Monthly Archives: September 2015

BATTLE OF KHEM KARAN – Patton Wreckers’ Day

September 3, 2015Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issuesmpositiveone@gmail.com

Special Issue : 1965 India’s Forgotten War

Pakistan had the better tanks, but not the skill to man them well

by Nitin A Gokhale

In popular imagination, the original Operation Vijay in 1971 is rightly seen as India’s greatest military victory. That campaign broke up Pakistan, helped create Bangladesh and erased the painful memories of the politico-diplomatic-military debacle India had suffered against China in ’62. But before ’71 came ’65 and the 22-day war that allowed the Indian military to regain its confidence. Looking back at that confrontation 50 years on, it’s clear Pakistan saw that time as its best chance to wrest Kashmir from India. Perhaps rightly so since India’s military was still struggling to overcome the humiliation of ’62. It was in the middle of an expansion and reorganisation. India itself was in transition after Jawaharlal Nehru’s death. A seemingly soft Lal Bahadur Shastri was at the helm.

The Pakistan army on the other hand was being equipped with latest American military hardware. The Patton tanks were far superior to India’s World War II vintage Shermans, Centurions and AMX tanks. But as history shows us half a century on, superior military equipment does not necessarily translate into guaranteed military victory.

Although Pakistan’s ultimate objective was Kashmir, it launched a diversionary gambit in faraway Kutch in March ’65, then followed it up with Op Gibraltar (sending in waves of raiders into the Kashmir Valley) in August and then threatened to cut off Akhnoor in September.

Facing a dire situation, Prime Minister Shastri authorised opening another front across Punjab, apparently catching Pakistan by surprise. As Indian forces raced towards the Ichogil canal and were on the doorsteps of Lahore, a desperate Pakistan launched its spearhead, the 1 Armoured Division equipped with the latest Pattons into the war to break through Indian defences to threaten Amritsar and Jalandhar. The M-47 and M-48 Pattons were the most modern of that period. They had good sighting systems and stabilised gun platforms that had a range of 2,000 metres. Equipped with infrared sights, they could operate by night. The Indian armoured regiments on the other hand were mostly equipped with Shermans, with a range of just 800 metres and no night sights.

As the Pakistani armour reached the vital bridges across the Beas river, it seemed only a matter of time before the tanks broke through Indian defences.

Pakistan had a bold plan to reach the bridges at Harike and Beas which would give it multiple options of threatening Amritsar, Jalandhar and onward to Delhi. It is also apparent that India’s Western Command was not certain of the location of Pakistani 1 Armoured Division, which was positioned at Kasur, ready to spearhead the offensive into India’s critical bridges on the Beas.

D-day for the operation was initially September 7, 1965. Inexplicably, Pakistan delayed the offensive by 24 hours. The delay helped the Indian troops prepare defences, lay mines and undertake flooding of the fields by breaching the Rohi Nala and the distributary canals to make the open area waterlogged. This automatically imposed restrictions on the movement of the Pakistani armour. As the unsuspecting tanks of Pakistan’s 1 Armoured Division launched the offensive at 8.30 am on September 8, they were engaged by tanks of Deccan Horse. Utilising standing crops, the tanks were engaged by Deccan Horse, medium guns and tank-hunting teams. Deccan Horse managed to destroy 11 tanks while losing four of their own. Three other Pakistani tanks were damaged by medium guns and tank-hunting parties.

Such heavy losses compelled the Pakistanis to retreat. Their units launched the next attack after a considerable gap at 11.30 on September 8. The attack was led by a regiment of Pattons, a squadron of Chaffees and a motorised battalion of the Pakistani 4 Armoured Brigade. They attacked 1/9 Gorkha Rifles and 4 Grenadiers. The attack was partially successful in the 1/9 Gorkha Rifles location but unable to make headway in 4 Grenadiers. The Pakistanis again attacked 4 Grenadiers at 12. Despite some of their trenches being overrun, the battalion with its anti-tank gunners comprising Subedar Mool Chand and Company Quarter Master Havildar (CQMH) Abdul Hamid knocked out four tanks. The armour tried to outflank the divisional sector from the north but the prepositioned tanks of 3 Cavalry countered this ably. Attacks were made at dawn on September 9 too along both axes. Two tanks were blown up on the minefield and another was destroyed by the recoilless gun of 4 Grenadiers. During the afternoon, the Pakistanis made an attempt to outflank from the southeast but failed as they got bogged down in the flooded area at Valtoha and were destroyed one by one.

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On the third day of the op, the Pakistani tanks had overrun the forward trenches. CQMH Abdul Hamid got three, not the fourth.

