Reunion and parting are emotional experiences Soldiers endure

WHEN WE LEFT THEM BEHIND
The other day, while surfing, the channels my attention got arrested on the scene of the 70s movie VAJETE where the son, Angad (Kunal Kapoor), a flight cadet is leaving for his advance training. The scene has the first class compartment in the back ground with the parents, Shashi Kapoor, the father and Rekha the mother are facing the son. All professionals and masters at emoting. the father, composed with a stoical continence hiding the turmoil inside, the mother has her face depicting the whole gamut, overwhelmed with a plethora of diverse emotions: pride in her son, her affection for him, pain of looming separation also apprehension and uncertainty of the future, while the son is torn between feelings of leaving the parents and the excitement of joining his comrades soon.

The scene then cuts away to the sitting room of the parents in Bombay. Both a bit distraught: as Kapoor hands over a coffee mug to Rekha who breaks down in a flood of tears with the gates of pent-up emotions opening wide. ‘Let me Cry, Let me Cry,’ she wails, between her uncontrolled sobs as Kapoor tries to comfort her unsuccessfully.

The scene did hit some emotional cord deep inside reminding once again that the fate of the servicemen is that they have to leave the loved ones behind more often than not for the frequent calls of duty.

On such occasions, overwhelmed and preoccupied with my own feelings, emotions, excitements and apprehensions, I was only mildly conscious of the turmoil going on inside of those whom I was left behind over and over again many times over a span of 30 years of service in the Army...

Possibly the first time such a situation arose was when I left along with my brother for Lucknow. I do not recall the occasion but I must have been too excited of the prospects ahead of me of joining the university, to notice the feelings or emotions of my parents.

Things started becoming clear and more specific beginning with my receiving call for training at the erstwhile NDA now known as IMA in 1954.

`Today I have sold my son!’ exclaimed my mother with tears in her eyes; a simple, affectionate and loving lady from a village. My father had just signed the bond required before a cadet could report at IMA. The truth of what my mother had said dawned on me now and I realised that one has to pay a heavy price for wearing ‘OG’.

I could only wave half heartedly at my father that day. Unaware as to his feelings at that time and on my way to Kathgodam from Naniatal from where I was to catch the train to Dehradun. He was too busy controlling an incipient riot-like situation on the road down with the ongoing strike by the roadways employees and waved me on to push ahead quickly without stopping.

Every time I left my parents behind to report for duty, I would look back, at the threshold of the house, to notice a melancholy demeanour and a faraway look in my mother’s eyes as if she was trying to discern what lay in future albeit a “matter of fact” demeanour on my father’s as he came to see me off on the bus stand or the railway station as the case may be.

Later another set of those being “left behind” were formed when I met my future wife Rosy. She along with the family had come to see me off at the Dehradun bus stand. As the bus started off towards Saharanpur Rosy was hidden from my eyes but not from my mind. I was in a dream, lost in my thoughts of the short time spent with her, totally bereft of any awareness or knowledge of her feeling at that time; those that I was to learn much later, post her demise, from her jottings in my diary.

The picture of hurt in Jeet’s eyes, Jeet as I called her post marriage, and her pained expression accompanied me all the way back to Pathankot to join duty, when I had to leave immediately after the delivery of our daughter and also later when, like a good soldier, I abandoned my wife of less than two years and the child of nine months or so to join the unit by 29th October 1959 in far away Assam. ‘Abandoned’ was the word she used then and again many times later to remind me of her mental state on being left behind. What she was feeling at that moment of separation, of being torn from the father’s lap, in her child’s mind and limited experience of world is more difficult to describe or visualise.

The sad lament of the engine's whistle more so as heard in summer nights while sleeping on the terrace of our village home, had a lot more to do with both Jeet and me in later life. It would be reminding us night after night of my impending departure, causing so much pain, by the same train till one late night I would leave her behind tearing my-self from the last embrace, words unsaid to answer the call of Army. I can only visualize her feelings at that juncture. However, I was utterly miserable walking in that dark night, each step taking me farther and farther away from her, silent and lost in my own thoughts with no words being exchanged with the person accompanying me to the station to see me off.

The tenure in Armament Research and Development (ARDE) was immensely enjoyable and satisfying and of a settled life. Then I took the risk of changing track once again; changing from a scientist to a soldier once again. I left for the long journey from Poona, in the last week of December 1970, to the far east of India, this time to Kalimpong in West Bengal. By this time the children were of an age that they would have experienced their own feelings on the parting.

