Only those who take leisurely, what others are taking seriously

Can take seriously, what others are taking leisurely

An obituary that says it all

A 12cm x 15cm insertion in multiple editions of the Times of India costs quite a packet. For a Regiment to shell out so much money for an officer who commanded the unit 44 years ago, and retired 24 years ago is a testimony of the indelible impression which the man left on the posterity. The words are poignant, and very well chosen. I have never seen such a heartfelt tribute, but that is because, soldiers of his calibre are rare, to say the very least. When I searched my heart more carefully, I discovered that Gen Hanut was more than a soldier. He was a man of God. The Christians have given us several attributes of godly men, and this man measures up to every parameter, more than fully.   

 

Cadet Hanut Singh of the First JSW Course,

I served under the general for only one year; in 1982-83. However to maintain the chronological sequence, this piece must begin at the start of his military service. Gen Hanut was an illustrious member of the First JSW course, which commenced in January 1949. Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh, a former Signal Officer-in-Chief has done yeomen service to his course by creating a blog which contains pictures of all the cadets of the ‘First JSW Course’ . This course was unique in many ways. They did not have to go through the UPSC written examination and had no ‘seniors’ at the Academy. Three of them rose to be the Chiefs of the three services and countless numbers rose to become generals, admirals and air marshals. Gen Hanut was in Baker Squadron and is seen at the right extreme in the front row of the picture below. The pen pictures of the cadets have been written be a team of editors, and these were published in a souvenir by the staff of JSW . The lines written about Cadet Hanut Singh have been taken from that Website. I have taken the liberty of correcting an obvious error  concerning the home state of Gen Hanut.

 

 HANUT SINGH
Whether Hanut got his mature dignity from Rajasthan, which is his home state, or from Col. Brown’s School which is his alma mater is more than we can decide. He deserves the Nobel Prize for Peace, because he tried to  maintain harmony among his friends, always and every time. For this noble cause, he has never grudged money or breath or both.  An able rider.

The Hand of God

Hanut was commissioned into 17 Horse, which is better known as the Poona Horse. A great deal has been said and written about this great and famous regiment. It is the only unit which has been awarded two PVCs, one each in 1965 and 1971 wars. The emblem of this unit is a ‘hand’ which protects and guides its men.

 

 

Gen Hanut, as I knew him

For this piece, we press ‘the fast forward’ button and come to May 1982, when he took over as the GOC of the Division in Sikkim. I was commanding the EME Battalion (known as the CEME) and had been there for about six months. His predecessor was Maj Gen (later COAS) VN Sharma, and I intend to write a separate piece on him, to do full justice to his contribution to the ‘Black Cat’ division. All that must be said here is that the change of command led to sea change. We had heard weird things about how Gen Hanut attended office for only a few hours, and spent most of his time in meditation. Socially, he was a recluse, and very little was known to us about his priorities, when he appeared on the scene.

After his arrival, social functions reduced to almost zero, and the routine conferences were few and far between. Only those who were required for a discussion were invited to attend. And so it was nearly two months, before I got an opportunity to see him in person. It may have been longer, if it had not been for an urgent piece of work.

The selection board for promotion of my second-in-command, Major Krishnan Nair Hari Kumar was preponed, and the army headquarters called for an early Annual  Confidential Report (ACR) on his performance. Hari had done an outstanding piece of work, and I was very keen that he got his due. Unfortunately, the GOC had never seen him, and since he spent so little time in his office, I was afraid that his ACR might get delayed in the division headquarters.

 It took me two days to write a report commensurate with the contribution of the officer to the unit, and after I had checked and re-checked all the enclosures, I mustered the courage to ring up the GOC, with a request to meet him in person to expedite the review. I was pleasantly surprised to be connected to the boss in the very first attempt and after he had heard me out, he asked me whether it would be convenient for me to meet him at three pm, in the afternoon, that same day. Quite naturally, I said yes.

As soon as I had put the receiver down, I recalled that the general did not attend office in the afternoons. He rose at an unearthly hour for meditation and after lunch, he rested. So I wondered whether what I had heard was true. But I kept my misgivings to myself.

