Back in the 1990s, I was DM and Collector (called DC in northern Sates and UT) in a border district (Barmer). The road to Barmer was narrow single lane and we encountered Army convoy quite often. If one got caught behind a convoy, it used to waste a lot of time. Back then, we had the red beacon too, but even that never helped. We had 2 units around Barmer and winters used to be exercise time too. I discussed it with the COs who advised me of the strict movement protocols the convoys had to follow. So what to do? I mustered up resources and got the road widened to 2 and a half lane. Problem solved for all. I actually became quite popular with the local Army and Air Force brass.
The DC of Kishtwar is not even an IAS officer. Yet his ego is bloated to oversize. If a jam is happening regularly due to Army movement, it is his fault.
An Army vehicle was stopped and seized in Kishtwar to clear the road for a bureaucrat's convoy.
That should concern every Indian.
It happened in Paddar, one of Jammu and Kashmir's most sensitive counter-insurgency areas, where every Army movement is linked to operational readiness.
Army vehicles operating in such areas are not ordinary traffic.
Their movement is planned around operational requirements.
It can delay movement, increase exposure and affect troops operating in a hostile environment.
Despite that, the Army vehicle was taken to a police station.
The incident later escalated into an FIR against the Commanding Officer, two officers and nearly 40 jawans of 17 Rashtriya Rifles.
The Army has said it is cooperating with the investigation.
But The bigger question is this.
Who decided that a bureaucrat's convoy should take priority over an Army vehicle operating in an active counter-insurgency zone?
Protocol exists to support national security.
It should never come at the cost of Army operations in an active militancy area.
Kishtwar Incident: Army's Version of Events (Summary)
According to the Army's account, the incident began after Rashtriya Rifles (RR) civilian vehicles, engaged in official duties, inadvertently delayed the Deputy Commissioner's convoy by 10–20 minutes. Following the delay, the civil administration allegedly ordered the immediate seizure of the Army vehicles, which were taken to Atholi Police Station.
The Army claims the seizure was carried out without following the prescribed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). In an effort to resolve the matter peacefully, the Commanding Officer reportedly sent a Company Commander and a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) to the police station to seek the release of the vehicles through dialogue.
The Army alleges that police personnel locked the station gates and declined repeated requests for discussion. It further claims that after attempts at communication failed, the gates were breached. During the confrontation, a police official allegedly cocked his weapon and threatened the Army personnel, prompting the QRT to intervene, disarm the individual, and secure the area. A physical altercation followed, involving police personnel, including the Station House Officer (SHO).
The Army maintains that the subsequent FIR filed against its personnel resulted from a breakdown in coordination between the civil administration and the Army. The matter remains under investigation, and the claims made by both sides have not been judicially established.
🔥 A soldier writes a blank cheque to the Nation.
It is easy to critique the Armed Forces from the safety of a secure home, but your numbers and assumptions are as far from reality as you are from the frontlines. Before disrespecting the uniform, let’s look at the actual facts:
* The Budget Myth: Your math is completely fictional. Out of the roughly ₹6.2 lakh crore defense budget (for FY 24-25), pensions account for about ₹1.4 lakh crore. The Capital Outlay, which is strictly for weapons, modernization, and infrastructure is over ₹1.72 lakh crore. To say "nothing" is spent on weapons ignores the reality of our rapidly growing indigenous defense manufacturing (Atmanirbhar Bharat), from Tejas fighters to INS Vikrant.
* The Weapon Import : Israel, France, Russia, and the US are strategic suppliers, but weapons do not win wars on their own. The blood spilled in Kargil, Galwan, and along the LoC belongs entirely to the Indian soldier. Equipment is bought, but the courage to stand in front of a bullet cannot be imported.
* Free" Pension: A military pension is not a "freebie" or a government handout. It is deferred compensation earned through decades of service in life-threatening conditions. To keep the military young and fighting fit, most soldiers are forced to retire in their mid-30s or early 40s. The pension ensures their families survive after they have sacrificed their prime earning years to the nation.
* Tolls and Canteens: Toll exemptions and canteen facilities are not things soldiers "beg" for; they are small tokens of respect from a grateful nation for enduring hardships most civilians cannot fathom.
A soldier writes a blank cheque to the Nation, payable up to and including their life. If you truly believe that serving in sub-zero temperatures at 18,000 feet, missing your children grow up, and facing enemy fire is a fair trade for a "free toll booth pass," the recruiting offices are open. We invite you to step up and earn these "privileges" yourself.
Review of BYD Sri Lanka – Service Experience After Accident
I am writing to share a very disappointing experience we had with BYD Sri Lanka following an accident involving our BYD Sealion 6, which was purchased through John Keells.
Unfortunately, we faced an accident on the 6th of April which caused significant damage to the front area of the vehicle. All the sensors were affected and continuously beeping, making the vehicle undrivable. As instructed, we contacted the BYD towing service to transport the vehicle to a service center.
However, the towing service took nearly two hours to arrive. Initially, we were informed that the vehicle would be taken to the Colombo service center, but it was later redirected to the Wattala branch. During this already stressful situation, we were shocked to learn from the towing driver that even the towing truck broke down while transporting our vehicle. This caused further delays, and by the time the vehicle was moved again, it was around 11:00 PM.
