August 2016 - 55NDA Blog

The Medal

As we got to the end of our NDA stay, I wasn’t particularly expecting any medals or anything. So it was nice to learn that I would be given an actual medal for academics. Somehow I was set up as 4th in rank, 2nd in science stream. Well, that sounded a bit exciting. Wow, a … Continue reading “The Medal”

We had to do drill practice for getting the medal. It was an indoor ceremony. The other 3 didn’t seem to be taking it too seriously, but it was the only medal I was getting, so I was fully attentive and serious.

The drill involved marching up the stairs. The SM saab explained the correct form for the march up the stairs – you had to pretend as if you were going to stomp on the stair, but then had to control your leg so you actually put the foot down very softly, without making any noise.

Ok, sounded like fun, controlling the leg muscles that carefully. Only, the other 3 just totally ignored the SM saab, and kept making loud noises, stomping on the stairs. Nobody said anything. I wondered what was going on, but the other 3 were very busy in important ceremonial stuff as they were getting the medals in the full POP and I am sure there were other duties. So I didn’t get a chance to talk to any of them about this minor detail. The SM saab was supportive of my drill.

The next practice, the principal was present. Now the other 3 banged on the stairs, and I put my foot down softly. So to the principal, it looked like I was shamming, and not even bothering to make the proper military noise. He yelled at me a bit. I used to think he was a useless git, and looked at the SM saab for direction. He had an expression “What an idiot” for the principal, and after the principal had walked away, he told me I was doing well.

So in the actual ceremony, I continued putting my foot down very softly. I had to think about that one – the whole academy was watching, and perhaps many present would think I was shamming. But I knew the correct procedure, and by then had a “I don’t care what people think” attitude totally down, so I decided I was going to do what was the correct procedure, and the one I had drilled for, never mind what everybody thought.

So I was the only one soft-stepping in that ceremony. Not sure how it looked, for after that we were gone from the academy, and I never got a chance for any academy-feedback.

Smart but not ambitious. Lazy.

That was the summary of my evaluation at the end of 6th term, “Smart but not ambitious. Lazy.” It doesn’t sound too nice. But I couldn’t disagree, the squadron officers had captured me very precisely. I kind of liked it, bizzarely… I wasn’t lazy in one sense – when I joined, my physical fitness was … Continue reading “Smart but not ambitious. Lazy.”

That was the summary of my evaluation at the end of 6th term, “Smart but not ambitious. Lazy.”

It doesn’t sound too nice. But I couldn’t disagree, the squadron officers had captured me very precisely. I kind of liked it, bizzarely…

I wasn’t lazy in one sense – when I joined, my physical fitness was abysmal. But I worked enough on it to become “normal”, which to me was a big deal. By the end of the 3rd semester, I had achieved my goal of being at least normal across all categories.

In fact, I was so gung-ho on becoming normal, that once when I got sequestered along with him for 3 days due to some flu going around, my first term DCC was bitterly complaining “Why won’t you let me sham?” because I wasn’t going to waste that time, and I was obviously expecting him to make me do PT all the time. He really was very angry at my enthusiasm for being given “ragda”, and hated me. The hatred was specially worse, because he wasn’t very good at academics. He wasn’t very good at his sport, boxing, either, and took out all his frustrations once by making me stand at attention and practicing all his boxing on me, without gloves of course. (The upper-cuts in the solar plexus were the worst, though he was careful not to hit me on the face as some officer would notice for sure.) I was very proud of it later, because I managed to stand at attention through all of it.

So I wasn’t lazy in that sense, of working on my PT etc. I used to be practically dead by the time I got back to the squadron from my practice sessions.

But once I got through all the PT normally, and passed drill square, and was normal in everything else, I was pretty much in paradise. I really, totally, enjoyed the academy life. For at least three full semesters, I was having a really good time.