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In the battle, some Pakistani tank commanders who had their heads out of the cupola were killed. By September 10, the Pakistanis were in a desperate situation. They tried to outflank the defences from the west with two regiments of Pattons and a squadron of Chaffees with a motorised battalion only to be encountered by the tanks of 3 Cavalry and 8 Cavalry that were camouflaged in the cane fields. Then, 4 Grenadiers was attacked with a battalion of infantry and a few Patton tanks. The tanks managed to overrun the forward trenches. CQMH Hamid who had been shifted to the anti-tank platoon destroyed three tanks but was shot by the fourth. For this act of gallantry, he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously. As the attack on 4 Grenadiers failed, the Pakistani outflanking armour charged on Mahmudpura, but they were decimated by the Centurions lying in wait, crushing Pakistan’s 1 Armoured Division. The commanding officer of Pakistan’s 4 Cavalry was captured in the cane fields. Asal Uttar-Khem Karan was a great victory for the Indian army. The Pakistanis lost 97 tanks, including 72 Pattons; 32 were captured in running condition. India in contrast lost only five. India won what is now acknowledged as the biggest tank battle fought after WW-II.

It is now apparent that Pakistan had grand plans but poor execution. India on the other hand displayed keen tactical sense, resolute leadership and clever improvisation to turn the tide of the war. The battle also showed that the man behind the weapon is more important than the weapon itself. Deccan Horse and regiments of 2 Independent Armoured Brigade were adept at handling Shermans, Centurions and AMX tanks. In assaults led by armour, the infantry must move with the armour. This prevents tanks falling prey to anti-tank weapons, something CQMH Hamid exploited.

Demoralised with the setback at Khem Karan, Pakistan lost the heart to fight. Today, a memorial for those who fought and won in this sector boasts a board ‘Patton Wreckers’ on the general area of Assal Uttar and Khem Karan. It’s a reminder that no matter how good the weapon, the battle is won by those who wield it effectively.

(Former Outlook staffer Nitin Gokhale is a defence analyst. He is currently writing a book on the ’65 war.)

source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> International – Opinion / by Nitin A. Gokhale / Magazine – May 25th, 2015

Prestige’s Irfan Razack and his Mumbai dream

September 3, 2015Business & Economy, Leadersmpositiveone@gmail.com

Having made Prestige a household name in Bengaluru, can billionaire-developer Irfan Razack do the same in India’s most expensive and competitive real estate market ?

Image: Namas Bhojani for Forbes India Irfan Razack, 62, chairman and managing director of Prestige Group — Image: Namas Bhojani for Forbes India
Irfan Razack, 62, chairman and managing director of Prestige Group

In 1990, when Irfan Razack sold his second real estate project in his home market of Bengaluru for Rs 1 crore, he began planning his retirement. Elated with the money he had made, Razack thought he could spend his days indulging in his favourite hobby—horse riding. But twenty-five years later, the now 62-year-old chairman and managing director of Prestige Group is still hooked on to real estate. “My friend had warned me that making buildings is like a drug. He said, ‘You will become addicted to it’,” says Razack, who heads Prestige Estates Projects Ltd, the group’s flagship company.

A self-professed “clear thinker” who prides himself on being meticulous, he believes that life is about conquering the next big milestone. “Money loses its charm after a while. It is the creativity that keeps you going,” says the billionaire, who, with a net worth of $1.23 billion, ranks at No 77 on the 2014 Forbes India Rich List.

Prestige Estates Projects, India’s second-largest listed real estate company, is on the brink of greater things. Now more than ever, it needs its leader. Retirement is not an option for Razack.

For the first time, in financial year 2015, Prestige has overtaken India’s largest listed real estate developer DLF Ltd in pre-sales (new sales). Last year, the difference between the pre-sales of the two competing companies was Rs 1,424 crore with DLF in the lead. But Prestige ended the recently concluded fiscal 2015 with Rs 5,014 crore in pre-sales compared to DLF’s Rs 3,850 crore of pre-sales much to the surprise of analysts who were initially sceptical of Prestige meeting its new sales target of Rs 5,000 crore.

Now, Razack expects to touch Rs 20,000 crore in pre-sales in the next three years. And this time around, everyone, competitors included, is paying attention.

To put things in perspective, prior to its initial public offering (IPO) in FY09, Prestige had recorded revenues of Rs 889 crore. Since 2010, its market capitalisation has grown from Rs 2,000 crore to about Rs 10,000 crore currently. Its subsequent rise in these last six years has coincided with DLF’s decline in growth. DLF’s market capitalisation has been on a downward spiral from a high of Rs 2 lakh crore in 2008 (a year after its IPO) to approximately Rs 22,000 crore.

