The dacoit who became a saviour.

This is the story of a Rajasthani dacoit who helped guide the Indian Para Commandos in the 1971 war to their targets in Pakistan.

He is Thakur Balwant Singh Bakhasar from Barmer, Rajasthan.

He played an active role in helping the Indian Army reach Sindh and capture Pakistani areas during the Indo-Pak War of 1971.

He was active as a dacoit in and around in and around Barmer, parts of Gujarat and Sindh in Pakistan and was dreaded in these regions within a circumference of 100 km in the pre 1971s. He was familiar with each and every corner and pathway of these regions.

His knowledge of untrodden routes proved a boon for the Indian Army in the war. Ultimately, India won this war against Pakistan.

The Indian Para Commandos, in this region during the 1971  war was led by Lt Col Sawai Bhawani Singh. The Colonel was aware of Balwant Singh's knowledge of routes in the region. He sought the dacoit's guidance on the routes, to which the latter readily agreed.

The Indian Army first attacked and captured Chachro town in Pakistan on 07 Dec 1971.

Thereafter, the Indian Army commandos attacked Virawah and captured it. In total, Dacoit Balwant Singh Bakhasar not only guided the Indian Army but also (along with his associates) participated as soldiers) participated as soldiers to capture many villages of Pakistan.

Interestingly, Balwant Singh Bakhasar started his pastime as a 'Gaurakshak'.

Pakistanis often came to India along the borders and stole cattle. Balwant Singh Bakhasar saved the cows, killing the Pakistani cattle thieves.

He saved many cows from being stolen and encountered many cattle thieves.

This stopped the Pakistanis from further entering the Indian borders and stopped their activities. They dreaded Balwant Singh.

Dacoit Thakur Balwant Singh Bakhasar became a hero and his fame as a patriot spread far and wide.

The Rajasthan government pardoned him.


Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle late, the chores and was ready by 0900 hrs. Things were quiet and the 4th phase of the lock down has come into effect from last Monday.  

The efficient threesome.

In early 1979, I was a Sub Lieutenant posted on board the old INS Krishna, for the award of Watch Keeping Ticket. Since I was the only officer borne for such a duty, I was looked after by everyone on board - each one taking a keen interest to teach me.

This calls for many of the stories on board the ship and the fantastic time that I'd on board to be brought out at a suitable time, later. The particular story that I'm now going to tell you, folks, is about the three efficient stewards viz. Nair, Abdulla and Michael - INS Krishna's version of Amar, Akbar and Anthony, a popular Hindi blockbuster of those times.!

We could get any of our guests on board and the three of them would ensure that the guests enjoyed their time spent on board and spoke volumes about the Ward Room's hospitality. The three boys had a way with children and the little ones would be eating out of their palms by the time they were to set off for home!

Let me touch upon each of their personalities. Nair was a sentimental person and he used to feel upset when any one of us would pull him up for a fault and took a while to come out of his gloom. Abdulla would sulk for a while but it would be too short lived for him to get back to normal. Michael was a happy-go-lucky type of a person and would not allow such infractions to upset him for long.

One of the officers used to complain that the tea/or any beverage, provided by the stewards, was not hot to his standards. The three of them got together to overcome the issue and before the officer used to be given his cup of tea, the cup and saucer used to be immersed in piping hot water. The officer was happy too, because his beverage was hot and to his requirement.

On a particular evening, when the job was exacting, as the Ward Room was being wound up it was found that a full bottle of gin was missing. Now, that sort of lapse was not acceptable to the three musketeers. Once the session was over, they went about the evening's session minutely and found that Michael had poured the entire liquid into an ice tray in a fit of absentmindedness!

They were fond of me, looked after me and ensured that I never missed breakfast, which used to be a common habit of mine those days. As the Ward Room Mess Secretary, it was my duty to run a taut mess, give the best food acceptable to most, if not all and these boys were my able assistants.

We had a fantastic Ward Room then, with Cdr Suresh Chand (Commanding Officer), LCdr AC Jose (Executive Officer), Lt Sharat Jain (Gunnery Officer), Lt Gursharan Singh (Navigating Officer), LCdr A Sarkar, Lt Arunabh Ghosh (Electrical Officer), Surg Lt P Vijayashankar (Medical Officer), Lt HN Shirgavi (Supply Officer), Lt HS Manhas, Lt Philip Vanhaltren and Lt SAS Rizvi (Senior Engineer) and it was one hell of a team! Lt Ranjan Seth (Navigating Officer), LCdr AS Pandey (Electrical Officer) joined us subsequently. In fact, many of my course mates used to be jealous of me!!

