Wednesday, October 11, 2006
AUM
VEDIC PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant, VSM
The shortest road to the goal where one does not tread on the toes of others and does not go against ones own conscience may be the right path. A thinking individual always makes an endeavour to set a goal for himself as well as for the society and then proceeds to achieve that goal. Every man needs a role model to inspire him, to guide him and not to allow him to feel depressed when things don’t work out the way he or she wanted it to. The role model helps us to remain on course, not deviate and keep on striving to achieve the goal. Individuals with a high rate of success are called high achievers and they become role models to fellow individuals, socially, nationally and maybe internationally. In our case, Maryada Purshottam Shri Ram and Yogeshwar Krishna have been our role models for many a millennium. They continue to be so even now.
The Rigveda enjoins on human beings to follow the path of righteousness while doing the laid down duty, without going off course by following the glorious examples of the Sun and the Moon. Both the celestial bodies are of immense benefit to the entire universe and have never faltered in discharging their duties. The 15th mantra of the 51st Sukta of the fifth mandala of the Rigveda is quoted below:
Swasti pantha manucharem surya chandra masaviv.
Punardadata aghnata janata sangmemahi.
`May we human beings walk on the path of righteousness following the glorious examples set by the Sun and the Moon. In order to have strength to follow the right path, may we keep company with those who peacefully give and take, exchange views, follow the path of ahimsa (not knowingly or deliberately hurting other living beings). And, of course, be with the knowledgeable ones who endeavour to understand one and another’s point of view.’
This Ved Mantra encourages all human beings to give away a part of their income in charity. Danam or donations must always be given to deserving individuals and institutions. Some individuals, in their enthusiasm to donate a part of their income in order to reap a better harvest in life after death give alms to whosoever asks for it. The anti-social elements kidnap, maim children and put them on the street as beggars to arouse sympathy and collect the alms money. Thus the quality of charity degenerates into acts and omissions of crime. One has to take care and not increase the number of disabled children by ones misplaced sympathy. Encouraging deserving and bright children to pursue higher studies will be beneficial to the society in general. Here Danam must be encouraged to bear fruitful results.
The Vedic ahimsa cautions man against hurting the sentiments of others or unnecessarily causing body harm. However, the Vedas have emphasized more than once that the Dharma has to be upheld and adharma must be vanquished by using force, if necessary. In these circumstances ``Himsa, Himsa Na Bhavati,’’ that is use of force to uphold righteousness is not termed as violence.
It needs no underscoring that the company of saints and wise men who encourage free flow of ideas, nurture a spirit of intellectual liberalism is an asset to an individual or a group. One should not excessively rely on ones innate goodness and feel his intrinsic good nature will keep harm at arm’s length even if he is in the company of the fallen people. A man is known by the company he keeps and, therefore, the Ved Mantra buttresses the dictum: keep company of the good.
________________________________________________________________________
Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant, VSM
609 (SU), Sector-29
NOIDA-201 303 INDIA
Telefax 0091-120-2454511
Phone 0091-120-2454622 Mobile : 9811173590
e-mail: vedicupvan@hotmail.com
VEDIC PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant, VSM
The shortest road to the goal where one does not tread on the toes of others and does not go against ones own conscience may be the right path. A thinking individual always makes an endeavour to set a goal for himself as well as for the society and then proceeds to achieve that goal. Every man needs a role model to inspire him, to guide him and not to allow him to feel depressed when things don’t work out the way he or she wanted it to. The role model helps us to remain on course, not deviate and keep on striving to achieve the goal. Individuals with a high rate of success are called high achievers and they become role models to fellow individuals, socially, nationally and maybe internationally. In our case, Maryada Purshottam Shri Ram and Yogeshwar Krishna have been our role models for many a millennium. They continue to be so even now.
The Rigveda enjoins on human beings to follow the path of righteousness while doing the laid down duty, without going off course by following the glorious examples of the Sun and the Moon. Both the celestial bodies are of immense benefit to the entire universe and have never faltered in discharging their duties. The 15th mantra of the 51st Sukta of the fifth mandala of the Rigveda is quoted below:
Swasti pantha manucharem surya chandra masaviv.
Punardadata aghnata janata sangmemahi.
