Kathua, October 21, 2025 – GOC Rising Star Corps Lt Gen Rajan Sharawat rolled into Kathua district this morning at 9 AM, touring the Bani-Macchedi sector to eyeball troop readiness along the sensitive IB. In a 10 AM address to ranks, Sharawat commended their “courage and dedication,” stressing alertness in a zone that’s seen drone buzzes (Samba’s scare last week) and PoK unrest (nine dead in protests).
For Kathua’s border villages, where August floods damaged 200 homes, it’s a morale shot. A Pahari farmer from Macchedi, chatting with jawans at noon: “Their patrols keep our fields safe.” Hindu women from Bani, at a 1 PM village meet, added: “Floods tested us; Army helped.” Muslim herders in Hiranagar, 100 strong by 2 PM, praised: “Unity against threats.”
Historically, Kathua’s 1965 ops shaped the corps.