Launch of AKF (14th August 2021, 6PM ) – Maiden Speech "My Life, My Experiments" by Captain G R Gopinath. 

 Tomorrow we will be celebrating our 75th Independence day and this historic occasion - befittingly described as Azadi ki Amrut Mahotsav, will span a period of two years, from 15th August 2021 to 15th August 2023. As we gear ourselves to join our fellow countrymen in this joyful celebration, to commemorate the beginning of the Platinum Jubilee of our Independence Day, which began with our ‘Tryst with Destiny” on the 15th of August 1947, it is time to remember and pay our respect and reverence to all those nation builders who have helped us reach this stage, building this nation brick by brick from that precarious position of our ship to mouth existence, which we were left with when the Colonial Rulers – The British, were forced to leave our country.

 Our founding fathers and their successors have built educational and scientific institutions ,public sector companies, dams etc. – the temples of modern India – a phrase used by Pandit Nehru, with an aspiration for the country to come out of the rust that we were left with when the British left us. One such institution (rather a series of such institutions now), which has helped produce meaningful contributors to the nation building is the Sainik School Bijapur – SSBJ, which was established on 16th September, 1963.

 The primary aim of the SSBJ is to prepare boys academically, physically and mentally for entry into the NDA and also to be the leaders in other walks of life. SSBJ has been able to produce the best of leaders in Military many of who have served as Generals, Admirals and Air Marshals. The school has also produced some of the most outstanding civil service officers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, academicians, who have contributed incrementally, yet monumentally to our nation building. Until now there have been some attempts to organize the alumni of SSBJ – the AJEETS, under a common platform. One such platform is the AAA – Ajeets Alumni Association. AAA, the beneficiaries of the education in SSBJ, are now attempting a major reform in the structure and functioning of the AAA with an objective to make it more impactful not just to the Ajeets but also to the Indian society at large.

On the occasion of our 75th year of our Independence, some of the stalwart Ajeets, including Captain Gopinath, Gopal Hosur, General Mirji, Ashok Dalwai and many others including some of the most promising young Ajeets, have taken it upon themselves to majorly reform the AAA so that the Ajeets, spread across the length and breadth of the country and across, can come together under one platform to not only help the fraternity but also the nation. Ajeets are a heterogeneous group of people with expertise in diverse areas and their diversity is as rich and vibrant as the diversity of our beloved country.

One such new forum which will function under the auspices of AAA is the Ajeets Knowledge Forum – AKF, which will be launched today – 14th August, 2021, at 6 PM. Knowledge is humanity’s greatest asset. It defines our nature, and it will shape our future. The body of knowledge is assembled over centuries. Yet a single mind can extend it immensely. Einstein reimagined space and time. Darwin distilled the chaos of life to a single idea. Raman looked at light differently and Turing figured out what it means to think. Bhabha and Sarabhai, students of Raman applied their knowledge to build institutions like DAE and ISRO. Knowledge and information have significant impact on people’s lives. Their association, particularly through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), has the power to transform economies and societies and therefore the leaders of AAA have rightfully realized the importance of knowledge and have come together to launch this new forum -AKF.

Today we live in the world of Knowledge Society, which describe societies that are economically and culturally characterized by a high degree of dependency on their potentials to create a broad spectrum of creative, scientific and technological knowledge. Therefore, in such a situation, how can the Ajeets, who are known for their indefatigable character symbolised by our motto Ajeet Hain Abheet Hain be left behind.

The formal launch of the AKF will be followed by an outstanding inaugural lecture by one of the preeminent Ajeets – Captain G R Gopinath, who has made a monumental contribution to the nation in opening up the skies for the common people of the country. It is therefore no wonder that the film industry has befittingly chosen to make a film - Soorarai Pottru, on the life of Captain Gopinath. Soorarai Pottru had its world premiere on Amazon Prime and has been a roaring success. Captain Gopinath will be speaking on “My Life, My Experiments” under the auspices of the AKF.

 On behalf of the AAA and AKF it gives me immense pleasure to invite you all to join us on You Tube for this inaugural lecture by Captain Gopinath.

The Launch Ceremony of AKF will also be streamed Live On YouTube

https://youtu.be/GZaRlJgD714

 

 Shradhanjali to the Supermom - Sushma Swaraj, on her second Punyatithi.

The 6th of August is internationally known for the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and the subsequent peace that dawned and brought to close the deadly WWII, in 1945. Two years ago, on this very day - 6August 2019, India witnessed a historic moment - the passing of the Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha.  Ms Sushma Swaraj, tweeted a congratulatory message to the PM of India, hailing this for this historic moment. Her 6PM tweet on read ‘ प्रधान मंत्री जी  आपका हार्दिक अभिनन्दन। मैं अपने जीवन में इस दिन कोदेख़ने की प्रतीक्षा कर रही थी. ‪@narendramodi‬ ji’. Sushma Swaraj, had made a fiery speech in the Parliament, as an opposition leader in 1996,strongly advocating abolition of the article 370. In less than four hours of her tweeting her message and hailing the passing of this bill, Sushma Swaraj, who was ailing for some time, bid adieu to this world for her permanent residence in the heavenly abode.

Hundreds of thousands of admirers of Sushma ji - the people’s leader - including the who’s who of the country; the Honourable President, the Prime Minister, the Vice President and most of the cabinet colleagues, opposition leaders - cutting across party lines - and innumerable other leaders and ordinary men and women had thronged to the BJP headquarters in Delhi, where her mortal remains were taken, to pay their last respect to Sushma ji. Unending number of people poured out their emotion, love, affection, admiration and reverence of unprecedented proportions to the departed leader. What a leader she was, the whole nation joined in admiring her contributions, while paying their extraordinary tributes to Sushma ji,  the par excellence people’s politician, who epitomised what public service means for the empowerment of the people they are elected to govern. 

The passing away of Sushma ji on the very day, 6th August, 2019, of the passing of the Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill, 2019, in the parliament, in a way came as a great blessing in disguise to the nation. News of the demise of Sushma Swaraj diverted the attention of the people from Kashmir issue and the news of her death occupied the precious front page and prime time space in all media, which would otherwise have been filled with politicking news on the J&K bill, and may have caused unrest in the  country, particularly in the Kashmir valley. Sushma ji served her country even in her death. She was one of those few committed political leaders who remained a compulsive public servant and an extraordinary nationalist for whom public good and service to the nation and its citizens was paramount. Sushma Swaraj has carved a special place not just in the heart and minds of her party - where she was known for effective presentation of her party’s views both inside and outside Parliament - but also among the rest of the countrymen. 

