Maoist has been forming a Tactical United Front with organizations that oppose the Indian State. It has also infiltrated existing trade unions and plans to float new ones in all big companies both for political and funding purposes.”
In a recent interview with a national daily, Koteshwar Rao, a politburo member of the CPI (Maoists) in charge of their West Bengal, Orissa and Jharkand operations, disclosed they had joined forces with northeast separatist groups and Islamist organizations in order to fight the Indian government.
Nayak recalled that “the CPI-Maoist’s January 2007 resolution had prompted the extremists to reach out to Muslims and other minorities to spread the movement throughout the country.”
On the offensive
The government is planning a multi-pronged military operation in ‘hot pursuit’ of extremists that will include a developmental package for tribal regions starting in mid-October.
The scheduled military campaign, now dubbed the ‘October Offensive,’ will be carried out with help from civilian and military agencies such as the Anti- Maoist Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) force, the Indian air force, the Indian Space Research Organization, paramilitary forces such as the Central Reserve Police Force and the Border Security Force.
“This will be the first time India will wage such a military offensive, though not a full-fledged war against its own people.”
However, “We do not consider this as our own Swat [referring to anti-Taliban operations in neighboring Pakistan] at all, as media are painting it,” a senior security official involved in the operation told ISN security Watch under condition of anonymity.
Nayak plays down the euphoria of a military offensive to root out Maoist extremism in India. He underscores that this “cannot be a long term solution to the protracted Maoist insurgency in the country.
“Historical evidence suggests that even if the state managed to suppress the movement for some time, the Maoist movement would [return] with new vigor and manifest itself in most a virulent form,” he said.
Similar views are expressed by Mahendra Kumawat, a former paramilitary chief who was quoted in The Telegraph (Kolkata, 4 October). In charge of anti-Naxalite operations in his earlier capacity, Kumawat questioned the government’s ‘crackdown first - development-later strategy’ and urged it to refrain from a “strike policy” that only involves bloodshed and disruption.
Kujur concurred, saying, “This military campaign and economic overtures notwithstanding, the government needs to ensure that the people of those affected regions enjoy the benefits of good governance.”
“Again, one needs to understand that Naxalism is a political problem and it needs to be solved politically,” he added.

RBI ( and 'Lungar Gupp' ) Revisited !

I visited RBI, New Delhi on 22nd Sep and was overwhelmed by the reception I got from friends and colleagues. In addition to the officers and Class III staff, the way the Security Guards, Drivers and the Maintenance Staff greeted me was most touching. One day was not enough to meet everyone I knew so I went back again on 24th Sep and tried to complete the job. Reaching Bangalore on 5th October from Delhi I went to the Bank on 6th Oct and again was met by everyone with open arms. It felt as if I had never left the place when the usual 'man fridays' did some of my dirty jobs for me. Some snippets are as follows :

1. RIP - Anil Kumar. I was deeply saddened to learn that Anil Kumar, one of the drivers at RBI, New Delhi whom I knew very well had passed away in a road accident. Besides being an excellent driver and byke rider, he possessed a cheerful demeanour and was ever willing to shoulder additional responsibility. He was most dependable and would not hesitate to go out of his way to help others. I remember once when my 'Bullet' would not start owing to an electrical fault I was in a dillemma how to transport the byke to the service centre. I happened to mention this to Anil and he promptly came up with a solution. He volunteered to push my heavy byke with his left foot while riding his 'Yamaha RX 100' all the way from Vasant Vihar to Jhandewalan (a distance of approx 14 kms) - and that is exactly how we did it, much to the surprise of other road users . There are numerous other anecdotes which I can recount which will attest to Anil's generous nature. It was very disturbing to note that his byke was hit by a call centre cab from behind near Raj Ghat at night and he died on the spot owing to a head injury. May God grant his family the strength to bear this great loss. Rest in peace Anil !!

2. Callousness and Generosity. Yet another disconcerting event was learning about the plight of Maj Sanjay Avasthi who is bravely battling his debilitating disease. I learnt that he had to spend a lot of time at home on 'leave without pay' as the P&S Cell had no use for him. This, in my opinion, was a most callous thing to do to a brother officer. Thankfully, things changed for him when the present RD at New Delhi posted him at Sarojininagar to look after the VOF. I met Sanjay at his residence and found him to be a shadow of his former self. I shudder to think what would have happened were it not for the RD's generosity.

