Award for Touts and Commission Agents – Part II; To hide professional failure during Pakistani shelling, various awards to non-deserving people were given, No procedure adopted by the Poonch administration to honour meritorious people from different fields
SALIL RAINA
(POONCH TODAY NEWS)
POONCH: The majority of officers from the civil administration, police and security installations were always encircled by the touts, commission agents, and businessmen under the garb of social workers, media persons, NGOs, religious and political leaders, and this unhealthy practice remained a routine affair for years because the majority of the officers holding important positions in all three esteemed government institutions never applied their wisdom to check the credentials of these touts who unfortunately projected themselves as prominent citizens for years.
Ample proof is available with “POONCH TODAY”, which shows that all three top government institutions, from civil and police to a few security installations like the 93rd Infantry Brigade and the 25th Infantry Division Rajouri, made a mockery of various awards. Standing with the nation during the crucial hours is the moral duty of every Indian citizen, and a true Indian citizen does not require anything in return for doing the national service of any kind. Then what prompted the three government institutions to start giving awards to touts and commission agents at the time when Poonch mourned the killings of 13 civilians from Pakistani shelling? The awards given on account of Operation Sindoor, in fact, exposed every important government institution from Poonch to Rajouri. Those officers from the civil administration who ran away during the Pakistani shelling were given renowned army awards, and it raised a big question mark on the intellect of concerned authorities who recommended such an award for those officers who left the entire city of Poonch suffering to save themselves. Likewise, some of the awards from the prominent security installations were given to some undeserving persons who had no contribution during the tough hours of Pakistani shelling. Such an exercise carried out by all three esteemed government institutions brought the morale of the nationalist forces in the border region to a very low level as locals started asking questions about why those people who worked hard during tough hours of Pakistani shelling in May 2025 were ignored, but only touts and commission agents under the garb of the fourth estate (media), social workers, NGOs, prominent individuals, and religious and political leaders were recommended for various awards. These touts commonly called as “Guldasta Gang/Civil society” used the civil administration, police and army for their business interest of several crores for years, but the shocking factor is that all three esteemed government institutions failed to detect the hidden game plan of these touts for years, and this issue was still a topic of discussion among various public platforms up to the time of filing this report. People questioned whether the authorities of civil administration, police and the security installations remained so weak that these touts used them for so long and earned several crores during the last few years in addition to getting various awards and important information of vital national security importance. There are a number of silent NGOs and people from different walks of life who did a lot during Operation Sindoor, but their selfless services were never recognised by civil administration, police and the army. The deep link of this gang of touts and commission agents with the civil administration, police and the security installations is so deep that both the groups prefer to please each other to project themselves in a positive way in front of the government and top officers, and due to the tactful working of this gang, of which some officers of the administration are also involved, all the deserving persons from different walks of life who have carved a niche for themselves in different fields never get an opportunity to be honoured. There must be an investigation against those officers across the J&K UT who, in violation of merit, recommended various awards to the touts, commission agents, and non-performers because all the esteemed government institutions live in the hearts and minds of every single citizen of the country, but if a few officers indulge in an act of pleasing the touts and anti-nationals, then it’s an insult to the esteemed and highly decorated institutions of the government. Imagine the poor level of intelligence of the authorities that some sources were given the award by the 25th Infantry Division Rajouri, and they were brought to sit with a district SSP and a DC-level officer. The authorities from the prominent security installations in Poonch and Rajouri districts are always seen having trust in double-edged sources, but not in the nationalist people of Poonch and Rajouri, and it sounds ridiculous from an internal security point of view. There are a number of proofs lying with the “POONCH TODAY” which clearly indicate how some anti-nationals, touts and doubtful credential people of the society under the garb of NGOs, media men, social workers, religious and political leaders were also seen close to top-class police and security installations, and unfortunately, some of them were given important awards also. Who were the advisors of the security installations? Who dodged the concerned authorities time and again with wrong feedback on different issues with a personal interest? The 93rd Infantry Brigade is the pride institution of the country and has a rich legacy. It was this brigade, led from the front by Brig. Pritam Singh, that saved Poonch city from the Pakistani aggression. This brigade witnessed daring, intelligent and highly professional brigade commanders and tough army officers heading various prominent installations of Poonch city over the years who still reside in the hearts and minds of the people of Poonch, but during the last few years, the same reputed installations have not witnessed strong colonels at the helm of affairs, and it was Poonch city that had to pay a heavy price for that during the Pakistani shelling in May 2025. All three government institutions of the civil administration, the police and the prominent security installation of Poonch city always deserve bold, intelligent and highly professional officers, not like the previous team, which proved a debacle for the entire district during the Pakistani shelling. The Indian army is the pride of the nation, and if such touts and commission agents dare to dodge the country’s esteemed institution, then on what basis do the concerned civil, police and army officers trust them blindly? All the army awards are held in high esteem by the people of the country, but if the army starts giving awards to the wrong elements of the society, then it will send a wrong message to the people, especially among the nationalist forces who have been doing their selfless service for the nation for long. During Operation Sindoor, some civil departments, police officials, social workers, well-known individuals, a few NGOs, and political and religious leaders did a lot, but their services were not acknowledged, and a top officer of the civil administration, who left the people of Poonch city to suffer, was unfortunately awarded by the army authorities