`May we human beings walk on the path of righteousness following the glorious examples set by the Sun and the Moon. In order to have strength to follow the right path, may we keep company with those who peacefully give and take, exchange views, follow the path of ahimsa (not knowingly or deliberately hurting other living beings). And, of course, be with the knowledgeable ones who endeavour to understand one and another’s point of view.’
This Ved Mantra encourages all human beings to give away a part of their income in charity. Danam or donations must always be given to deserving individuals and institutions. Some individuals, in their enthusiasm to donate a part of their income in order to reap a better harvest in life after death give alms to whosoever asks for it. The anti-social elements kidnap, maim children and put them on the street as beggars to arouse sympathy and collect the alms money. Thus the quality of charity degenerates into acts and omissions of crime. One has to take care and not increase the number of disabled children by ones misplaced sympathy. Encouraging deserving and bright children to pursue higher studies will be beneficial to the society in general. Here Danam must be encouraged to bear fruitful results.
The Vedic ahimsa cautions man against hurting the sentiments of others or unnecessarily causing body harm. However, the Vedas have emphasized more than once that the Dharma has to be upheld and adharma must be vanquished by using force, if necessary. In these circumstances ``Himsa, Himsa Na Bhavati,’’ that is use of force to uphold righteousness is not termed as violence.
It needs no underscoring that the company of saints and wise men who encourage free flow of ideas, nurture a spirit of intellectual liberalism is an asset to an individual or a group. One should not excessively rely on ones innate goodness and feel his intrinsic good nature will keep harm at arm’s length even if he is in the company of the fallen people. A man is known by the company he keeps and, therefore, the Ved Mantra buttresses the dictum: keep company of the good.
________________________________________________________________________
Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant, VSM
609 (SU), Sector-29
NOIDA-201 303 INDIA
Telefax 0091-120-2454511
Phone 0091-120-2454622 Mobile : 9811173590
e-mail: vedicupvan@hotmail.com
Sunday, October 08, 2006
AUM
REMEMBERING KARGIL
By Brig Chitranjan Sawant, VSM
The Kargil victory was indeed a glorious one. The defeat of the enemy was complete. The enemy had made heavy inroads into our territory – 160 km long and 10 km deep in the Kargil area. The intrusion had been going on undetected and absolutely unnoticed for a considerable period of time during the winters of end 1998 and beginning 1999. Our intelligence outfits will never be able to wash this stigma from their fair name. The Pakistan army had deployed its regular officers and soldiers in the garb of mujahideen and had even moved big artillery pieces like 105 mm field guns deep into Indian territory. Their helicopters had flown in supplies day in and day out and yet our men in uniform, both regular and para-military did not have the slightest idea of what was going on. It is understood that our spy planes flying over the area had detected some Paki choppers parked in our territory but their reports were not taken seriously by the then decision makers in the Indian army Shocking indeed!
We as a nation have reasons to be proud of our young officers and jawans who, when deployed against the well-entrenched enemy, did not blink and moved forward to dislodge the enemy. Many Indian soldiers made the supreme sacrifice. Those who survived were not deterred but kept on fighting till the enemy turned his tail. Indeed it was the whole Indian nation that had fought the war in Kargil. A schoolgirl in Maharashtra and a schoolboy in Tamil Nadu, not forgetting the farmers of Punjab and Rajasthan rose as a nation to express solidarity with the jawans waging war on the Kargil front. Students wrote emotionally moving letters, housewives knitted sweaters and gloves which reached the fighting Indian soldiers in their bunkers and `sangars.’ The morale of the fighting man went sky high. The soldiers knew that they had the backing of the entire Indian nation and their families would be looked after in case they made the supreme sacrifice. The Indian nation had never closed ranks like this before. Kargil was on everybody’s mind and our fighting men deserved all praise that they got. Victory was ours.
WHY WAR IN KARGIL
Pakistan wanted to grab Kargil as it had grabbed the high features around the town in 1947-48 immediately after independence. In fact Gilgit, Chitral, Skardu and Nubra that had all belonged to the Maharaja of Kashmir were almost handed over on a silver platter by the departing British officers to Pakistan who instigated a revolt among the Muslim troops of the Maharaja’s army in those areas. Pakistan wanted to grab the areas liberated by Indian troops in 1948-49 again.
