THE
GOOD
WORD
Dec 13, 2021 - Week 52
Volume 7S-31| Page 2
Prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurates
a divine and grand
temple complex and corridor at Kashi
Vishwanath
Bharat First Visit
IndiaWiki.org
Dec 12, Saudi Arabia
government has banned
the Tablighi Jamaat
calling it one of the gates
of terrorism. Saudi Islamic
affairs ministry has
directed mosques to warn
people during Friday
sermon against the
Jamaat. It added that the
sermon should include a
declaration of the
‘misguidance, deviation
and danger of this group’.
The sermon should
mention their ‘most
prominent mistakes’,
which is that they are a
‘danger to society’ and
issue a statement that
‘affiliation with
partisan
groups, including (the
Tablighi and Da’wah
Group) is prohibited in
the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia’.
Saudi religious leaders
have for a long time
viewed the Tablighi
Jamaat as ‘deviants’.
In March 2020, the group
came to light in India for
holding an illegal
gathering of its follwers
during the Covid-19
pandemic.
At: EtemadDaily,
ThePrint
1971 War Vijay Divas – Dec
16, AK Niazi, surrenders with 93,000
soldiers– image
– India.com;
jubilant Indian soldiers
in a seized jeep, West Pakistan - IndiaTimes
US hosts virtual
democracy meet
irks China, Russia
Dec 9, US president Joe
Biden hosted a virtual 2
day summit with 110
countries aimed to
renew democracy
globally. The summit
aimed to defend
democracies against
authoritarian rulers who
subvert them with
attacks on territory,
media and people. It
also wished to guard
against the spread of
disinformation by
autocrats, especially
digitally and during
elections and to further
rule of law, an
independent media,
zero corruption and
human rights.
China and Russia were
prominent omissions in
the list of invitees and it
drew sharp criticism
from both. US’s middle
east Asian allies Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, Jordan,
Qatar and UAE were not
invited nor were Iran,
Turkey, Sri Lanka,
Bhutan or Bangladesh.
Pakistan did not
participate. At: State,
Republic
Dec 10, A standoff
between Russia and the
US brought the world
close to nuclear war
when Washington
blocked Moscow from
shipping nuclear missiles
to Cuba in 1962 and
Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's
deputy foreign minister,
has warned escalating
tensions between the
nations over Ukraine risk
a repeat of that. Russia
withdrew, after the US
pledged not to invade
Cuba. The warning came
after the Biden Putin
virtual meet.
US intelligence detected
Russia massing 175,000
troops on the border
with Ukraine and fears a
potential invasion in
early 2022. Russia has
demanded that Ukraine
keep out of NATO and
that the US stop all
military activity in the
region. It also claims a
Ukraine troop build up
along its border of
125,000 troops. Political
leaders in both, US and
Russia have engaged in
nuclear war jingoism
over Ukraine.
At: TheSun
Russia: US risking
nuclear war over
Ukraine
Dec 11, DRDO and the
army tested industry
produced Pinaka
Extended Range (ER)
rockets at field firing
ranges in Pokharan. 24
Pinaka ER rockets were
test fired at different
distances with various
warheads. All the trial
objectives on accuracy
and consistency were
met. With this, the
initial phase of
technology absorption
of Pinaka-ER by the
industry-partner has
been completed
successfully, making
the partner ready for
scaled up production of
the rocket system.
The Pinaka ER missile
can hit targets at 90
kilometers and is
capable of striking up
to a range of 75
kilometers with high
precision.
Image: StateViews At: PIB,
NewsNationTV
Saudi bans Tablighi
Jamaat, calls it a
gate to terrorism
In our inner-soul as
soon as we arrive here.’
he said.
PM Modi had laid the
foundation stone for
the temple complex’s
renovation in Mar 2019.
The project cost was
estimated to be ₹800
crores. Its first phase,
which the PM dedicated
to the nation today, was
constructed at a cost of
₹339 crores and
comprises 23 structures
covering an area of
approximately 5 lac
square feet. Earlier the
temple premises were
contained only in 3,000
square feet. The
projected aimed to
connect the temple to
River Ganga, at the Lalita
Ghat, with a broad
corridor replete with
amenities for devotees
such as a a vedic kendra,
seekers residence, a
river viewing gallery, a
food court etc. The
expanded area can hold
crowds of more than 2
lac people now.
