This show is part of the daily drill performed by Pakistan Rangers at Wahga border. We would like to hear your comments. My comments are:
dekho! is ko ‘take it easy’ lo
30 comments posted
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Obviously that last post should have read:
I DO NOT have a military mind.
I am not sure why the two words in parentheses got left out. Apologies if I’ve alarmed you, Bloody Civilian. Unintended.
@Bloody Civilian
Ah, now I begin to understand!
You pickled gherkin, I have a military mind! But I can’t pretend that family roots and affiliations and my own work for the forces doesn’t exist, or that their welfare and well-being doesn’t concern me. That would be letting down hosts of people who are relatives, friends or working acquaintances. And I have used some of my training and upbringing in managing software and IT firms with excellent results.
Soldiers aren’t bad people; most military institutions aren’t bad places (some ultra-conservative cavalry regiments were). It’s always, always, always about leadership. Bad leadership can mess up any set of good soldiers, and subvert the best institutions.
In case someone has read that last and is looking up Google Maps to feed the coordinates of Calcutta into things that go bang, I wish to clarify that I am speaking about the unfortunate events of 62, with particular reference to a set of generals listed as follows: Kaul, Monty Palit, Bogey Sen. I won’t speak further as the first two have left their own written records (brazen cheek!), but they illustrate the point. The other side is Prem Bhagat, Harbaksh and Jagjit Arora (that’s too Punjabi, so I’ll add Manekshaw and Sundarji to balance things a bit).
This is by way of explanation, and I won’t intrude Indian factoids here again.
Anyone who wishes to extend analogies does it on his or her own. I disclaim any further involvement.
Apologies, Bloody Civilian, let’s go back to bloody civilian topics again. But in parting, a stint in the NCC or whatever equivalent there was in Pakistan would have done your dyslexia a lot of good ;-)>
D_a_n
My (highly) suspected dyslexia obvioulsy applies to both my writing and reading ability ;-)
I’ll let you and Bonobashi enjoy what will never make much sense to my non-military mind :-)
@D_a_n
Absolutely delighted to be understood so well. I suppose as a spectacle, one must concede that it is a brave one. This is after all a Rome of bread and circuses: ‘O tempora, o mores’.
I note grimly the references to Col. Hathi. If my identity had not been such a well-guarded secret, I might have suspected a correspondence with the old lady. Having herself managed to keep trim and able to get into her wedding clothes, she has had much to say, far too much, about a certain amount of ballast that has been inevitably acquired over the ages, and refuses to drop off in spite of strenuous efforts made. This exchange settles the matter: 20 kgs must go, and Col. Hathi retired off (I’m 59 in August after all).
The men at Wagah are doing what they’ve been told to do. I am mad at the COs who thought it up and exposed their men to this. Even policemen (at Wagah, it’s policemen on both sides) deserve better.
The check-1-2 stop is alive and well in India, in less belligerent form, and I have seen it used to synchronise step during a long march-past, just before the saluting dias. It has its purposes, but I wish they wouldn’t overdo it.
I am dreadfully sorry to inform you that the Russian inspection drill has come into the Indian armed services. Some sycophant introduced it during the 80s, the years of Hindi-Russi bhai bhai, and I long for the day when it will be thrown out.
About pleasanter things: I can describe to you the Centenary Gold Cup finals, which I saw Hesky Baig play, chukker by chukker from the third to the sixth; Calcutta Polo Club went from 4-6 to 9-8, playing Alec Harper at back, Hesky at 3, Prem Singh at 2 and somebody else at 1. That was against a terrifying line up: Hanut himself at 3, his sons Bijai at back and Hari at 2, and somebody else at 1. The cool, very snooty ladies of Calcutta, my mother among them, were standing up and screaming their lungs out the last two chukkers. It’s a miracle nobody died. The Army was not the bulldozer it later became; some of them were standing around watching, looking very, very thoughtful. I was 11 then, and got to taste champagne for the first time and thought I’d gone to heaven. Today I watch polo on YouTube; somehow rather different.
