😎THE OBSERVER-(M-21)😎
06 Sep 2020
FIRST DAY IN THE REGIMENT
When i first affixed my signature on the dotted line, my knowledge of the Army's organisation and functioning was restricted to Commando-comics, news articles, movies and some books.Just a vague idea that the Army had an element which actually took part in live combat and another which gave logistic and technical support.Training in OTA beìng infantry-centric gave further credence to this view. Classes on other arms and services were thus given only secondary importance by me. A year spent in the Regimental Centre and College of Military Engineering as a Young Officer had broadened the outlook a little but the disappointment at not being an infantryman was yet to go.
In Jan/Feb 1983,i landed up in an Engineer Regiment which happened to be on Exercise in the deserts of Rajasthan. I had bare minimum professional knowledge about my new role as a Platoon Commander in a Field Company. This Coy was one of the four that made up the regiment.Maybe I should have been a more attentive & keen learner during the YO's Course.
Now coming back to my first day in the unit and my meeting with my Company Commander. After going through the introductory formalities with Maj R ( Coy Cdr.) i informed him about how after inadvertently landing up in the Corps of Engrs, i had barely managed to scrape through the YO's Course with a "C" grading.
He took this bit of news in his stride albeit with a little surprise at my audacity in conveying it so bluntly in the very beginning.Seasoned campaigner that he was,he did not loose his composure. He told me not to worry much about all that as the practical side of things was very different from the theory taught in Course.It was a big relief for me to hear this. I took an instant liking to this stern officer from Hoshiarpur with a majestic personality and a deep sonorous voice.
That over, he introduced me to Subedar KS, Senior JCO of the Coy. Well-built and a weather - beaten veteran, this sardar with twinkling eyes & a mischievious smile lurking behind his bushy moustaches welcomed me with exaggerated(so i thought) politeness. In his younger days, he had been a boxer of repute and his appearance showed that.After silently sizing me up with a critical and sharp eye, he escorted me to a parked 1xton which was to be my home henceforth.
By the time i finished setting my regulation bedding and black steel trunk at the back, it was time to go for lunch.I accompanied Maj R to the Mess and met the other officers of the regiment. Beer was followed by lunch and i was given an informal warm welcome by all the officers who turned out to be a jolly lot.There was much talk & genial leg-pulling about my brand-new jeresy.Orders were noted down for sending a JCO to Ludhiana to procure similar jerseys for those interested. I also met the two other subalterns in the unit, each posted in a Field Company. The one immediately senior to me was a tech entry from IMA who had joined six months before me. Yes, he wore two stars on his shoulders officially while the other who had joined six months before him wore the same but with the aid of a proforma paper promotion. He was ex-NDA. Not for nothing i keep harping on this tech/non-tech issue,it was a big one.
The afternoon that followed was ideal for a snooze & i seized the opportunity gladly. Remember, the previous night had been spent on the train, mostly sleepless & full of anticipation/apprehension at what stood in store for me. After all, this was my first day in a new environment, a rebirth of sorts. I was woken up from my siesta by my sahayak (Pathak), for tea, which was welcome. He, the driver(Yunus Khan), Yakub Bhai Vadodara( junior Clk)) and yours truly made up the foursome who were to live/ sleep/travel in and around the 1xton under a camouflage net for the next couple of months or so.The smeall tent on one side which served as the bathroom was for my exclusive use.
Come evening, i was the first one to hit the mess. Before getting hold of a tot of rum for myself,i politely waited for others to trickle in and set the bar into operational mode.It was heartening to note that Maj R and most of the others were also rum-guzzlers & smokers and there was hardly anyone who was a teetotaller. It certainly started looking like i had reached my true home at last. My respect for my Coy Cdr grew thousandfold as i observed him enjoying the evening. This respect increased exponentially in the following days and months when i saw him in excellent form during Company bara-khanas. What further endeared him to me was that on such occassions, he insisted on me matching him drink for drink, with the Coy Sub watching approvingly and giving whole-hearted company.
The arrival of the CO in the Mess introduced a somewhat sombre note into the proceedings. He had been busy the whole day, attending a High-level Conference .There was going to be a Sand-Model exercise at the Brigade HQ before the impending major formation- level exercise. Over a drink,the CO briefed about the latest developments while the rest emptied their glasses & listened attentively. There was a marked change in the atmosphere after the arrival of the CO.The smiling,jolly faces were replaced by serious ones. The Mess NCO marched smartly in and announced - " Shriman bhojan tayyar hai." Everyone emptied their glasses and sat down for dinner. Thereafter everyone retired for the night with the information that there would be a unit Sand-model exercise the next day in which all officers would have to take part as members of Syndicates. Syndicate work - what a comforting sound ! Throughout the YO's Course, i had taken part in such work in mostly silent mode, opening my mouth only when no other option seemed to exist.Could i manage things the same way now?
This was the question foremost on my mind as i settled down for my first night in the desert.
