Heroes beyond all bounds

Back in office and here I am kicking back the files and yea enjoying every moment of it. Life had come to a standstill in hospital with thousand and one restrictions (a lot still continuing but happy to be out of hospital). Every time I come out of hospital I feel my life to be more precious and feel much closer to God. So many things one learns in hospital, things otherwise one takes for granted, things one overlooks, it’s just haunting to put it right.
This time I met many who had volumes to tell and tons for me to learn from them. But I will narrate the one which touched me most and left me speechless. The person gave me a reason to live, a reason to fight.
It all began on the breakfast table. I had a very bad night due to pain and I was really cranky that morning. As usual I tried to be as calm and kewl as possible but true colours come out in no time. This officer an Air force guy, a fighter pilot, best in country hence posted in training school and teaching other officers to fly, spoke rudely to the service waiter. I did not like his behaviour but I kept quite not disgracing the officer cadre but I had made my mind to give him a little showdown hearing. So I caught him at the ambulance while going for X-ray and explained him that his behaviour at the dining room was quite un officer like. He too took it, as done in services to keep quite when the senior is talking. He was quite a young chap hardly thirty, must have put in around 8 – 10 yrs service.
One fine afternoon I was leisurely enjoying the rains that this officer came to me and sat next to me as quite as a statue. I too was cautious and did not want to break the silence sensing some problem. After some time he opened up and what he told me made me totally blank, it was as if some lightening has struck me. I did not believe what I just heard and I had no words to say. I just looked at him and thousands of thoughts were just going through my mind. This guy who was just thirty not even married a fighter pilot, one of the best, a instructor in flying academy is sitting next to me silent not because of his ailment but because he knows he will never ever go again in his fighter plane in air again.
He came to know about his disease when he went to his MI room for usual routine blood check up at his duty station in the flying school. There he came to know and he came down to Command hospital to confirm his fate which was sealed in the best of the golden letters which his fate can garnish. This dare devil had leukaemia, blood cancer and me a fool was getting worried about my intestine growth suspected to be cancerous.
How can he be so cool even when he knows that he is just a whisper away from getting his wicket out of this world, how can still he smile when he knows the innumerable needles that are to be inserted in him, how can he still talk with his dad with a smile and how does he manage to laugh still. I call such people one of the bravest and the real heroes who really fight the struggle for life and doing so teaches so many fools like me as to how to live life.
My salutation to you all !!!!!!!!!!!
May God give us all, the strength to keep our fight?
AMEN!!

The last exam as a Batch together. 26 Apr 2008

So finally the day has come though I know it how much I wanted to delay this day but every begining has a end so was to be for this too. Pulling myself up for the college I saw the routine things enroute, but still I felt some thing different in them than usuall. The trees tall as 100' plus standing there from ages, were looking very sad today as if they too understood that we all are leaving and in that grief as if they were shredding the leaves to say good bye to all of us. Giving a soft carpet of leaves to walk upon. My already sad soul was feeling more lonesome than ever. With each step towards the college I was feeling that probably this is one of my last few walk to the college and I wanted to really capture all the scenes in my memory.


We have a tradition to wear some thing different for our last exam day. Keeping up with this tradition it was decided that the last exam as a batch to be given in black tee shirt and blue denims. Exam was Strategic and Operational Management of Technology. The subject was tought by Prof SK De. He is one Prof whose lectures I will really miss. This semester still the fun was less in his class as compared to last year when half the class use to be in dark and he use to teach with full enthusiasm and God forbid the person who use to disturb him. Exam started with Prof Prabina Rajib and Prof Pradhan as invigilators.


Prof Prabina the finance teacher, she is nice lady kind by heart and professionally well that is to be decided by the finance kids not me. I still remember last year she was the warden of the SDS block and some problem had taken place of allotment of rooms to the new first year BTechs and the than Director, Prof Dubey was mad at her, soon the Dean of VGSOM too landed on the spot and the problem was solved with sweet victory to our Prof Prabina. But I believe the lady did not take it in right spirit and soon she resigned as the warden of SDS block. She was looking good with her western outfit, best know to Deepti. :P


Prof Pradhan joined this year, teaches Econometrics which is a elective subject and unfortunately or fortunately I did not take that subject hence cannot say how he is. Best known to his students.


