AFVOA Newletters of Year 2003

Page 57 of 170 welfare, would ultimately make it to the Adjutant General’s berth at AHQ. He also requested Gen Jamwal to kindly take up with the State Govt the matter regarding the exemption of ex Servicemen from paying property tax on self owned/occupied houses, as had been done by all neighbouring states. The President, AFVOA, Air Vice Marshal Krishnaswamy then requested the Patron to present Gen Jamwal with the traditional “ponnadai” or shawl. Mrs Krishnaswamy honoured Mrs Jamwal by handing over a bouquet. 15. Gen Jamwal, in his evidently sincere and straight-from-the-heart address, mentioned that he set much store by the advice and blessings he received from the Veterans. He counted the occasion as a further boon, having had the privilege of visiting the temple town of Tirupati the previous day. He said that one of the high points of his relatively short tenure at Chennai was the encouragement he got from the participation of Veterans in all activities. He felt that the senior veterans set more store by the hallowed value system of the Indian Armed Forces, and that their feelings were obviously heartfelt and beneficial to the fostering of camaraderie, apart from being a great motivating factor. He observed, with a little disappointment, that the response of the younger members of the fraternity of retired officers was less forthcoming at Bangalore, unlike here at Chennai. He hoped that this would change. He mentioned that he had greatly benefited from his interaction with the Veterans at Chennai, and he hoped that the pointers that he had picked up here, mainly in terms of the breadth of useful activities the Veterans could be engaged in, to the mutual benefit of the retired personnel as well as the Services, would be useful to him in working for the welfare of ex – Servicemen at his next assignment in Central India, and later. Gen Jamwal mentioned that the Patron’s request regarding the exemption of ex-Servicemen from the payment of property tax for self owned & occupied houses would figure on the agenda for a meeting that he had requested with the Hon’ble Chief Minister the next week. He requested the Patron to follow the matter up towards a favourable outcome. Gen Jamwal thanked all present, and mentioned that his next tenure would, in all probability, be a short one, culminating in a further move east or north. New Members Ananda said: “Friendship with what is lovely, association with what is lovely, intimacy with what is lovely - that is half of the holy life.” The Buddha responded: “Don’t say that, Ananda. It’s the whole not the half of the holy life. One so blessed with what is lovely will develop a right way of being, a thinking that no longer grasps at what is untrue, an aim that is concerned and ready, a contemplation that is unattached and free. Association with what is lovely is the whole of the holy life.” ~ Samyutta Nikaya 16. The new members were requested to introduce themselves to the gathering which had swelled of over 160 members. They were: a) Col Marimuthu, Arty b) Wg Cdr Mathew c) Brig VR Swaminathan, Marathas d) Maj Gen Chattaraman, EME e) Maj Krishnaswamy ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵ ˵