These comparisons don’t sit too well with Razack. “We are the number two developer by default, rankings don’t matter,” he says.

But how did he ride the crests and troughs of the real estate market? For nearly three decades, the Bengaluru-based developer built an enviable portfolio by focusing mostly on his home turf (85 percent of its ongoing projects are in the city) compared to its larger rival DLF, which has projects across India. Luck had a hand in his success, too. Bengaluru, along with Mumbai and Delhi, is one of the top three residential property markets in India, and has held steady unlike the National Capital Region (NCR) where DLF has most of its projects.

In terms of revenue, Prestige pales in comparison to DLF. The New Delhi-based real estate company ended FY15 with Rs 8,168 crore in revenue compared with Prestige’s modest estimated revenue of Rs 3,200 crore for FY15. Prestige was scheduled to declare its audited financial results for FY15 on May 30, 2015 (after Forbes India went to print).

What has largely gone unnoticed, however, is that a substantial portion of the Bengaluru developer’s sales have not yet come in for revenue recognition. Real estate firms recognise revenues once their projects reach the threshold limit of 25 percent completion. Because many of Prestige’s projects haven’t reached that limit, the company is sitting on unrecognised revenue (sales made but yet to come in for recognition) amounting to Rs 8,377 crore as of December 31, 2014. Much of these sales will kick in by FY16.

Not that Razack is sitting around waiting for the numbers to kick in. He has far bigger plans.

source: http://www.forbesindia.com / Forbes India / Home> Features – Big Bet / by Shabana Hussain & Debojyoti Ghosh / June 09th, 2015

France pays inter-faith tribute to World War I Indian heroes

September 2, 2015Community Involvement / Social Issues, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

The Indian ambassador to France, Dr Mohan Kumar (centre), was also present at the ceremony to pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who fought in the First World War. (HT photo)

An interfaith commemoration for Indian soldiers who died in the First World War was held at the Indian memorial in France on Sunday. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the battle of Neuve Chapelle (March 10-13, 1915) which was the Indian Corps first major action in the war as a single unit.

Organised by the Indian Interfaith association and the local French administration at the Neuve Chapelle memorial, the event was attended by more than 1,300 Indians of different religious groups and about 300 French guests, the organisers told HT.

The memorial commemorates over 4,700 soldiers and labourers from British India who lost their lives on the Western Front during the First World War and have no known graves.

“Many come to pay homage to the Indian soldiers here, but we wanted to read their last prayers as this had never been done” said Ramesh Chandar Vohra, President of the Interfaith association.

A local band played the Indian and French national anthems as well as the last post, the final salute to fallen soldiers.

Pradeep Kumar Singh, a business executive said, “Back home, we tend to forget about these thousands of people who travelled thousands of kilometres to fight in unfamiliar territory and unfamiliar climate for a cause and for enemies that were not theirs”

The event took on a nationalist flavor, with Indian flags being waved and slogans of “Jai Hind” and “Indo-France ki Jai” greeting the prayers read by Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Sikh and Buddhist religious leaders.

The Indian ambassador to France, Dr Mohan Kumar, told HT, “We should appreciate the fact that the relationship between India and France goes back not just 40-50 years but a whole century.”

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> World / by Noopur Tiwari, Hindustan Times, Neuve Chapelle / September 02nd, 2015

REMEMBRANCE – Habib Tanvir, The Benign Dictator

September 1, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainmentmpositiveone@gmail.com

On the 92nd birth anniversary of the man the likes of whom are hardly around in Indian theatre any more. by Danish Husain

I have a habit of reaching places late. I got to work with Habib Tanvir only in the last 5 years of his life. And this has been one of my big regrets; I often wish my association with him had started earlier. I would have learnt more—about theatre, arts, culture and even life. His death deprived me of all this.

He was perpetually on the lookout for new faces. I was working with M.S. Sathyu in Dara Shikoh when a fellow actor Humayun Abbasi, a family acquaintance of Habib Saab, introduced me to him. I eventually got to work with him in Agra Bazaar. But my first meeting with him was much earlier as a manager in the Standard Chartered Bank. He was standing in the queue at the counter one day when I spotted him. Of course I recognised him, immediately pulled him out of the queue, escorted him to my desk, and sorted out his queries. Later when I narrated the incident to him, he remembered it. Since 2004-05, I became a regular member of the Agra Bazaar troupe.