Soon the man of the day came smartly dressed in a blue checked shirt, man he really came smartly dressed to have a have a parting impact on the students specially on whom you know guys. :)).


So finally the exams started with the Profs busy taking rounds of the class and time just flew away. Subba the Gunja king was on my left . Srinivas the Shlumberger guy was in front of me. Sachin Kharche the video guy was on my right and Patnaik, the SK De jr was sitting behind me.


Deepti was there on my left far side and Jyoti on the extreme left side with Kashu in front of her and Jobi sitting behind her. Hey wait you know something what Jyoti did today. HE HE HE bata du kya Jyoti. Nahi Nahi dont worry I wont tell, that is our little secret, right guys.


Soon the exams were over and all were out side in the black tees and blue denims ready for photo shoot. People were hugging and busy shaking hands. Some will probably never sit again in those classes in which they slept, sang , shouted , studied, had fun , had lived life in those class rooms , will never be in there again, neither will be me. Though I have exam tomorrow but it is submission, than on 29th will be DHR but that will be in the HSS dept so no time to come back and attend the lectures.


Oh man I will miss these lectures.Prof Probir Gupta the gold medalist of IIT Khargpur when he was a student in BTech way back in 1965 /67 not exactly sure, Prof Sinha, Prof Guin, Prof Sadhu the gentleman the idol the one who is really worth every penny, Prof Kalyan Chakraborti, Prof Roy Shantanu how can i forget his lectures on OR and his voice " CHICAGO", Prof Biplab Datta the marketing prof than the HR lady Prof Susmita Mukhopadhyay, these few good men and women I will miss them all, will miss their lectures a lot, and ofcourse last but not the least the guest lectures and the trouble our friends use to take to get the students to the class.


The photo session started, but I dont know I was not in it. I was not feeling to be in that group. I was too nostalgic to be with them, I just stayed away and watched them. Later we had few photos with Joe, Kartik, Aman, Sagar, Siddu, Edwin the guitarist, Joydeep, and the great sportsman Joseph.Than we had some thing to eat at Dulal Nandi.


Things have changed a lot, changed yes they have, neways, one has to live on and carry on with it. As they say, change is the only thing that is permanent.


Three more nights in Kharagpur and thats all thats remaining of my life in this college now. May be I will again come here to collect my movement order but thats it. The air has changed, its the season of fall and its time soon for the rain and than for the new leaves to come and so will the new students. Soon will be new friendship and soon some one else will be writing a blog like this, may be and of course the rains and some one will be there to take photos yea some one will be always there...

Adios Guys it was fun being with you all.

Farewell Batch of 2008

Farewell always brought tears to me cause I always believed in living life in fullest and in that I always developed a very strong bonds with friends and places where I go and whenever it was time to leave it always brought tears to me.

Though in my profession I was always posted out from places within three years and at times in two years but it always choked by voice whenever I had to deliver the parting speech. I always had to fight to keep the tears coming out and always ended by getting a nice warm friendly hug from my Sr Officers and peers.

But yesterday's farewell was special. I came back to college after more than a decade since I passed out my engineering degree. So for me it was a second life may be God wanted me to njoy the second life which He gave me and wanted me to start afresh. Yea may be. The photos we clicked, the tunes to which we danced the friends we hugged and all the memories we carried in our heart will always remind us of the days we slogged out together and the parties which were rocked at its best.

There are always some things which remain unsolved, there are some friends which at some times of life goes away from us for some reason or the other,leaving behind a vacuum that no one can fill.