More over the National Highway from Srinagar to Leh, which is the lifeline for Siachen glacier too runs through Kargil. Pakistan nursed a dream of cutting the lifeline of the Indian army midway in Kargil. Had this succeeded, the Indian officers in Siachen and Ladakh would have been bereft of rations, ammunition, supplies and support from the rest of the country. The result would have been disastrous. It was a valour and wisdom of Indian army officers and men that saved the situation in the nick of the time.
In 1984 India occupied the Siachen glacier for good. Pakistan could not stomach this. Notwithstanding their repeated counter attacks, they could not make a dent into the Indian defences. This was an additional insult to the injury they were nursing after the loss of east-Pakistan in a decisive action by the Indian army. Therefore Pakistan wanted to grab not only Siachen but as much of Indian territory as possible by hook or crook. The present president of Pakistan and then army chief, General Pervez Musharraf was the wily brain behind the failed plan to grab Kargil and Siachen. He had launched `Operation Badr’ in Kargil, Dras and Batalik which ended in a fiasco. In fact a former prime minister of Pakistan had also denounced this misadventure.
It was in May 1999 that a small patrol of one officer and six jawans of a Jat battalion that had gone to ascertain the enemy intrusion went missing. In fact two Buddhist shepherds Tashi Namgyal and Tsering Morup were the first ones to inform the Indian army that tall bearded foreigners in black salwar shirts and white snow jackets were noticed on peaks in the Batalik sector. But for their alert Pakistan army troops would have advanced deeper into Indian territory. Initially the military top brass dismissed these intrusions as `minor ones’ and their military appreciation of the situation was indeed far off the mark. The then Indian army chief General Ved Prakash Malik not appreciating gravity of the situation went on a 10-day official tour of Europe. The Army commander of northern command went to Pune while the massive intrusion was going on. Anyway wisdom dawned soon and the Indian leadership launched operation Vijay on May 26, 1999 to restore Indian authority to the line of control in the entire area.
TABLES ARE TURNED
The Indian army moved infantry and artillery to the high hills and valleys in large numbers. The infantry soldiers were ordered to climb the peaks and drive the enemy away. However, Pakistani troops were well entrenched, well armed and well prepared. From their tactically located bunkers and sangars they brought down heavy machine gun fire on the climbing Indian soldiers. Many climbers fell but others came forward to take their place. The saga of chivalry was written and rewritten on the peaks of Kargil when the Indian jawans moved forward in the midst of hail of enemy fire, dislodged them and reoccupied the Indian territory. In many a gallant assault the Indian artillery, especially the 155 mm Bofors howitzers played a very important role in obliterating the strong defences of the enemy. In some cases the infantry advance would not have been possible but for the heavy artillery support which was given in good measure.
Tololing. The name rings a bell in every ear keenly tuned to Kargil. The first taste of victory for the army after more than a fortnight of setbacks. Pakistan army had occupied this peak overlooking Drass town and the national highway. After the initial failures of infantry assaults, the army reorganized its attack plan. By the second week of June additional guns and resources had arrived in the battle zone. On the night of June 12 as many as 120 guns including the 155 mm Bofors howitzer, multi barrel rocket launcher, 130 mm and 105 mm guns boomed together targeting a single mountain top. After four hours of intense artillery pounding, the infantry launched an assault occupying the peak at dawn. The army’s morale sky rocketed.
One after the other peaks fell but the enemy remained well entrenched in the crucial Tiger Hill. More than a month into the operations the army found reoccupying Tiger Hill an uphill task. As army advanced steadily towards the LoC in Batalik and Mushkoh valley, all resources were re-aligned and focused on Tiger Hill. And on the night of July 3, the artillery and infantry launched the operation to recapture Tiger Hill. The Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters had been pounding the peak for over three days. However, the enemy was very well entrenched. As infantrymen climbed the peaks, the enemy brought down heavy fire. The Indian infantry soldiers called for artillery back up. ``We don’t mind if we die from our own shells, at least the enemy will die too,’’ was the refrain as artillery initially hesitated bringing down fire on `own troops.’
In the little gap as the enemy ducked for cover during artillery shelling, the Indian infantry advanced. It was a supreme test of will power of mind over man. After a six-hour-long excruciating climb to launch an offensive on a determined enemy is no mean task. However, the Indian army succeeded in doing just that. On the morning of July 4, Tiger Hill was captured in a brilliant military operation. However, the enemy immediately launched a determined counter-attack. The victory was hard fought and retained by the Indian army jawans.