Would I have liked to be a serious academy appointment or something, ACA, ACC, BCC, BCA type stuff? Nobody asked me. It was my drill or my PT or my attitude, or something. Perhaps my drill wasn’t very good, or my rope climbing form wasn’t too good, or my bayonet charge wasn’t good enough, or I swam too slow, who knows what…

But if somebody had asked, and if it was a totally free choice, I would have said “no”! The serious appointments, all of them, basically seemed like a lot of work to me. You had to make sure you had nice clothes every day, and you had to waste a lot of your free time reporting to some officer, and taking care of juniors’ handkerchiefs and other important stuff. You possibly also had to stand around counting the juniors, and finding out who had what attend-C or whatever, and report that to the officers.

I really liked the daily life and specially valued my free time, and if given a real choice, would not have wanted to lose any of the relaxation time after lunch, or any other sleep or free time.

Officers were good, and they kind of knew what the cadets were like. In my case, if they had tried to figure out my psychology, they would have known that I absolutely would not have wanted any appointment, even if I were considered qualified.

Becoming known throughout the academy was not a motivation for me at all. Since our first term I was somehow very well known already, and I had a high level of academy-wide exposure all through my stay at the academy. So any appointment wouldn’t have helped in that respect, it would only have been a burden.

The absolutely only thing I would have liked about those appointments, was the chance to shout loudly at the top of your voice during drill, that looked like fun 🙂

So the “lazy” and “not ambitious” was very apt. That’s just what the academy made me, thanks academy. That’s sincere, not sarcastic at all – I really do like the lazy and unambitious life, and it’s been totally amazing how much you can get done being lazy and not-ambitious.

Mention-in-Dispatches.

It was Vth Term, June, 1978. The slip lying on the telephone table in C sqn read “Cdt RS Bhown to report to Adjt’s office in Drill Order, in Sudan Block at 1.30 PM today.” We were fatigued after the morning ‘End of Term’ drill+POP practice and were planning to hit bed when this bombshell exploded in my mind. YV, DPS Aujla, RK Yadav and many others came to express their sympathy. “But none of the Sahabs, Sergeants or ACA has caught me. My I slips, I card, Name Tabs were safe and intact” I moaned. Every one of us was straining our brains with great efforts to find the reason of such a dreadful call that too, in End of Term. Karsolia said “beta tu to gaya” any punishment would imply eating into the Term break. Some said such calls at this time of the term, generally are for relegation. My throat was getting drier and suddenly I swung into action to manage a pair of KDs and summoned Khandu, my orderly to fix a drill order for me. “Sab the boots and anklets are being waxed for the drill competition, should I polish Ammo boots?” He said with sincere concern. I got ready with OG anklets, Ammo Boots, stockings and guarder flashes as Hops tops were not worn in this combination. My friends saw me off with a long face and I left for Sudan Block with a lump in my throat.
In Sudan block I saw Crème’la 55 in shinning regulation-drill orders with torches flashing on their left breasts…Ajit Singh, Surender Singh Jhaj, Ajai Shukla, Karan Singh Rathore and many more (my memory ditching me). Most of them asked me same question ‘What are you doing here?” and I kept on repeating sheepishly Adjt wishes to see me. They brushed me aside and continued with their chat. I stood hiding in a corner and worried about what lies in store for me.
Then, came Guman Singh, our Drill Sub Maj with a cane tightly pressed in his arm pit and white hackle soaring like a rooster. He spotted me and said “Mharashtra State ki lottery hai kisi ki bhi nikal sakti hai!” I could not understand a thing and asked him clearly. He said “I have recommended your name for ACA” and simultaneously asked the Crème’ la 55 to stand in a single file as per the order in the list he was carrying. I told him “sab yeh kya kiya? You have no idea what you have done.”
He thought because my drill and word of command being good, I was an ACA material.
Soon, came in Maj Rupi Brar the offg Adjt as Maj Harjit Singh was out on lve. He checked antecedents and inspected the turnout of all of us (I had joined the Crème’ by then). He got stuck confronting the last man in the file, it was me. “What is your overall order of merit?” he frowned. “Sir, 144th” I fumbled. He gave those dirty looks to Guman Singh who straightened himself with a jerk and we knew the SM has done a big FU. But it was too late to rectify as the list lay already on DepCom’s table. “Now, you stay back for the interview” Maj Rupi Brar barked at me. As my turn came I marched into the DepCom’s office for the first and the last time in my life. Air Commodore Dogra was smiling in the chair and the Adjt stood on his left. Seeing me, Maj Brar stooped halfway to whisper in DepCom’s ear. “Sir, this boy has been called by mistake. We can send him back.” I could hear it distinctly despite its low pitch, and never felt so small and humiliated in my life till today. DepCom was generous to say “Don’t you worry; let me talk to him.” With great difficulty he pronounced my name and asked me two questions rather my views on A) manhandling of jrs by senior cadets and B) smoking to be allowed in 6th Term. I said yes to smoking and no to manhandling. He said “Thank you” and I, followed the word of command of Sub Maj shouting from outside the office. My perspiration was making the starched KDs stink by now but I was a relieved man; rather proud man to be mentioned in Despatches.
In C sqn by now a new star had born. I proudly, told all the mediocre course mates about me being in the run. Maj Satnam Singh ( Tahalka fame later), C sqn cdr thought of me at least worth a DCC as I was put up for ACA. My DivO, Capt Pramod Krishna, asked me to go to Goal Market and get myself photographed with the DCC’s tabs. I was already contemplating to take over 9th Div meanwhile.
Then fell another bombshell. I got Re-Test in English, as usual. This time my papers had gone well but Mr Raina was a cruel man. I was called up by the Sqn Cdr who said we do not want our appointments to be coming for a bloody Re-Test and set a bad example. I saluted, turned about and marched off. Joined the gang of OCs to the place I belonged.