3. Foreign Training and Greener Pastures. I met Maj Rawat and was pleased to know that he was all set to proceed to UK for his stint with ARC training. He was in fact running around for his visa which had been delayed. Another guy was marking time waiting for a lucrative assignment to come through.

4. Visit to RBI, Bangalore. A jarring note at Bangalore was introduced into the proceedings by Goyal when he told me that the 'Banking Fraternity' had not taken kindly to the post 'Parting Shot' in my blog. I do not know what the hell the so called fraternity has to do with my blog. As to who they constitute was not elaborated upon by Goyal. Anyway, I have two words for them - one is a four letter word and the other has three !!

PS. Thats it for now. I will be visiting the Bank again before I leave this place on the 23rd for Muscat.

Vacation Time !!

I have not been blogging for more than a month now simply because I have been on the move constantly since 20th September when I landed at New Delhi from Muscat. I am on leave till 23rd October. There were a lot of items on my 'to do' list like celebrating 'Dussehra' with the family on 28th Sep, unpack and settle down my stuff at Noida (which was lying unpacked since November 2008), search for a dwelling unit at Mussoorie (cant think of severing ties with that place), etc, etc. Presently I am at Bangalore staying with my younger son.

While at Delhi I took time off to visit RBI and spent a day meeting old friends and colleagues. The same activity was repeated at Bangalore too. More about these visits in a separate post.

The time spent at Dehradun celebrating Dussehra was full of fun and gaeity with the extended family members some of who had converged from various corners of the globe for this occasion. The visit to Mussoorie was nostalgic (as always) and it was nice to see the 'Queen of Hills' bathed in various hues resplendent in her 'autumnal aura'. At this time of the year the hills are covered with a variety of wild flowers in different colours and the climate is too good to miss. The hunt for a dwelling unit continues and I am hoping to acquire one by the middle of next year. Some photos I clicked during this trip are attached :

The boys being blessed after the 'Tika'

Found time to ride a Bullet after a gap of

nearly 4 years. Ahhh what a feeling !!

The hillside at Mussoorie covered with wild
flowers. (click on the pic to enlarge)

A view of the LBSNAA horse riding track.

A view of 'Deodars' from LBSNAA.

Friendship - An Inspirational Short Story

Horror gripped the heart of the World War I soldier as he saw his lifelong friend fall in battle. Caught in a trench with continuous gunfire whizzing over his head, the soldier asked his lieutenant if he might go out into the "no man's land" between the trenches to bring his fallen comrade back. "You can go," said the lieutenant, "but I don't think it will be worth it. Your friend is probably dead and you may throw your life away." The lieutenant's advice didn't matter, and the soldier went anyway. Miraculously he managed to reach his friend, hoist him onto his shoulder and bring him back to their company's trench. As the two of them tumbled in together to the bottom of the trench, the officer checked the wounded soldier, and then looked kindly at his friend.

"I told you it wouldn't be worth it," he said. "Your friend is dead and you are mortally wounded." "It was worth it, though, sir," said the soldier. "What do you mean; worth it?" responded the Lieutenant. "Your friend is dead". "YES, Sir" the private answered. "But it was worth it because when I got to him, he was still alive and I had the satisfaction of hearing him say, "JIM........, I KNEW YOU'D COME."
Many times in life, whether a thing is worth doing or not, really depends on how you look at it. Take up all your courage and do something your heart tells you to do so that you may not regret not doing it later in your life... "May each and every one of you be blessed with the company of TRUE FRIENDS."
"A true friend is one who walks in, when the rest of the world walks out."

Click Flick Prize !!

Ever since I have landed in Oman, I have been fascinated by the 'roundabouts' (large traffic islands at intersections and cross roads) over here. I have been clicking random photographs of these roundabouts all over Oman. A local weekly newsmagazine called 'Hi' conducts a monthly photography contest titled 'Click Flick' on different themes every month. Last month the theme was 'Roundabouts in Oman' and I sent a photo of the Salalah airport roundabout which I had shot during my visit to that place in July. I was pleasantly surprised when the results were declared on 28th August and I won the first prize - a brand new Olympus MEW760 digital camera. Here is the news item (click on the pics to enlarge) :

And this is the award winning photograph :

PS : There are already two claimants in the family for the 'new' camera!!

