BSF ups ante against drones in anticipation of Republic Day / Rashmi Talwar / Kashmir Images /

BSF ups ante against drones in anticipation of Republic Day

Attack in Kashmir on Hindus alarms 

Drones a major threat

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR, 2^nd January 2023 –

In anticipation of the forthcoming Republic Day celebrations on January 26, the Border Security Force -BSF is on high alert.

The killing of Hindus in Kashmir yesterday and today barely two days into the new year 2023, has rung alarm bells in Punjab when the month of January celebrates India turning into a Republic. 

 As per last year’s track-record massive drone activity replacing human couriers and traditional systems, has become the new-age challenge for Border forces in Punjab. Increasingly drones are being used for cross-border smuggling of arms, and ammunition, contraband, proving the greatest challenge to forces and increasing threat perception manifold with a deadly combination of Narco-Terrorism..

In the past year, the Indian Punjab Frontier manned by BSF, captured 22 drones, besides which, it seized a whopping cache of contraband including 316.988 kg of heroin in various incidents. In smuggling of weapons via drones, the BSF seized 67 weapons including Chinese and Turkish marked guns, with about 850 rounds of ammunition.

Along with drones and drugs, in cross-border vigilance, two Pakistani intruders in the year past were shot dead. BSF officials apprehended 23 Pakistani nationals, out of which nine Pakistani nationals, who had inadvertently crossed the International Border, were handed over to Pakistan Rangers, and returned to their home country.

Republic Day celebrations on January 26th morning in the throes of winter and the harshest Chillai Kalan, chilly conditions is always under threat, especially in four districts of Punjab bordering Pakistan. 

According to records in the last three years from 2020 to 2022, Covid-19 on one hand, plus drone incursions from across the Pakistani border, on the other hand, raged furiously and unabated. 

 As many as 369 drone sightings were recorded in Punjab. In the year 2020, about 47 drones were sighted; they rose to 64 in the year 2021 even though countries reeled under waves and waves of Covid-19 and borders on both sides remained completely sealed owing to the pandemic. In the past year-2022, the number of drones that crossed the International border rose to a whopping 259, from the previous years, as per BSF data.

On conditions of anonymity, senior BSF officials said “Anti-drone drills are being carried out vigorously, especially near the cities on the international border with Pakistan in Punjab, to thwart any attempt at attack or sabotage, of Republic Day Celebrations. In addition to this, other modes of BSF border vigil including physical patrolling, and mechanical and technological vigil continue. BSF has identified Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, and Fazilka on the International Border as ultra-sensitive, as more than 85% of payload, originating from across the border, was dropped in these parts.

Meantime, sources in defense said, “Anti-drone systems like drone hunters, at checkpoints, border movement, and ground patrol; jammers, electromagnetic Technology, chambers, EMP Protection are being fine-tuned for the vigil.”

The BSF’s Punjab Frontier responsible for guarding the 553-km-long border meets tough challenges along the Indo-Pakistan International dividing line. Several stretches of the border are vulnerable to smuggling, infiltration, and inclement weather conditions- “Fog conditions are the most dangerous near water bodies on Indo Pak border and is a covert cover for illegal and damaging activities”, the officer further added- “Forces have kept strict vigil on villagers along the international border”.

Incidentally, last year the holy city of Amritsar, Punjab became the second distinguished border city, as the destination for the celebration of the 58th Raising day of the BSF, for the first time in the force’s history since its inception in 1965.

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Amritsar, Kashmir Bishop mourns the passing away of Pope Benedict XVI / Rashmi Talwar / Kashmir Images

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Amritsar, Kashmir Bishop mourns the passing away of Pope Benedict XVI  

Rashmi Talwar 

AMRITSAR 1^st January 2023—-

Dr. P K Samantha Roy, Bishop, Dioceses of Amritsar, general secretary, Church of North India  (CNI),  in a note to ‘Kashmir Images’ expressed his heartfelt sadness at the passing away of former Pope Benedict XVI who passed away on  31st December 2022, on the eve of New Year at the age of 95years. 

The Bishop wrote -“I am saddened to learn about the home call of one of the most important religious heads of the world Pope Benedict XVI. He will always be remembered as an outstanding theologian who emphasized discovering and following basic biblical values and not indulging too much in consumerism. The world would also remember Pope Benedict XVI as an honest and bold leader who voluntarily abdicated his position on the grounds that he was not in the best of mental and physical form to continue. A rare example to be followed indeed”.

He further expressed -” I was personally and spiritually blessed by his teachings.He often referred to Jesus as a ‘friend’ who takes away our burdens and fears This has been very useful for me as a Bishop to deal with my own fears.I express my deepest condolences to the whole Roman Catholic Church in this hour of mourning, at the same time I thank God for the life and ministry of Pope Benedict XVI.”

Dr. Samantroy is incharge of all CNI properties in Kashmir including schools and Historic Churches. This includes – Tyndale Biscoe School for boys, Mallinson School for Girls, Kashmir Valley School at airport road Humhama, all in Srinagar; and lone rural Christian school ‘Tyndale Biscoe School, Tangmarg that once became a victim of arson and was burnt down.

This, and four historic churches including  ‘All Saints Church’ Srinagar, church lane, ‘Saint Luke’ Dalgate Srinagar, ‘St Mary’s Church’ Gulmarg,  all more than 125 years old, and ‘St John’s Church’ in Pahalgam near Forest hut, is about a 100 years old.