Sushma ji was an archetypal Indian women sporting that trademark big red bindi, कुमकुम on her forehead, wore the trade mark wide bordered saris and that inimitable smile, which were all an embodiment of revered Indian womanhood, which Indians worship as maa Durga, Laxmi and Saraswati. A motherly outlook that she embodied all through her Ministership, particularly as the External Affairs Minister in the Modi 1.0 Government, rightly found a mention in the Washington Post article, which headlined her as ‘Supermom’. Notwithstanding the vilification she was meted out as a saviour of Reddy Brothers, she continued to remain tall in her stature and firmly grounded with people, the evidence of which could be seen from the fact that she was one of those tall leaders, who received unprecedented appreciation from the Prime Minister for her contributions not just to the party but to the whole of India. She learnt Kannada - my mother tongue - while contesting in a loosing cause against Sonia Gandhi from Bellary. One may agree or disagree, she made a forceful point by pledging to shave her head, don a white saree and eat groundnuts (symbollically mourning) if Sonia, ‘the Italian-born Congress leader’, became Prime Minister, in 2004, when UPA surprised NDA to snatch a victory in the parliamentary elections. 

Born in 1952, she was elected as a Janata Party MLA in Devi Lal's government and became the youngest (25 - 26 years) Cabinet Minister of Labour and Employment (1977-1979) in Haryana. She joined the BJP in 1980. Under a combined Lok Dal-BJP government led by Devi Lal, she was the Cabinet Minister of Education, Food and Civil Supplies (1987-1990). She was judged Best Speaker of Haryana State Assembly for three consecutive years. She was the first official women spokesperson of BJP - a first for of all the political parties in India. She was a gifted orator, and her oratory skills matched those of stalwarts like Atal ji, Advani ji, and our PM Modi. Sushma ji was appointed as the the union cabinet minister for Information and Broadcasting in the Vajpayee government in 1996, which survived for a mere thirteen days. It was during this period that she took a revolutionary step of live telecasting of Lok Sabha debates, which have now become a norm. She served as a member of parliament for six terms during which she has held very important positions including serving as the leader of opposition in the 15th Lok Sabha. She was also elected as an MLA from Delhi in 1998 and in the same year - in October 1998 - she became the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi. She was that illusory अजतशत्र in the world of politics the evidence of which was played out in the outpouring of emotions and tributes by political leaders cutting across parties. Her political career graph is a manifestation of her role in Indian politics.

It was during her tenure as the External Affairs Minister that she transformed the hitherto known ministry for the higher echelons of society into a people’s Ministry by providing a human face to the External Affairs Ministry, for the first time ever. She was one compulsive troubleshooter for any Indian stuck anywhere in the world, and this act of hers is now a folklore story which played out extensively on the twitter post the news of her death. Sushma ji took personal interest in resolving minor issues which included apparently mundane issuance of visa to the needy, including those from Pakistan, and getting the much needed relief to Indians in distress across the globe. She helped in building an extraordinary image for her party among the expats and the response was an outpouring of support for the Modi government from the non-resident Indian community. 

Sushma ji, due to her ailments, had announced her retirement from electoral politics and did not contest the 2019 parliamentary elections. It was hoped that this much needed break and rest would nurse her back to better health but then destiny had a different role for her and she was untimely snatched from all of us at a very young age of just 67, by the almighty in to the abode that she now dwells. Sushma ji, you will ever be remembered for your extraordinary service to the nation. On the occasion of her second punyatithi I take this opportunity to pray for the Supermom to Rest in Peace.

Image Credits - Wikipedia and PTI.

Om Shanti.

Jai Hind

Kargil Vijay Diwas – Remembering Col. M B Ravindranath

Kargil Vijay Diwas – Remembering Col. M B Ravindranath and the Indian Army (all forces included) specially those who made the supreme sacrifice in service of our nation during the Kargil War in 1999.

This day, 26th July, 1999, will ever be etched in the annals of the bravery of the Indian Armed forces, and befittingly the entire nation will join the Indian Army in commemorating this momentous occasion of Kargil विजय दिवस every year on this very day. On the occasion of the 21^st anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas, it is a great honour and privilege for me to share this post as a mark of my reverence to all the armed forces, particularly the martyrs, who won this victory for us from the jaws of the death which they faced while battling at the Kargil peaks, which the enemy had occupied. The valour of our armed forces in this dreadful war, in which the enemy were majorly at an advantageous position by virtue of their deceitfully occupying the peaks of mountain tops in Kargil, can best be exemplified by its comparison with the ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who, in his famous poem, portrays  the bravery of the 600 men of the Light Brigade, who marched into the jaws of death, into the mouth of hell, to safeguard the safety and integrity of the nation even to their own peril. True to the traditions of the Indian Armed forces, more than 500 (527 to be precise) sons of India made their supreme sacrifice fighting the enemy, who were trenched advantageously on the vantage point on top of the Kargil hills, while protecting our motherland to win the dreadful war, which was as treacherous a valley of death as the one faced by Lord Tennyson’s Light Brigade.

One of the major turning points in the victory of the Kargil War was shaped by the battle of Tololing, which the Indian army won under the command of Col MB Ravindranath - a fellow alumni of Sainik School Bijapur. Most tragically, we lost many precious lives in this battle. Tololing peak is a dominant position, which overlooks the strategic Srinagar-Leh highway. The Pakistani Regular Army and the Pakistani Mujahedeen, had infiltrated into India and had occupied this peak. The enemy was comfortably perched on top of the Tololing peak, which gave them a major advantage. Reclaiming the Tololing peak from the enemy was strategically of great importance, which was however one of the toughest challenges for the Indian Army due to rugged terrain of the hills and so also the vantage position, which the enemy had occupied on top of the peaks.

