(MIS)ADVENTURES FROM THE MID TERM BREAK

Ever since I had answered “ Adventure “ as one among many reasons for choosing the profession of Arms, during the SSB interviews, the Gods and Goddesses have been extravagant in blessing me with what I craved for, so much so that it has lead to some embarrassing situationS arising out of comedy of error.

The EODE courses were recently given few days of mid term break to get over the shock of the Phase test-I results. And thanks to Wright Brothers ( God bless their departed soul) despite hailing from Coimbatore, which is quite far away for a touch and back journey from Pune, I did choose to visit home.

It was an amazing trip, especially the trip to the Niligiris, along the 18 hair pin bend Ghat Road, surrounded on either sides by the thick green tea plantations whose aroma penetrated deep into one’s soul through the nostrils. The exquisite South Indian Biriyani served in the traditional Banana leaf, and an opportunity to witness the tribal dance of the local inhabitants- the Todas were indeed sweet unforgettable memories. But surpassing all these was the joy of being with my Mom, Sis, Dad and Grandma who had recently turned 98. (Yes that is no typing error, she is ninety eight and can give a good fight to my mom-her daughter in law, even till date)
On the last day of the break, I bid adieu to my family and took my flight from Coimbatore to Chennai to switch planes for Pune. There was a four hour break in between and I spend most of it ‘Bird’ watching in the Chennai Airport. Seldom, did I realize then that it was the beginning of a life time (mis)adventure at the airport.
After the security checks, I went across Gate No 03 to board my flight to Pune. Normally they arrange a Bus which drops the passengers right till the aircraft from the gate, but as luck would have it, there was no bus, and all passengers were walking towards their flight. The crowd had suddenly grown in number, since those from other gates too were walking towards their aircrafts. I approached my carrier, an Indigo flight showed my boarding pass which was checked ( Just Like that JLT – Type ) by a ground staff and I boarded the flight. My seat No was 15-F and I was overjoyed to see a young girl in seat no 15-E. My joy however was shortlived, as a very complex individual dressed like Mr I K Gujral came over and told me his seat No was 15-F too.
We called in the Air hostess, Anushka Kaur, showed her the two boarding pass. I have read about blonde Jokes, and seen some videos in youtube too, but Anushka was the mother, correction, Queen Mother of all Blondes. After staring into the boarding pass for over a minute and having sunk into an ocean of bliss and Nirvana, she excused herself and went to the Intercom panel along with other air hostesses.
Meanwhile like good old Indians that we are, the Gujral look-alike wasted no time in blaming our system, and I was quick to second him. We should sue them perhaps, he suggested, wait until the media hears about this, I added. Almost the entire crew and passengers had their eye fixed on us, staring at us with awe.

Anushka returned with an amazing blush that would have made any bachelor Guy drop down his jaws. My tough mental training of NDA helped me control my emotions and my desire. With a Golden smile she spoke – Shyam this boarding pass is for the Chennai- Pune flight, this is the Delhi flight you have boarded accidentally sir. I wanted to ask her, - “Can I have your Mobile No sweet heart “, but all I could utter out was a “ Oh…!!!” followed by a long pause.
And so it began and there it ended, the flight to Pune was delayed for 30 mins thanks to me, the Unlucky Girl at seat No 15-E, missed out on a wonderful company of a Gentleman like me, and not to forget the embarrassment of taking your luggage and de boarding a flight escorted by a gorgeous girl whose blush kept growing exponentially, making it seem that I was an object of ridicule.
Luckily, I did manage to reach the premises of my Alma Mater, “ where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection “ and avoid the ghosts of the endurance run that lurks at every corner (a recent phenomenon), waiting to catch and squeeze out all the midterm mood out of me.
Cheers!!!
Capt S Shyam Saseethar
EODE- 109

Army, Cops and a Biased Media

The officer to men ratio in the Indian Army is approximately 1 is to 160, however during the Kargil conflict the ratio of the casualties was 1 is to 10. These are not mere statistics but speak volumes of the quality of the officer cadre that led their men-from the front. Leading from the front requires raw courage, undying zeal and relentless enthusiasm. How do these boys, no more than 23 years old , an age when their counterparts in the civil society have not even figured out what they want to do in life, are able to muster such a strong sense of purpose as to lead men into fire? This comes from the rigorous training that they are made to go through, toughening the mind, body and spirit. An aggressive spirit is ingrained in them that makes these men to lay down their lives for the cause of a forgetful and ungrateful nation. The case in question is the recent unfortunate turn events took in Pune resulting in confrontation between the Defence Forces, egged on and catalysed by the media. The aim is not to discuss the events but to give an insight into their cause. Owing to operational and security reasons the defence forces are generally shrouded in a cloud of mystery evoking curiosity and speculations. This not only provides the media with a sea of unexplored opportunity to dig their nose into any issue concerning the Armed forces but also places on them the responsibility to exercise discretion in the publication of any such issue. Care should be taken to ensure that the media’s role does not jeopardise the security of personnel or information and most importantly tarnish the image of the Forces. A country’s Defence Forces symbolise not only its strength but also the character of the nation. A blow served to the image of the Defence Forces not only lowers the morale of the force but also the faith of the common man in them, the biggest boost for the morale of any soldier. No denying the fact that the course taken by the Army officers in this case was not the best one, neither the wisest-but a careful analysis of the facts will reveal that the belligerents were all young officers in their early twenties. When these officers initially introduced themselves as ‘Army Officers’ all it implied was that they deserved to be treated in a dignified manner, they really were not asking for too much. These men spend months and years of their lives in god forsaken places guarding our frontiers or training-totally aloof from civilization, the only communication to the outside world being occasional letters from near and dear ones. So when a person declares himself as an ‘Army personnel’ it does not mean that he considers himself above rule of law, it only means- - I have been living far away from civilization in a place you could hardly spot on a map for months so that you can stand here without fear, grant me that respect. - Expect me not be conversant with the changes that have taken place recently or new signboards that you may have put. - I have no permanent home and neither does my family and every some years it’s a new town or city I’ve to call home. - I will someday put my life in peril for you and all my countrymen, expecting nothing but respect and gratitude in return. - I put my life so often in peril that I know no fear( often misinterpreted as arrogance). These young men lacked thoughtfulness agreed and with some provocation got aggressive but remember here that these men are trained to be such. A seasoned and reasoning man lacks the spontaneity to jump in the way of fire without heeding for personal safety for no personal gain of his own. It is these young men with this aggression who led the Indian Army to historic victories and for God’s sake not criminals. A matured handling of these officers by the police and subsequent handling of the issue by the media could have averted tarnishing the image of the Armed Forces in the eyes of a gossip happy nation.