Rest of the morning was spent in preparing for the meeting. I reached there well in time and was shown in at the stroke of the hour. I saw a relaxed man sitting, with not a single file on the table. On his face, there was a silence; the kind of which I had never seen before. He signalled me to take a seat. Even before he said anything, I found myself telling him all that Hari Kumar had done for my unit. He listened to me with rapt attention, and when I had finished, he asked me whether I was sure that he was entitled to review the ACR. When I said yes, he said, “Where is the report?”

I gave him the file. He took less than a minute to read it and then he filled up his part of the document in the next two minutes. He called his PA and asked him to enter his personal particulars in the form and diary the document. I thought my job was over and so I rose to take leave of him. He motioned me to sit down, and said, “He will take about ten minutes to do his job. You can spend that time with me, if you like”

He then asked me about the state of equipment in the formation, specially the aging medium guns. I said there was no cause for concern, except the gun-towers, which had not physically moved the equipment for a long time, and so one was not fully sure of their battle worthiness. He then asked me about the ASC battalion. I told him that it was one of the best run ASC units that I had seen. He queried, “Then why so many accidents?” And I said, “Sir, they consume more than half of the total fuel in the formation. Compared to the running of their vehicles, their proportion of accidents is far lower than the other units” His face lit up, and he asked me a few more questions about the units in the high altitude brigade. I told him whatever I knew.

By that time the PA had brought the file. As I was preparing to leave, he asked me whether I had carried out the CEME’s inspection of all units. I nodded. His final words were,     “I am sure that you go to help the units; and not to find fault with them!”

I looked into his eyes, and had the gumption to say, “I hope so…and I think I have got your message, Sir”

On the way back, I read the report given by the GOC to Maj Hari Kumar. He had dittoed the points awarded by me and the ‘pen-picture’ had just one line,

“Maj Hari Kumar has performed to the entire satisfaction of his commanding officer”

It struck me that he could not have recorded his impression in a more concise manner. Every word was true, relevant and appropriate. And he had taken less than two minutes to complete his job.

I saw very little of him during the next few months. Then one day, we received the programme for the annual inspection of our unit by the GOC. Unfortunately, the date given to us was in the middle of my planned annual leave. Therefore, when I sent my leave application, I attached a noting sheet seeking a fresh date for our inspection. The leave application was received the very next day, duly sanctioned, but there was no mention of the fresh date of inspection. I assumed that it would be postponed, and left for my home town.

While on leave, I received a letter from my second-in-command that the inspection had been carried out on the original date. He had rushed to the division headquarters to inform them that the CO was away on leave, but he was told that the GOC had remarked, “I am going to inspect the Unit; and not the commanding officer. I already know the CO!”

During the three hours which he spent in my battalion, the GOC spoke no more than four sentences. And each word made eminent sense to us. By the time I returned, every single thing which my officers sought from the headquarters had been sanctioned. The next event which merits mention here is. that I was detailed to attend a course on computers in Mhow. On the detailment order, the GOC had specifically said that I must make full use of this opportunity. I took it as his blessing and left, without any qualms or misgivings.

Soon after my return, we were told that Gen Hanut had been posted out, after completing only one year in Sikkim. He had been side-stepped to command an armoured division. Some people attributed other reasons for the move, but that was of no consequence to me.

In our division, we had a very fine set of officers commanding the div-troops units. MPS Kandal was commander engineers, Manmohan Singh was commander Signals, Jagdish Chander headed the ASC battalion and Mark Surjit Gill was the Ordnance boss. We made a little group of our own, which came to be known as the ‘Fifth Brigade’ The medical units commanded by Cols Kale and Bhatnagar also joined in. We decided to organize a common farewell function for Gen Hanut, and that suited everybody. The event was held in the ASC battalion, and Jagdish rose to the occasion in his characteristic superb manner. I have always considered it to be more than a coincidence that all members of the ‘fifth brigade’ rose to tall levels in the military hierarchy.

Those who know these illustrious officers would recall that Jagdish rose to head the ASC; Manmohan was approved for promotion to three star rank, and founded the Army Education Society; Madan Kandal commanded an Infantry Division and Gill became a Brigadier in spite of being a late entrant in the army. A picture of the group would not be out of place here. Incidentally, this picture was taken when colour photography had just arrived in Gangtok, but it is reasonably clear (Unfortunately, Manmohan was away, and so is not seen in this picture).

