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The Print
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Famagusta & its unsung heroes—story of fierce tank battle that turned the tide in 1971 India-Pakistan war
'He was a simple and stoic soldier from Nagaur district of Rajasthan; kind, soft-spoken and deeply affectionate,' Brigadier Karan Singh Rathore (Retd), an officer who served alongside Jodha, said to ThePrint. A native of Husenpura village in Rajasthan's Nagaur district, his passing marks the end of a living chapter from the Battle of Basantar during the 1971 India-Pakistan War. The battle is remembered for the bravery of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra. New Delhi: Risaldar Major (Honorary Captain) Nathu Singh Jodha (Retd), the last surviving crew member of the Indian Army's legendary Centurion tank Famagusta, died Saturday at the age of 79 due to age-related medical complications. 'I had the privilege of serving alongside him in the regiment. Never once did he complain about not being adequately recognised, nor did he ever boast about his considerable achievements.' The story of the Famagusta, though, is not his alone. It was manned by a four-member crew: Second Lieutenant Khetarpal as tank commander, Sowar Nathu Singh Jodha as gunner, Sowar Nand Singh as loader and Sowar Prag Singh Rathore as driver. Cramped inside the Famagusta's 6-foot turret, the four young men, all under the age of 24 then, held their ground against repeated Pakistani armoured assaults, fighting through smoke, fire and relentless shelling in one of the defining tank battles of the 1971 war. Famagusta, a Centurion Mk 7 tank of the Poona Horse regiment, was at the centre of one of the fiercest engagements of the 1971 war, the Battle of Basantar. Weighing around 50 tonnes and equipped with a 17-pounder main gun, the Centurion was, at that time, one of the most capable tanks in the Indian Army's arsenal. Also read: Lt Col & his family among 6 missing after landslide hits army camp in north Sikkim. 3 found dead so far Holding the line at Basantar The capture of the Shakargarh region in the western sector was critical during the war, as it could have allowed Pakistan's forces to sever the vital connection between Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of India. Subsequently, the Battle of Basantar, fought from 4 to 16 December, emerged as one of the most significant engagements during the war. Despite facing heavily fortified Pakistani defences and extensive minefields, the Indian troops executed a coordinated offensive that secured key territory and pushed the frontline westward. Engineers from the Indian Army's 9 Engineer Regiment breached minefields as deep as 1.6 km while under direct enemy fire. Between 15 and 16 December, troops of the 47th Infantry Brigade secured a bridgehead across the Basantar River, clearing the path for the 17th Poona Horse's Centurion tanks to advance. What followed were fierce duels between Indian Centurions and AMX-13s and Pakistani Pattons. As the enemy surged forward, 21-year-old Khetarpal, with less than 6 months of service, was ordered up to reinforce the line. Inside the Famagusta tank, Khetarpal gave the command to his crew to fight from position. Gunner Sowar Nathu Singh opened fire with pinpoint accuracy, while loader Sowar Nand Singh worked relentlessly to feed the 20-pounder gun amid thick smoke and deafening blasts. Together, they knocked out 10 enemy tanks, halting the Pakistani advance. But as the last of the turret ammunition was spent, the crew began traversing the gun to access rounds stored in the hull. At that moment, a Pakistani anti-tank missile pierced the tank's side pistol port, killing Sowar Nand Singh instantly and grievously wounding both Khetarpal and Sowar Nathu Singh. Driver Rathore, the fourth crew member, climbed out under fire and pulled the wounded out of the disabled tank. He was hit by machine-gun fire while attempting to save his comrades. Khetarpal later succumbed to his injuries and was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, while the two other crew members survived. By the end of the battle, Indian forces had reportedly destroyed over 48 Pakistani tanks, decimating one infantry brigade and one armoured brigade. The tank, Famagusta, was later recovered and now stands preserved at the Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACC&S) in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. The man behind the gun While Khetarpal was honoured with India's highest wartime gallantry award, the story of his crew remained largely untold. All three crew members—Jodha, Rathore and Sowar Nand Singh—were reportedly recommended for the Vir Chakra by their commanding officer. Lieutenant Colonel Hanut Singh received the Mahavir Chakra for his role in the battle. Further, sources said that Jodha and Rathore were awarded a Mention in Dispatches, meanwhile, Sowar Nand Singh, who died inside the tank, was not officially recognised. Despite his life-altering leg injuries post the battle, Jodha continued to serve with his regiment. He went on to become a Master Gunner and gunnery instructor, dedicating himself to training young tank crews. According to those who served with him, he remained deeply committed to Poona Horse. Survived by his wife and two sons, Hony Capt Nathu Singh Jodha's funeral in Husenpura saw a large turnout of residents and ex-servicemen. With the passing of Hony Capt Nathu Singh Jodha, the last living link to the Centurion tank Famagusta is gone. The tank now stands quietly in Ahmednagar, its scars still visible, a reminder of December 1971, when four young men, one officer and three sowars, fought fiercely from within its steel walls and helped change the course of the war. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also read: Losses are not important, outcomes are—CDS General Anil Chauhan on Operation Sindoor 'setbacks'
Boston Globe
22-05-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
US judge grills government lawyer on DEI in suit against massive health cuts
