Remembering Lt Gen RIS Kahlon, Grenadiers

An extract from my book about late, Lt Gen Kahlon who left us on 16th Jan this year. We were planning a lunch meeting in Noida Golf club and he had also promised to visit my flat in Greater Noida where I have recently shifted. But God had other plans.
Brig lakshman Singh VSM,(Retd)
Indo China War 1962
The first time I met young Kahlon was on the 18th of October 1962, two days before the Chinese attack, in Brigade HQ. The IO/Signal officers of the four battalions had been asked for a co-ordinating conference. They had all come with a vision of a grand and sumptuous lunch after the meeting in the mess, but were sorely disappointed when they were served the same Dal Roti which was the standard fare in the Battalion messes. I did have occasion to know Kahlon more intimately at Ambala where the Brigade had finally moved; Kahlon was attached to the HQ as a LO and later took over as G3(I) from the permanent incumbent Capt Murty proceeding on JC (Junior Commanders course) at Mhow. I being the only Brigade HQ officer with family, my wife a more than a willing hostess, an excellent cook and with a collection of latest English LP records, our house became open to all the young officers, especially Kahlon, He was full of life and energy with elan and self- confidence in abundance. I recall, he was the only officer who would address the US military team officers, who had come to Ambala to equip the 4 Division as General, Colonel or Major, as the case may be rather than 'Sir' like others. Though a junior officer myself at that time, I could discern something special in him, that is how he rose to a Lt Gen, Colonel of Grenadiers and a recipient of PVSM, UYSM, AVSM. I did loose touch with him on posting from the Brigade, for quite some time.
We did come across each other much later in Syndicate Bank South Block New Delhi, now both of us Brigadiers he on way in or out of IPKF in Sri Lanka, where as I was on staff in Signals Directorate Army HQ. A short meeting, but it did bring the old memories rushing back. Once again, about two years back, we happened to meet in USI (United Services Institute). I happen to have the out-line draft of my book 'Letters from the Border' then, tentatively, titled 'Escape from the Valley of No Return' with me and I gave the same to him to read and comment. 'A story from the heart', his comment on reading the same, encouraged me to increase the scope of my project.
By the time I came to the stage of 'Stories Less Told', I had already gone through the book 'Men and Mountain' a heart rendering account of the horrid experiences faced by the men and officers during the withdrawal of the battalion. A book by Maj Oscar Thomas, the then adjutant of 4 Grenadiers.
Since Lt Gen Kahlon was in the same group with Oscar Thomas, that had suffered the withdrawal, I approached him for his, a junior officer's, version of the withdrawal (which ultimately became a question of survival and escape from the three enemies; the Chinese, the cold and the hunger in ascending order as the days progressed) from Namkachu the Valley of no Return. It took me more than two years to persuade and convince him about the purpose of my writing the story of the debacle of 7 Brigade and the needless privation suffered by the troops from the view point of junior officers and men and once convinced he willingly give me some of his precious time.

Kahlon I will miss you always and ever.
Lt Gen RIS Kahlon, Grenadiers, Former MGO, from 16 NDA/ 25 IMA Course, a strong supporter of IESM.He left for his heavenly abode on 16 Jan 11, evening, at RR Hospital, New Delhi.
Brig Lakshman Singh