Three attempts were made for capturing this peak and the last successful attempt was led by our Sainik School alumni – Colonel MB Ravindranath under whose command the Tololing peak was captured. It was in the very early hours of 13^th June, 1999 - at 4.10 a.m., that Colonel M.B. Ravindranath, commanding officer of the 2 Rajputana Rifles, sent a radio communication to the commander of the 8 Mountain Division - Major-General Mohinder Puri, who was camping some 20 km away, that his troupe had successfully captured the Tololing peak.  Colonel Ravindranath’s message was a simple but profound one which said "Sir, I am on Tololing Top." The significance of this Tololing victory can best be understood from the fact that the Army Chief, Gen. V. P. Malik, in a departure from traditions and protocols, personally called the commanding officer of the unit, Colonel Ravindranath, and said "well-done" and complemented Ravindranth and his men for their valour in successfully winning back the Tololing Peak from the control of the enemy. The importance of the capture of the Tololing peak is best understood in hindsight. Once the Tololing was captured from the enemy, it took just six more days for the Indian troops to notch up a string of back to back successes in evicting well-entrenched Pakistani army and their handlers from the four nearby outposts. These outposts subsequently became a house hold names, courtesy the media - Point 4590, Rocky Knob, Hump and Point 5140. The Tololing capture in a way also led to the recapture of another strategically important hill peak the Tiger Hill, which too is now a house hold name in India.

In the hard fought battle of Tololing, India lost Major Rajesh Adhikari who was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second highest military honour. The company of Grenadiers led by Major Adhikari had attempted a dare devilish assault to try and capture Tololing. Unfortunately, they were stopped just 15 m short of the ridge. It was at this point that Major Adhikari and two of his men made their supreme sacrifice in the hand-to-hand combat with the enemy. The incessant firing from the enemy and the loss of Major Adhikari and men, pushed the Grenadiers back, compelling Captain Sachin Nimbalkar, aged just 23 years, and his men to push back and perch behind a large rock on a cliff for three days, at a height of 15,000 ft. up.

It was at this point that the Indian army decided to use their artillery firepower – Bofors Howitzers and medium-sized guns. For those of us who have witnessed the heavy firing of these guns during this battle, their image and the fire power of the Bofors guns will remain etched in our memory. It was during this period of heavy artillery shelling on the enemy post by the Indian army that they also planned for fresh assault and organised the required logistics for the renewed attack, which was worked out thoughtfully. The 18 Grenadiers, who had shown exemplary valour in taking on the enemy from a weak position, were asked to hold on to the three positions on different ridge lines, which they were compelled to retreat in the face of the relentless firing from the heavily equipped enemy who held the strategic height advantage for inflicting heavy casualty on the Indian forces. The Grenadiers were ordered to provide a fire base to soldiers of a battalion of the relatively fresh 2nd Rajputana Rifles (2RR) regiment, who were now assigned the task of capturing the Tololing Top. 2RR assault, under the command of Col Ravindranath was to be launched from the firm foothold that the Grenadiers had established on slopes of three ridges, which was about 300 metres below the enemy's positions.

Col Ravindranth – the commanding officer of 2RR, had analysed and learnt from the previous attacks that were carried out by the Grenadiers.  He had accordingly prepared his men to face any eventuality.  The date for the final assault was chosen and Col Ravindranth prepared his men for that final assault on June 12. His men were given all necessary training and preparation for nearly a week by conducting mock operations on a nearby ridge, which had similar features as that of the Tololing, which they were tasked to capture. Ravindranth prepared a model of the final assault and the strategies for the assault was worked out on this sand and stone model, which was prepared based on the information gathered from the reconnaissance of the Tololing heights from different directions. He also ordered his men to test fire all their weapons and ammunition, so that it ruled out any aberrations of a defective ammunition. His men carried heavy ammunitions physically up the slopes below Tololing and his men included among others the washer men, cobblers and even barbers of the battalion. The situation was such that it needed four people to support one soldier in this battlefield. One of the men who was handpicked by Col Ravindranth for the mission was a young officer Lt Parveen Tomar, 23, who was commissioned just five months in to their regiment. He was aptly called the baby of the battalion. The team chosen by Col. Ravindranth consisted of 90 determined volunteers, which included among others Lt Tomar and even sportsmen, mostly athletes who had told Ravindranath that they want to prove that they are not good just in peace time but also in war. A day before the chosen date for the main assault, June 11, Col Ravindranth asked his officers and men to write letters to their family and these letters were left behind with friends to post in case some of them didn't return. On the day of the assault by around 8 PM, on June 12, The 2 RR assault team was ready for the task and were perched behind big boulders just about 300 m short of their main target – Tololing peak. Shortly before the charge, their commanding officer, Col. Ravindranath gave a final pep talk to his men. "I have given you what you wanted. Now, you have to give me what I want." It was a charged atmosphere and the men were waiting for this opportunity to prove their mettle. They were so charged up that it is said that a JCO, Bhanwer Singh with confidence oozing all across the battalion said to his CO – Col Ravindranath, "Sir, come to the Tololing Top in the morning. We will meet you there." Such was the confidence of 2 RR men who were ready to capture the Tololing Peak for their mother land at all costs.

Having faced earlier setbacks and so also loosing men, a well measured decision was taken that frontal attack was the only option to evict the enemy and capture the peak. However, unlike earlier attempts, this attack was well prepared and lessons of the past were learnt. Before the battalion could go on a frontal attack, as many as 120 artillery guns pounded the Tololing ridges incessantly, firing at least 10,000 shells. The resulting damage inflicted on the hills was so severe that one of the ridge line near Tololing Top, which was at the receiving end of the artillery fire got the name "Barbaad Bunker" by the troops. Col Ravindranth men were getting ready for the frontal final assault. Three characters from the Epic Mahabharata - Abhimanyu", "Bhim" and "Arjun" were among the soldiers who were climbing up the peaks getting ready for the assault. One of the officers - Lt. Vijayant, of 2RR was playing patriotic songs from the Hindi Movie Border on his Walkman to pep up his platoon. The momentous occasion came for the battalion to go for the assault when the artillery fire died down. The assault team of 2 RR Battalion, charged quickly. They had planned their move with one team heading straight up and another went around a lower ridge to cut off the enemy's retreat. A platoon of Grenadiers had in the meanwhile positioned itself to provide covering fire and prevent intruders on nearby ridges from coming to the aid of the enemy.  They used craters made by the shelling for cover as they inched up the slopes one at a time climbing the steep ridges by digging in bayonets for leverage and resorting to intermittent firing as they inched closer to the peak. The battalion moved slowly and by midnight, they were still progressing at very low pace since they were constantly under the fire of the Pakistani machine gunfire, which was fired incessantly by the enemy, who were positioned at the advantageous position on top of the hill. Around this time a reserve platoon, led by Major Gupta, attacked the enemy from the rear side and closed in on the Top. In the ensuing bitter hand to-hand combat with the enemy intruders, Gupta and six of his men were killed. Bhanwer Singh, the JCO who had extended the invitation to Colonel Ravindranath, was one among those who were martyred. But then in their ultimate sacrifice they had ensured that the Tololing Top belonged once again to India.