The lawsuit, filed in April by a group led by the American Public Health Association, argues that the The suit's plaintiffs, represented in part by the ACLU of Massachusetts, also allege that the NIH's use of 'vague and undefined criteria' to decide on the cuts violated the Fifth Amendment's due-process protections. Advertisement The cuts in March abruptly terminated tens of millions of dollars in grants in New England and across the country and heavily targeted the medical research infrastructure in Greater Boston. The decision also has endangered long-running research into disease prevention and health disparities among long-underserved populations. Dr. Brittany Charlton, another plaintiff and associate professor at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, has said she lost several grants for the research center she founded to improve the health of LGBTQ people. Advertisement Young took the request for dismissal under advisement, as well as a request for a preliminary injunction to block the NIH's cancellation of the grants. But before Young made those procedural decisions, scheduling further arguments for June, he pressed Khetarpal for more clarity about the government's approach to DEI initiatives, which the Trump administration is working to scrub from American education, government, social services, and the workplace. 'Does that mean our policy is homogeneity, inequity, and exclusion? I mean, are you going to stand there and tell me, that now is the policy of the National Institutes of Health?' Young asked. 'Your honor,' Khetarpal replied, 'I am not making that assertion.' 'It would be a breathtaking assertion,' Young said. The cancellations targeted projects classified as 'DEI research programs, gender identity, vaccine hesitancy, climate change,' and other topics proscribed by the Trump administration, according to the lawsuit. In addition to revoking the grants, the NIH decision would imperil more than $1.3 billion already invested in research that now is in danger of being terminated. At one point Thursday, Young turned to the plaintiffs' attorneys to ask how they believed the government has defined DEI. 'Someone in this administration says DEI, there's apparently something wrong with that. As neutrally as you can, what does that mean?' Young asked. Kenneth Parreno, an attorney for Protect Democracy, told the judge that the plaintiffs he represents have not been given a working definition, and that the cuts have been 'arbitrary and capricious.' Advertisement 'It's the defendant's burden to show what that definition was when the decision was made,' Parreno said. Khetarpal, the federal attorney, said that decisions to cancel some grants, such as funding for COVID-related research, had been made because the work no longer aligned with the government's 'ongoing priorities.' Young ordered the government to produce documents by June 2 demonstrating the reasoning behind each of the NIH's new policy directives. He also called for a conference on consolidating this lawsuit with a related one filed against the NIH in April by 16 state attorneys general, including Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell. The attorneys general argue that the cancellations were unlawful and 'seek relief for the unreasonable and intentional delays currently plaguing the grant-application process.' Brian MacQuarrie can be reached at
Mint
14-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Jubilant FoodWorks CEO confident Turkey ops unaffected by tensions with India
New Delhi: India's Fast-food giant Jubilant FoodWorks Limited (JFL), which operates more than 900 restaurants in Turkey, said it expects no negative impact on its Turkish operations despite the diplomatic strain between New Delhi and Ankara after "Operation Sindoor", and calls for travel ban to that country. 'I will not worry too much about macroeconomic factors or any geopolitical risk impacting Turkey," Sameer Khetarpal, CEO and MD of Jubilant FoodWorks, said during the company's post-earnings call on Wednesday. Jubilant FoodWorks holds the master franchisee rights for Domino's Pizza in Turkey through its subsidiary DP Eurasia NV. DP Eurasia is the exclusive master franchisee for Domino's Pizza in Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Also read: Mumbai: Pizza delivery boy harassed by couple for not speaking Marathi As of the March quarter, Jubilant FoodWorks operated 906 stores in Turkey, including 746 for Domino's pizza chain and 160 for Coffy—a Turkish coffee chain. Overall, the company operates 3,316 stores, with 2,304 outlets in India alone. 'If you go to Turkey, they are oblivious to any political changes, whether it's for the brand Domino's and Coffy, which is actually a Turkish brand. They're not concerned about any geopolitical risk, whether it's tariffs or Russia-Ukraine or anything which is happening on the India-Pakistan border. The momentum in the food market and the consumer business in Turkey continues," Khetarpal told analysts. Despite fluctuations in dollar terms, Turkey's real GDP (adjusted for inflation) has consistently grown by 3% to 4%. In the past two-and-a-half years, inflation has eased, leading to lower interest rates This indicates improving macroeconomic conditions, Khetarpal added. 'I feel good about the macroeconomic situation in Turkey, and the core thesis that we had—it's the largest consumer base outside of Russia in Europe, and the youngest population, with almost three-and-a-half, four times per capita GDP versus India. Those things are all intact; and therefore you see very solid performance of both Domino's and Coffy in Turkey," he said. Also read: Pizza party or warning? Bankers working 110-hour weeks asked to 'do better' The comments follow India's recent conflict with Pakistan that saw countries such as China and Turkey openly come out and support Pakistan, while condemning India for the attacks on terror sites in the neighboring country. Consequently, there have been widespread calls to boycott Turkish goods and halt travel to Turkey. Online travel portals are reporting a surge in cancellations, and advisories have been issued warning travellers to avoid the country. Meanwhile, for the quarter ended 31 March 2025, the company's consolidated revenue grew 33% year-on-year to ₹2,103.2 crore. Profit for the period fell 76% to ₹49.33 crore on account of higher expenses as well as investments in overseas subsidiaries. Expenses during the quarter grew 32.3% to ₹2,044.9 crore. Its revenue from the international segment comprising Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia touched ₹480.2 crore during the quarter. Also read: Is quick commerce eating into the food delivery market? For the full year, JFL's revenue from operations grew 44% to ₹8,141.7 crore. It added 325 stores in the past twelve months. Jubilant FoodWorks Limited operates 3,316 stores across six markets—India, Turkey, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The group has franchise rights for three global brands—Domino's, Popeyes and Dunkin', and two own-brands, Hong's Kitchen, and a Coffy in Turkey. The promoters of HT Media Ltd, which publishes Mint, and Jubilant Foodworks are closely related. There are, however, no promoter cross-holdings.
