Story of Leadership :China War 1962

This is a story of leadership told by Subedar Major Darbara Singh to NDA cadets in the mid eighties:

 

NDA Cadets from the early to mid eighties will remember the imposing frame of SM Darbara Singh. During the rehearsal for the Passing out Parade in 1985, the cadets were in a particularly rebellious mood. The noise did not die down even when the Nishan was brought into the QM fort, and this was a serious matter indeed, for the Nishan is held in high esteem by the cadet community.

The insult to the Nishan did not go down well with Subedar Major Darbara Singh. With his measured steps he stepped up to the podium and with a voice heavy with anger and gruff with emotions, he asked the cadets to lend him their ears.

Subedar Major Darbara Singh "Cadets, I have served in the Indian Army for 23 years. I have seen the 1962 operations, the 1965 and 1971 wars as a combatant. The Nishan that you have not acknowledged today, stands for me and countless others who have taken up the profession of arms and given their youth and lives for the honour of being given an opportunity to salute the Nishan, as the symbol of the supreme sacrifice made by our martyrs.

I will tell you a story that might indicate to you the feelings that we soldiers have for the Nishan. The SM drew a deep breath and continued, In this very academy we have a hut of remembrance, where the names of all the former alumni of this institution who have fallen in action are inscribed on the wall, I have been in this academy for the past three years and I have been able to enter that hut only once.

Because written on the wall is one name, Lt Palta of the 9th Battalion the Sikh regiment.

During the 1962 China War, my Paltan was posted in the Tawang sector. I was deployed right on the border, and my section commander was the same Lt Palta whose name is there on the wall in the hut of remembrance.

 

On the fateful day of 15 Nov 1962, the Chinese attacked our post and we were told to fight back to the last man, last bullet. Lt Palta was personally leading the fight back. It was a harrowing time, we were outnumbered, out gunned and desperately short of ammunition.

Yet we soldiered on , because Lt Palta did not know any other way.

Sometime during the night. Lt Palta was hit in the face by a mortar, the explosion severed his head from his body and the headless body was thrown on me. The enemy overran the post as soon as the officer was dead and I, 17 years old with 11 months of service, fighting a bloody skirmish with the enemy and out of ammunition, was hiding under the dead body of my section commander.

The blood from Lt Palta's body soaked my beard and chest and the enemy, thinking that I was dead, did not bother to even take me as a POW. Through the night I lay there, in the tattered remains of my post, freezing in the Himalayan cold.

 

All my comrades dead, and the dead body of that heroic officer shielding me. It took me three days to wash off the blood from my face, but in my mind, the blood of Lt Palta is still there, warm and caking slowly.

 

I will carry this blood to my funeral pyre." The SM's voice became gruffer with verbalized emotion, "When I entered the hut of remembrance the first time, I saw Lt Palta's name and picture on the wall.

In an instance I was transported back in time to 1962 and felt his cold stiff body on top of mine and his blood congealing on my face. Till date I haven't been able to enter the hut again.

" Cadets, its for officers like these that the academy has been given the Nishan. It has been won by the blood of ex NDAofficers and it stands for all that is good and pure in these kalyugi times; I will not permit you to insult the Nishan and Lt Palta as long as I have breath."

So saying the SM stepped off the dais and strode out of the QM fort in fragile silence. The silence of the QM fort was shattered only by the echoing word of of command of the parade commander some eight minutes later, ordering the passing out parade to coil its sinuous way out of the QM fort in to the drill square.

The Nishan is nothing but a piece of cloth for those who see it as such, but for Subedar Major Darbara Singh of the Ninth Battalion of the Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army, and countless others like him, it stood for Lt Palta and a cold winter night when a young Lieutenant died trying to protect and lead his men in to battle and to supreme honour.

It stood for a quintessential Indian army officer, who, even when dead, continued to shield a young frightened soldier who was out of ammunition and at the end of his wits.

A breed of officers who gave these grizzled old men the self-esteem and sense of izzat, of belonging to a family, of mattering, of esprit-de-corps, and in the end, a way of life. And that, in my opinion is true leadership.

 

Jai Hind

______________

The original article by Sandeep Chowdhary was published in Infantry Journal, 2013

 

Back Pain SOS

https://snip.ly/eijoes

Homebound Labour – An Indep Reality Check by Brig Asthana and Col Binjolkar

Quote

*Homebound Labour on the Roads – A Reality Check 1* by Brigadier Amul Asthana (Retd) and Col Ashok Binjolkar (Retd)

Today *I thank God* that I live in such a wonderful country, India.  Today (22 May 2020) I saw for myself how our citizens, rich-poor-government servants and non-government alike are making most spirited and very well directed efforts to overcome the unimaginable scale and complexity of the homeward bound labour situation. This note is a long narrative, but I urge all to kindly read on and get a ‘real insight’ into the state of affairs.