About 70% of the area,
ie 3.5 lac square feet will
be kept green with trees
such as the Rudraksha,
Dec 13, Prime minister
(PM) Narendra Modi
dedicated the first phase
of grand and elegantly
renovated Kashi
Vishwanath temple
complex and corridor to
the nation. With Uttar
Pradesh chief minister
(CM) Yogi Adityanath, he
received a rousing
welcome from residents.
Modi began his address
to the masses with the
invocation of Lord Shiva,
‘Har, Har, Mahadev!’.
‘The blessings of Lord
Vishweshwara awaken a
supernatural energy
The nation mourns the passing away of India’s
first CDS Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash
India's Harnaaz Sandhu crowned
the
70th Miss Universe
`
soldier, he was known
for his patriotism,
vision, integrity and his
track record of sterling
service.
General Rawat was
carrying out the much-
needed strategic
transformation of the
armed forces from 17
single service
commands to at least 5
Theatre Commands, an
Air Defence Command
led by air force, a
Maritime one led by
navy and 3 Land Theatre
Commands led by the
army. He was to ensure
greater integration of
the army, navy and air
force.
He had spearheaded the
cross border strike in
Myanmar in response to
the killing of 18 jawans of
6 DOGRA. As vice-chief
of the army oversaw the
surgical strike across the
Line of Control (LoC) in
Pakistan. He was part of
the apex body that
launched the air strikes
in Balakot. Under his
watch the army stood up
to China in Doklam. He
had an outstanding
record in service and was
also conferred the Sword
of Honour in 1978.
Image: KashmirReport,
At: FirstPost,
DeccanHerald, IndianExpress
Harnaaz Sandhu, from Chandigarh,
was crowned Miss Universe 2021
at the
70th Miss Universe pageant, held in
Eilat, Israel. She represented India and
won the title for the nation after a gap of
21 years. Image: SouthWeb
Dec 11, Amid the
ongoing tussle over the
offering of Friday
namaz in the open,
Haryana chief minister
Manohar Lal Khattar
asserted that the
offering of Namaz in
the open cannot be
tolerated. He was on a
visit to Gurugram.
‘We have withdrawn
the permission given to
designated places for
offering Friday prayers
at certain sites. An
amicable solution to
the matter would be
found with a fresh
approach before the
district
administration.“,
Khattar said. He
addded that offering
prayers at public sites
was leading to clashes
between communities
and that was
unacceptable.
Earlier Hindu and
Muslim organisations
had agreed on 18 new
sites for Friday prayers
in the open, including
12 mosques, dargah,
waqf board properties
and six public areas.
However, disruptions
of ‘jumma’ prayers
recurred in Gurugram
as some Hindu groups
refused to allow Friday
Namaz at one location,
while at another Hindu
groups held a
condolence meeting
for the recently
deceased CDS, his wife
and other army
personnel. Trucks,
tractors and vehicles
were also found
parked on a site to
prevent the conduct of
the prayer in the open.
Image: FreePressJournal;
Pioneer
Courtesy: Republic
Book available online
Calls for reviving
NJAC voiced in the
Parliament
Industry output of
Pinaka ER tested
successfully
Dec 9, there is a growing
tide in favour of a
reintroduction of the
National Judicial
Appointments Commission
(NJAC) Bill, law and justice
minister Kiren Rijiju told
Lok Sabha during a
discussion on salaries and
service conditions of
judges.
The Modi government had
introduced the NJAC Act, in
2014 to regulate
appointment and transfer
of judges to the Supreme
Court (SC) and High Courts
(HC). However, in October
2015 the SC controversially
struck it down as
unconstitutional.
The present Collegium
system of appointment of
SC judges by the Chief
Justice of India (CJI) and 4
senior most judges, and HC
judges by the CJI and two
senior most judges, is
widely considered flawed.
It is thought to promote
nepotism and lack
transparency. Hardly any
lower district judge, who is
recruited based on an
exam, ever makes it to the
top judiciary.
At: IndianExpress,
FirstPost
Haryana CM Khattar denies
permission to hold namaz in
the open
Available online
Dec 8, an Indian Air
Force Mi-17 V5
helicopter carrying
general Bipin Rawat,
India’s first Chief of
Defence Staff (CDS) and
13 others had a tragic
crash deep in the
Nilgiris, some distance
away from Wellington
where the CDS was to
deliver a talk. General
Rawant, his wife
Madhulika and 11
officers including
brigadier LS Lidder, his
senior-most staff officer
died in the crash.
