IPKF memorial not in Manmohan’s itinerary
Media report from Colombo Aug 17, 2008: The Sri Lanka Navy has constructed a memorial for the Indian Peace Keeping Force personnel who were killed during operations in Sri Lanka from 1987 to 90. The memorial in Colombo is on the Jana Kala Kendraya premises near the parliament complex.
Many expected Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to open the memorial when he visited Colombo during the SAARC summit two weeks ago. However, the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry claimed the unveiling of the war memorial was not in the Indian’s Prime Minister’s schedule.
In all 1225 Indian soldiers lost their lives in IPKF operations. And no memorial exists for them even in India. Here is Sri Lankan Navy saying ‘thank you to them.’ According to the Sunday Times, Colombo, the Indian High Commission spokesman Dinker Astana declined to comment on the matter. This makes me have second thoughts on why the opening ceremony was not scheduled during the visit. Was the Indian Prime Minister’s Colombo schedule so heavy that he could not spare a little time to open the memorial? Or was it to pander to coalition politicians of Tamil Nadu politicians who made no secret of their sympathies for the LTTE even when their own army was fighting in Sri Lanka? Will somebody who cares about the dead soldiers bother to answer?
Armed forces welcome pay hike decision
New Delhi, August 15, 2008: The armed forces have reacted positively to the revised pay hike announced by the government. In his initial reaction of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta, who is also the Chairman of the Chiefs of the Staff Committee, said that "even as more details are awaited, prima facie all the concerns of the defence forces appear to have been suitably addressed." The armed forces were dissatisfied with the Pay Commission's earlier recommendations and forced the government to set up a special review panel.
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