The most amazing thing about Habib Saab was that he had multiple backup plans for any situation. He would never be perturbed by any news, however problematic. Even 10 minutes before a show, if there were last minute changes to be made, he would calmly go about making them. He could chop and edit a play at a minute’s notice and yet it would come together as a whole, complete in itself. The show wouldn’t stop ever. He would improvise as and when required.

At times his plays had 45-50 actors on stage, a pan-India cast with actors travelling from all over the country. They could be a logistical nightmare, but not for him. He would have multiple actors work on multiple roles so anybody could take over from anyone else in case of an emergency. He would call me “stepney”. “Jahan chaahe laga do” he would say. So I played many big and small roles—shayar, shohda, patangwala, even a crowd member in Agra Bazaar.

He had an eye on everything, every aspect of the play, from lighting to music to costumes, props, sets, you name it. He had an eye for detail. There was a sense of rootedness in his works. The texts were anchored in a defined sensibility, culture, ethos and zubaan. His understanding of his material was immaculate. The enormity and nuance of it would sink only after multiple performances. Bahut badaa mayajaal tha unka but you would understand the big picture when you figured out how the smallest of the components operated.

Each of his plays had this layering and subtlety which hit you and stayed with you much after you had watched the play. The play demanded to be seen again and again. One had to revisit it to absorb and savour it. Each time you viewed a specific play a new window of meaning opened on you.

He had once referred to himself as a “benign dictator”. I remember hearing that in one of the documentaries made on him. He never wielded a hammer during rehearsals. He would sit with a pipe in a corner and intervene only when someone went off tune. He had this ambivalent relationship with the Chattisgarhi actors. They were idiosyncratic and difficult to handle. In fact, the character of policewala in Charandas Chor was Habib Saab himself, metaphorically, constantly chasing and steering his actors. It was about his own struggles as a director. The actors, on the other hand, would have problems with him yet could not live without him. He could steer and keep the herd together because he had a fine understanding of human nature. The actors would often get drunk and riled up post performance and would misbehave with him but he would just sit calmly and hear them out. Next day, when the hullabaloo would be over, the actors would tremble, wait for a reaction from him. But he wouldn’t react, he’d be silent and use it effectively. It intrigued and worried them and they would come around. He managed to take them all along. They would fight, leave and come back. But things kept moving. They wouldn’t halt. No wonder then why there were instances of three generations of actors working with Naya Theatre.

His grounding, thoughts and understanding are missing now. Naya Theatre was self funded through invited shows. The grants were not very huge. One hears that the land allotted to him for the repertory also got usurped. Yet he kept Naya Theatre going for 50 years, it has survived six years after he is gone. If things are not seeming bright it’s also because of the government’s failure to recognise true artistes and what fosters a culture. He was a true visionary, a one in a century kind of man, the likes of whom are hardly around in Indian theatre any more.

source : http://www.outlookindia.com / Outook / Home> Arts & Entertainment – Opinion / by Danish Husain / September 01st, 2015

Sizzle in Fazal’s designs

September 1, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Leadersmpositiveone@gmail.com

Stylish curations: Nafees Fazal’s collection Photo: Sudhakara Jain

Former minister Nafees Fazal has launched her own jewellery studio

Nafees Fazal, a former minister for Medical Education and Science and Technology, in Karnataka “loves politics and jewellery. I have a passion for beautiful things,” explains the lady herself. Dressed in an elegant sari, she is not wearing any jewellery herself. “I don’t like to look like a Christmas tree all the time. A lovely sari, draped well, is enough to get me through the day,” she beams.

Nafees is now in the news as she launched her own jewellery studio called The Private Collection by Nafees Fazal. She has converted a room in her bungalow into the studio. “Having a studio at home helps me cut the overheads,” she explains.

As of now she has a limited range of jewellery called the “Naf Collection”. “Naf is short for my name,” she says, and dons the role of a model as she stylishly demonstrates how a particular piece of jewellery must be worn or carried in style.

“I am itching to get back into politics. But what do I do in the meantime? I can’t play housewife all the time. I decided to travel, and curate this collection for women. Who doesn’t love jewellery?” asks Nafees. The collection, currently on display, starts at Rs. 4,000. It is collected from Tanjavur, Rajasthan, and Delhi over the “last four months”. It offers designs in precious and semi-precious stones, antique pieces from Trivandrum, “which are bought at the princely sales”. Then there are jhumkis, large earrings, kangans, neck pieces and so on.

From bridal wear, to party wear or just making a style statment, the collection has something for every occasion. “They are created in silver, plated with gold, and come with kundan in polki and other hand works. Hence, it brings the cost down drastically. The aim is to offer the traditional with a touch of modernity. Part of the proceeds will go towards my Kare Foundation, which was started to help poor patients in 2009,” states the former minister.

