'Please keep within my eyesight," Major Ram Singh cautioned my brother Khemchand as they neared our house.
Just a week earlier, in August 1947, I had fled from our home in Tandalianwala, a settlement in the undivided Punjab, as the partition of the country seemed imminent.
My parents refused to accept that the country would be divided and were adamant about staying put. My elder brother and I thought differently. So as a first step we escorted our younger siblings to Amritsar to ensure their safety.
Now we fretted about how to fetch our parents. The situation along the new border had worsened, so we approached the Indian army officials and explained our dilemma. They told us that a convoy, led by Major Ram Singh, was visiting our area to extract Indians and one of us could travel with it. A few hours later my brother boarded the army truck bound for Lahore.
The next morning the convoy reached our house, where my brother found our parents' motionless bodies in their bedroom. They had been slaughtered in the mindless mayhem that gripped post-partition Punjab.
But there was no time for grief or tears as the violence continued outside. There were no friends or relations to help with the funeral arrangements either, but the soldiers arranged for the cremation of our parents.
It was dusk before my brother completed our parents' rites. By that time the army convoy had scouted the area and rounded up some more petrified families trying to flee the bloodshed.
The convoy began its journey back to Amritsar in the dark. There was dread and tension in the air among the three army trucks crammed with refugees. The headlights of the vehicles lit the narrow road while the soldiers peered into the darkness, ever alert for snipers.
The refugees who huddled in the trucks were in a state of shock. They had seen their homes looted and rased. Some, like my brother, had lost family members. All were going to a country and to a future, about which they knew nothing. Many were penniless.
The still of the night was shattered by gunfire. Within a few minutes the entire convoy ground to a halt. The soldiers clutched their rifles and looked sharply into the darkness.
After a short pause, a soldier returned and reported, "Major Ram Singh has been shot. Some people were hiding in the trees on the road. They fired at our convoy and fled." The soldier's face was taut.
The news petrified the refugees. The leader of the convoy had been shot. What if there was another attack? After about 30 minutes, another soldier announced, "We are moving. Everyone please be alert."
"How is Major Ram Singh?" my brother asked the soldier. "The soldier turned away and replied. "He is no more." The soldier did not look anyone in the eye.
It was another three hours before the convoy eventually reached Amritsar. The body of the fallen major was wrapped in a blanket and placed in the lead vehicle. Throughout the rest of the journey, the soldiers and refugees remained fiercely alert. Everyone kept staring into the darkness.
In Amritsar, I had been waiting at the army office for hours, since I did not know when exactly the convoy would return.
When I saw my brother disembark alone I knew something was amiss. He told us about what had happened to our parents. I was devastated.
Later he also told us about how Major Ram Singh had lost his life and my grief was compounded. I shuddered at the thought of the pain of the family of the young soldier who had laid his life in the line of duty. There was so much sorrow all around as a new country was being born.
Over the years, I have often admired the courage and sacrifice of the unsung Major Ram Singh who led from the front and took the first bullet, when rescuing some helpless refugees.
So as India celebrates its 66th Independence Day on Thursday, it is also time to salute all those who lost their lives, in creating it. Let us hope the memory of their sacrifices, will spur us to build a strong and honest country.
Hari Chand Aneja is a 91-year-old former corporate executive who now keeps busy with charity work
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Trying but failing to reduce phone use multiple times.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
Experiencing physical problems such as eye strain, neck pain, or thumb and wrist pain.
Encountering friction with family and friends over the amount of time spent on the screen
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
More on Quran memorisation:
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
France 3
Umtiti (8'), Griezmann (29' pen), Dembele (63')
Italy 1
Bonucci (36')
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now