Fire Safety Links

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)-Research, statistics, quick facts and safety information for different occupancies.
www.nfpa.org

US Fire Administration- Research, free online courses , safety tips.
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/

The Shriners produce a variety of Burn Awareness Supplies at no cost (Coloring books, crayons, stickers, etc.)
http://www.shrinershq.org/Hospitals/Burn_Awareness/

Florida Building Code 2007 ed.; NFPA 1-Uniform Fire Code 2007 ed.; NFPA 101 Life Safety Code 2007 ed.
http://www.naplesgov.com/Departments/PoliceandFire/FireBureau/
FireInspectionsandCodeEnforcement.aspx

A variety of safety tips:
http://www.fireeducator.com/

Source : Posted by Pamela DeMeo on Linkedin Groups

Carrier (read Career) or Stand ?

You may have heard the story of a young officer (Y.O) 50 years ago when he got a cycle loan and purchased one from the unit canteen. The cycle was a beauty (the way mobikes/cars are today) but did not have a carrier at the back. So he sent his orderly to get one fixed. When the cycle came back with the carrier fitted the Y.O. noted that the stand was missing. He went to the CSD authorised cycle dealer and asked him why the stand had been removed. He was told, Sahib ji,
"फौज में एक ही चीज मिल सकती है - कैरियर या स्टैंड। अगर स्टैंड लोगे तो करियर ख़तम और अगर करियर बनना है तो स्टैंड कभी मत लेना !"

This holds true for other organizations as well even to this date !

Uttarakhand

'Uttarakhand' is the name of the state to which I belong in India. I came across a brief historical description of my home state recently when I was invited to join a group of 'Uttarakhandis' on Facebook. I have plagiarised the passage and am reproducing it here for everyone's information.

Uttarakhand is both the new and traditional name of the state that was formed from the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. Literally, North Country or Section in Sanskrit, the name ‘Uttarakhand’ finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as the combined region of Kedarkhand and Manaskhand. Uttarakhand was also the ancient Puranic term for the central stretch of the Indian Himalayas. Its peaks and valleys were well known in ancient times as the abode of gods and goddesses and source of the Ganga River. Today, it is often called "the Land of the Gods" (Dev Bhoomi) because of the presence of a multitude of Hindu pilgrimage spots.Uttarakhand has a total geographic area of 51,125 km², of which 93% is mountainous and 64% is covered by forest. Most of the northern parts of the state are part of Greater Himalayan ranges, covered by the high Himalayan peaks and glaciers, while the lower foothills were densely forested till denuded by the British log merchants and later, after independence, by forest contractors. Recent efforts in reforestation, however, have been successful in restoring the situation to some extent. The unique Himalayan ecosystem plays host to a large number of animals (including bharal, snow leopards, leopards and tigers), plants and rare herbs. Two of India's mightiest rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna take birth in the glaciers of Uttarakhand, and are fed by myriad lakes, glacial melts and streams in the region.At that time, present-day Uttarakhand also served as a haunt for Rishis and Sadhus. It is believed that Sage Vyasa scripted the Mahabharata here as the Pandavas are believed to have traveled and camped in the region. Among the first major dynasties of Garhwal and Kumaon were the Kunindas in the 2nd century B.C. who practiced an early form of Shaivism. They traded salt with Western Tibet. It is evident from the Ashokan edict at Kalsi in Western Garhwal that Buddhism made inroads in this region. Folk shamanic practices deviating from Hindu orthodoxy also persisted here.

Weekend Splash - Dolphin Watching

On 30 July three families from my department went for a 4-in-1 trip by a ‘Glass-bottomed Boat’ which included the following :
1. Dolphin Watching
2. Coral Reef Snorkelling
3. Glass Bottom Boat Experience
4. Coastline Cruise
The trip started at 0830 hrs from the ‘Marina Al Bandar’ and got over at 1200 hrs. It was a great experience for all of us except some of the ladies who felt seasick and could not fully enjoy the proceedings. I was able to click some nice photos from the sea which I am posting here :
(click on the photos to enlarge)

Had a tough time waiting for a Dolphin to appear !
Coral Reef seen through the 'Glass Bottom' of the boat.

A natural rock formation near the coast. Boats pass

through the opening during low tide.

Another famous rock formation which resembles

a 'Goat's Head' !

The Al-Bustan Palace Hotel.

The British Ambassador's residence on a hill top.

Private luxury yachts at the marina.

Salalah in Kharif Season !