 

MPS Kandal, Surjit, Jagdish Gen Hanut, Kale, Bhatnagar and Mark Gill

*

Part II. THE PORTRAIT OF A MAN OF GOD

A New Chapter

Logically, this story should have ended here. I never met Gen Hanut in the official capacity after that farewell lunch in mid-1983. But, in effect, if it had not been for the post-Sikkim days, I might never have written this piece.

A few months after the general had moved to Ambala, I wrote a letter to him, in which I thanked him for what he had done for our unit. In response, I received a hand written note in which he said some kind things, and specifically invited me to visit him in Ambala. He remembered that my parents were from Yamunanagar. And the Lord had other things in mind. From Sikkim, I was posted to the Pay Commission Cell in the army headquarters. During my somewhat long tenure in the adjutant generals’ branch, I was detailed a member of two study groups by the COAS. First, there was a study on ‘Manpower Philosophy’ with Maj Gen OP Bhog as the Chairman, and then there was a study on ‘Career Planning of Officers’ with Lt Gen Sushil Pillai as the Boss. For gathering data and seeking the views of Formation Commanders, we always chose the Formations commanded by Gen Hanut. First, it was the Armoured Division and then the Strike Corps. On all these occasions, Gen Hanut invited me over to the Flagstaff House for ‘a drink’ (which, in his abode was either melon juice or an extract of carrots and citrus fruits). In every case, I was permitted to dip into his world of spirituality. He was averse to talking about people and I noticed that he never spoke about the 1971 war, in which his regiment had won laurels. Finally, I observed that he never spoke about himself. The path on which he seemed to be moving was celestial.

 

A Road Less Travelled: Along the Spiritual Highway

Beyond Ambala

From Ambala, General Hanut moved to Ahmednagar (called Nagar) and I was selected to raise the “Simulator Development Division” to design training aids, especially for armoured fighting vehicles and anti-tank missiles. This took me to meet Gen Hanut once again. By the end of his tenure in Nagar as the Commandant of the Armoured Corps Scchool, our bond had become fairly close, and less formal.

The general moved to an ashram near Dehradun, and devoted full time to meditation and self-realization. Since Dehradun was not far from my hometown, I was able to visit him at regular intervals. During every visit, I came back stimulated, and returned with my batteries fully charged. There is one occasion which I cannot forget. In his cottage, there was a beautiful room with full-length windows that showed the heavenly view of the Doon Valley, with a stream flowing at a distance. As I settled down on a sofa, I noticed a sign board which read:

इस आश्रम में हरि चर्चा कीजिये : नहीं तो मौन रहिए 

(In this Ashram, discuss spirituality: or else, remain silent)

In a few moments, the general came down from his room upstairs, and sat down. I sat gazing at the scene, trying to figure out something ‘spiritual’ to say. The other alternative was easier. I decided to just wait for the juice to arrive, and then say goodbye. I chose silence, as a safe alternative.

I suspect Gen Hanut sensed my dilemma. He got up, picked up that signboard and tucked it away. And that day,  he himself said, “Let the Lord have a day off today!” We discussed the lighter side of life, and laughed at any thing and everything under the Sun. That was also the day, when he presented a copy of the book entitled, “FAKHR-E-HIND” (The Story of the Poona Horse). In his trade-mark Col Brown handwriting, he wrote the following words for me:

 

 

Not an “I” Specialist

At that point of time, I was about to retire from military service, and wanted to pursue writing as a hobby. I wanted to write a biography of Gen Hanut, since many of my friends wanted to know more about his life and work. He was also a bit of an enigma. He had lived life at his terms, broken several service norms, challenged the authority of some of his own bosses, flouted working hours and yet risen in the military hierarchy. Above all, there was a peace on his face, and a ‘silence of desire’ which I have never seen before, or after.