Once Tololing fell, the enemy's resistance on other nearby ridges faded. By June 13 morning, the Rajputana Rifles had recaptured "Barbaad Bunker" about 100 m south west of Tololing and Point 4590. By June 14, the Hump was taken by the Grenadiers. In the next three days, all points in nearby ridges were back in Indian hands. When the outcome unfolded at the top of these peaks it was seen that the war zone was littered with bodies of Regular Pakistan army from the Northern Light Infantry. Colonel Ravindranath, our school buddy who was one year senior to me in Sainik School, was awarded the Vir Chakra for his role in this battle. Even when the 2RR was celebrating their unimaginable victory in the face of certain death, the soldiers remained sombre having lost their comrades, who had made their supreme sacrifice in service of their motherland. Press reports have suggested that later that day, Col. Ravindranath, who is known for his exemplary leadership and for his calm and composed nature could not hold his emotions and wept in his tent as he counted the casualties that his men faced in this victory.  Such was the significance of this victory that once the heights above Drass valley became free from intruders a critical section of the 510-km long Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway became very safe. "Tololing being bang on the road, it choked our throats," is what a field commander stated and added. "that pressure is now off."

 

This victory helped the Indian Army to the final Kargil victory and a cease fire was announced with the Indian Victory on 26^th July 1999. The Tololing victory news was all over the print and electronic media and one such coverage in the Times of India, Delhi edition, was an erroneous news of the death of Col MB Ravindranath, who was declared dead while capturing the Tololing. Through our school friends, I managed to get a confirmation that the news was grossly wrong and he was alive and had exemplarily led his men to the Tololing Capture.  There is a belief that if someone is declared dead while he is still alive, he will go on to lead a long life, so I thought about our dear Ravindranath, but the almighty felt he could not live without him by his side and snatched him from us. Col Ravindranath died of a massive heart attack on 8^th April 2018. Today while the nation is celebrating the Kargil Vijay Diwas, our school friends in Davanagere, the native place from which Col Ravindranath hailed, gave a befitting tribute to our war hero whose images I am privileged to share.

 Today is also another day to remember. One of our classmate Col Ajit Bhandarkar, about whose valour and martyrdom I have written earlier has now been immortalised through a monumental biography book which has been painstakingly researched and published by his wife Veer Nari, Mrs Shakuntala Bhadnarkar. This book – The Saga of a Brave Heart : Lt Col. Ajit Bhandarkar, Shaurya Chakra, was released on this occasion today - 26th July, 2021, at the National Military Memorial, Bangalore.

 Long Live Col Ravindranath, Col Ajit Bhadarkar and all the brave soldiers of the Indian Army who have made their supreme sacrifice in service of their mother land.

 

Jai Hind Jai Hind ki Sena.

 

 Sensational Findings of 5 Million Covid Deaths in India by a US Report : Reality or a Myth.

Most news papers in India front paged the news of an US study that claimed  5 million Covid deaths have occurred in India during the Covid pandemic (as on end of June 2021), as against the Indian official data of 4,18,987 deaths, as on 22nd July. The US study, published by the US-based think tank - Center for Global Development, whose authors include among others former chief economic adviser, Arvind Subramanian, made this sensational claim which made front page headline and prime time news in India. As expected politics took over and depending on which side of the political divide one is, either endorsed emphatically the US finding or ridiculed it completely. But then what could be the real data and does the US study has any credible evidence? You may put forth your arguments.

With my limited knowledge on this subject, I tried crunching published data from different sources to try and see whether the US findings is accurate. I feel it may not measure up to the exacting standards of scientific rigour that such a sensational claim warrants. This claim of a staggering 5 million deaths ensured that the news trended in all channels and news papers. Scientific study and findings should be based on exacting standards that are warranted in science, which are mandated to be based on anecdotal data and peer reviewed findings and never on apocryphal considerations. It is common parlance that most countries measure deaths by a number called Crude deaths per thousand population. If one studies these numbers over the years and compare it to the numbers in 2020, one can arrive at an intellectual inference on whether the claim of 5 millions Covid deaths merits any consideration. Considering the seriousness of the case it is better to rely on the data published by some international agencies and not on Government of India data, which the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare publishes. 

For that I looked up the data published by the United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2019 and the data of crude deaths per thousand population in India over the years is as follows.

1960- 22.184

1970 -17.187

1980 - 13.29

1990-10.864

2000-8.692

2010 - 7.492

2015- 7.194

2016- 7.195

2017-7.21

2018- 7.234

2019- 7.265.

But then we will also need the data for the year 2020 as well and for that I relied on the Data from the world data Atlas, India - knoema.com. It says that in 2020, crude death rate for India was 7.30 deaths per thousand population. The site further shows that the data for the year 2019 is 7.273 and for 2018 it is 7.237. This data more or less matches with the UN world population data. The data of 7.30 deaths per thousand population for the year 2020, appears to be scientifically validated. This shows that there has been an increase of 0.035 deaths per thousand in 2020 in comparison with 2019. One can also notice that between the years 2018 and 2019 -the pre Covid 19 pandemic period - there has been an increase of 0.031 deaths per thousand, which is more or less consistent during Covid and non Covid times with a minor increase of .004 per thousand in 2020, which may be due to Covid or otherwise.

