It is difficult to recall the events of the first day in the office
of your service life. For me, it was a 10 months pre-commissioned training at
Officers Training Academy, Chennai, then 5 months Young Officers (Artillery)
Course training at Artillery School, Deolali, Maharastra. I gave the option for
high altitude and field area posting. The posting was to an Artillery unit
which was located at North Sikkim, accordingly, I was planning to travel to New
Jalpaiguri. I wrote a Demi Official
letter to my unit, mentioning that I have been posted there. I got a reply from the
Adjutant of the unit and I was told to reach Dharampur Railway station not to
New Jalpaiguri, It is located between Kalka to Shimla railway line of Northern
Railway.
I reached on the due date and contacted my unit over landline.
I was told to wait at the railway station. The representatives from the unit
reached with a garlanded made of the cones of the pine tree, a parachute in a pack
condition, a rammer, this used for ramming in the barrel of an artillery gun
and a megaphone, used by the Gun Position Officer at the Command post of an artillery battery. This was for passing
verbal order to the gunners.
The location is a part of Shimla Hills, we could see towards the south the street lights of Chandigarh during clear sky of dark hours of the day. Towards the north, we could see the snowy peaks at a far distance beyond Shimla. It was 31st October, the winter was
coming. My first night was under the tent, An officer was dressed like a
helping hand, we call them ‘sahayak’ for me, he was Capt (then, later Col )
Ravindra Kumar, a resident of Chandigarh. The Commanding Officer dressed like a
driver, he was driving Jonga. A detailed plan was chalked out for misguiding me
in every step and the newborn officer had to overcome those fun.
The senior subaltern had the privilege to educate newborn
officer on unit matters including Officers Mess customs e.t.c. The new officer is welcome to be a member
of the Officers fraternity in a process which we have followed from British
Army. The dinning in, of Officers Mess, is the program for the Officer and his
family after their arrival at the unit location and dinning out before their
departure from the same location. This event is also called winning in, it was
the first day for testing wine in a ceremonial way. The procedure the officer
will take a post like a gunner, the wine is served in a bowl may be cocktail and
he has to gulp it in one go. It is
difficult to forget those customs even after 38 years of leaving this unit.
On Christmas Day of 1974, I went to check the guard duty during the midnight when snowing started. The next day
morning we find the area was completely covered with white snow, it seems
covered by white bedsheets. It melt within a few days of sun rays. We had
visited the cinema at Ambala and Chandigarh whenever we had visited those
locations. This location was come and quite specially during dark hours of the
day. A public school for the boys was there. Their parent were mostly NRIs. Apart
from Officers Mess’s social event, the other mode of entertainment was radio, I
had a 3 bands transistor, it was my good friend for about the next 10 years. We had a orchestra
team who played nice western and Hindi songs and tunes, they are all soldiers.
The Indian Army was raised from British Indian Army in 1950,
and 15th January is observed the Indian Army day. I had the opportunity
to watch the first Army Day parade at the Garrison Ground of Delhi in 1970, I
was then NCC Cadet and joined NCC Republic day camp thereat.
After my release from Indian Army, I had attended a programme
which was held at Siliguri in 1982. I saw my coursemate of OTA was one of the
Pilot of the event, I could not mate him there, I got a chance to speak to
him over phone after 35 years when he
was at New Delhi after his retirement from the Indian Army.
I learned to undergo about one month Commando Course as
early as possible after Pre Commissioned training, we were then in good health
condition. This course is run by the Infantry School, Belgao, Karnatak. I was told to undergo this training with a
notice of 10 hours, I do remember to leave my living accommodation when the
down training was crossing the tunnel and I reached the railway station to
aqvil the said train bound to Kalka Railway station. I was the fittest person
in 1975 in my life for which staying about 4 months on the Himalayas and keeping
space with those foreigners was possible by me.
There was hardly any spare time to think for self and family
though I was bachelor then. I had a keen interest for doing mountaineering, I
got the chance to be an Indian Liaison Officer first with USA team to Mulkila Six,
in Himachal Pradesh, it was about one and half month. Then with a team from
Japan Self defence Forces (JSDF) to Sickle Moon in Kishtwar Region of J&K.
Both the team members were 12 members, JSDF had 2 ladies in their team. They
had no experience in Indian Himalayas, except Leader of USA team Dr Lute Jerstard who had climbed
Everest with the USA team in 1963. He had vast experience on India.
The USA expedition
was successfully climbed Mulkila Six (20,600 fts), in Lahul & Spiti of HP.
We called on Fakurudin Ali Ahmed, then the President of India at Rastrapati
Bhawan, New Delhi. The USA team had a strong desired to climb a virgin modest peak,
but in October 1974 a team from Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) had climbed
this peak.
I had a problem with the Japanese language. We lost one Japanese
climber Lieutenant Takachi and Indian Havilder Ang Chotter of Indo Tibetian
Border Police (ITBP) during the Japanese expedition. He was from Darjeeling.
and was the only member who was a member
of Indo Japanese mountaineering expedition team of 1973 to Sickle Moon in Kishtwar region of
J&K.
Before joining Army I had done the Basic Mountaineering
course from Western Himalayas Mountaineering Institute, Manali, Himachal
Pradesh & Advance Mountaineering Course from Himalayan Mountaineering
Institute, Darjeeling.
I was also organised
and member of mountaineering expedition to Central ( 20 620 ft.) & Lion
(20100 ft.) peaks of Lahul & Spiti of Himachal Pradesh. This was the first
time NCC flag was hoisted on a top of a mountain peak.
The Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) is the apex body
of our country
IMF , they appoint Indian
Liaison Officer with foreign mountaineering expedition.
I was called by the
Army HQ, Military Service Co-ord. Branch for this assignment. My unit was not
happy that I was called by name for this assignment, I left for New Delhi from
practice camp after completing my role in this training. I was aware of
mountaineering activities in Indian Army; The Army Mountaineering Association
(AMA) was at Sena Bhawan under the Directorate of Military Training.
I had the experience to form an association at Kolkata in
1971 when I was a college student and organised adventure activities such as
training and expedition. The name of this organisation is The Institute of
Exploration
Climbers ( extreme
left & right) Asit Roy & Keshab Mukherjee. other members Maj S K De (R)
& Swapan Pal ( L to R) of Central
(20620 fts) & Lion (20100 fts) of 1972 expedition of The Institute of
Exploration