These partings and reunions happen off and on at varying intervals during the service career. A fate ordained for those who serve and their families, so others can sleep in peace and in the comfort of the feeling of security, unaware of the traumatic experience at every of one of those frequent partings.
Brig Lakshman Singh (Retd)

IESM Echoes its anguish to Defence Minister on the OROP issue

To,
Shri A.K. Antony
Defence Minister
Dated 23 April 2010

Dear Shri AK Antony
1. We are amazed at your reply in parliament the other day that granting of One Rank One Pension was not possible due to financial, legal and administrative reasons. The financial burden is too inconsequential and legal reasons have been adequately set aside by the courts in many of its recent judgements. As far as the administrative reasons are concerned, this is due to the mental block of the bureaucracy and its agonistic attitude towards the Defence Forces. That such a statement should be made by Defence Minister of India, in Parliament inspite of various SC, HC and AFT judgements to the contrary shows the scant regard the Govt in general and the Defence Ministry in particular has for the judiciary and morale of the Defence Forces. Just to take you back to the rulings given by the various courts, I would like to list a few judgements for your and your advisors perusal who appear to be hell bent to heap injustice upon the Military and not honour the courts judgements in letter and spirit:
(a) SC Judgement of 09 Sep 2009 in the case of Union of India & Maj Gen Vains and Others. The SC ruled that:-

No Defence Personal Senior in rank can get less pension than his junior irrespective of the date of retirement.

Similarly placed Officers of the same rank are to be given the same pension irrespective of the date of retirement.
(b) AFT Chandigarh Judgement dated 03 Mar 2010. In the case of union of India and Maj Gen Vains and Others. The AFT ruled that the SC ruling in the case of Maj Gen Vains and others Vs Union of India dated 09 Sep 2009 be applied to the Petitioners for pre 2006 and post 2006 retirees and the judgement be implemented in three months.
(c) AFT Chandigarh Judgement dated 08 Mar 2010 in the case of Union of India Vs Babu Ram Dhiman and Union of India Vs Sohan Singh The AFT has directed the Union Government:

That the state cannot lay down different criteria for grant of pensions to officers, JCOs and Jawans on the basis of cut off date of retirement.

No Senior in rank defence person can draw less pension than his junior irrespective of the date of retirement.

All pensioners of the same rank and service irrespective of the date of retirement are entitled to same pension.

The above directions be implemented within four months.
(d) SC Judgement dated 08 Mar 2010 in the case of retired Defence Officer Association Vs Union of India. SC has ruled that the anomaly of 4th Pay Commission regarding rank pay which was removed by the Kerala High Court in one case is applicable to all officers who were in service on 1.1.86 and arrears will be paid to them with 6 percent interest. This judgement has for reaching consequences in that the pay and pensions of officers in 5th & 6th Pay Commissions would have to be worked out afresh.
2. Mr Defence Minster sir, we implore upon you not to take the frustrations of the Defence Forces lightly because any further neglect is likely to have severe ramifications for the Nation at large. The situation as it exists today is reminiscent of the situation prevailing prior to 1962 debacle.
3. The defence personnel by training and thought are mature, patriotic and therefore, will not ask for any thing which is not their due but if justice is denied to them they will go all out albeit peacefully to get what is rightfully theirs. The humiliations heaped upon the Defence Forces in the last 10 years is leading to lot of frustration and anger and therefore, immediate action to address their grievances is required to be taken by the Govt. We therefore request you the following:-

The above judgements of the courts be implemented in letter and spirit immediately and Military Pensions of Pre 2006 Pensioners be fixed accordingly.

Separate Pay Commission which has already been accepted by the Govt be set up
immediately and all anomalies in the Pay and allowance and pensions .etc be transferred to it. The commission may please be given a fixed time frame say one year to resolve all anomalies. Two third members of the commission be from serving and retired Defence Personnel.

Military Veterans Commission be set up immediately which should consist of members from the Military Veterans only with all its powers as given to any other commission.