With great apprehension and carrying the *burden of huge negative news about the migrant labour* crisis*, I ventured out for an ‘on ground reality check’. *(I prefer to call them Indian Labour)

I teamed up with my colleague Col Ashok Binjolkar (Retd). We decided to reach out towards the Palwal-Mathura(UP) highway.  Right at the Palwal-KMP highway we came across a group of ‘loaded’ families on foot, and they were just entering a tented *way-point* which was offering water, juices and food! As we moved on we found two state transport buses parked at a dhaba, and people were reaching out to feed them water and snacks. 

Further, we found a group of young walking migrants heading to Bihar.  Starting from Rewari that morning they had walked & hitch-hiked the 80 odd kilometres by 3 PM.

The *shakar-paras* we gave to a group of walking families were well received with dignity. Despite the scorching 45 degrees heat at about 3PM, they were walking surprisingly fast even though they carried head and shoulder loads and tagged along young children perhaps just over 6 years.  Asked as to how they could reach Bihar like this, “we will keep going, *people help us, ‘sarkar’ will help us. We will reach*”.  This was the confident reply of this mother, though, just like us, she too did not know what lay ahead along the road.

About 30 Km down the route from the Palwal Crossing we found the next ‘food and drink’ shamiana at a local school gate.

There were groups of ‘Indians’ in tempos, autos, and even passing by cars who were keen to give a lift! (Despite Covid scare, mind you). 

At a UP border police post, we were told by a *lively constable*, that they gather the walking or crossing Indian labour here and then send them to *Kosi Kalan* by buses for onward dispatch to their destinations across India!  This sounded so good.

We were already *recovering* from the ‘Bad News Only’ syndrome and were getting late.  But now Kosi Kalan (7 Km) beckoned and demanded a reality check.  At Kosi Kalan we found a rather well organised shamiana manned by volunteers in whites at the entrance to the Anaj Mandi where there was a *Shramik Kendra*.

This was a busy mandi handling hundreds of tons of wheat, and it had large sheds.  The wheat trucks crowd the Mandi mostly in the night and by arrangement, the Shramik Passenger buses occupy the same space up to the afternoon.  The Indian labour that trickles in whole day long, is dispatched by noon and the numbers again build up by next morning.  The *railway and bus staff* here, meticulously register every passenger on arrival and give him a ‘token’. “If they arrive by Haryana State Buses they come with a Manifest and all details are mentioned, and if they come on their own, we record the particulars ourselves” said one of the staff.  The crowd is informed on loud hailers, and each group appoints a leader to take the next instructions.  We came across several groups huddled in the Anaj Mandi sheds.  Each shed is provided with carpets and durries, and we found the bus stand staff and volunteers cleaning the shed and re-laying the durries for the next groups which were already building up. Water tankers were conveniently placed for drinking as well as washing. Number of toilets were there as well. We found the ‘cook house’ busy preparing dinner.  The menu for lunch was Karhi-chawal and halwa! They said that the CM has given strict orders that a ‘sweet’ must be part of every meal. In fact, I felt that they all treated the Indian Labour with *dignity and respect*. 

We found that the railway and state officials draw up a destination wise passenger manifest. A ‘Temperature and Health’ check is conducted and endorsed for every passenger. Early morning, first the buses carry the train passengers to the Kosi Kalan Railway station, and then the same buses load up for respective bus destinations.  ‘Local’ buses to nearby destinations like Mathura, Agra etc run on 24 hours basis.

“Each bus passenger is given a *packed meal* and a bottle of water for the journey. A bus carries only 32 passengers (out of a capacity of 50 or so).  16 buses for Jhansi, and several buses for Damoh, Chandori, Mahoba, Hardoi etc totalling to *over hundred buses* had been sent that morning and would return in the night, for the next day’s loads” said Mr Mool Chand, who is a conductor with one of the buses. We were informed that trains are sent for more distant destinations and across state boundaries. Buses, however, could be sent only to similar such Shramik Kendras bus stations  along the UP border. From these border Kendras, they would be re-shipped to their respective states. And, all this transportation, food and ‘stay’ is *100% free*, we found.    They said they all had learnt a lot in these last twelve odd days that they had been running this facility. It emerged that they could well send buses direct to destinations in Bihar or MP too, if the respective states could coordinate. 

We had introduced ourselves as retired ‘faujis’, and all of them were very happy to share every detail with us and show us around. Overall the entire staff was very involved, up-beat and forthcoming *proud to be doing good work* despite the long hours and despite the lurking danger of Corona. I must say, hats off to the civil administration and the multitude of Indians who are reaching out to help in these challenging times.

Indeed, their enthusiasm and energy rubbed off on us too, and we set course for Delhi, satisfied to have overcome the undue weight of pessimism that had built up due to the intense ambience of negative news and social media views. All of us realise that there will be some unpleasant incidents, but *the bigger picture of India that I saw is heartening*.

*Disclaimer : I do not belong to or owe allegiance to any political party or group*.