The above data clearly reveals a fact that the total number of deaths in India have more or less been consistent with some small increase due to Covid and this shows that the Government of India data of total Covid deaths to be around 4.2 lakhs (till 22nd July) appears to be more credible than the 5 million deaths data put out by the US findings. If the US report was to be right, the data of Covid deaths for 2020 that they have estimated should have been reflected in the deaths per thousand for the year 2020 and that should have increased to around 10 or higher, per thousand population, which is not the case as per the data revealed by Knoema.com.

According to the data by Knoema.com following is the approximate number of total deaths of people in India for the following years 

2020 - 10,07,3480.

2019 - 9925990

2018 - 9785020 

2017- 9652530

2016 - 9531110

2015-  9425870

The above data shows that in the year 2020 an additional 1,47,490 people died over and above the people who died in 2019. Similarly in the year 2019 an additional 1,40,970 people died over and above 2018. This increase in death appears to be some what similar and there is no sudden raise in the number of deaths in 2020, which the US finding shows.

This means that the trending news of 50 Lakh deaths due to Covid, published by US-based think tank Center for Global Development appears to be incorrect and perhaps this study may be based on apocryphal data and information. Does such sensational claims augur well for the the US think tank and it’s publishers is something which time will reveal. When one makes such overarching claims that gets front paged, it is expected that such studies and findings are based on exacting standards of published data that are warranted in science that are mandated to be based on anecdotal data and peer reviewed findings and never on apocryphal considerations.

With this argument one can say that the US study by the authors may not be based on the exacting standards of science at best or at worst some may call the report is based on voodoo science findings that may have had political bias and colour.

Saga of a Braveheart : Lt. colonel Ajit Bhandarkar by Shakuntala Bhandarkar.

Saga of a Braveheart : Lt. colonel Ajit Bhandarkar 

 by Shakuntala

Ajit Vasudev Bhandarkar is one of those Brave hearts who made that supreme sacrifice and achieved martyrdom while upholding the safety, security and integrity of his  fellow countrymen and in service of his revered motherland. The saga of brave hearts must and should be told to the grateful nation, in whose honour they laid down their lives. The essence of what martyrdom means to the Indian ethos and how ‘Veergati’ has become reverential to the Indian culture is exemplified in the grand old epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, which narrate the saga of martyrdom of hundreds of thousands of warriors on the battlefield that was fought for righteousness. Who better to script such a saga for one of the great Braveheart’s of India, Shaurya Chakra, Lieutenant Colonel Ajit V Bhandarkar, than his beloved wife, Mrs. Shakuntala Ajit Bhandarkar, a par excellence Veer Nari and an inspiration personified.

The book - The Saga of a Braveheart : Lt. Col. Ajit Bhandarkar, Shaurya Chakra, written by Mrs. Shakuntala Bhandarkar, chronicles the life and works of her husband, Ajit Bhandarkar. The author has drawn on a very wide ranging source of information and well researched references, consultation with friends, colleagues, associates of her husband and relied on other relevant material, which she has painstakingly researched and collated, to script an extraordinary biography and narrate the saga of her martyred husband, Lt Col Ajit Bhandarkar. The journey traces the saga of Ajit Bhandarkar from his birth in Mumbai in December 1960 to his childhood growing days  in Bangalore to his days in the Sainik School, Bijapur, where he spent seven formative years of his life from age 9 to 16. It is such a great honour and pleasure for me and all my batchmates that Lt Col. Ajit Bhandarkar was from our batch and he joined the Sainik School Bijapur with all our  batchmates in June 1970 and passed out of the school in 1977. Mrs Bhandarkar has written about the days that Ajit spent in our school and for doing so she has constantly interacted with a number of our batch mates - including yours truly, to collect information and know about Ajit’s time in the school, where he rose up to the highest rank - the School Captain. Ajit then joined the National Defence Academy, Pune and passed out from there with flying colours to join the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, where he was commissioned into the armed forces. Mrs Bhandarkar seamlessly traverse the biographical sketch of nearly four decades of the life span of her beloved husband, Ajit Bhandarkar (1960-1999), including covering that highly emotional supreme sacrifice moment leading up to the ‘ANTIM PAG’ of his life. Colonel Ajit Bhandarkar’s coffin, draped in the tiranga - the national flag, was ceremonially transported from the spot where he was martyred in action in Jammu and Kashmir to the cremation grounds in Bangalore where the grieving nation led by the brave hearts wife, Mrs Shakuntala Bhandarkar and their two beloved sons - Nirbhay and Akshay aged 7 and 5, and other friends, families, men in uniform and several other distinguished dignitaries had assembled for bidding an antim farewell with complete military honours to the martyr and praying for his supreme soul to rest in eternal peace in the heavenly abode to which Lt. Col. Ajit Bhandarkar had transcended. 

When the nation was celebrating the 20 years of the victory of the Kargil war on 26th July  - Kargil Diwas, in 2019, the author of the subject book - Mrs Shakuntala Bhandarkar, while joining the nation in this celebration with sombre remembrance, recalled the supreme sacrifice that her husband had made just three months - 30th October 1999, after that historic Kargil victory in July that year. Her husband - Shaurya Chakra, Ajit Bhandarkar, had lived up to that extraordinary oath that he and all military officers take while crossing that last step - Antim Pag . ANTIM PAG’ is embarked on a granite slab at the Indian Military Institutions and the Gentleman & Lady Cadets pass over it during the prestigious Passing Out Parade (POP) to become a commissioned officer in the Indian Army, to serve the nation until the peril of their life. It is in fitness of things that the oath that the young officers take at the passing out parade at NDA and IMA, while crossing that Antim Pag is recalled here. “I …… do swear in the name of god that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the constitution of India as by the law established and that I will, as in duty bound, honestly and faithfully serve in the regular army of the union of India and go wherever ordered by land, sea or air and that I will observe and obey all commands of the president of the union of India, and the commands of any officer set over even to the peril of my life”. The last words typify the brave hearts in the Indian defence forces like  Lt. Col. Ajit Bhandarkar, whose saga has been brought to print by Mrs Bhandarkar.

