1. With trepidation.
News, in bits and pieces about a recruitment racket at the National Defence Academy, have been trickling down over the past few days. It revolved around the intake of the non clerical staff like the orderlies, the safaiwalas and others, as I understand. Colonel Kulbir Singh, the Staff Officer to the Commandant, has been arrested as unaccounted money has been recovered from his house and also from the houses of his civilian friends living outside, in the city. He seems to have been the mastermind behind the misdemeanour and I'm sure that more gory details of the scam are gonna tumble out over the coming days. He'd interacted with me and many others during our recent visit to the Academy about a fortnight back. Little did one realise that he was stewing his on juice in the meanwhile. A sum of Rs. 96 lakhs have been recovered thus far.
I only hope that Lt Gen Jatinder Singh, the Commandant and my school fellow comes out of this unscathed. I still remember the affable sardar, dancing amidst us in typical Punjabi style with outstretched hands and index fingers pointing skyward on the makeshift dance floor, erected in front of the Cadets' Mess for the occasion. A great guy with an even greater school spirit than all of ours put together! Knowing him I'm sure that he must be extremely sad that a subordinate had gone astray right under his nose!!
2. A tragic end.
It was with a heavy heart that I received the news of the death of Shibu K John (Roll no. 666 of Sainik School, Kazhakootam) thanks to a tragic road accident at Kollam. I didn't know that he's a bachelor since I'd never seen him after I'd left school and he's survived by his mother, a brother and a sister. I've offered my condolences to the family though I'm sure that they'd not have placed me among the many faces that they've gone past.
Shibu was in class VI and in the no.5 dormitory of the school in which I was one of his two Prefects, during 1969-'70. Shibu was short, dark complexioned and quiet and kept away from the limelight, to the extent feasible. I recall his propensity to burst into tears when he was caught by anyone of us for his pranks, so much so, that our House Master - the late Mr. CV Sankaranarayanan sir - used to say and I quote, "Enthanu Shibu, karayaathe karyathilekku kadakku". I reckon he was initially overawed by the environment, as he'd a rural background, but got over it immediately after. And I also remember his slow smile, whenever he was given a pat on the back, which is vividly etched in my memory like a frozen snapshot from a long lost family album.
His tragic and untimely end on the same road (I'd passed through it last Sunday) just doesn't seem to be fair on the young man.
RIP Shibu. May god give your family the strength to withstand your loss.
News, in bits and pieces about a recruitment racket at the National Defence Academy, have been trickling down over the past few days. It revolved around the intake of the non clerical staff like the orderlies, the safaiwalas and others, as I understand. Colonel Kulbir Singh, the Staff Officer to the Commandant, has been arrested as unaccounted money has been recovered from his house and also from the houses of his civilian friends living outside, in the city. He seems to have been the mastermind behind the misdemeanour and I'm sure that more gory details of the scam are gonna tumble out over the coming days. He'd interacted with me and many others during our recent visit to the Academy about a fortnight back. Little did one realise that he was stewing his on juice in the meanwhile. A sum of Rs. 96 lakhs have been recovered thus far.
I only hope that Lt Gen Jatinder Singh, the Commandant and my school fellow comes out of this unscathed. I still remember the affable sardar, dancing amidst us in typical Punjabi style with outstretched hands and index fingers pointing skyward on the makeshift dance floor, erected in front of the Cadets' Mess for the occasion. A great guy with an even greater school spirit than all of ours put together! Knowing him I'm sure that he must be extremely sad that a subordinate had gone astray right under his nose!!
2. A tragic end.
It was with a heavy heart that I received the news of the death of Shibu K John (Roll no. 666 of Sainik School, Kazhakootam) thanks to a tragic road accident at Kollam. I didn't know that he's a bachelor since I'd never seen him after I'd left school and he's survived by his mother, a brother and a sister. I've offered my condolences to the family though I'm sure that they'd not have placed me among the many faces that they've gone past.
Shibu was in class VI and in the no.5 dormitory of the school in which I was one of his two Prefects, during 1969-'70. Shibu was short, dark complexioned and quiet and kept away from the limelight, to the extent feasible. I recall his propensity to burst into tears when he was caught by anyone of us for his pranks, so much so, that our House Master - the late Mr. CV Sankaranarayanan sir - used to say and I quote, "Enthanu Shibu, karayaathe karyathilekku kadakku". I reckon he was initially overawed by the environment, as he'd a rural background, but got over it immediately after. And I also remember his slow smile, whenever he was given a pat on the back, which is vividly etched in my memory like a frozen snapshot from a long lost family album.
His tragic and untimely end on the same road (I'd passed through it last Sunday) just doesn't seem to be fair on the young man.
RIP Shibu. May god give your family the strength to withstand your loss.
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