Tejas-India's MRCA

Interview of India Soldiers (Para SF) who performed surgical strikes in PoK last year.
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What Sudha Murthy did when called the "Cattle Class" at Heathrow Airport - Untold Story of India

Last year, I was at the Heathrow International Airport in London about to board a flight. Usually, I wear a sari even when I am abroad, but I prefer wearing a salwar kameez while travelling. So there I was — a senior citizen dressed in typical Indian apparel at the terminal gate. Since the boarding hadn’t started, I sat down and began to observe my surroundings. The flight was bound for Bengaluru and so I could hear people around me chatting in Kannada. I saw many old married couples of my age — they were most likely coming back from the US or UK after helping their children either through childbirth or a new home. I saw some British business executives talking to each other about India’s progress. Some teenagers were busy with the gadgets in their hands while the younger children were crying or running about the gate. After a few minutes, the boarding announcement was made and I joined the queue. The woman in front of me was a well-groomed lady in an Indo-Western silk outfit, a Gucci handbag and high heels. Every single strand of her hair was in place and a friend stood next to her in an expensive silk sari, pearl necklace, matching earrings and delicate diamond bangles. I looked at the vending machine nearby and wondered if I should leave the queue to get some water. Suddenly, the woman in front of me turned sideways and looked at me with what seemed like pity in her eyes. Extending her hand, she asked, ‘May I see your boarding pass, please?’ I was about to hand over my pass to her, but since she didn’t seem like an airline employee, I asked, ‘Why?’ ‘Well, this line is meant for business class travellers only,’ she said confidently and pointed her finger towards the economy class queue. ‘You should go and stand there,’ she said. I was about to tell her that I had a business class ticket, but on second thoughts, held back. I wanted to know why she had thought that I wasn’t worthy of being in the business class. So I repeated, ‘Why should I stand there?’ She sighed. ‘Let me explain. There is a big difference in the price of an economy and a business class ticket. The latter costs almost two and a half times more than . . .’I think it is three times more,’ her friend interrupted. ‘Exactly,’ said the woman. ‘So there are certain privileges that are associated with a business class ticket.’ ‘Really?’ I decided to be mischievous and pretended not to know. ‘What kind of privileges are you talking about?’ She seemed annoyed. ‘We are allowed to bring two bags but you can only take one. We can board the flight from another, less-crowded queue. We are given better meals and seats. We can extend the seats and lie down flat on them. We always have television screens and there are four washrooms for a small number of passengers.’ Her friend added, ‘A priority check-in facility is available for our bags, which means they will come first upon arrival and we get more frequent flyer miles for the same flight.’ ‘Now that you know the difference, you can go to the economy line,’ insisted the woman. ‘But I don’t want to go there.’ I was firm. The lady turned to her friend. ‘It is hard to argue with these cattle-class people. Let the staff come and instruct her where to go. She isn’t going to listen to us.’ I didn’t get angry. The word ‘cattle class’ was like a blast from the past and reminded me of another incident. One day, I had gone to an upscale dinner party in my home city of Bengaluru. Plenty of local celebrities and socialites were in attendance. I was speaking to some guests in Kannada, when a man came to me and said very slowly and clearly in English, ‘May I introduce myself ? I am . . .’ It was obvious that he thought that I might have a problem understanding the language. I smiled. ‘You can speak to me in English.’ ‘Oh,’ he said, slightly flabbergasted. ‘I’m sorry. I thought you weren’t comfortable with English because I heard you speaking in Kannada.’ ‘There’s nothing shameful in knowing one’s native language. It is, in fact, my right and my privilege. I only speak in English when somebody can’t understand Kannada.’ The line in front of me at the airport began moving forward and I came out of my reverie. The two women ahead were whispering among themselves, ‘Now she will be sent to the other line. It is so long now! We tried to tell her but she refused to listen to us.’ When it was my turn to show my boarding pass to the attendant, I saw them stop and wait a short distance away, waiting to see what would happen. The attendant took my boarding pass and said brightly, ‘Welcome back! We met last week, didn’t we?’ ‘Yes,’ I replied. She smiled and moved on to the next traveller. I walked a few steps ahead of the women intending to let this go, but then I changed my mind and came back. ‘Please tell me, what made you think that I couldn’t afford a business class ticket? Even if I didn’t have one, was it really your prerogative to tell me where I should stand? Did I ask you for help?’ The women stared at me in silence. ‘You refer to the term “cattle class”. Class does not mean possession of a huge amount of money,’ I continued, unable to stop myself from giving them a piece of my mind. ‘There are plenty of wrong ways to earn money in this world. You may be rich enough to buy comfort and luxuries, but the same money doesn’t define class or give you the ability to purchase it. Mother Teresa was a classy woman. So is Manjul Bhargava, a great mathematician of Indian origin. The concept that you automatically gain class by acquiring money is an outdated thought process.’ I left without waiting for a reply. http://ift.tt/2fOxhQo
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Kinnaur Lahaul Spiti Trip 2017: Nako, Kibber and Gete – Yayavar