An outpouring of grief
erupted across the
nation. A distinguished
Parijat, Ashok and Bel.
The biggest challenge in
the project was the
acquisition of 314 small
buildings that had earlier
crowded the outside of
the temple. People,
however, were more
cooperative than
expected.
Bhagwan Shiva’s temple
at Kashi Vishwanath is
one of the most revered
Hindu shrines. It is one of
the 12 Jyotirlingams,
the
holiest of Shiva temples.
It was last demolished by
the Islamic ruler
Aurangzeb in 1669. In
1780 Ahilyabai Holkar
reconstructed the
present temple and in
1835, Maharaja Ranjit
Singh of the Sikh Empire
donated 1 tonne of gold
for plating the temple's
dome.
Image: AajTak, Twitter. At:
Republic,
OpIndia, HT 1 and 2, Wikipedia
Dec 13, 2021 | Week 52 | Volume 7S-31
Bharat First Visit
IndiaWiki.org
PAGE 3
THE GOOD WORD
amalgamating the
armed forces with the
government. The base
that he created will
now have to be carried
forward and the
organisation made
more efficient and
capable of delivering
results.
He also launched the
largest reform the
Indian Armed Forces
have undergone in the
past seven decades, the
creation of theatre
commands. Till date,
the services had
functioned in
independent silos, with
service chiefs as virtual
kings, being both
service providers and
employers, and hence
were unwilling to
merge as it implied
them losing control.
The process began
slowly as all had to be
convinced that such a
step was essential and
must be completed.
General Rawat sought
to move all pillars of
the forces together,
rather than push his
way. The ball has now
been set rolling and
cannot be stopped. He
paved the way and
anyone filling his boots
would need to push it
to its logical conclusion.
Very few Generals have
the power to speak
without fear or favour,
General Rawat being
one of them. He,
therefore, won hearts
and minds within the
defence community
and the masses. The
General spoke
regularly on
forthcoming threats,
openly warning both
Pakistan and China
that India was capable
of thwarting their
nefarious designs.
He
not only
spoke of a
two-and-a-half front
war
but was also
preparing Indian
Armed
Forces for the
same.
He was clear that
future threats would be
land-based, as the
battle was for territory,
and the role of the
other services was to
ensure the enemy’s
designs were thwarted.
Thus, he rubbed some
of the services on the
wrong side. Such clarity
of thought in such an
appointment is
essential.
Indigenisation was
given a major boost.
General Rawat was firm
in the belief that if we
have to become a
global power, we must
bank on domestic
production, rather than
on imports. Hence,
supporting the nascent
Indian defence industry
was essential. In
addition was the need
to boost its confidence
by action. The issue of
lists banning import of
specific items enhanced
confidence of the
domestic industry.
There is no doubt that
these steps were taken
in conjunction with
service chiefs. This
push must continue,
and the Indian defence
industry supported.
A major global message
which General Rawat
projected, through
words and action, was
that India would
respond in kind to any
misadventures on its
soil. The cross-border
strike in Myanmar,
Pakistan, Doklam and
capture of the Kailash
Ridge projected that
the Indian hierarchy
has an offensive
mindset and would
retaliate to
misadventures. It did
cause ripples in the
neighbourhood. This
strong and tough
mentality is a
quality for future CDS
appointees.
General Rawat
displayed clarity of
mind, vision and
strategic thought. He
had set his goals and
was working towards
them. He had the trust
of the political
hierarchy which
enabled him to push
reforms and bypass
bureaucratic
roadblocks. His work
thus far would be both
a boon and a challenge
for his successor.
However, the best way
to honour General
Rawat for his service
would be to ensure
that reforms he had
set into motion are
completed and theatre
commands established
at an early date. This
would be the primary
responsibility of his
successor and is
unlikely to be easy.
Email: IndiaWiki2020@gmail.com
Website: http://TheGoodWord.IndiaWiki.Org
established the
Department of Military
Affairs (DMA), a reform
which had been
protested tooth and nail
by the bureaucracy as it
implied them losing
control over the Armed
Forces. Many had even
published articles
stating that placing the
Armed Forces in the
hands of one individual
could result in an
internal threat.