Salalah is Oman’s second largest city and is the capital of the Dhofar (or southern) region. It is famous for ‘frankincense’ which is found only in this region. Salalah also has a unique climate especially during the months June to September (popularly known as the ‘Kharif‘ season) during which it enjoys cool, wet and misty monsoon. The temperature drops to twenties while the rest of the Arab world is scorching at its hottest at this time. The Kharif season is the peak tourist season when the population of this place nearly doubles and a carnival like atmosphere pervades the region. There are many places of tourist interest in and around Salalah.

I visited this place on 27/28 July after a gap of nearly six months and was amazed by the change in the climate and the environment. The barren hills around Salalah were green and the weather reminded me of Mussoorie during the monsoon. One notable destination for visitors is the Tomb of Prophet Job (locally known as Prophet Ayoub) which is located on a hilltop overlooking Salalah city. The Prophet is revered by Muslims, Christians and Jews alike and the tomb is open to all visitors. Following are some pictures of the said trip :

An aerial view of the town from the airport.

Yours truly en-route to Thumrait.

Green hills and misty skies !On the road from Salalah to Thumrait.

Footprint of Prophet Job !

The Prophet's Tomb.

UP Sainik School 'Old Boys' Get Together

Upsainians will be flocking to New Delhi on 25th July (Saturday) for a get-together planned at the Air Force Officers' Mess, Western Air Command, Subroto Park, New Delhi at 1930 hrs. Wish I was at Delhi ! On the agenda is the planning for Golden Jubilee Celebrations which are due in the school in December this year. So mark your diaries accordingly and let us make it a point to converge to UPSS in December this year !!

Occupational Safety & Health - More info !!

In continuation of a similiar post dated 23rd June, here are some more links to free information and resources related to Occupational Safety & Health :
http://hygeaplus.blogspot.com
http://andybrazier.blogspot.com
http://siri.uvm.edu/ppt/
http://safetyphoenix.blogspot.com
http://info.ogp.org.uk/safety/
http://freeinformationsources.wikia.com/wiki/Free_Health_Safety_%26_Environment_Information_Sources
http://fireworld.com/incident_logs/logs/
Enjoy !!!

Family in Oman

My family joined me here on 24th June (at last !). The boys went back to India on 05 July owing to their own commitments but will be back later. My better half will thankfully be staying back ( I am thus enjoying home cooked food after a gap of six months). Following are some pics shot during their various outings :

Gaurav at the famous Muttrah 'Souk'
Pranav & Seetu at the 'Corniche' area
Gaurav with His Majesty's yacht 'Al-Said' in the
background !

Pranav at the Corniche

Pranav with Muttrah Fort in the

background.

A view of the Muttrah market place.

Pranav & Fareed Al-Balushi(a colleague of mine

who took the boys on a couple of memorable

'trips'). Here the duo are relaxing at the

Muscat Diving Centre.

Fareed & Gaurav

Fareed with Haji Shaban - Mr Oman, Mr Gulf and

Mr Arabia besides other titles !

The boys with Mr Haji Shaban

Fareed & Yours truly (this was the first time I

saw Fareed dressed in western clothes !!)

Occupational Safety & Health Info !

Recently I came across a discussion on the subject on 'Linkedin' in one of the HSE groups of which I am a member. The discussion was very interesting and informative and a big debate was also raging on simultaneously whether such information should be made available free of cost or not. The guy who had started the discussion was of the opinion that all health and safety information should be free and had urged people to post useful links to such information for everyone's benefit. I am in full agreement with that gentleman and believe that knowledge should be shared. So here are some useful links (copied from that discussion) from where information regarding the subject can be downloaded :

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/leaflets.htm
http://www.osha.gov/pls/publications/publication.AthruZ?...
http://www.cdc.gov/NIOSH/
http://www.oshonline.com/Home.aspx
http://www.fmsmag.com/
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/
http://www.nsc.org/
http://www.ehstoday.com/
http://www.incident-prevention.com/
http://www.ishn.com/
http://www.sraeurope.org/
http://www.uneptie.org/scp/
http://www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk/Downloads.htm
http://www.osha.europe.eu/en
http://www.safetyexchange.org/
http://www.hsa.ie/eng/
http://www.worksafebc.gov/
http://www.ccohs.ca/
http://www.inrs.fr/
http://www.web-safety.com/Exchange/index.htm
http://www.fema.gov/
http://www.pdo.co.com/pdoweb
PS - All the above links will turn up on a serious web search but it will take a lot of time, patience and luck. Thanks to the discussion in question they are available on a platter - duly vetted and filtered.