Kinnaur Lahaul Spiti Trip 2017: Nako, Kibber and Gete http://ift.tt/2fB8tvr #travel #himalays #mountains
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BSF’s Operation Arjun targets border farms, homes of Pak officers - Times of India

The Border Security Force's use of targeted firepower on farms and residences of Pakistan's serving and former army officers near the border resulted in Pakistan suing for peace. Codenamed 'Operation Arjun', the measure has seen BSF framing a robust response to Pakistan's use of snipers to kill jawans, besides firing on civilians and shelling villages along the border over the last month. The border force's counter-offensive on Pakistan's pain points saw the latter seek a ceasefire three days ago. BSF has particularly targeted farms and residences of retired Pakistan army, ISI and Pakistan Rangers officers who have been given land near the Indian border to facilitate their task of guiding infiltration and providing logistical help in anti-operations India, top sources said. Following the BSF action, Pakistan Rangers' Punjab DG Maj Gen Azgar Naveed Hayat Khan called BSF director K K Sharma twice last week requesting a stop to the firing. Read this story in Gujarati Sharma lodged a strong protest on Pakistan's unprovoked firing causing loss of life and property of civilians. The first call to Sharma was made on September 22, while the two DGs spoke again on Monday. Sharma told Khan that his junior, Lt Col Irfan, commanding officer of 12 Chenab Rangers, had the tendency of acting in a provocative manner, raising the risk of retaliation. As part of 'Operation Arjun', the BSF used small, medium and area weapons, causing heavy damage on the Pakistani side and the death of seven Pakistan Rangers personnel and 11 civilians. Several border outposts and structures of Pakistan army and Rangers were destroyed using long-range 81 mm weapons. http://ift.tt/2fxRgD7
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India’s cheer group in Pakistan clash: Korea war veterans

India’s cheer group in Pakistan clash: Korea war veterans http://ift.tt/2fnDcs6 Kim Twan-hae has a fascinating story to narrate. The 91-year-old’s memory has understandably faded a bit. But on the topic of the Korean War, it remains sharp as ever. He says he was leading the South Korean troops who were trying to push back the North Korean army from entering Incheon, when bullets pierced through his upper body. “Two. Here and here,” he says, pointing towards his chest and right shoulder. Kim waited nearly two-and-a-half hours for the medics to arrive. But none did. He looked up one last time and closed his eyes, not knowing if he would be able to open them again. But just when he gave up, he saw an unfamiliar face charging towards him. The only way he could understand the man was not a threat was because of his uniform — a white coat. The next thing he remembers is waking up 48 hours later in an army medical tent near Seoul, with his ‘saviour’ standing next to him. “The man who saved me was an Indian. He was a part of the medical unit that was headed by Colonel Rangaraj. But to me, he was an angel,” Kim says. On Thursday, Kim, along with a hundred other war veterans and their families, cheered the Indian hockey side in their group stage match of the Incheon Asian Games against Pakistan. The motley group was easily outnumbered and out-voiced by the 3,000-odd Pakistani fans at the Seonhak Hockey Stadium. But waving the tri-colour and proudly chanting “Indo!” every time Sardar Singh & Co. moved forward, these war veterans stood out in the crowd. Kil Eun Young, an officer with the Korean ministry of patriots and veteran affairs — a government arm that looks after its war heroes — says this was their “way to show gratitude to the Indian people for supporting South Korea during the war”. “Many people are not aware of India’s contribution (in the war). The medical unit headed by Col Rangaraj fearlessly rushed to the aid of wounded soldiers in middle of a fierce crossfire. They didn’t care for their lives and it was admirable because they were fighting for the cause of a country which was not theirs,” Young says. During the Korean War in 1950, the Indian army had provided a medical unit to tend the sick and wounded soldiers. The 627-member 60 Parachute Field Ambulance unit served in Korea for a total of three-and-a-half years (November 1950-May 1954), which Young informs is the longest single tenure by any military unit under the UN flag. “Had it not been for the devoted services and sacrifices of the Indian people, Korea would not have become what it is today,” Young added.
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