India Vows to Modernise Military
The country's new administration is very firm in modernising the military to bring it upto par with modern armies.
[MUHAMMAD IRSHAD]

India's new administration said that it would modernise the armed forces and speed up deals to bring in new hardware while down playing rumours that military ties with Israel would be put on ice. “The objective will be to modernize the armed forces, upgrade their skills it will be a continuous process“, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, said in his first news conference since assuming the new office.

This present Indian thinking is exactly in line with the desire being exhibited by the Indian leadership since the dawn of their creation or even since the period before that. A short preview of the philosophy, which also might explain why the Indians are amassing the foreign hardware as well as boosting their tremendous local talents and resources could be had from the speech of the Indian Defence Minister, in their very first defence budget on 13th March 1948, when he stated, “India could not fail to recall the misery and horror and shameful crimes inflicted on so many of our countrymen, women and children, when hordes of well armed tribesmen and others trained in the use of arms were let loose on our civil population from the neighbouring dominion. It was therefore imperative on the part of government of India to proceed to train our nationals in the use of arms, so that our citizen would never again be exposed to the risk and dangers, and the security of the motherland be never at stake. The cadet corp. will, I hope provide a fruitful source of recruitment for our future officers in the armed forces.“

This marked the beginning of the compulsory training for the Indian youth which in the first 25 years (till 1973) produced 30 million cadets. After 25 years of the said Indian decision, Pakistan government in August 1973, decided to start programme for defence training for various walks of life under the headings of Mujahid force, the Janbaz force, the women guards and the national cadet corp. From the very first day, these programmes were started with half-hearted moods and it is no wonder that all such programmes have been abandoned in Pakistan since last few years......more
Read viewer comments

Prithvi Raj versus Shahab-ud-Din Mohammad Ghori
The historical facts of these two heroes, PRITHVI RAJ for Hindus and GHORI for Muslims.
[M A GILANI]

Introduction

During the last few years the names of PRITHVI and GHORI have earned usual publicity in the Indo-Pak subcontinent due to the missile tests carried out by India and Pakistan. The Hindus of India regard PRITHVI RAJ as their hero, whereas SHAHAB-UD-DIN MOHAMMAD GHORI is also held in high esteem as one of the favourite heroes particularly by the Muslims of Pakistan.

Needless to say that the spirit of hero worship inspired both the countries to name their respective missiles in the names of these heroes.

My inquisitiveness revealed that many persons were not aware about the actual historical facts concerning these two adversaries. Some thought Prithvi as god of the Hindus whose statue could not be destroyed by Ghori in his first attempt. Some admitted to have known these names but showed complete ignorance about the battles fought between the two. Whereas even some well read persons were hazy about the causes, actual site of the battles, relative strength and deployment of the armies.

Aim

The aim of this article is to highlight, in a nutshell, some of the salient historical facts for the information of those who are not aware about the same. This humble effort does not mean that knowledge of the learned readers of DJ is being underestimated.

Prithvi Raj

Prithvi Raj Chohan, also called Rai Pathora, was the ruler of Ajmir and Delhi, by far the strongest of all the rulers of Northern India at the end of the twelfth century. He was brave, powerful, haughty and considered the flower of Rajput chivalry. His brother KHANDEY RAI (or GOBIND RAI - some historians called him Prithvi's relative whose daughter was married to Prithvi) was the viceroy of Delhi. Prithvi's first cousin Jaichand, Raja of KANAUJ, had strained relations with Prithvi because their grandfather (father of their mothers) had allowed Prithvi to inherit the throne of Delhi. Also because Prithvi had abducted the beautiful daughter of Jaichand in a daring raid......more
Read viewer comments