Support the Armed Forces

By N Vittal (former CVC)
Published in 'Mumbai Mirror' on 18 May 2009

For the health of our democracy, it is necessary that the new government should nurture our armed forces and see that their morale and commitment to professionalism are maintained.

As Indians, we can legitimately be proud of our 60-year-old democracy. The 15th general elections have just been over and we have witnessed the lively game of politics that adds spice to our democracy.

As Indians, we have particularly been lucky. From the mid twentieth century till the nineties, a large number of colonies in Asia and Africa became independent. Unfortunately, most of them became examples of poor governance. Many became single party dominated totalitarian regimes. Many went the way of communism and human liberties became a casualty. Many others came under the dictatorship of army generals and colonels.

Against this dismal record, India has emerged as a real democracy. The just concluded general elections are a glorious demonstration of this proud fact.Our unique and lucky position can be appreciated if we look around and see what is happening in our neighbourhood. Pakistan is imploding. Nepal is lurching on the edge of chaos. Bangladesh is just recovering from their last elections. Sri Lanka is struggling with a three-decade-old insurgency. Myanmar has gone into a deep freeze of democracy under a military junta. Further East, Thailand is facing a crisis between the elected government and the military which has intervened far too often in the government. Indonesia is limping back after a long spell of military dictatorship. China may be a great power but it is certainly not a democracy.

What, then, is the secret of our fortune? It is the role played by three key institutions of governance – the election commission, the judiciary and our armed forces.

We readily recognise the role of the first two. But we hardly ever recognise the silent contribution of our thoroughly professional and politically neutral armed forces. This is particularly very important when we look across the border and see what has happened in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The track record of the Indian armed forces is all the more commendable when we recall that they were all trained by the same British who set up excellent traditions in the armed forces.

As we celebrate the health of our vigorous democracy, we should not take our luck for granted. We should particularly nurture our armed forces and see that their morale and commitment to professionalism are maintained.

When it comes to health, we are all aware of the fact that prevention is better than cure. The recent scare about the swine flu underlined that message and saw many countries co-operating in ensuring that proper precautions are taken and a pandemic is avoided.

For the health of our democracy, it is necessary that the new government pays special attention to our armed forces which constitute an important pillar of our democracy. From a broad perspective one thing is important – we must be able to make our defence services an attractive career option for our youth.

One major reason for the lack of attraction of armed forces as a career is a weakening of our sense of patriotism and nationhood. The growth of regionalism and caste-based politics has greatly undermined the national sentiment and made patriotism almost anachronistic.

Equally important is the treatment meted out to ex-servicemen and veterans. We have seen the dissatisfaction of the defence services during the implementation of the sixth pay commission. How many are aware of the sense of frustration and the feeling of lack of izzat or respect amongst the retired servicemen on the issue of one rank-one pay?

More than 10,000 medals including gallantry awards, have been surrendered to the President of India in three installments.

Unless we take serious note of these signals of hurt pride and wounded morale, there is a danger that our vaunted track record of democracy may be seriously threatened. When thousands of crores were waived for the agricultural sector and populist measures like free TV have become the norm of politics, it is unfair if the reasonable demands of the defence services are not met. No government can invoke the old arguments of budget deficit. A strategic inoculation against the loss of morale in the armed forces is an important national priority for the new government.

Wheels - at last !!

I got my driving licence on 16 May (exactly 5 months after I landed here !) and today I got my brand new 2009 'Diamond White' Auto Transmission Toyota Camry GLX . My colleagues informed me that the norm here was to take the vehicle to the Krishna temple for 'puja' straight from the showroom and then only think of gallivanting around. Being the team player that I am, that is just what I did and rounded up the day with hogging sweets from Muscat Bakery.

In an earlier post I had mentioned that one is 'dead' without a vehicle in Oman - so I am born again and life starts NOW ! Following are some pics shot at the temple (click on the photo to enlarge) :

Panditji applying the 'tilak'
Start of the 'puja'
This is the car folks !

About to crush the 'lime'.

Yours truly at the wheel.

PS. Driving an automatic transmission car takes some getting used to and that too in a left hand drive vehicle. My left foot was searching for the non-existent clutch at times !!