The DMA faced a
difficult start, with
multiple stumbling
blocks, which General
Rawat carefully
negotiated. He
convinced those who
mattered that its
structuring was an
essential element and
must include military
and civilians working in
harmony to achieve the
ultimate goal of
I once met a man in my
country whom I had
known before as a very
stupid, dull person, who
knew nothing and had
not the desire to know
anything, and was living
the life of a brute. He
asked me what he
should do to know God,
how he was to get free.
"Can you tell a lie?" I
asked him. "No," he
replied. "Then you must
learn to do so. It is
better to tell a lie than
to be a brute, or a log of
wood. You are inactive;
you have not certainly
reached the highest
state, which is beyond
all actions, calm and
serene; you are too dull
even to do something
wicked." That was an
extreme case, of
course, and I was joking
with him; but what I
meant was that a man
must be active in order
to pass through activity
to perfect calmness.
Inactivity should be
avoided by all means.
Activity always means
resistance. Resist all
evils, mental and
physical; and when you
have succeeded in
resisting, then will
calmness come. It is
very easy to say, "Hate
nobody, resist not evil,"
but we know what that
kind of thing generally
means in practice.
When the eyes of
society are turned
towards us, we may
make a show of non-
resistance, but in our
hearts it is canker all
the time. We feel the
utter want of the calm
of non-resistance; we
feel that it would be
better for us to resist. If
you desire wealth, and
know at the same time
that the whole world
regards him who aims
at wealth as a very
wicked man, you,
perhaps, will not dare
to plunge into the
struggle for wealth, yet
your mind will be
running day and night
after money. This is
hypocrisy and will serve
no purpose.
Swami Vivekananda
Karma Yoga
a series of extracts
Swami Vivekananda Image courtesy Newsgram.com;
even in areas where
the Army is hardly
discussed or where it is
intensely disliked. It
also cemented the fact
that the common
Indian holds the armed
forces in high esteem.
There is no doubt
General Rawat’s
reliever will have an
established department
and a plan for the
future, while
simultaneously seeking
to establish his own
credentials. Over the
years, General Rawat
had created a rapport
with the government.
He did this by proving
his capability in
multiple dimensions.
The defence minister
and the prime minister
trusted him completely.
They accepted his
advice on every
occasion. Nothing was
more evident than
during Doklam, the
surgical strikes in
Myanmar and Pakistan
as also during the
ongoing crisis with
China. It was this trust
which gave the
government confidence
to launch major
reforms. Whoever fills
these boots will need
to build a similar nature
of trust to enable the
ongoing reforms to
continue.
General Rawat
Source - FirstPost
Author-Major General
Harsha Kakar
Image – VoiceOnline
It is always said that no
one is indispensable. It
has also been stated
that for one leaving his
post, there are multiple
in the line. It may be
true in most cases, but
the spontaneous
outpouring of grief and
witnessing emotions
amongst the common
Indian, from Kashmir to
Kanyakumari, sends the
message that General
Bipin Rawat was one of
his kind, a man whose
boots will be hard to fill.
He spoke without fear
or favour, ignored the
fact that he should be
politically correct and
believed the nation
must come first. He
fought the system to
bring about changes for
the betterment of the
forces.
There are some sceptics
who believe that the
outpouring of grief was
politically orchestrated,
especially with elections
around the corner.
However they are
wrong. Never has a top
Armed Forces
appointee passed away
in such a tragic manner
with so many others.
The grief across the
nation was spontaneous
and visible
Honouring chief of defence
staff, general Bipin Rawat: some boots are hard to fill
Indigenisation was
given a major
boost. General
Rawat was firm in
the belief that if
we have to
become a global
power, we must
bank on domestic
production, rather
than on imports.
Hence, supporting
the nascent Indian
defence industry
was essential. In
addition was the
need to boost its
confidence by
action. The issue of
lists banning
import of specific
items enhanced
confidence of the
domestic industry.
There is no doubt
that these steps
were taken in
conjunction with
service chiefs.
The spontaneous
outpouring of
grief
and witnessing
emotions amongst
the common
Indian, from
Kashmir to
Kanyakumari,
sends the message
that General Bipin
Rawat was one of
his kind, a man
whose boots will
be hard to fill.