I was seeking answers to several questions to join the dots of his character sketch. More specifically, I wanted to know when and why he had chosen to remain celibate. I was also keen to know how he managed to retain equanimity when he was in direct conflict with his immediate superiors. I have seen him holding out his own even when he was in a minority of one. That day, on 26 March 1997, I took out a diary and pen and asked my guru to answer all these questions, in quick succession.

As was his habit, he heard me out with rapt attention. Then he took a deep breath and said,

 “ ​मैं अपने बारे कुछ भी नहीं कह सकता  … इनमें से बहुत से सवाल तो ऐसे हैं , जिनके बारे मैंने कभी सोचा ही नहीं …”

The reply left me astonished. Nearly every other elder I have known loves to talk about himself. And they go out of the way to justify their actions. In sharp contrast, here was a man of God, who refused to speak even a few sentences about himself!

The Mahasamadhi

In due course my own urge and ability to travel declined. Gen Hanut did not get a telephone installed in his Ashram. (In fact, he shunned radio, television and newspapers, because they distracted him) Therefore, my personal contact with him was minimal. But then, a few years ago, I was told that Mr Nripendra Singh who is his nephew, left his cosy job in the USA and joined him.  He has been kind enough to give me all the news. He has a phone, and on a few occasions, he facilitated me to speak to the saintly soldier. He also has a computer, and at my suggestion, he showed the blog of the 1st JSW course to him. Gen Hanut liked it immensely, and expressed profound gratitude to Gen Harbhajan for having created it.

I was told that his health began to decline, about three or four years ago. His ailment was diagnosed as ‘acid imbalance’.  That reduced his appetite, and so he became physically weak. However, his intellect was as strong and sharp as ever. He had taken a solemn promise from Nripendra that he would not be taken to a hospital, regardless of the medical condition. The general said, that the loss of strength was a message from the Lord to reduce his physical activity. Consequently, his meditation and yoga routines were reduced and made less rigorous. He also restricted the number of visitors who were permitted to meet him.

Progressively, Gen Hanut passed on his spiritual legacy to Nripendra, who has vowed to continue the work of the saint-soldier. In the cosmic scheme of things, his food intake had reduced to a negligible level by about the 8^th of April 2015. At this point, this true Yogi requested that he be assisted in attaining the ‘Dhyan’ posture. He then began his final prayer in the form of reciting a single mantra, or ‘jap’ as they say. He was in this very posture and stance, when he left his mortal self.

General Hanut lived at his terms all through his service. Whenever he was given an illogical military command or an unreasonable order, he treated it with the contempt it deserved. In the end, when Yama came to take him, he bowed to Him, but left the abode of mortals, with dignity; at a time of his own choosing. He went, with no catheter, no ventilator, no respirator sticking in his body, and no doctor desecrating his pristine body. His fragrant soma was not polluted by antiseptics. Like all saints, he had grown a silver beard in the twilight years,and a Rajasthan turban adorned his head. This is how he looked:

 

The Lord was his master. Humility was his forte. Beneath his tough exterior, there was a very sensitive man, who was fully conscious of his limitations and faults. Ever so often this proud scion of the Rathore clan, folded his hands and sought forgiveness for all his unintended trespasses. Have a look at this picture, to see a man of God:

 

I have heard from some people, that General Hanut flouted office working hours. However, no one has been able to recollect any pending work on his table. The reason is simple: he did not waste time in idle prattle, and was at least three times as fast as his peers in taking decisions and expressing himself. In three hours, he was able to do more ‘work’ than what most others did in ten hours.  Some say that he was not ‘available’ when needed. I think he was with us, wherever we went. His physical presence in the office was less important than the assurance that he would support our actions; always and every time. Finally, some say that he broke norms and military customs. He permitted ill dressed ascetics (sadhus) to enter an officers’ mess. Indeed, he was indiscreet at times, but it must also be remembered that, in addition to a few social customs, he had also broken the back of the enemy armour in 1971!

Some of us sense him around ourselves, even now; when his mortal remains have already  been consigned to flames. Like Jesus was ‘seen’ by his disciples on the Easter, and beyond. We believe that General Hanut has just proceeded on a voyage to explore the cosmos; and search Truth.

 His words and deeds are, and shall always be with us, to guide our destiny, now and forever.