MY BROTHER, SURINDER, GAVE MORE TO LIFE : TOOK LESS
Prologue Brig Surinder Singh (1944-2021) was a quiet person, who was able to say a lot in the few words he spoke. His deeds did the rest. His presence was a source of joy always and every time, wherever he was. Whether in the military life or in the family, he accepted whatever he received. He neither sought a …
A TALE OF TWO CEREMONIAL PARADES
Introduction Our honourable veteran, Maj Gen Amar Jodha Ripu Daman Singh Bawa Bhalla, VSM, holds the unsurpassed record of having served in the Indian Army with the longest name. There were times, when he had to fill forms which did not have sufficient space to contain his complete name, but he did nothing to shorten or abbreviate the tag given …
MAXY – The Arjun astride the arrow
Foreword Col (Dr) Sultan Malik is a well-known name in the Army. Quite apart from being a very professional engineer, he has made a mark in music. His theme song, “Samandar ki hasin lahron…” for the TV film on the Indian Navy is a landmark piece of music. However, the story of his brother, an ace fighter pilot is known …
THE WAR DIARY OF OUR FATHER, MAJOR BALWANT SINGH (1911-2004)
Preamble A commission in the British Indian army was highly coveted by our ancestors. Military officers ranked high in the pecking order, since the Commander-in-Chief was next only to the Viceroy. Consequently, military officers were placed higher than the civil servants. And for a long time, the army was officered exclusively by the British. Until as late as 1919, …
A Hug is all I Need
CONFLUENCE OF ‘SHANTI’ and ‘DHIRAJ’ The Hindi word, ‘Shanti’ means peace, and it includes equanimity and tranquility. ‘Dhiraj’ means patience. Both these virtues are desirable attributes of human personality. During my service I had the good fortune to meet father-son duo, who were known by these names. The elder of the two was about twelve years senior to me, while …
OUR ‘MAKAAN’ IN FAROOKA 1947
Thumbing Through a Bunch of Old Papers Last week, I was seeing some old papers, to weed out the ones which I do not need any longer. I saw an irrelevant pencil sketch, and just before throwing it into the dust bin, I noticed that it was the outline of the house we left behind in Pakistan, in 1947, drawn …
A RACE ON THE LONG ROAD TO NOWHERE
This is a true account of an event which took place exactly sixty years ago on Sunday, the 7th August 1960. Four NDA cadets went out on ‘liberty’ to Poona. But what was meant to be a fun-filled weekend turned into a tragedy. To save some typing effort, I will call them Ravi, Raj, Tej and Jit. Given below is …
SHAIKH FARID : A MYSTIC ABOVE FAITHS AND CREEDS
The Sacred Verses of Shaikh Farid I have been hearing and also reciting the hallowed verses of ‘Bhagat Farid ji’ ever since I was a child. But when I read about his life and works he went up in my esteem by several notches. The Wikipedia introduces him as follows: Farīd al-Dīn Masʿūd Ganj-i-Shakar ( 4 April 1179 – 7 May …
TRIBUTES TO (the late) BRIG KVK UNNY
Foreword Brig KVK Unny (born 17 July 1944) left us on 26 May 2020. He had been afflicted with a dreaded cancer for over seven years, but he battled with the disease with his characteristic fortitude, and those who met him during the Platinum Jubilee celebration of the Corps of EME in Dec 2018 did not find any trace of …
30th April 1997 and 6th May 2004
Twenty-three years ago, on 30th April 1997, our revered mother, whom we called ‘Jhaiji’ left for her Heavenly abode. Almost exactly seven years later, on 6th May 2004, our father, whom we addressed as ‘Pitaji’ joined her. Since then, during this period, we pray for the eternal peace of their souls. We also recall moments out of their pious and …