It is heartening to note that Mrs Shakuntala Ajit Bhandarkar has chosen a special occasion and a befitting venue - National Military Memorial, Bangalore, to launch this inspirational book on the Kargil Diwas on 26th July 2021. It was on this day, 26th July, in 1999 that the Indian Army won an extraordinary victory by achieving a near impossible task of evicting the Pakistani armed forces from the Kargil peaks, which they had deceitfully occupied. The befitting reply and a bloody nose that our Braveheart Indian armed forces gave to the Pakistani is now a folklore. The Vijay Divas is therefore commemorated on 26th July every year to mark this historic victory occasion. The aftermath of the dreadful defeat that the Pakistani army faced at the Kargil war resulted in the Pakistanis accentuating the cross border terrorism by pushing in scores of terrorists into the Kashmir valley from the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. 

During Oct 1999, just three months after the Kargil war, Lt Col Ajit Bhandarkar was serving with 25 Rajputana Rifles, which was deployed in Poonch district of J&K. This was an area which was infested with the terrorists and Ajit Bhandarkar and his his troops had to undertake counter-insurgency operations on a regular basis. An intelligence input was received by Bhandarkar’s unit that terrorists were hiding in Faisalabad village in the Poonch district. On 30 October 1999, after assessing the situation and ascertaining the position of the terrorists in the area a decision was taken to launch an operation under the leadership of Lt Col Ajit Bhandarkar, who had volunteered to lead the operation. As planned, a cordon and search operation was launched in the suspected area to eliminate five hardcore terrorists who were hiding in the village. As the operation was underway, Lt Col Ajit spotted four militants escaping towards a nullah. He immediately swung into action and while chasing the terrorists he shot down one of them at point-blank range. However, one terrorist who was hiding inside the nullah fired indiscriminately and injured Lt Col Ajit grievously. Despite being injured, he moved ahead and lobbed a grenade on the militant. He then crawled forward and shot down another militant. His daredevil action resulted in the elimination of three hardcore terrorists. Unfortunately, Lt Col Ajit Bhandarkar succumbed to his injuries and died at the spot of action and was martyred. For this act of courage and supreme sacrifice, Lt Col Ajit Bhandarkar was awarded the “Shaurya Chakra” posthumously. Mrs Shakuntala has covered this emotional incident with utmost equanimity, drawing upon information, reference and so also her interactions with one of the Men, who was part of this operation and had worked with Lt Col Ajit Bhandarkar. 

Mrs Shakuntala Bhandarkar has painstakingly researched and scripted the saga of the Braveheart by reaching out to many people with whom Lt Col Ajit Bhandarkar was associated to ensure that the biography is based out of sound research and the outcome is something which is definitively destined to inspire generation next to pursue the path of the Braveheart. We the class buddies of Lt Col Ajit Bhandarkar, at the Sainik School Bijapur, are so fortunate and indeed extremely grateful to Shakuntala ji that in her research and to get to the minute details of the years that Ajit spent at the Sainik School Bijapur, she reached out to us and she continues to be in touch with us. I am particularly grateful to her for having shared the manuscript of this book before it was published for my edits and comments. Similarly she has also made it a point to get in touch with  course mates of Ajit Bhandarkar at the NDA and also at IMA to herald the saga of his bravery. One can understand how hard it must have been for her to relive the life of her beloved husband, with whom she spent ten years. What is so very touching is that she also contacted the jawan who was a part of the operation where her husband- Braveheart Ajit Bhandarkar, was martyred, to chronicle this part of the last saga of the Journey of her husband. 

Shakunthala Bhandarkar, having gone through long period of trials and tribulations of being a martyr’s wife, is very passionate about helping other martyrs’ families. She is a volunteer with the Vasantharatna Foundation for Art since its inception and has contributed immensely in conducting various events and activities for the families of martyrs. She is a source of inspiration to many war widows and she continues to exhibit an undying passion to serve the nation, an attribute which she has picked up for her martyr husband that she has passed it on to both her sons. Both Nirbhay and his younger brother Akshay have joined the armed forces and incidentally Capt Nirbhay Bhandarkar has joined his father’s unit after passing out from OTA Chennai, while his younger brother Akshay Bhandarkar has joined the Indian Navy after graduating as an Engineer. 

Shakuntala Bhandarkar’s statement; ‘Life is a journey and we cannot change destiny, Ajit was destined to die on the battlefield with his boots on, which every soldier dreams off. So, I am happy in a way, that he has achieved his dream and lived his life to the full as a frontline soldier’, sums up the saga of the brave heart Ajit Bhandarkar.

On 26th July, 2021 - Vijaya Diwas, The Saga of a Brave Heart :  Lt. colonel Ajit Bhandarkar, the book written by Shakuntala Bhandarkar will be released in Bangalore at the National Military Memorial, Bangalore. Please order your copies and promote this book so that the saga of Ajit Bhandarkar and several such brave hearts saga is known to the people of the country. 

Jai Hind. 

Milkha Singh Ascends to the Ultimate Podium in life, at age 91 - Long Live Milkha Singh.

Images courtesy : Wikipedia and PTI.

The Flying Sikh ascended to the ultimate podium of his legendary and endearing life, at age 91, to join his life partner at the heavenly abode to which she had departed just a week ago.  They both succumbed to the dreaded Covid 19 pandemic that was wreaked on the world from Wuhan, China. After getting affected with Covid 19 and fighting it out to become Covid negative, Milkha Singh most unfortunately succumbed to the Covid 19 complications at the PGIMER hospital in Chandigarh on 18th June, 2021, at 11 PM. Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the nation in paying his tributes to the legendary athlete, ‘befittingly described as independent India's first sporting superstar’. The PM tweeted ‘ In the passing away of Shri Milkha Singh Ji, we have lost a colossal sportsperson, who captured the nation’s imagination and had a special place in the hearts of countless Indians. His inspiring personality endeared himself to millions. Anguished by his passing away’.