She adds that she is “passionate to help the poor”. “I do not have crores but am all game to help those in need.”

Will she get into designing as well? Pat comes the reply, “No! I am not into manufacturing but only curating. I need to get back into politics. This is just a hobby. The studio will continue. I assure you that there is something stylish for everybody here.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Fashion / by Shilpa Sebastian R / Bengaluru – August 31st, 2015

Global rock music makes space in India’s heartland

September 1, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

For international rock and metal bands, India is on the top of their bucket list. Members of the music fraternity share their opinion.

'Metallica' a Heavy Metal Band performing a live concert at Palace Grounds, in Bangalore on October 30, 2011. Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash — ‘Metallica’ a Heavy Metal Band performing a live concert at Palace Grounds, in Bangalore on October 30, 2011. Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

Most of us spent our growing up years listening to iconic bands such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Lamb of God, Mr. Big, Michael Learns To Rock and Cannibal Corpse among other legends on our walkmans and CD players. Much of our time went into memorising the lyrics and for the aspiring musician in us, learning and practising the riffs and beats. But none of us would have ever imagined getting to watch these childhood heroes perform live in our own country.

Fans during 'Metallica', the heavy Metal band's live concert at Palace Grounds in Bangalore on October 30, 2011. Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash — Fans during ‘Metallica’, the heavy Metal band’s live concert at Palace Grounds in Bangalore on October 30, 2011. Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

Today, international bands are not only pulling in massive crowds to their gigs but also opening doors to discovering new audiences. India, particularly Bengaluru, has turned into a must-visit destination for international bands and in the last decade alone, a plethora of international acts have ticked India on their bucket list, some more than once. Here is what some of the country’s musicians have to say about the trend.

What set it off

Tony Das from ‘Peepal Tree’ says one thing that played a pivotal role in this rush of bands is that we were starved of them for quite a while.

“So when the time came, the fans of the slightly older bands that were around for a long time, jumped at the opportunity. Until recently, shows by international acts were random, erratic and rare. I guess they found a way to make it profitable especially with fans waiting for so long. Also, over time, people have developed a slightly more serious taste for music. People really love their music here and are willing to pay any amount to attend shows. My dream band to perform in India is American rock band Extreme since I’m a huge fan of frontman and lead guitarist Nuno Bettencourt.” Rajeev Rajagopal from ‘Thermal And A Quarter’ agrees that it is no surprise international bands head to India, and specially metro cities.

Role of language

“Among most metros, English is quite widely used. Also, the people in the country have developed a taste for international music from the Brit hangover here. It’s an international language and the audiences here listened to a lot of music. Hence, the reputation of a place really picks up. International bands know they will get an audience here. My dream band is American jazz band Steely Dan.”

Freelance musician and principal of Wings School of Music Ashley Joseph admits that India has always been a potential market for big bands with its big festivals. “The festivals are not only specific to one genre and there are a lot of blues and jazz artistes who also come down. There is an audience for everything here. India, in general, caters a wide range of audiences across genres. Artistes from here also have a significant audience abroad. My favourite band that must visit India is Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave.

Salman U. Syed, the promoter of the Bangalore Open Air metal festival, says India is also a new market since bands have been touring the States and Europe from the 80s itself. “Asia and India have always been a new market for these bands since they are a newer audience. My dream band that definitely needs to make a pit-stop iin India is British heavy metal band Judas Priest.”

Nathan Lee Harris from ‘Galeej Gurus’ points out that a lot of bands are now aware that there is an audience for their music. “These are mainly the newer bands, exploring third world countries before their music fizzles out. But I don’t have the same opinion for older bands. I believe that when they come to the Indian market, which they avoided 20-30 years ago, it is only to make a quick buck and go back. It’s quite obvious. Also on the flip side, these bands are now slightly more affordable. At the peak of their careers, we could not have afforded to bring them down. Now, since they are not at the peak of their careers, it’s easier to raise a sponsorship without feeling the pinch. My dream band, and most other musicians will also approve, is legendary Irish rock band U2.”

Jagadeesh M.R from ‘Moonarra’ says: “For bands from Europe and the States, India is affordable and has rapidly turned into a hotspot. The audience are quite varied and awareness of international music happens all the time through social media and the Internet. Musically, we are much more eclectic and even though Bollywood has a strong presence, other forms of music also survive and thrive, especially with alternate music culture. My dream artist will be Stevie Wonder.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities. Bengaluru / by Allan Moses Rodricks / August 31st, 2015