The operations lasted till July 26 when the LoC was restored. But skirmishes continued till well into October. The Indian army suffered over 500 fatal casualties including the death of 25 officers. The Pakistan army lost over 700 men including 45 officers.
The Kargil war which had begun well for Pakistan ended in a total disaster for them. The Indian honour was upheld and the superiority of Indian arms over enemy arms was established once again. The entire world recognized that the Indians had fought for a cause and had rightly won. The world opinion was with the Indian people and Pakistan was absolutely isolated. The need of the hour is for Indians to remain vigilant always and every time.
Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant, VSM
609 (SU) Sector-29
NOIDA-201 303, India
Telefax: 0091-120-2454511 Mobile : 9811173590.
Phone: 00 91-120-2454622
Email : upvanom@yahoo.com
REMEMBERING KARGIL
By Brig Chitranjan Sawant, VSM
The Kargil victory was indeed a glorious one. The defeat of the enemy was complete. The enemy had made heavy inroads into our territory – 160 km long and 10 km deep in the Kargil area. The intrusion had been going on undetected and absolutely unnoticed for a considerable period of time during the winters of end 1998 and beginning 1999. Our intelligence outfits will never be able to wash this stigma from their fair name. The Pakistan army had deployed its regular officers and soldiers in the garb of mujahideen and had even moved big artillery pieces like 105 mm field guns deep into Indian territory. Their helicopters had flown in supplies day in and day out and yet our men in uniform, both regular and para-military did not have the slightest idea of what was going on. It is understood that our spy planes flying over the area had detected some Paki choppers parked in our territory but their reports were not taken seriously by the then decision makers in the Indian army Shocking indeed!
We as a nation have reasons to be proud of our young officers and jawans who, when deployed against the well-entrenched enemy, did not blink and moved forward to dislodge the enemy. Many Indian soldiers made the supreme sacrifice. Those who survived were not deterred but kept on fighting till the enemy turned his tail. Indeed it was the whole Indian nation that had fought the war in Kargil. A schoolgirl in Maharashtra and a schoolboy in Tamil Nadu, not forgetting the farmers of Punjab and Rajasthan rose as a nation to express solidarity with the jawans waging war on the Kargil front. Students wrote emotionally moving letters, housewives knitted sweaters and gloves which reached the fighting Indian soldiers in their bunkers and `sangars.’ The morale of the fighting man went sky high. The soldiers knew that they had the backing of the entire Indian nation and their families would be looked after in case they made the supreme sacrifice. The Indian nation had never closed ranks like this before. Kargil was on everybody’s mind and our fighting men deserved all praise that they got. Victory was ours.
WHY WAR IN KARGIL
Pakistan wanted to grab Kargil as it had grabbed the high features around the town in 1947-48 immediately after independence. In fact Gilgit, Chitral, Skardu and Nubra that had all belonged to the Maharaja of Kashmir were almost handed over on a silver platter by the departing British officers to Pakistan who instigated a revolt among the Muslim troops of the Maharaja’s army in those areas. Pakistan wanted to grab the areas liberated by Indian troops in 1948-49 again.
More over the National Highway from Srinagar to Leh, which is the lifeline for Siachen glacier too runs through Kargil. Pakistan nursed a dream of cutting the lifeline of the Indian army midway in Kargil. Had this succeeded, the Indian officers in Siachen and Ladakh would have been bereft of rations, ammunition, supplies and support from the rest of the country. The result would have been disastrous. It was a valour and wisdom of Indian army officers and men that saved the situation in the nick of the time.
In 1984 India occupied the Siachen glacier for good. Pakistan could not stomach this. Notwithstanding their repeated counter attacks, they could not make a dent into the Indian defences. This was an additional insult to the injury they were nursing after the loss of east-Pakistan in a decisive action by the Indian army. Therefore Pakistan wanted to grab not only Siachen but as much of Indian territory as possible by hook or crook. The present president of Pakistan and then army chief, General Pervez Musharraf was the wily brain behind the failed plan to grab Kargil and Siachen. He had launched `Operation Badr’ in Kargil, Dras and Batalik which ended in a fiasco. In fact a former prime minister of Pakistan had also denounced this misadventure.
