Challenging Concerns Combating Cancer and Commanding

Medical report
With me posted as FCE commander in Mhow. Jeet my wife was still in Delhi with the children, Kalpana in JNU doing her final MA in French and Ranjit in Eleventh at Army Public School. I had managed to retain the accommodation at the SP Marg officer’s enclave Block 12/ 474 with some difficulty. To add to our mutual worry and problem she was also not well. Both of us were in mental trauma, she had been advised surgery for a suspected tumour in the abdomen I can still not forget the adjective used 'Tennis ball Size' to describe the tumour by the Doctor who had examined her at MH Delhi Cant. I had in desperation called her to Mhow to discuss the future course of action.

The family on a short visit to Mhow
Genuine grudge
Jeet never failed to remind me that I had abandoned her way back in 1959 though it was true her grudge genuine, yet I have often wondered if she ever realised the trauma that even I had to suffer leaving them behind. Possibly the plethora of letters she did receive from me during the periods of separation were not poignant enough to convey my feelings or did the contents made the separation just a bit more unbearable for her. I do know however that waiting for her infrequent letters was a torture enough which was lessened only when I was handed over the then so familiar an envelop which contained her letter even though the euphoria lasted for a short time it is what sustained me during that difficult period at Tawang where I had been moved as the Sparrow of 7 Infantry Brigade from the Regimental HQ at Tezpur.

Family station sans family
Even later I left her many times due to the exigencies of service to fend for on her own and bring up the two growing children who needed the love and care of both the parents. At times we had to live separated by choice due to the children's education when we could visit each other only for short periods also at times it was she who abandoned me leaving me distraught and brooding in my bachelor’s quarters while posted in a family station sans the family. Now she was returning back to Delhi both of us having mutually agreed that she should face the ordeal of the operation albeit alone due to the urgency and the fact that I could not be away from the college at that time. I do wonder now as to what could have been more important to me at that time than her well being and the need of moral support of my presence at the time of the operation.

Heading to Indore
On the drive from Mhow to Indore airport she in the back with another lady who had taken a lift with me in the front with the driver both of us in silence buried deep in our own thoughts; my helplessness and her apprehensions. The seating arrangement in the car and the presence of another person precluded any exchange of last minute words of consolation.

Deafening silence
There was another reason for the deafening silence between the two of us as she had been waiting, in my room in the bachelor’s quarters, sitting with this uninvited guest, for me to pick her up. She with her own worries, I was no where in sight the time for her flight to Delhi approaching naturally she was getting tense and justifiably upset with me. I was all this time stuck in the Commandant's office who was interviewing the foreign students of the faculty with me in attendance. The Commandant though aware of the fact that I was to see- off my wife was in an expansive mood enjoying his interaction with the students from Africa, Iran and Afghanistan in the process honing his already considerable diplomatic skills. I was all the time on tenterhooks covertly looking at my wrist watch, calculating by the minute diminishing gap in the travelling time from Mhow and the Checking- in at the airport. I desperate for an opportunity to get away and having reached the cut- off stage ultimately asked to be excused which he graciously granted. I rushed to the waiting wife to be greeted with frozen looks that made me quickly sink way down in my ammunition boots.

Brave face
On my prodding the skilled driver kept the accelerator pedal pressed to its maximum travel and made the Ambassador fly onwards, we did make it to the Airport in time for check- in but only with a whisker. Once at the Airport and with her realising that the time to leave me behind had finally arrived I did notice a thaw in her till now rather sour expression. Waiting for the Aircraft coming from Bombay to land, both of us distraught she held to my hand as a desperate gesture, eyes brimming with tears. I equally emotionally charged with a turmoil brewing inside, yet presenting a brave face to keep her morale up added to the fact that I was in uniform and as such had to keep a brave face for the benefit of the public at large.

Flight announcement
The Public Address system came to life crackling and in a tinny voice announced the arrival of the flight from Bombay. Soon the Boeing 737 landed with the characteristic roar of its twin jet raced the full length of the tarmac stopped with an effort at the very end of the short runway took a U turn and slowly taxied to the parking bay a short distance away from the terminal. Once again the PA came to life this time announcing the departure of the flight to Delhi and advising the passengers to board. The terminal came alive with the passengers rushing to line-up carrying the in-cabin baggage in both the hands all in a hurry to reach Delhi before others.

Tearful farewell
With tears streaming down her cheeks Jeet bid me a silent farewell no words exchanged the hand slowly and reluctantly withdrawn from the comfort of my grip and joined the line to face the daunting prospect of facing a major operation alone. Leaving me she slowly walked out of the terminal and trudged towards the plane and to an uncertain future. My eyes followed her each step desperate but unable to do any thing to mitigate our mutual apprehensions. I was still tied to her with an invisible elastic band which was getting stretched as she approached the Aircraft to finally break once she entered the door and disappeared from my view. Possibly she was the last to embark and soon the door shut with a bang breaking my contact with her.

Sane decision
As the staff car with me drove out of the Airport the Boeing also took off, flying low overhead with the two turbines whining at full power. I watched in a pensive mood from the window of the car its steep climb the visible effort to break from the shekels of the gravity pulling it towards the ground and become a free bird once again. Soon it took a sharp turn and headed towards Delhi, taking all that mattered to me with it leaving me forlorn worried and with an empty feeling inside. On my way back to Mhow I did take a sane decision and rang her up at the earliest to defer the operation till I could be with her at Delhi.

