Archana Masih frequently contributes military features to Rediff.com. You can read some of her features in the related links alongside. You can e-mail the author at archana_masih@rediffmail.com
Helicopter pilot Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy will lead the IAF's 144-member all male marching contingent at Thursday's Republic Day Parade.
The first generation IAF officer from Haryana will assist President Droupadi Murmu as the supreme commander of India's armed forces unfurls the Tiranga on Republic Day.
Michael Dalvi, who played first class cricket for Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Bengal, once hit a century against a fiery Malcolm Marshall and the West Indies. At 77, he has a razor sharp memory, a ready wit and is a rare cricketing treasure.
'The cracks I saw yesterday were the largest I have seen in my life. We are scared.'
'Passengers feel since they have paid for the ticket it means they are entitled to unlimited free drinks.' 'They don't differentiate between 'free' and 'complimentary' drinks.'
'All hydropower projects in the Himalayan region must be stopped.' 'Joshimath is not alone.'
Finally the winter sun was streaming through the airplane's window, shining gloriously above the thick, frothy blanket of fog.
'We must understand that the LAC is a political issue for China, so any action on the LAC will keep India focussed on the LAC which gives China the opportunity for any adventurism in the Indian Ocean.'
'On the LAC, China can undertake military action at any place with much fewer resources. It can do 'salami slicing'.'
'The 1971 War was our greatest military victory.' 'It had so many stories of exceptional valour and leadership.'
'The PLA is under constant watch.' 'There is an escalation matrix. For every degree of escalation, responses are thought of and trained for.'
'There have been equal or more casualties on the Chinese side.' 'Our soldiers are hardy and strong and far superior than the Chinese.'
'For Modi, it's not just winning, but winning with style.'
'The BJP while being in government in Gujarat continues to campaign like an Opposition party whereas the Opposition does the opposite.'
'All Pakistan army chiefs follow a consistent line as far as India is concerned.'
'The last thing he would want is new tensions with India.'
'Many senior officers are unhappy with him, but many lower level officers are still supportive.' 'This is also not something that has happened for a long time. So this is certainly a milestone.'
'I was exhausted, hungry, unshaven and despondent.' 'My mouth was full of sores due to dehydration.' 'My clothes were in tatters due to walking through bushes and sliding down thorny slopes,' Brigadier John Parshuram Dalvi wrote of his capture during the 1962 War.
At this time, sixty years ago, Brigadier John Parshuram Dalvi and a majority of his men were captured as prisoners of war by the Chinese during the 1962 war. His son Michael Dalvi, 77, has preserved his father's memory and the story of the gallant men of the 7th Infantry Brigade with honour.
'Rezang La was a unique battle.' 'It was not a large scale battle like the Battle of Kohima which involved a large number of troops.' 'Here there was just a company that fought it out till the last man.'
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