Brigadier Amul Asthana(Retd) & Col Ashok Binjolkar (Retd)

Unquote

Three Cheers, 

WE HAVE THE BHARATYA STRENGTH. LONG LIVE MERA DESH, VANDE MATRAM

Life Coaching

Life Coaching Free Download:  https://www.file-upload.com/1hnrwybhb57b

#Motivation #LifeCoaching  

Make Money and Do Yoga

Hi Make Money and Do Yoga Every Day in COVID-19

Free Download: https://www.file-upload.com/hhklyqt4wyw1

#FreeYogaPostures #COVID-19 #KeepHealthy

Join Latium as Freelancer

https://latium.org/welcome?welcome_id=o43NvGMR

Nostradamus Prediction About China

China will cease to exist by 2027. The dismantle of  USSR to just Russia story is about to be replicated. 

Afghan war broke USSR. The Wuhan virus will balkanise China. 

You will wonder, how is it possible? You will also say that the mighty military and economic power, coupled with the totalitarian regime will never allow this to happen. The very same questions were asked for USSR too. But USSR balkanised. It will happen,  and happen soon to China too. 

It does not matter if the Wuhan virus escaped from a laboratory, was deliberately made to escape or originated in  wet markets ; China will pay the price. The western powers have had a heavy death toll that surpasses the number of US soldiers who died in Vietnam War or the civilian casualty during 9/11. 

To put things in perspective 2043 Americans were killed in Pearl Harbour, but Japan paid the price, multiple times when ‘little boy’ and ‘fat man’ were released from B-29 bomber. The Wuhan virus toll in the USA is nearing 70,000. Cowboy justice will be implemented.  Very basic justice. You hit us we will hit you. Virus killed our people; we will make you  suffer. 

The sequence of events will be as under:- 

36. When the world limps back to normalcy, businesses will pull out of China. All major western multinational companies manufacturing in China, will either move back to their home countries or will relocated to other non-threatening nations. 

2. Anyone who trumpets the benefits cheap Chinese labour leading to higher profits for western multinationals will be either a non-conformist or a Chinese. 

3. Western nations will correct the presently skewed trade balance in favour of their countries, and China will suffer a trade deficit. 

4. A US led campaign will bring all developed and developing countries under one umbrella to isolate China. Only Pakistan and North Korea will remain in the China camp. 

5. China will flex her military might by increasing presence in the South China Sea. This will make other countries feel threatened. This fear will be leveraged by the western powers. Australia and New Zealand will seek help from the US, leading to increased its military presence in the region. 

6. A cornered China will start bullying smaller countries who refuse to trade with it in consonance with the international anti- Chinese mood. 

7. This will trigger even greater military deployment in land, air and sea, of western powers as a deterrent. 

8. Western Intelligence agencies will release report that the Wuhan virus was man made. WHO will counter this report by its own research findings that the Covid-19 has originated in nature and China is not to be blamed. 

9. Western powers will discredit WHO and its funding pattern will change. China will go against the tide and try to keep WHO afloat. 

10. China will approach UN to protest against presence on other Navies and Forces in Chinese waters and ‘area of influence’. 

11. Belligerent statements will emanate from Chinese Govt mouth piece on how strong China is and can match any western power in firepower. 

12. Aggressive patrols of Chinese nuclear  tipped submarines and aircraft carriers will start. 

13. Sterner trade sanctions will be imposed on China. 

14. It’s double digit growth rate will come down to negative growth. 

15. Unemployment will increase in China. 

16. The citizens who were on a tight leash will protest. 

17. Massive demonstrations will breakout in major cities and villages in China. 

18. The resistance to the Communist government will be fuelled and fanned by the western powers. 

19. A Govt under pressure will try to brutally suppress the protests. 

20. UNCHR will be activated. 

21. Videos of brutal suppression will escape out of China and will be broadcast on all major channels. 

22. A western collation to rein in the communist government of China will get active militarily. All major bases in an around the neighbourhood of China will be activated to protect human rights abuses. 

23. In the meantime North Korea will implode and both the Koreas will be unified. 

24. The authoritarian Chinese government will find it untenable to continue.  

25. The leaders will go into hiding or will escape in exile to South American tinpot dictator country  and African banana republics. 

26. There will be unrest in China. 

27. Many of PLA soldiers will join protesters. 

28. There will be mass desertions in PLA.

29. Western collation will disarm the residual PLA. 

30. A “Beijing Human Rights Tribunal” ( BHRT) will be constituted with judges from 42 countries to try the PLA leadership for excesses. The trials will be conducted ‘in absentia’. 

(Just like the post WWII Nazi trials)

31. A geographical longitude will be decided by the UN and the ‘Chinese Melon will be cut” into two administrative zones of East China and West China. 

32. UN Administrative Mission in China ( UNAMC)  will help develop democratic institutions in both these countries. 

33. The UNAMC will provide stability for 2 years after which the first democratic elections would be held in East China and West China. 

34. After which the UNAMC will be dissolved. 

35. The two new democratic countries will proud new members of the United Nations.

36. Tibet will gain independence. Dalai Lama and Tibetans will leave India for their promised land.