Back and Forth

The book on Punjab Public School was occasioned by its golden jubilee,coming up later this month. “Started in the palace of the Maharaja of Nabha and the Secretariat,the school has a majestic setting,with intriguing stories growing around it,” Singh says. It was meant to provide quality public school education to children of ex-servicemen,serving defence personnel and civilians. “It later served as a model for the various Sainik Schools in India,” adds Singh,as he traces the famous alumni of the school,as well as former teachers and headmasters. “Pratap Singh Kairon,then Chief Minister of Punjab,granted scholarships to talented but indigent students. So,it became the only public school catering to rural students,with an ideal mix of rich and poor boys,” Singh adds.

A tougher task was accessing archival material for Steps and Strides. Singh provides the reader a historical account of the 300-year-old battalion,with details about the heroic feats achieved by men who comprised its rank and file. Originally raised by Ala Singh,it became a part of the army of the State of Patiala,later merging with the Indian Army as 16 Punjab (Patiala). “The deeds and accomplishments of the battalion have left their imprint on events over time,” says Singh,citing the exemplary role it played in the Battle of Barki during the 1965 war with Pakistan,or its role in tackling insurgency in Assam.

Pentagon’s South Asia Defence and Strategic Yearbook,meanwhile,is in the fourth year of its publication and Singh is pleased with the responses it has generated from journalists,academics,defence personnel and bureaucrats. The book contains comprehensive analysis of defence,economic and geostrategic issues that impact regional security in South Asia. The Yearbook aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the security environment in the region by focusing on the military capabilities and strategic factors that impact current events.