Pope Benedict XVI died, aged 95, almost a decade after he stood down because of ailing health. He led the Catholic Church for fewer than eight years until, in 2013, and he became the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.

Benedict spent his final years at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery within the walls of the Vatican where he passed away at 09:34 (08:34 GMT) on Saturday.

His successor Pope Francis will lead the funeral on 5 January. 00–00

When Germany and Pakistan met in India, Amritsar / Rashmi Talwar / Kashmir Images /

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When Germany and Pakistan met in India, Amritsar

Book Release

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 11^th December 2022–

In an afternoon with a nip of a winter chill, at Majha House, a literary hub in Amritsar, German writer Bernhard Moestl and Pakistan writer Tahmina Aziz Ayub shared the stage for the release of their respective books in the border city.  ‘Shaolin: How to Win Without Fighting’, a book by Moestl, and ‘Forgotten Legacies of Sir Ganga Ram – 1851 – 1927’, by Ayub.

Majha House founder, Preeti Gill, introduced the two – ‘Bernhard and Tahmina are not just writers but explorers of different philosophies”.

While introducing his book, Moestl said, “As rightly pointed out, my book was an exploration of the ancient Shaolin way of life, insights, life skills, and philosophies to win in life.” And, opined –“We don’t need to win, but we do need to fight all through our lives!”

Adding –“Many people live all their lives trying to prove to other people that they are the best. But in the Shaolin way, we do not need to ‘prove’ that we are stronger than others; we just ‘know’, and in this realization lies the win! The question is not what we can do, but what we think we can do. It is all about harnessing and realizing the power of the mind.”

Differentiating between ‘mindfulness’ and ‘meditation’ he said, “To me, ‘Mindfulness’ means being aware and conscious of actions and reactions. For instance -If a person does not act or react according to our expectations, that person controls us. We react to his behavior, because he presents himself as different from the ordinary, as someone mysterious. But if we rise above this ‘expectation’, then that is ‘meditation’.”

The second session saw Tahmina talking about her book “The forgotten legacies of Rai Bahadur Sir Ganga Ram 1851-1927,” about the person, beyond the renowned Ganga Ram Hospitals, which we in North India are familiar with.

“To me, Sir Ganga Ram- the iconic engineer and philanthropist, is an unsung hero whose life and art need to be known widely”, the author opined. Delighted that her book was being first launched in Amritsar, even before its book launch in Lahore, her hometown, she said –“I have strong ties with Amritsar, as well as the protagonist of my book ‘Sir Ganga Ram’. Not many people know that Sir Ganga Ram’s early life was in Amritsar, living in the area of Katra Ahluwalia in the ancient walled city near the Golden Temple, as this Aggarwal family arrived from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. After going to Lahore College, Ganga Ram did his engineering at Thomason Engineering College, Roorkee. His first major project was in Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan, and later went on to shape the architecture of the city of Lahore with his valuable additions.”

Sir Ganga Ram’s contributions spanned the field of architecture and women’s rights with a special focus on widows and empowerment. Sir Ganga Ram when talking about the importance of Lahore in his life had famously said-“It was a –‘love affair’!”- If Lahore changed him, he too shaped Lahore.

Among his many contributions was ‘DAV college in Lahore designed by him, as were Aitchison College, and Hailey’s College of Commerce; he renovated Tollington Market, created Mayo School of Arts (now National College of Arts, Lahore), the General Post Office, Government College Chemical Laboratory. He built Lady Maynard Industrial School for Hindu-Sikh women training, who faced financial difficulties. Along with iconic buildings – the Lahore museum, Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore,- presently a 700 bedded state of art low-cost Hospital, besides the General Post Office, Lahore among many others.

Extolling the philanthropist’s intellect Aziz says-“His intelligence and vision went beyond architecture, and dedicated to the cause of education, women elevation and empowerment. He is credited with much including the introduction of the subject of Commerce, as a full-fledged institute in Lahore.

“There are many projects which are his ideas and we still practice them- such as carpet weaving, and furniture making for jail inmates. In addition, the novel concept of lift irrigation and hydel power, and enhancement of agro-industry, all came from his visionary mind. He also got made schools for children, homes for widows and destitute children, “she said in conclusion.

Significantly, the closest Sir Ganga Ram came to naming places after himself were the two Ganga Ram hospitals in Lahore and Delhi, and a model village ‘Gangapur’ with new irrigation techniques and a farming system. Along with this, he created a unique transport system of single horse-drawn twin-train carriages on a narrow rail track; carrying 60 people at a time, a matchless marvel carrying people from his village Gangapur, to Buchiana to and fro, for trade and other activities.

Along with an innovative hydel project for irrigation that turned acres of barren land into gold; Ganga Ram also founded  Widow’s Marriage Association and according to his Biographer- Pyare Lal Bedi,  is known to recite verses of Munajat-e-Bewgan  -The widow’s prayer, a poem written by Urdu poet Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali and was moved to tears while reciting it.    

As the evening fell into dusk readying for another golden dawn to usher in the energy of the magnificent man -Sir Ganga Ram, whose aura and gifts are remembered fondly long after his passing, on both sides of the partitioned borders, it gave a glimpse to the German foreigner about our neck of the woods, and the history of two nations painful divide.    

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