Omar Khyyam-Can we Forget Him ?

Women, Wine and Omar Khayyam: is this the Truth?

Updated on December 12, 2017

The B-24 and the IAF- A Romantic Tale

Resurrection of B-24

During 1948 war with Pakistan, when the IAF had to use the C-47(Dakota) as a bomber, the need for a heavy bomber dawned on the IAF air staff. No heavy bomber was available as the Western countries denied a heavy bomber to the IAF. At that time in 1948 information came that the Royal Air force had abandoned about 70 B-24’s at Chakeri air field near Kanpur in 1946. These planes were part of the lend lease pact and one of the terms of the contract was to make the planes unfit for flying. The RAF technicians had disabled the machines as they could not be taken back to the UK. They had not done a thorough job and as the RAF men were eager to get back to the UK. The machines were just parked and left with some minor defects.

The IAF technicians surveyed the airfield and were wonderstruck at the treasure made available to them.

Making the Liberator's fit for flight

The planes were examined by engineers from the IAF and they were of the opinion that the planes could be made fit for flying by cannibalization. A team of aero engineers now came from Hindustan Aeronautics and work began in earnest to make the machines airworthy. It is a tribute to Indian skills that about 50 B-24 were made air worthy and inducted into the IAF. All credit to Jamshed Kaikobad (Jimmy) Munshi the chief test pilot of HAL who played a major part in testing the machines. The liberators were made air worthy and flown to Bangalore where at the HAL factory they were made fully serviceable. No parts were imported as parts from about 20 B-24s were cannibalized and used. In all the IAF could make about 50 liberators air worthy.

News of the Liberators in service with the IAF reached the Americans. This surprised them and they suspected that the Indians may have purchased them from some rogue nation. To allay their fears a team from the USA Air Force was invited to have a look. The team came in 1951 and was impressed with the way the Liberators had been restored.

Madan G Singh: Dating Irish Girls

Madan G Singh: Dating Irish Girls:   My friend is a  Indian resident of Dublin, He just passed by me through Singapore and we had a good wow over a glass of beer. He had m...

Dating Irish Girls

 My friend is a  Indian resident of Dublin, He just passed by me through Singapore and we had a good wow over a glass of beer. He had married an Irish girl who was not traveling with him. I asked him how he managed to marry an Irish girl and he credited this to a dating site that specifically show cases Irish girls. The site is http://ie.match.com/.

https://pixabay.com/en/wedding-dress-beautifu-l-girl-2098223/

There are about 35 Irish dating sites on the net, but this site is at the top rung of the ladder. Research tells me that there are 25 million members of this site with over 400,000 success stories for dates and marriage last year. That is a phenomenal success rate.

 Irish people are distinct from English who ruled over them for centuries. Many Irish women were also made concubines and slaves of the English and Cromwell himself launched a big purge in occupied Ireland. There is, however, an exotic charm of Irish women that endears them to men all over the world and the result is the membership of this dating site.

The site is a comparatively costly affair and can set you back by $ 101.94 for a six-month subscription, payable in one installment.  

Trump Invites Putin to White House

Trump and Putin the equation deepens

After the Helsinki Summit, a new combative Trump is seen who has now invited the Russian leader to the white house. This is a new phase in US-Russia equation

Trump has just met president Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on 16 July 2016. He claimed in a tweet that the meeting was a great success and has now gone one step further. He is likely to invite Putin for a visit to the White House this fall. This shows that Trump is fighting back after being hemmed in by allegations of a " Russian connection".

NBC has reported that when the news of Trump's invitation to Putin was conveyed to Dan Coats the head of National Intelligence, he was surprised as he is the man who has been saying that Russia influenced the US Presidential election. He is not the only one but many opponents of Trump led by Schwarzenegger, John McCain etc have been shouting hoarse that there is a"Russian connection" All are saying Russia "interfered" in the election. But again nobody is saying what was the result of this "interference'? Did Trump win because of it? There is no answer except that it's a convenient stick to beat Trump with.

The Razakars of East Pakistan

The Infamous Razakars of East Pakistan

Razakar' is an infamous word, because of its association with rape and killings in Hyderabad and East Pakistan. The word is derived from Arabic and means 'volunteer' and has an ancient past. Razakars were soldiers who fought alongside Mohammed, the prophet during the days when he was under siege. The Razakars made an appearance in East Pakistan during the time when the Bengali population was agitating for their rights in the old composite state of Pakistan.

 General Tikka Khan promulgated an ordinance on 01 June 1971 called the East Pakistan Razakar Ordinance. By this, he created an irregular militia to help the Pakistan army. Recruitment was voluntary, but the men who joined were mostly Bihari Muslims and local Bengali Muslim sympathizers of Pakistan. These Razakars were armed and given some military training by the Pakistan army. The Razakars were commanded by Major General  Mohammed Jamshed. The Razakar strength rose to almost 100,000 in a month and they were divided into brigades of 3000-4000 men.

Instructions were passed to the Razakars to 'weed out' the anti-Pakistani people and suitably deal with them. The Razakars began to roam the countryside and started a campaign of terror. They began a policy of rape and indiscriminate killing under the aegis of the Pakistan army. They were particularly severe on Hindus, many of who were killed and the girls abducted and taken to their camps and raped. They also did not spare Muslims and it was common for a group of Razakars to enter a village and kill a few people who they felt were supporters of the Awami league and carry away young Muslim girls. A classified secret US report mentioned that the Razakars were creating anarchy by their actions of rape and killings.

This state of affairs continued until December 1971, when special units of the Indian army special forces operating in East Pakistan began to kill the Razakars in encounters. An exasperated Yahya Khan ordered an airstrike in the West on 3 December 1971. This was the signal for 5 divisions of the Indian army under General Sagat Singh to enter East Pakistan in a pincer action from 4 directions.The Razakars who initially engaged the Indian army were no match and hundreds were shot dead. Morale of the Razakars began to ebb and large-scale desertions began to take place.As the army advanced thousands were killed by the Mukti Bahini as reprisals for their part in raping and killing the locals.

Heart rending tale behind 'The Last Post'; the bugle on retreat

The  tale behind the poignant tune

The story behind

Indian bugler after Bangladesh war

ALL have heard the haunting song, 'The Last Post.'
It's the song that gives us the lump in our throats and usually tears in our eyes.
The fact is not many know the story behind the song?
If not, I think you will be interested to find out about its humble beginnings.

Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the American Civil War, when Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison's Landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land.
During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment.

When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead..

The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his own son. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out. Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army.

The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial, despite his enemy status. His request was only partially granted.

The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral.

The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate.

But, out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician.

The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth's uniform.

This wish was granted.
The haunting melody, we now know as 'The Last Post' used at military funerals was born.

The Melody

The bugler

The words are:

Day is done.
Gone the sun..
From the lakes
From the hills.
From the sky.
All is well.
Safely rest.
God is nigh.

Fading light.
Dims the sight.
And a star.
Gems the sky.
Gleaming bright.
From afar..
Drawing nigh.
Falls the night..

Thanks and praise.
For our days.
Neath the sun
Neath the stars.
Neath the sky
As we go.
This we know.
God is nigh

Last Word

The lonely bugle

I too have felt the chills while listening to 'The Last Post' but I have never seen all the words to the song until now.I didn't even know there was more than one verse.
I also never knew the story behind the song and all I can say is that I now have a
deeper respect for the song than I did before