Milkha Singh was given a befitting epithet of ‘Flying Sikh’ by General Ayub Khan - the military ruler of Pakistan, the land where  Milkha Singh was born in the British India. Milkha Singh has inspired and will continue to inspire generation of Indian athletes. He has shown the path that with determination, passion, commitment, sacrifice and undying zeal to achieve what you have set out to achieve, success is sure to come by. What is more inspiring is that Milkha Singh was a teenager and one of those millions of displaced Indians who had to leave behind their land of birth to migrate to India during the partition of India by the British. Milkha Singh lost both his parents and three of his siblings in that merciless killings that spawned for weeks during the partition of India. The last words that young Milkha Singh heard his father speak to him, before he was brutally killed in that deadly act of inhuman violence that was perpetrated on the Hindus and Muslims in Pakistan during the partition and the resulting migration to India, was ‘ Bhag Milkha Bhag ‘. These words from his father proved to be providential for Milkha Singh, who on the orders of his father ran for safety and migrated to India, Jalandhar, in the Military Truck and lived a life that began from penury with existential crisis, which compelled him even to cheat and steal and in the process be jailed at Tihar Jail in Delhi. But then those prophetic  ‘Bhag Milkha Bhag’ words saw him through this testing period, which was filled with unending trials and tribulations that ultimately led to those extraordinary triumphs and achievements, which are now legendary and revered across India. The extraordinary life of Milkha Singh came to an end on the 18th June due to the Covid 19 complications. The achievements of Milkha Singh, when seen contextually are that much more heralding and therefore it is no wonder that he has been an inspiration for generation of athletes and will continue to be so for many more generations.

Having inspired millions of his admirers as Flying Sikh for nine decades, putting his body to those extreme tests of endurance, which have been so beautifully portrayed in the scripts of Prasun Joshi on the celluloid in his biopic ‘Bhag Milkha Bhag’ enacted by Farhan Akhtar, who plays his role in the film, it is time for the nonagenarian Milkha Singh to rest in peace eternally as ‘ RelaxSingh’ in the heavenly abode, which is now home to him. Milkha Singh had put his body to the toughest of tests and conditions while practising passionately for achieving those unparalleled successes in athletics, which helped him not just in winning the four Asian Championship Gold medals and the Common Wealth Gold Medal in 1958, but so also in breaking the world record on way to his legendary achievements at the 1960 Rome Olympics in 400 metres sprint, in which he missed the podium by a whisker. The film Bhag Milkha Bhag, so beautifully has characterised and captured those great moments of trials, tribulations and triumphs of Milkha Singh. Flying Sikh will continue to inspire millions of his followers, who are constantly trying to emulate his endearing feats, and will continue to do so for generations to come. 

Much before the biopic Bhag Milkha Bhag that was produced in 2013 by Bollywood, the All India Radio - part of India's largest public broadcasting agency Prasar Bharati, had produced a multi-part radio autobiography of Milkha Singh and this radio program was recorded by the great Milkha Singh himself for the AIR. The news of the demise of the legendary Sardar, made Prasar Bharati to go back in time to sift through its archives, a treasure trove of memories, and post their homage to the Flying Sikh by posting their three parts radio autobiography that Singh had recorded for the agency, on their You Tube Channel. Here is the link to this wonderful radio autobiography of Milkha Singh in his own words for those who may be interested.  This autobiography, titled 'The Flying Sikh', is divided into three parts. In this radio interview Milkha Singh goes on to narrate his career as a former track and field sprinter, remembering his experiences at the Asian Games, the '56 Melbourne Summer Olympics, the '60 Summer Olympics in Rome, and the '64 Tokyo Olympics, among others.

Milkha Singhs achievements and the bollywood film - Bhag Milkha Bhag, in a way can be considered as an outcome of a providential blessing of his parents and three of his siblings, who were so mercilessly murdered in that hour of madness, which the undivided British India witnessed during its partition. The last word that the young Milkha Singh heard from his father, who along with his mother and siblings were brutally murdered while attempting to cross over from their home in Pakistan to India, was ‘Bhag Milkha Bhag’. Providentially the young Milkha Singh did manage to run away from that scene of death and madness to survive that horror to leave behind a legacy to be heralded for generations. 

Milkha Singh was born in to a very large family of 15 children in a village called Govindpuri near Muzaffargarh city in the undivided Punjab on the Pakistani side, on 20th November 1929. Milkha Singh had grown up in this village, which was part of the undivided British India. But then the partition of India changed all that. Milkha Singh’s family was one of those innumerable families of Hindus and Sikhs who were caught in the midst of that horrendous partition of India which resulted in the creation of a new Muslim nation, Pakistan, in 1947. A tale of unspeakable horror and merciless killings continued for days and weeks, during the partition in which millions of Hindus and Sikhs, including Milkha Singh’s family, were trying to migrate to India from Pakistan. Both the parents of Milkha Singh and so also three of his siblings were killed during this period. Milkha survived this massacre to tell his story. Milkha Singh, in one of his interviews recalled the partition horror and remembered the last words of his father, before falling prey to that senseless massacre. His father even while he was dying said  "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", exhorting his son to run for his life. The teenager Milkha ran - first to save his life, and then to herald his own successful career in athletics. 

Milkha Singh landed in Ferozepur in a military truck after a nightmare journey from Multan in a train soaked in blood. Still a teenager boy, Milkha had to pass through testing times after he arrived in India. He lived a life of penury often times forced to steal ration to feed his empty stomach until managing to join the Indian army after several failed attempts. It was in the Army that Milkha Singh discovered his athletic abilities, when he joined EME, Secunderabad. It was here that he was short listed as one of the 10 members, out of the 500 people who participated in 10 kilometres run. His performance came to the notice of Havaldar Gurdev Singh, who became his first coach. Gurudev Singh took Milkha Singh under his tutelage and started coaching him for athletics, particularly 200 and 400 metres sprint. Very soon Milkha Singh made his mark by winning the competition at inter-services meet, which resulted in his selection for an India camp in 1956. It also earned him a berth for the Melbourne Olympics. Thus began his tryst with the 400m athletics sprint. It was here that Milkha was exposed to the greatest of world athletes and watching these greats streak past, Milkha Singh harboured an ambition to run as fast as them. Milkha Singh was eliminated in the heats in the 1956 Olympics at Melbourne. However this exposure to world athletes instilled an ambition in Milkha that helped him train that much harder and often times Milkha Singh continued his training till he dropped down and out. The uni-focus ambition and desire to excel and run as fast as the worlds best and his obsession to win, helped Milkha to set national records. One of the athletes who inspired him majorly at the Melbourne 1956 Olympics was Charles Jenkins, who had barely managed to finish third in the two heats before to get selected for the finals in 400 metres event. In the finals Jenkins left every one behind to win the Gold Medal, he also added another medal in the 4x400 metres relay. Milkha Singh who was eliminated in the heats thus harboured an ambition to try and emulate Jenkins, who notwithstanding his relatively poor performance in the heats managed to pull all his strength in the finals to win the coveted 400 metres Olympics Gold Medal. 