In my profession I lost many friends in battles and battle like situations, some I lost in my arms, some while I was carrying them on my back, some I lost waiting hopelessly for the weather to get clear for the chopper to come and carry my friends to a safer place,and few I lost on the hospital bed. Each time they use to leave the world, more bitter I use to be about the whole system and when I talk today about those days to people I speak so bitter that I myself get surprise that how the time has changed me and how different I have become than what I was before joining the field operation formation.


So today when I see some friends lost in time due to some unspoken misunderstandings it is very saddening but that's what life is, may be, that is how it is. But the result is same, you still lose your friend in the thick of the world.

With the days at the campus coming to end, which they will before even I realise, the sun too will set on the beautiful sunny days of my life, I just want to make enough hay when the sun is shinning bright, so that when if again I have to go to a lonely place I will have enough memories which I can rewind and njoy and keep myself in the best fighting condition as the Army wants me to be.

If ever this blog is read by my course mates of VGSOM 2008 remember this my friend that you are always thought of with fond memories, from me there is no grudges against you cause you are my friend for life and in friendship there is no place for grudges.

God bless you all Batch of 2008 and may you fly so high that even in the remotest place where ever I will be, I will be able to see you all and will always feel your presence around me. With fond memories of you all,

'FAREWELL O BATCH OF VGSOM 2008,MAY THE FORCE AND SPIRIT OF IIT KGP ALWAYS INSPIRE YOU TO REACH TO THE TOP, FAREWELL O BRIGHT SPARKS OF THE NATION'

A Sister's pride.

I was just reading through one of the blog and was astonished by the passion of a sister about her brother's work in Armed forces and the pride which she took in her brother being awarded the Nau Sena Medal for gallantry.
Though she did not mention the operation for which her brother has been awarded the gallantry award, but the passion in which she expressed her attending the investiture ceremony has really moved me.
The lady has explained her feelings about meeting the Naval Chief in so simple and lucid language, it really made me feel proud of being in uniform. How many of Indians must be taking that pride, difficult to say, but people like her keeps us going on in our missions and difficulty. It was worth reading every word and really brought the beautiful fond memories of my days in jungle and those beautiful weapons and those lovely night outs in jungles in snow and rain. How beautiful were those days, yea those were the days.
I am really proud of the officer and also the lady, God bless the family and all the walking and wounded soldiers.

Capt Godbole: Baby proves to be a man

It was just another fine day with the sun shining bright over the mother earth and I was just thinking of the beautiful song Rose and was dreaming how the seeds will germinate into a rose plant and will start to bloom into beautiful roses. The roses unaware of the hardships of the seed and the parent plant will bloom and will bring joy to all without a sign of any past pain or grudges. My beautiful thoughts were broken by the usual emergency drills and the roaring sound of the Mi 17 Helicopter. Soon a emergency patient was wheeled in the ICU with all types of conduits coming from his body and all fancy bottles hanging from whatever make shift hanging points they can think of.

The day started with another sorry eventful day which by now I was used to. After some time Capt Vivek walked to my bed and with inquisitive eyes was asking me who the new friend is. Things were really serious it seemed as nobody was talking freely and all the doctors and nurses were too busy attending him. Time went by and it was only the next day when his wife had come that we came to know that the gentleman was Maj Banjo a Sapper officer and has landed here as mine casualty.

Everyday the birds used to chirp, the sun use to come up and go down, Sheetal use to come and go but I failed to see any smile on that Officers’ wife ‘s face. Time was ticking and we all were anxious to meet the Major and greet the valiant son of Bengal. But the time was not just perfect for us to meet him because this officer was in a really bad shape for us to talk to.

Capt Vivek the tall smiling Mallu was there one fine morning waking me frantically. I woke up to see Vivek starring at the empty bed of Maj Banjo. The sight we never want to see ever. The bed was properly laid up and cleaned, the side table was empty and we did not have the courage to ask anybody about the mystery of this empty bed. Soon Sheetal came with a beautiful smile on her face and with chirpy voice she said coffeeeeeeeee for the brave hearts. But when she saw our blank faces she gauged something is wrong and soon unwound the mystery of empty bed. Maj Banjo had gone to the ophthalmologist who had specially called from Delhi and since he was only for a day he had gone early in the morning. I think the coffee never tasted so good in the last one year in the hospital. That evening me, Vivek and Maj Banjo then had a long discussion as to how all this happened and what he told us was too difficult for us to sleep upon.

