I scribbled down this piece few months back; when I got the chance to spend few days with my Nanaji (Maternal Grandfather).Though he is now no more, but his memories and his tales of bravery will inspire me to move forward in life. It was another friday afternoon.
I was in a waiting room of
“DharamShila Cancer Hospital and Research Centre”.
Inside a day care ward, my Nanu was being given blood units so that to enhance his immunity. For initiating the chemotherapy, he needed to be strong enough to bear the strong medication. If you get chance to see a blood unit vessel, observe a drop. In the pipe, it takes spherical shape, waits for a moment and then drops with a declaration,”Yes, I am life, I am entering in you.”
At this place I came across many human emotions.
In this hospital, i witnessed many tears, many smiles, cries, pains, efforts, selfless services. I guess the only other place where one can witness more variations of human nature is a war field. Sometimes I too feel that god would be envious of humans, after all we can feel which He can’t due to his magnanimity and divinity. I got a Nigerian friend there who came for the treatment of his sister. Nigerian government had sponsored her treatment.
I don’t remember his name…
But then friends don’t need also, they are simply friends.
I hardly remember surnames of my very dear friends.
A night before I had a long discussion with Nanu at home about his war experiences. When he told me his experiences, it was not less than watching any movie like,
“Thin Red Line”,
“Black Hawk Down” or
“Saving Private Ryan”.
Off course real life is more interesting than reel life. In each Indian Army Unit there are 2 core units -medical and educational.
Nanu belonged to the educational one.
He was respected till his last days.
Getting 12 medals and retirement as honorary captain; needs too many brave tasks to do. Seeing so many tough terrains from Assam to Kashmir and so many war situations made him a legend for me at least.
Though men of educational core are not sent to war fronts but Nanu chose to fight.
In fact he fought all 3 wars.
Though you would be knowing some of the details of Indian War but still, I would like to share some of his tales.
Hyderbadi Merger: After independence, most of the Indian independent estates were united by the Iron man of India that is
“Sardar Patel”.
It was an impossible task but he made it done intelligently.
Intelligently because; he convinced them to merge using tricks or blackmailing sometimes. For example,
Gwalior Estate was merged due to fear because the pistol used by
Nathuram Godse was said to belonged to
Gwalior Estate.
Hyderabad was the only remaining state which was isolated from India.
There was some
Gen. Chaudhary who was in charge during the operation. Forces were accumulated. Nana was also in it. General asked the Nizam and threatened him that his daughter would be abducted if did not agree for the merger. It is said that there held a treaty with the Nizam at the breakfast table.
{
Do read the painful memories of Hyderabad merger at
http://www.boloji.com/analysis2/0233.htm
}
Chinese Attack: He told his fade experiences about Indo-China war in 1962.
He gave some insights also. China opened some of the entertaining clubs which distracted very high level officials. Some of corrupted Indian officers did not notice the degrading situation and kept enjoying. I won’t put names here because I don’t have any proofs for this and I don’t have rights too. This is all what I got from him.
Yeah off course, the Indian army was not prepared for the war at that moment. When China was preparing 7 lines of attack, India had only 3 lines of defense. All rusted 303 rifles were not enough to stop the Chinese attack.Nanu was posted to Border just after 6 months of training at Pachmadhi, MP.
{
Check out for more details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Indian_War
}
Indo-Pak war (1965): This was the war which he had most refreshed memories.
As he told, he was watching movie( on projector) in Army Unit at Babina (4th Horse) , UP.
Suddenly alarm rang. Half hour duration was enough to get ready.
In next few hours he was in a army truck with the driver.
He was in
4th Horse and ordered to move to
Siyalkot sector.
His elder brother
Dilip Singh ji, who was in
15th Rajput Infantry, posted to
Lahore sector; while his eldest brother
Ranjit Singh ji, who was in
61 Cavalry was posted to
Atari.
When he was ready in uniform, he was not sure of where to move.
Though he was in-charge of 10 more trucks behind his, but he was not sure, where to move and what will be the next halt. What he knew that, he had to simply follow the truck in front of him. As he confessed that when all the carriers moved in a row, no truck was allowed to stop; this made him to pee in the truck only. In a journey of around 2 days, it stopped only for 4 times for the distribution of food and other normal activities of the soldiers.
He told that when he reached at the border, he had 4-5 soldiers with him in his team. One of them was Muslim,
Juber Ahmed. Some others in the troop were blaming him and his community for the war. It was Nanaji, who kept him with himself always, even while peeing; otherwise people were ready to kill him before they kill enemy.
His team was provided some ration, ammunition and some earth digging equipments (for trenches). As he explained that India keeps 3 lines of defence.
1) Infantry: It includes the front line of soldiers who have guns and move fearlessly.
2) Tanks: After Infantry, tank battalion moves around 20-30 Km behind.
3) Artillery: Artillery moves around 40-50 Km behind Infantry.
4) OP: Then there is an OP ( I am not sure of the full form) who is basically a group of army intelligence in the enemy territory. This is the most risky job doing team. It includes JCOs and officers. They have a transmitter; using which they keep giving geographical coordinates of the enemy to the men in artillery. After receiving information from OP, Artillery fires at the exact location. A miss, can kill our soldiers too, which is quite often.
Nana told that during those days India had Centurion tank which was quite famous for its tactics. So now Nana was moving inside the Pak territory. It was a very fertile land. It was greens all around. Sugarcane crops and dry fruits trees were spread all around.
Army men were moving ahead fearlessly enjoying the sugarcane and other fruits in their fields. They covered miles and miles until they find any human.
It was in after noon when they heard some engine sound.
Everyone was wondering till they find a fighter plane firing at them.
Reds spilled on the green fields.
It took few moments which transformed the silence into noise.
Transformation of courage into fear….
Dream into reality……
They never knew if this was the real war.
They had heard it in books and newspapers but seen death first time.
Chill moved till the last point of their ribs.
They ran back.
They ran, ran and ran …. ............
They were not ready to die so quickly.
They stopped only when their commanding officers who were coming back met them behind. They asked them to stop and move again towards enemy territory.
The officers threatened them to move forward or unless they would be shot dead.
Death comes so easily; they never knew.
So they sincerely obeyed the orders, they didn’t have choice too.
When man doesn’t have any choice or all choices lead to same result, man chooses to be brave.
They opened the mouth of their guns and moved ahead. They dig trenches at some of the places and hid inside. Enemy planes came 3-4 times a day, dropped bombs.
Whenever fighter planes returned back, they got chance to move forward. Planes came in night also and used to hover till they find any light. All soldiers were advised not to light any “bidi” also.
When they almost reached the Sialkot, they found empty villages, opened shops.
When Indian Air force entered into picture, many had died already.
When they reached into the towns, Indian government had ordered for cease-fire.
Men died …Nations lived.
War till end Nanu kept fighting till his last days. He was a man of honor.
When I asked him about the importance of war, he told me that the life is worth for fighting. Nobody likes to kill other, but when you are attacked by, you fight for your existence.
He fought when he was attacked by the tumor in his liver.
It is true probably; what
Red said in
Shwashank Redemption,”
Get busy living or Get busy dying.” Life really is worth fighting for, worth struggling for.