Brig Lakshman Singh, VSM (Retd)

Posting to Mhow as Faculty Commander

Posting
The posting to MCTE Mhow in 1979 as the Faculty Commander FC&VE was the highpoint of my instructional career. It was even to my own eyes a bit unexpected especially with a plethora of average grades collected by me in all the Corps courses attended. It was no small wonder; I did manage to make a success of it. Possibly it is not the grades on the courses but the application of the knowledge and experience gained in various situations reaction to the problems faced and the attitude when things got difficult and the horizon bleak overcast with dark-grey and threatening clouds.

Spectrum
The tenure as Faculty Commander in MCTE considered a hot seat by some of my predecessors was not an easy one. MCTE was a mine field to be traversed most carefully inhabited by highly ambitious and furiously competitive young staff, young student officers the young and pretty wives and senior officers living some reason or other separated. There were also some passengers both in staff and the students who had their own agenda and well thought-out plans to achieve the same. The place had its own dynamics, the air perpetually bristling with palpable energy of all frequencies across the spectrum.

Constraints
I did identify the problem as to why the "Faculty Commander's chair" had become so hot for the previous occupants who not only found it difficult to manage the highly qualified and ambitious faculty as also the nearly rebellious students branded as an undisciplined lot. The Key lay to get out the mindset those training institutes, colleges; universities are not for the students but for themselves and the staff, to some how solves the administrative, personal and domestic problems of the student officers, a misunderstood lot, and win their confidence. Though students they were still officers and needed to be treated to as such. For me it became an exercise in human relationship and personal management.

Convocation Signal Officers Degree Course
Student assignments
In case of the teaching faculty problem was of the lack of planning at the faculty HQ level with the teaching assignments being given in an ad- hoc manner; with the help of my able Senior Instructor Lt Col Daspal it was soon sorted out even though still heavily loaded at least now they knew as to what was required from them.

Enduring Friendships
Perhaps it was due to this that I did make some enduring friendships. The tenure enriched with me more than 300 friends some now senior officers or doing equally well in civil life who recognise me at airports seminars and social occasions, approaching with a smile. Even some Foreman of Signals students who have risen to officer ranks also coming and greeting me when we meet on social occasions. It more than compensates for the hazardous journey through the so called mine field that I did manage to traverse with fortitude, patience and skill; some inherited others acquired.

Lt Gen MS Sodhi So-in-C with the Commandant visiting the MCTE TV Studio at FCE
Challenges
Meeting the College HQ requirements of using the FOS (Foreman of Signals) students for the Adm Wing requirements in afternoons, running of the ‘Annexe’ the MCTE Club and the organising of the entertainment evenings both my responsibilities as also my insistence in strictly following the orders emanating from the HQ on holding the PT and Drill parades for the student officers was a different issue and was the cause of my running battle with the Deputy Commandant and at time creating difficult situations for even the Commandant.

Reposing faith
My young staff officer; earlier Capt Sunil Arya and later N V Pandey had to bear the brunt of these demands on daily basis which they resisted with my my unambiguous directions backing them. I am glad Arya made it to the rank of Brigadier, Pandey as Maj Gen had the privilege of being the Deputy Commandant of MCTE. Once again they proved the faith that I always reposed in my young officers. At that stage of service they are happy to learn, especially if being guided, and work whole heartedly in delivering the goods rather than harbouring any long time ambitions which quickly grow as one advances in service.

Brig Lakshman Singh, VSM (Retd)

Silent Protest against Recommendations of SCPC at Chandigarh

The silent event for persons living at Chandigarh and surrounding areas would be held at 1100 h on Sunday 27 April at the War Memorial located at the Bougainville Garden in Sector-3, Chandigarh.

The modalities would be as under:

All assemble outside the Garden at 1100 h.

All ranks, their spouses and families are requested to attend.

Officers and JCO’s are encouraged to wear regimental or any military neck-tie.

All ranks should wear medals – miniature medals for officers and full medals for PBOR. Regimental caps may also be worn.

All are requested to wear a black band on their left sleeve.

The proceedings will be in accordance with military ethos and discipline. There should be no slogan shouting and there will be no speeches.

Carrying of placards is discouraged. Static banners may be displayed at the venue, if considered absolutely essential.

All are encouraged to carry a candle, a flower or a bunch of flowers, which may be placed at the designated place at the Memorial.

After the assembly, at a signal by the organisers, individuals or small groups, not exceeding six, will move inside the Memorial and place their flowers/candles at the designated place and then move to the central area in front of the Memorial. This will be a continuous process. When all have assembled in the central area, a gong will be sounded for all to stand at attention and observe two minutes silence. At the end of two minutes, the gong will be sounded again to signify the end of the silence period. Thereafter, all will disperse in an orderly manner.

The media is being invited to attend in strength and cover the event fully.

The overall aim is to convey the concerns of the veterans, through the media, at the grossly anti- services bias of the Pay Commission.

Similar, or locally modified events, at maximum cities and towns, preferably on the same date, may be organized to get maximum impact.

This is for information of all Retired Officers, ESM and Veteran Organistions in India to coordinate the silent protest. For those organisations abroad a letter to Indian Consulate be handed over to lodge our protest.