Though we all had come in the hospital by doing something or the other in the battle field like situation but still this was too much for us to be at ease. For every soldier I think it is not his life that is more precious but it is the people whom we leave behind are more precious and the thought of them brings the real chill up our spine.

The incident that he narrated really made us proud of these great men, the men whom the world will forget but for us they are always a constant source of inspiration and the men of action and the men who understands what really is responsibility and pride of performing a job.

On the fateful day which was not that very suitable for the job which was planned the gallant force of the Sapper took up the task. The task was the most dreaded one and that is demining the operational area in which the mines were laid almost a year ago. How to find them, how to locate them, and how to actually disarm them is a challenge which freezes the blood of the bravest of brave soldier. The task was taken by the company of Maj Banjo and his faithful aid Capt Godbole. They took up the challenge to venture into the mine field and clean up the area of all mines. Soon with the time mines were being pulled out of mud cleaned and very elegantly disarmed.

Ok let me ask you something. What is the damage you expect if something goes wrong with a particular mine? Hmmm I know difficult to answer that. Ok let me tell you if it is a anti personnel mine then one losses a leg and if it explodes in the hand then the hand will never finger anybody cause they will not be there after that. What if it is an anti tank mine, the mine that can make the battle tank off road? Well no marks for that answer. Yea you are right, the person will just vanish in real and literal meaning.

On the fateful day Capt Godbole and his men were doing the same. They were on their job with full devotion and apt attention taking care of the last and minutest details of their job on hand. But as they say every soldier has his name written on the bullet or on a mine or on something which will test his bravery. Ok, ok, time out, time out. I understand by your one basic question what is this Sapper all about. Hmmm. Well Sappers are the Combat Engineers. These are the bunch of Brave soldiers who go to battle field even before the battle plans are ready. Even before a bullet is fired these jolly good fellows are already deep in the trenches not only in our own but also in the enemy trenches. They get all the details of the Enemy battle ready ness their mine field, their various obstacles for our Tanks and for our men to move. They do every thing from making trenches for our own forces to build assault bridges in minutes yea they also blast off the bridges, both enemy and ours too if need be. They hold the enemy by laying mine fields KM and thousands of them in dark or in the face of the enemy. They breach the enemy mine field so that our own infantry and tanks can cross in the face of enemy bullets and artillery firing. Yea and these are the same heroes who come last from the battle field cause they have to remove all the mines which they have planted before the war. So this is the role of the Sapper. Hence they are called as SARVATRA. Because you can find them every where.

Yea so back to business, the mines which were being dug out were in a very bad shape. The mud and dirt had choked these mines in total unserviceable condition. But the soldier has to do his job and the job when is there, it has to be performed. One of the anti tank mine while in the process of demining got activated and the result was the blast of the mine which was heard kilometers away and so was the bravery of the baby heard across the nation and the bang proved the baby had long became a man, a man who knows what responsibility means and what price one has to pay in the line of duty. The officer who took this responsibility at such a young age and service, his age not even 22-23, only men can do this, men who have spunk in their B**** to take the challenge.

Maj Banjo who was 50 meters away from the sight got thrown away by the powerful wave the blast had caused and the molten plastic of the mine got all over the body of Maj Banjo.

Now the hundreds of plastic pieces which had reformed after cooling are now troubling the officer. But imagine the young officer whose body had just vanished.

In Pune I was invited in one of the social gathering in which the parents of all the martyrs were honored.When I saw parent of Capt Godbole I was amazed to see the strength and the dedication of them to the cause for which their son had given the ultimate sacrifice. As of date a park is dedicated in Pune to the memory of this brave son of Maharashtra who gave his life for the better tomorrow of this nation.

My salutation to you Sushant !!!!!!

We all are proud of you.