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Women's Day Special (Heroine in the Background) Brig PS Gothra(Retd)

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“Don’t join the Army, or if you do, don’t get married,” said Grandmother. “Dadima, are you afraid that I will get killed? Or do you hate the Army otherwise?” Sanjay asked. He had always enjoyed teasing her, but today was different. He was seeking her permission in earnest, having qualified for the technical stream to join the Army. “No, I am not afraid. One can get killed anywhere. If I were a man, I would have loved to join the Army myself. But then, I wouldn’t have gotten married.” She paused, looking into the distance. “The Army has given us so much, but I am against your joining because of that beautiful girl you are seeing. I don’t want her life to be ruined by your decision.” “Dadima, I have never been able to understand your conflicting stance.” She took a deep breath. “Sanjay, your grandfather was in the Royal Indian Army. During the Second World War, we received news that after a Japanese attack, he was missing and presumed dead. Many soldiers were captured and forced to join ...
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IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 81 - KUTTA (DOGGIE) TACTICS - Brig PS Gothra (Retd)

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    Zelensky getting humiliated by Trump in full media view. His face had the same expression as a dog that’s gotten stuck while mating , completely out of stamina, while its owner yells at it to hurry up and finish the job and withdraw.(I apologize for the lewd example, but the aim is to make sure you remember this lesson.) Back in 1943, after getting humiliated at Stalingrad, Hitler and his generals thought, “We need to do something, or this war is slipping out of our hands!” So, they came up with Operation Citadel—a plan that was supposed to be a masterstroke. The idea? Cut off the Soviet bulge at Kursk, trap the Red Army from the north and south, and boom! Game over for the Soviets. Sounds brilliant, right? But there was one small problem—the Soviets weren’t fools anymore. They had fortified their defenses like crazy, setting up deadly minefields, anti-tank traps, and layer upon layer of resistance. (For those appearing in the staff college entrance exam this yea...
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महाकुंभमेळा आणि राष्ट्रीय शक्ती -मूळ इंग्रजी लेखक: ब्रिगेडियर परमजीत सिंग घोतडा (सेवानिवृत्त) मराठी अनुवाद : कर्नल आनंद बापट (सेवानिवृत्त)

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  महाकुंभपर्वामध्ये गंगास्नान करण्यासाठी मी अजूनही गेलेलो नाही हे ऐकताच तो म्हणाला, "इतक्या मोठ्या स्तरावर हा महाकुंभमेळा आयोजित करणे म्हणजे पैशांचा आणि संसाधनांचा निव्वळ अपव्यय आहे, दुसरं काय?" तो स्वतः नास्तिक असल्याचे त्याने मला आधीच सांगितले होते.  मी हसतमुखानेच त्याला म्हणालो, "तुझ्या चष्म्यातून तुला सर्व धर्मांमधल्या केवळ वाईट गोष्टीच दिसत राहणार यात काही नवल नाही. पण एका सैनिकाच्या दृष्टिकोनातून मला तरी असे दिसते की, भारताने आपले शत्रू आणि मित्र या दोघांनाही या कुंभमेळ्याद्वारे एक अतिशय स्पष्ट इशारा दिलेला आहे." माझे बोलणे ऐकताच त्याने भुवया उंचावून म्हटले, "सैनिकी दृष्टिकोन? पण धर्म आणि सैन्यदलांचा काय संबंध?"  "अगदी घनिष्ठ संबंध आहे. आता असं पाहा, कोट्यवधी लोक लांबलांबून येऊन प्रयागतीर्थी एकत्र जमले, इथे राहिले आणि सर्वांनी एका सामायिक श्रद्धेने गंगेमध्ये स्नान केले. यामधून किमान चार गोष्टी स्पष्ट होतात: - १. कोट्यवधी भारतीयांना अशा प्रकारे एकसंध समूहात एकवटता येणे शक्य आहे.  २. अभूतपूर्व अशा प्रकारचा हा सोहळा घडवून आणण्यासाठी लागण...
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IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 80 (The Maha Kumbh and CNP) Brig PS Gothra (Retd)

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    "It is a waste of resources to hold the Kumbh Mela on such a massive scale," the man said when I mentioned that I hadn’t taken a dip at the Maha Kumbh. He had told me earlier that he was an atheist.     I smiled. "With your outlook, you will always see the negatives in religion. But from my military perspective, I see the Kumbh as a powerful demonstration to both our enemies and our allies."      He raised an eyebrow. "Military? What does religion have to do with the military?"      "Everything," I replied.      "Think about it. Crores of people gather, travel, and take a dip in unison. What does that signify? (a) The ability to mobilize millions at an unprecedented scale. (b) The administrative strength of the nation to manage such an event efficiently. (c) The unshakable faith of our people, willing to endure discomfort for a larger cause. (d) The great capability of our leadership.      "Isn’t...
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IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 79 – CRYBABY ( रोंदु बच्चा) --Brig PS Gothra(Retd)

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“Which aircraft is better, the Su-57 or the F-35?” asked the young man, his eyes gleaming with curiosity when he found out that I was an ex-serviceman. I racked my brain for an answer but found myself at a loss. I was ignorant of their precise characteristics. Instead, I responded, “I don’t know which one is better, but I do know which one we will buy.” Seeing my nonchalance, he tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. “Isn’t it a proud moment that both aircraft are sharing the tarmac on Indian soil?” I raised an eyebrow. Proud moment? How? All I saw were two vendors knocking on our door, presenting their wares. A grand perception management exercise, nothing more. I couldn’t help but remark, “I see it as a slap on our face. It proves that despite our Prime Minister’s best efforts with Atmanirbhar Bharat , we are still poised to spend a fortune procuring one of these aircraft from abroad. People have to take his sublime vision forward, you cannot expect him to go around kicki...
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