‘AN INSPECTION IN THE LAND OF THE KANCHENJUGA’ By Brig KN HARIKUMAR
An Introduction to ‘Peace-time Soldiering’ The Second World War (1939 – 45) went on for so long, that when, at long last it ended, the soldiers had forgotten their peace-time routine. And then one day, a commander called all his officers and said, “Well, gentlemen, now that the war has ended, let us get down to some serious soldiering!” He …
‘AN INDIAN ROPE TRICK IN HIGH ALTITUDES’ BY BRIG KN HARIKUMAR
Foreword I joined the unit in December 1981. We were located at ‘Mile-Five’ on the Gangtok-Nathula Road (GNR) and the unit was situated at an altitude of about 7000 feet. My predecessor, Lt Col (later Maj Gen) AP Palta had created a very well knit and efficient team, and he gave me some very useful guidelines. There were no skeletons …
AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN DAY BY Wg Cdr J THOMAS
Editor’s Note When an aircraft takes off smoothly, performs all the manoeuvres properly and then makes a perfect three-pin landing, the pilot gets a pat on his back, and proudly enters it in his log book. No one cares to remember or even acknowledge the ‘behind the scenes’ effort of the maintenance technicians. Not many of us in India know that in …
Per Capita Soldiers in India
Has the Armed Forces pension bill become unaffordable? In 1984, a High Level Committee headed by the then Rajya Raksha Mantri Shri K.P. Singh Deo was set up which conducted thorough study of the problems of ex-defence personnel for the first time. It made more than sixty recommendations. All except two were accepted by the government. And these two were: ‘One …
‘PHOOK’ THEORY AND ‘THE HOLY BOOK’
“The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path to Salvation is hard” (From a verse in the Katha-Upanishad ) Prologue It is well known that leading men in battle, in the face of fire is a daunting task. What is not so well understood is that commanding a large unit or …
Lifeline Through the Sky – Ladakh 1962
1…2…3……43 ! Lifeline Through the Sky – Ladakh 1962 By J Thomas Around 1960 Sqn Ldr Chandan Singh was a flight commander in 43 and he opened up valley routes for operation to Kargil, Leh, Thoise, Fukche and Chushul airstrips and to many DZs. Soon after, the C-119G Packets operated in strength and the AN-12s entered the scene. Fukche and …
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The Universe is one Family)
Editor’s Note This piece has been written by a former Army Commander,Lt Gen Yogi Sharma, in the first person singular. It is a poignant story of his discovering his life partner in a distant land. Fifty-five years ago, when communications were not as good as they are now, the step which they took to reach out to each other must have …
Reaching out from a wheel-chair
As far as I remember, I received the first e-mail from Brig PT Gangadharan (whom I will fondly now refer to as ‘Ganga’ and also to save space) in 2005. I had never met him in service, and his mail came as a ‘forward’. At my request, he put me on his mailing list, and I have been regularly receiving …
SINO-INDIAN BORDER : THE WAY FORWARD By J THOMAS
Editor’s Note Fifty years after the 1962 war with China, a great deal is being said and written about the event. Tomorrow happens to be the 50th anniversary of the martyrdom of our course mate, 2/Lt T Achyutharayalu, of the Sikh LI, who made the supreme sacrifice at Sela. He was a classmate of Joseph Thomas in School. To mark this occasion, Thomas has written a brief …
FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BOLD
Preamble This is a brief story of the life and times of Lt Gen (Retd) C Sundara Rao, PVSM. He retired as the DEME in 1973. To the lay reader, it may seem that he was extra-ordinarily lucky. He was fortunate to be commissioned when the war was on; blessed to be in the EME when the British officers were leaving, and with that …