with a prestigious award. Had the security forces from prominent security installations of Poonch city responded promptly and strongly to Pakistan targeting Poonch city for the first time in the last seventy years, the situation would have been different, but the delay in retaliating timely and with a strong reaction forced the residents of Poonch city to suffer heavily, with thirteen people, including three children, sacrificing their lives for the nation. Although the Indian forces, under the strong leadership of PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, gave a massive and never-before-seen reply to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, the Poonch city episode needs not to be overlooked. All three top institutions of the government, from civil and police to the security installations, failed to perform on expected lines, and as a result, the nationalist people of Poonch city witnessed their worst nightmares of seven decades beyond imagination, as nobody was there to help the people in any way. Shockingly, after the Pakistani firing was stopped, a top officer from a prominent security installation, in his message to some selected civil society members, said that the said institution was not aware of the situation. Now, such a weak message from a top-level officer from a security installation was enough to demoralise the morale of the people of the entire Poonch and show that the said installation always deserves a powerful officer, not a weak one. The entire exercise of awards was started by the important government institutions just to hide their professional failure and to divert the attention of the people of the Poonch and Rajouri districts. What was the need to start Operation Sindoor awards when the people of Poonch and Rajouri districts were going through the biggest ever shock of the several decades of losing 14 persons, including three innocent children, namely Vihaan Bhargav and siblings Zain and Zoha, and many were injured? It was just a mockery of the supreme sacrifice made by the fourteen persons of Poonch and Rajouri to divert the attention of the public to hide the professional failure of all three important government institutions. Those who were given various awards, their CDRs must be investigated to find their true location and their contributions to expose the unnecessary civil, police and army awards given to them. Some local leaders of Poonch, prominent individuals, some media men, some social workers, some silent NGOs and a few religious leaders did a lot during Operation Sindoor, but their services were not acknowledged. Just to hide their professional failure of the decades in Poonch, the concerned authorities started giving awards to touts, commission agents, anti-nationals and other tainted forces of the border region to undo the damage which was clearly visible to all. On the other hand, the district administration, in general has never introduced a proper and transparent procedure to honour outstanding NGOs, social workers and others who believe in selfless service for the nation from different fields for years to encourage them. But only selected touts, commission agents, and politically and bureaucratically influenced people were chosen for various awards. The practice of choosing tainted forces for various awards like the UT award, the District Award, the DGP medal, the Padma awards and various esteemed Army awards based on poor feedback, no output from the intelligence agencies and wrong data has reduced the credibility of the Deputy Commissioner Office Poonch, the SSP Office Poonch and a few renowned security installations from Poonch to Rajouri, and it’s a cause of huge concern. Both these prominent and highly decorated security installations of Poonch and Rajouri need bold and professional officers like Brig. Pirtam Singh, as the lack of the same was already experienced by the people of Poonch during Operation Sindoor. Moreover, there are a number of people from the sports who have brought laurels for the twin border districts in different games at the national and international level, but they are never honoured by the administration. A sportsman winning a medal at the national level or international level, unfortunately, is the same for the Poonch administration as a person winning a medal at the district level, as the officers of the Poonch administration have no intellect to differentiate between a high-level national performance and a district performance. Various NGOs, media men, social workers, sports bodies, and some political and religious leaders who are known for their selfless service to the nation were never acknowledged, but only the touts always remained at the forefront to dodge all. It’s a big question mark on the intelligence and wisdom level of officers from civil administration, police and army authorities. The way the entire system, from civil administration, police, and army to GAD, is working, nobody will be surprised in the future if these touts, commission agents, and anti-nationals under the garb of the fourth estate (media), important individuals, social workers, NGOs, and religious and political leaders continue to get a high-level award like the DGP medal, J&K UT award, district ward, various army awards, and esteemed Padma award. Ignoring the real warriors from different fields for various awards by the civil administration, police, army and GAD is an open insult to the nationalist forces, as due to the weakness of a few visionless officers, touts will continue to enjoy their patronage. In addition to getting awards, these touts and anti-nationals may also get success in gaining sensitive information from the vital security installations by projecting themselves as self-styled prominent citizens, social workers, media persons, and religious people of the society. It’s an alarming call for all the esteemed government institutions and the intelligence agencies for the future, and let only the real performers from different fields with nationalist credentials be considered for various awards after thorough investigations. It’s time for the civil administration, police, GAD and the army authorities not to lower the dignity of the various awards by pleasing touts, commission agents, and anti-nationals. The supreme sacrifice made by the fourteen people of Poonch and Rajouri due to the professional failure of government machinery needs not to be mocked with these visionless awards. A memorial is a must to highlight the supreme sacrifice of the fourteen people during Operation Sindoor as a mark of tribute to all the national heroes. Those officers from the civil, police and security installations who indulged in this high-profile dramabazi of awards, because of their lack of vision and wisdom, have forgotten the national-level honour and attention deserved by all the fourteen persons, and it’s very unfortunate. It’s shocking that despite witnessing the worst ever shock by the people of Poonch due to the professional failure of the government machinery, not a single examination has yet been initiated to bring the weak performers to justice; instead, awards were launched to divert the attention of the society. The nationalist people of Poonch deserve top-level officers in all the important institutions and not a weak breed of officers, as the prominent border district of the Jammu region has been ignored by all despite its nationalist credentials.