Why do bridges fall?

Saw the movie “Madaari” about bridges falling and killing people. The movie says bridges fall because of ministers. If only the ministers were good, the bridges would not fall. Searching the web, I learned that construction collapses are rather common in India. I wondered, why don’t bridges and buildings fall in the USA and kill … Continue reading “Why do bridges fall?”

Saw the movie “Madaari” about bridges falling and killing people. The movie says bridges fall because of ministers. If only the ministers were good, the bridges would not fall.

Searching the web, I learned that construction collapses are rather common in India.

I wondered, why don’t bridges and buildings fall in the USA and kill people?

Then I realized, that’s not strictly true. Sometimes a barge or something hits a bridge, sometimes a tornado can break a bridge.

But bridges or buildings falling by themselves?

Yes, that can happen. Parts of a bridge fell in Boston, and killed a woman driver. Long time ago, I think 1990s. Single incident, sticks in mind, because it was so single!

Turned out the bridge in Boston fell because the construction companies worked for Mafia, and they were stealing the government money by supplying shoddy material and cutting corners…

So corruption can cause bridges to fall. In USA. And also in India, I think.

The difference is, in the USA people are honest. They can turn dishonest, no doubt. Even the most honest person can be forced into dishonesty, or fall into dishonesty. But as a general rule, people are honest to start with. So corruption happens some of the time, and is limited.

In India, it seems it would be a miracle for somebody to be honest in ANY bridge or building project. Any honest person would be forced into dishonesty, so it’s safe to say there are no honest people in such projects.

The movie was totally lying. The bridges do not fall because of politicians. Absolutely not. Politicians are just convenient scapegoats for evil ghoulish movie-makers out to make money from deaths, without addressing the real issues.

Bridges fall because of the people.

The people who die under the bridge – take any one of them. Put him/her in a Public Works Department office as a government official. Is there any, any, chance that he/she would not have taken bribes from the contractors?

Make him/her a contractor. Is there any, any, chance that he/she would not have given bribes and cut costs from material?

So who is to blame?