The Head of the ESW Department of the Ministry of Defence should be headed by a serving or retired Defence Officer. Besides that at the next level below the Head of the ESW Department, there should be one officer each from the Army, Navy and Airforce– serving or retired. Out of the remaining personnel forming part of the ESW Department, at least 50% should be from the Defence Services– serving or retired.
4. A serious immediate consideration of the above mentioned issues is requested.
With kind regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement
Copy to:
Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India
Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson UPA & National Advisory Council
Gen Vijay Kumar Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC, Chief of the Army Staff
Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff
Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, PVSM, VSM, ADC, Chief of the Air Staff

Why India Loves The IPL

"The best thing to happen since the Big Bang." *****The New Yavatmal Times
"Big Fish is the harbinger of a cultural revolution." ***** Wadi Street Journal

India loves rats. It is the new epicenter of the rat race, the scene for the largest plague since the middle ages, and also one of the only places in the world where rats command divinity. So, it is only natural that when the government was looking for a media event which would numb the collective senses of the populace, and transform them into weak pushovers (rats) waiting to be crushed by the big, red corporate dick (a mousetrap rigged with a lump of cheese), the IPL was born.

Need: There was a void in the system, considering the last big mass mind numbing tactic, known to all as K-serials had begun to wane in popularity. The rats were evolving and slowly realizing that they had already seen the episode they were watching two generations ago, both on screen and off screen! There was a need to plug their evolution, and in stepped Jan-hith Modi, with his eerily evil, satanic rat like looks and his big idea, the IPL.

How it works: Two different methodologies are adopted by the IPL to effectively drain the mental resources of the nation. We shall classify them as ‘Slow death’ and ‘Fatal Sting’.

Slow death: This method is fine tuned for maximum reach and to draw people towards ‘Fatal Sting’. The media used is television, the internet and even newspapers. Of all these, TV is the most dangerous kind of exposure, after ‘Fatal Sting’. It is targeted at all stratas of society, under the pretext of ‘complete family entertainment’. Logically, there exists no such thing as ‘complete family entertainment’. People from different generations must think differently and hence, watch different things. The term ‘Complete Family Entertainment’ is thus marketing genius, and by extension, pure bullshit.

The first point of contact are men returning from their utterly brain dead, ‘could be better performed by a robot’ jobs. These ‘breadwinners’ in dire need of rest and sex, are fed four continuous hours of zero IQ VJs pretending to be cricket pundits, cricket pundits pretending to be VJs, baseball players pretending to be cricketers, 1001 incredibly annoying TV commercials, and lastly, glimpses of skimpily clad white women unachievable by aforementioned ‘breadwinner’ in aforementioned job. The ‘white woman’ glimpses make the man lose all interest in his humble wife, and work harder in his dead end job the next day, so that he may get that ‘off-shore’, or ‘on-site’ project. The wife, meanwhile, gets increasingly frustrated with her eternally tired husband lording over the Television during primetime, and dozing off without any sexual reprisal during the presentation ceremony. She starts voicing her annoyance, resulting in husband putting in more hours at work and watching the IPL at the bar, resulting in even lesser sexual reprisal.

Slowly but surely, the productive people in our society are overworked, devoid of sex and of time to think things over. And all this happens voluntarily. People become frustrated, brain dead and job happy out of their own will. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Fatal Sting: As the name suggests, this is deadlier and quicker than ‘Slow Death’. This occurs when the subject brings it upon himself by buying an overpriced ticket to watch the match, LIVE.

The conditions at the stadium are simulated like in a Jewish concentration camp, only worse. First, the stadiums are in areas where infrastructure cannot keep up with the maddening crowd, leading to traffic jams; jam packed trains and serpentine queues. Then, the people in queue are made to wait outside endlessly till stampede like situations arise. Then, at breaking point, they are let in, trampling a few. Once in, people are sweating profusely and are thirsty, hungry and angry. They are then mugged of their money by feeding them watery colas, and woody burgers at thrice their usual price. To compensate, loud music is played and white cheerleaders, specks of skin to the spectators, are ordered to dance. This makes 15/16th of the crowd happy and they climb onto their seats to dance and celebrate nothing. They are provided with annoyingly loud horns and chant mindless slogans, all in the name of supporting the home team. They are also egged on by some dick less stadium announcer, and a 3 second soundtrack, which sounds like a dinosaur’s fart, but which results in maniacal celebrations among 15/16ths of the crowd. The other 1/16ths have by now, killed themselves.

Then, the match starts. More of what has happened already, another stampede during the interval and an inhuman last train/bus/walk home and the average Indian male takes a week to recuperate, and have sex again. But he loves the IPL. And he loves his job. And India loves being the greatest service economy in the world. And Jan-hith Modi loves coming out and waving to the crowd!

We all love the IPL.
Why India Loves The IPL