Milkha Singh soon started creating a space of his own with extraordinary exploits on the track and field, which are now legendary in India. He won five golds in international athletic championships and was awarded the Helms World Trophy in 1959 for winning 77 of his 80 international races. His first Gold medal came at the 1958 Asian Games, which was held in Tokyo, Japan. Milkha Singh won two Gold medals at this event in 400 metres and 200 metres, which was soon followed by the Gold medal in 400 metres - India's first Commonwealth gold, in 1958at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff. He was running in the sixth and outermost lane, at Cardiff Arms Park in this event which was being witnessed by a record  70,000 plus audiences. Major attraction of this event was the world record holder, South Africa’s Malcom Spence, who was pipped by Milkha Singh in this race. Milkha Singh clocked a record 46.71 seconds to win the Gold Medal while Malcom Spence had to contend with a silver clocking 46.90 seconds. Thus Milkha Singh created history by becoming the first Indian to win the Gold medal for the country in the Common Wealth Games. He received his his Gold medal from Queen Elizabeth. After the race, addressing the BBC, he said ‘ he had fulfilled his duty towards his motherland’.

The year 1960 is inextricably linked to Milkha Singh in the annals of athletics history of India. He was once again selected for the Rome Olympics Indian squad and this time he successfully sailed through the 400 metres heats rounds to get selected for the finals. In one of most fascinating finals that has ever been witnessed in Olympics, four of the six finalists in the 400 metres surpassed the world record with the American athlete Otis  Crandall Davis, winning the Gold medal in 44.90 seconds. He was tied with Karl Kaufman of Germany, who too finished the race winning the Silver in 44.90 seconds. Malcolm Spence, the South African athlete, who was beaten by Milkha Singh at the 1958 Common Wealth Games, won the Bronze Medal with a timing of 45.50 seconds, leaving behind Milkha Singh by one tenth of s second. Milkha Singh who clocked 45.60 seconds in the race ended up in the fourth position, which considering the background from which he grew was heralded as one of the greatest of any athletics race by an Indian. 

It was in this very year 1960, that Milkha Singh got an opportunity to go nostalgic when he was given an invitation to participate in an athletics event in Pakistan. He was invited to take part in the 200m event at an International Athletic competition in Lahore, Pakistan. Ever since that traumatic partition experience of fleeing to India from Pakistan, where he had lost his parents and three of his siblings in the partition violence, Milkha Singh had not been to Pakistan, where he was born. The trauma of the partition, which he had witnessed while fleeing from Pakistan to India, haunted him badly and therefore Milkha Singh, initially refused to go to Pakistan to take part in this event. However, he eventually did go to Pakistan. The local hero - Pakistan's Abdul Khaliq, was one of his main opponents in the race. Despite the thunderous and roaring support from the local audience in the stadium for Abdul Khaliq, Milkha Singh went on to win that race, while Khaliq took the bronze medal. The race was also witnessed by General, Ayub Khan, Pakistan's second president, who awarded Milkha Singh and other winners their medals. It was here that Singh received the nickname that would stick with him for the rest of his life. In one of the interviews Milkha Singh recalled that Gen. Ayub said to him “ Milkha, you came to Pakistan and did not run. You actually flew in Pakistan. Pakistan bestows upon you the title of the Flying Sikh.' If Milkha Singh is known as the Flying Sikh in the whole world today, the credit goes to General Ayub and to Pakistan," Singh had told the BBC later. In this very interview he also said that even though he never won an Olympic medal, his only wish was that "someone else should win that medal for India". 

Bollywood is one platform which always looks for a plot to make Merry at the box office and one story that appealed to the industry was that of the legendary Milkha Singh. Those words Bhag Milkha Bhag, which remained etched in the young mind of Milkha Singh became a befitting title for the biographical film on the Flying Sikh, which was produced by Rajiv Tandon and Director by Rakesh Mishra. The script for this film was written by Prasoon Joshi and Farhan Akhtar played the role of the protagonist and brought the life and works of Milkha Singh to the people of India in melodramatic way thus heralding the success of Milkha Singh to Indians. It was therefore no wonder that the whole of the Bollywood industry joined the PM and others in expressing their sorrow at the demise of Milkha Singh. Farhan Akhtar, who played the role of Milkha Singh in the film, said that he had spent a lot of time with him and got to know Singh personally while playing the lead role in the 2013 biopic ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’. He added “ A part of me is still refusing to accept that you are no more. Maybe it's the stubborn side I inherited from you...the side that when it sets it's mind on something, just never gives up. And the truth is that you will always be alive”. All those who have known Milkha Singh, have described him as a large-hearted and down-to-earth man, who exemplified and showed that hard work, honesty and determination one can touch the sky and realise ones dream and aspirations.

The Covid 19 pandemic has rampaged the world and taken away many a precious lives and that most unfortunately included Milkha Singh and his wife as well. Milkha Singh was admitted to the ICU at the Covid-19 Hospital of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh with Covid symptoms and dipping oxygen levels on June 3. He managed to recover from Covid while his wife had succumbed to it. However, due to post- Covid complications, Milkha Singh was shifted out of Covid Hospital to medical ICU at PHIMER. Despite the best of efforts by the medical team, Milkha Singh could not recover from his critical condition and after a brave fight, he left for his heavenly abode at 11.30 pm on 18th June 2021. His death was announced by Prof. Jagat Ram, Director, PGIMER who also expressed his deepest condolences on the sad demise of this 'most revered' sporting icon, who he said will be remembered for his exceptional accomplishments on and off the field and his endearing and humane personality.

Last Sunday, 13th June, wife and life time companion of Milkha Singh, Mrs. Nirmal Kaur, who was also a former national volleyball captain, had died due to Covid complications. His family members issued a statement, which read “He fought hard but God has his ways and it was perhaps true love and companionship that both our mother Nirmal ji and now Dad have passed away in a matter of 5 days”. An era has ended with the passing away of Milkha Singh but his legacy will leave on for eternity and will continue to inspire generations of new athletes to follow his path. 

Long live Milkha Singh. Rest in Peace.