I would be delighted to hear about the anecdotes you gathered. If permitted, I would like to share it with a small circle of retired military people, including the first few from school. I look forward eagerly to hearing from you.
The seniormost, one year my senior, took premature retirement this year as a Brigadier. Another, a year my junior died two years back due to permanent damage to his lungs in Siachen; Bengalis aren’t really meant for those conditions. Some others became civilians; the Chief Minister of Nagaland and several of their ministers are Sainik School boys.
I read out your mail to my father, who can’t see any more. Regarding the manners that prevailed in better times, he said to tell you that his last holiday, nearly twenty years ago, with my mother,then alive, was in Rajasthan, where they stayed with the AOC-in-C, Air Marshal Cariappa. As you will remember, his story as a PoW reminds us of the manners that prevailed as late as 65.
@Bloody Civilian
I have surrendered reluctantly to the idea that this is a spectacle and should be treated at that level. If some day I am given the opportunity, I’d like to take you to the Beating of the Retreat at Raisina Hill, to show you that a military spectacle can be dignified and solemn, even moving.
@ bloody civilian…
I have infact seen the whole thing…twice actually…and am not a fan of the ’show’ as I did write….
If you’d have read my rather long winded post you’d have seen that I wrote:
‘wagah seems inescapably childish to me..and frankly I feel its degrading to the Jawans on parade…’
@D_a_n
Absolutely delighted you understood so well. True, as a spectacle, it is entertaining, but my spirit squirms at good soldiers, even good policemen (at Wagah, those are policemen) being made to do this. However, this is a Rome of bread and circuses. ‘O tempora, o mores’.
I note with some grimness the gratuitous reference to Col. Haathi. If my identity had not been such a closely-guarded secret, I might have suspected some clandestine correspondence with the old lady, who has herself stayed trim and has an entirely excessive amount to say to me and to everybody else about a certain amount of ballast that has settled in and refuses to move away, in spite of all effort. This exchange settles the issue: 20 kgs must go, and we must retire Col. Haathi (I am, after all, 59 in August).
Having conceded that the masses must have their show, there is little to say, except for two little facts and a very proud thought:
* I was ranting a bit unnecessarily about the Check-1-2, which is used in modified form on very long parades to synchronise the squad’s steps, just before the saluting dais; due to the speed at which sound carries, we found ourselves slightly out of step if each rank followed the beat of the band. This is still done at the Republic Day Parade in Delhi, with indifferent results. A necessary evil, I suppose.
* You will be horrified to learn that Russian drill during inspection has come into the Indian services (through, I regret to say, the Army) from the 80s, from the days of Hindi-Russi bhai bhai, when some toad-eating idiot brought it in. I yearn for the day when it is thrown right out again.
Regarding respect for one’s enemies, I would like to present some evidence to you in about a month’s time, evidence that has been lying around scattered, and that has always filled me with pride.
On a personal note, when my father was healthy and my mother alive, the last major tour they did was of Rajasthan, where they stayed with the AOC-in-C, Air Marshal Cariappa. As you may remember, this gentleman is a reminder to both Indians and Pakistanis that good manners among opposing soldiers was not - I daresay is not - entirely obsolete.
It would be wonderful to hear from a person with your heritage about the stories you mentioned. If permitted, I would like to share it with my small circle of ex-military friends. My batchmates have just started retiring; the seniormost, one year older than I, was a brigadier who took premature retirement. Younger chaps have died in action, one, a year my junior, due to the effects of the weather in Siachen. May lightning strike the bastard who thought of that misadventure.
Regarding Hesky Baig, he was like a flickering flame on the field. I just rubbed out a play-by-play description of that match 47 years ago. Now I watch polo on YouTube; somewhat different.
@Bloody Civilian
I have been present from end to end, and nearly ran out onto the parade ground to stop them. Although it doesn’t please me, it is difficult to disagree that it is a crowd-pleasing spectacle; on the other hand, you and I have already discussed what we would like to see instead.