It was in May 1999 that a small patrol of one officer and six jawans of a Jat battalion that had gone to ascertain the enemy intrusion went missing. In fact two Buddhist shepherds Tashi Namgyal and Tsering Morup were the first ones to inform the Indian army that tall bearded foreigners in black salwar shirts and white snow jackets were noticed on peaks in the Batalik sector. But for their alert Pakistan army troops would have advanced deeper into Indian territory. Initially the military top brass dismissed these intrusions as `minor ones’ and their military appreciation of the situation was indeed far off the mark. The then Indian army chief General Ved Prakash Malik not appreciating gravity of the situation went on a 10-day official tour of Europe. The Army commander of northern command went to Pune while the massive intrusion was going on. Anyway wisdom dawned soon and the Indian leadership launched operation Vijay on May 26, 1999 to restore Indian authority to the line of control in the entire area.
TABLES ARE TURNED
The Indian army moved infantry and artillery to the high hills and valleys in large numbers. The infantry soldiers were ordered to climb the peaks and drive the enemy away. However, Pakistani troops were well entrenched, well armed and well prepared. From their tactically located bunkers and sangars they brought down heavy machine gun fire on the climbing Indian soldiers. Many climbers fell but others came forward to take their place. The saga of chivalry was written and rewritten on the peaks of Kargil when the Indian jawans moved forward in the midst of hail of enemy fire, dislodged them and reoccupied the Indian territory. In many a gallant assault the Indian artillery, especially the 155 mm Bofors howitzers played a very important role in obliterating the strong defences of the enemy. In some cases the infantry advance would not have been possible but for the heavy artillery support which was given in good measure.
Tololing. The name rings a bell in every ear keenly tuned to Kargil. The first taste of victory for the army after more than a fortnight of setbacks. Pakistan army had occupied this peak overlooking Drass town and the national highway. After the initial failures of infantry assaults, the army reorganized its attack plan. By the second week of June additional guns and resources had arrived in the battle zone. On the night of June 12 as many as 120 guns including the 155 mm Bofors howitzer, multi barrel rocket launcher, 130 mm and 105 mm guns boomed together targeting a single mountain top. After four hours of intense artillery pounding, the infantry launched an assault occupying the peak at dawn. The army’s morale sky rocketed.
One after the other peaks fell but the enemy remained well entrenched in the crucial Tiger Hill. More than a month into the operations the army found reoccupying Tiger Hill an uphill task. As army advanced steadily towards the LoC in Batalik and Mushkoh valley, all resources were re-aligned and focused on Tiger Hill. And on the night of July 3, the artillery and infantry launched the operation to recapture Tiger Hill. The Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters had been pounding the peak for over three days. However, the enemy was very well entrenched. As infantrymen climbed the peaks, the enemy brought down heavy fire. The Indian infantry soldiers called for artillery back up. ``We don’t mind if we die from our own shells, at least the enemy will die too,’’ was the refrain as artillery initially hesitated bringing down fire on `own troops.’
In the little gap as the enemy ducked for cover during artillery shelling, the Indian infantry advanced. It was a supreme test of will power of mind over man. After a six-hour-long excruciating climb to launch an offensive on a determined enemy is no mean task. However, the Indian army succeeded in doing just that. On the morning of July 4, Tiger Hill was captured in a brilliant military operation. However, the enemy immediately launched a determined counter-attack. The victory was hard fought and retained by the Indian army jawans.
The operations lasted till July 26 when the LoC was restored. But skirmishes continued till well into October. The Indian army suffered over 500 fatal casualties including the death of 25 officers. The Pakistan army lost over 700 men including 45 officers.
The Kargil war which had begun well for Pakistan ended in a total disaster for them. The Indian honour was upheld and the superiority of Indian arms over enemy arms was established once again. The entire world recognized that the Indians had fought for a cause and had rightly won. The world opinion was with the Indian people and Pakistan was absolutely isolated. The need of the hour is for Indians to remain vigilant always and every time.
Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant, VSM
609 (SU) Sector-29
NOIDA-201 303, India
Telefax: 0091-120-2454511 Mobile : 9811173590.
Phone: 00 91-120-2454622
Email : upvanom@yahoo.com