To make matters worse, the Wattala service center initially refused to accept the vehicle. Only after persuasion from the driver was the car finally parked there. Throughout this entire process, we received no official confirmation from BYD, despite being told that we would receive a notification once the vehicle was handed over to a service center.
The next day, we contacted the hotline and were assigned a service advisor from Wattala, Mr. Tharindra. After reaching out to him, we were told he would inspect the vehicle and get back to us. Unfortunately, there was no follow-up, and when we contacted him again, we were shocked to hear that our vehicle was not at the Wattala location. After multiple calls and confusion, we were later told that the vehicle was indeed there—but they could not proceed with any repairs due to a lack of parking space.
We were then asked to take the vehicle back home and park it ourselves. This was extremely unreasonable, considering the vehicle was not in a drivable condition due to severe front-end damage and malfunctioning sensors. When we questioned the responsibility and safety concerns, Mr. Tharindra did not provide a clear or reassuring response.
After repeatedly contacting both Wattala and Colombo branches, and going through significant frustration, the Wattala team finally agreed to keep the vehicle—but only after we personally visited the service center to complete certain procedures. Even then, the service advisor did not provide clear timelines or proper guidance regarding the repair process or insurance documentation. We had to continuously follow up and push just to get basic updates.
To make matters worse, we still have not received our vehicle. We are forced to travel to Wattala almost daily just to check on its status. The car, which is in pearl white, has had its paintwork redone multiple times, and even after five attempts, the color matching is still not done properly. This has raised serious concerns about the quality of workmanship and attention to detail.
Overall, this experience has been extremely stressful and disappointing. The customer handling by John Keells for BYD is extremely poor, and we feel completely let down. For anyone considering purchasing a BYD vehicle through John Keells, we strongly advise you to be cautious. Based on our experience, we cannot recommend their services.
We sincerely hope BYD Sri Lanka and John Keells take this feedback seriously and improve their after-sales service and emergency response systems for future customers.
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Defence Community should do some introspection as Modi Govt is seeking votes and advancing their agenda of pseudo nationalism riding on the back of fauj and is damaging the same soldiers by axing their welfare.
We have to question — if MODI:
- Denies NFU
- Taxes Disability Pension
- Tries to sabotage ECHS
- Sabotages real OROP
- Allows soldiers to be assaulted
- Destroys the national security mechanism through the Agniveer Scheme
- Surrenders to Trump in Op Sindoor, bringing embarrassment to the Forces and the nation
Then why support MODI and his NDA team?
Modi has failed to deliver justice to the Defence Forces —
Congress will deliver.
Join Congress’ Ex-Servicemen Department’s ongoing campaigns to:
#SaveDisabilityPension
#SaveECHS
#SaveAgniveers
#NFUforDefence
#TrueOROPforDefence
#ExServicemenCommission
#CovenantActforDefence
#SameMSPforAllDefencePersonnel
#NoDiscriminationInMartyrs (Agniveer vs Regular)
#JobsForAllExServicemen
#SoldiersProtectionLaw
#LegalSupportForSoldiers
#LandForAllSoldiers
#TollTaxExemptionForAllSoldiers (Serving/Retired)
#ExServicemenCorporationsInAllStates
#ExServicemenReservationBill
Join us to protect the dignity, respect, and honour of the Defence Forces.
Jai Hind
National President
Ex-Servicemen Department
AICC
#Modi Sarkar has once again let down Indian Armed Forces personnel.
While the government splurges thousands of crores on doles to its vote banks, it cites "significantly large financial implications" to deny the grant of Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU) to the Armed Forces Personnel.
#NFU #IndianArmedForces #PayCommission #ModiIsAntiFauji
NFU Case: After reading the Committee Report for NFU, it is revealed that, vide Annexure 14 of the said Report, the DMA ie the CDS, has given positive comments in our favour, unlike the stand which was taken by the First CDS. For kind information please.
🚨🚨 تكشف ملفات إبستين الجديدة أن جيفري إبستين قال إنه كان يدعم داعش من خلال وكلاء أمريكيين إسرائيليين!
وكما يقول بول هارفي: "والآن تعرفون بقية القصة". 🚨🚨
🇺🇸🇮🇷 Trump has 3 options now regarding Iran:
Option 1: Declear victory and retreat.
This means that the United States will lose the Middle East forever, and Israel's days will be numbered.
Option 2: Troops on the ground and very likely massive casualties and 0 result because everyone knows that it is impossible to take a country with 90 millions inhabitants.
The relief of Iran is also characterized by a high, rugged, and arid central plateau completely enclosed by massive mountain ranges.
Option 3: Nukes. Which will destroy Israel for sure this time.
It's a total defeat unless he somehow get lucky and manage to win with his internal revolution in Iran , wich is very very not likely now.
Dear sir,
#Apollopharmacy is making false promises and cheating customers by saying they will deliver medicines at earliest. I had booked regular medicines for my mother who is a senior citizen (age 67), even after 7 days it was not delivered in a city like bangalore.
@AirIndiaX
Dear AirIndiaX
I had booked two tickets with PNR C3n3mz and VV2M7L from Ayodhya to Bangalore. A day before departure, i was informed that the flight was canceled. I am trying to request for refund but your Customer care was totally unreachable.
I just claimed my on-chain username and joined @BloodLoopGAME's Play-to-Airdrop campaign.
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