It's my fond hope that I would be able to pick up the thread of relationship with which each one of them after this post of mine. There's one gentleman who'll never answer my call - later Cdr AC Jose (who was my Executive Officer, yet again, at INS Agrani in Coimbatore) and had passed into the mist of time due to cancer, a few years back.

And I must say that he has immortalized the dish 'Mutton-do-pyaza' by calling it 'Mutton-do-paisa, in his unique lingo'!

I would also like to meet up with Nair, Abdulla and Michael anytime, anywhere and know as to what they are up to now!


Tailpiece.

Had got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. The sky was overcast for most of the day and it rained from time to time. Consequently, the temperatures were low and the day was pleasant. 



    

Oh Please! Spitting is Not a Sport.

Unity in Diversity

We all agree that India is a unique country. It showcases unity in diversity; we have  multiple languages, cultures, cuisine, religions, colours, diversity of terrain and thought. It thrives, resonates, is chaotic, funny, noisy, polluted, developing and finally things get done with 'jugaad' and 'adjust madi' as they say in Kannada! We eat in banana leaves with hands, we squat and use water after answering nature, we stare and ogle at anything which moves and we are ready with unsolicited advice.

Spit and Polish

One truly endearing habit which a large number of Indians instinctively adopt and are proud of, due to its exclusivity and originality and which we proclaim as our USP is SPITTING! We are Mastersat it; if ever a PhD is awarded for it we will have a billion doctors! We spit anything and everything, solids, liquids, mixtures, phlegm, tobacco in varied colours, composition, volumes, digested, undigested; you name it and we spit it.

Mainly we spit paan with or without tobacco. Nobody is surprised when a true artist asks the paanwaala for 'gimme red or maroon' or '20 footer dena' signifying the colour of extract or distance one can fire based on viscosity, volume and calibre of artist. Well, we even use spit to polish (including shoes) which gave rise to the popular saying in Army about 'spit and polish'! Does it mean we consider our Nation as a spittoon, I guess so, except for our homes. Homes are a strict NO NO, but wait, it's only for the spitter's home.

Anybody else's is a great target and opportunity! We pride ourselves in creating art on all available walls, posters, roads, malls, cinema halls everywhere. Nothing and nobody is sacrosanct! Did I say anybody meaning humans; yes I did, because the art of spitting requires one to generally spit without looking with gusto and noise from anywhere. The higher the platform like a rooftop, bus, car or a hilltop, the better the distance spread, spray of spit with its multi-layered contents that by the way are permanent. They can't be washed away or dry cleaned. Humans are fair game, in fact the best game. Those of you who wonder why some of us move around outside our homes in raincapes and umbrellas even when it is not raining have got your answers.

Olympic Sport!

We are also known as a secular and tolerant country but we have slowly started spitting venom! Do not worry, we are not snakes but love to spit venomous gossip. Thank God, we are pretty upfront when it comes to spitting, blatant and in your face with a wide grin and finesses. Wonder why the Indian Olympic Association does not demand its inclusion in Olympics. It will not be accepted as we are universally accepted as world beaters. Nothing can touch us with spit, as 'we can out-spit all'. How can they compete as it's banned in all countries and people generally follow rules, traditions and customs whether they are under scrutiny or not.

Maybe we can make a start with inter-state championships and draw world attention. Start with paan and then move on to more potent, colourful and esoteric substances. We can have two categories, one with and one without tobacco. After all we need to encourage the non-tobacco user. Initially folks from Benaras (now Varanasi) may have an edge, if local legend of its class is true, but soon the Hyderabadi, Uttarakhandi or Bihari ( do not get offended if your state is not specifically mentioned; I include all) will fine tune their product and complete with gusto. The average accuracy, consistency and distance achieved of spitting is anyway legendary. Localities can boast of their heroes spitting into a thimble from twenty feet without any diffusion or spray. The spray spitting competition will be equally colourful and the radius and perimeter covered enormous; maybe in times to come a tennis court or even a football ground - who knows with time!!

Overseas is a different ballgame

However, there is one strange phenomenon, a departure from our profligate spitting ways; we only spit in India! We literally swallow our spit and pride everywhere outside Indian mainland and remain spitless. All the spotless white walls, shirts or humans are left alone. We swallow and move on.

Enter COVID-19

Will COVID-19 initially restrict and slowly erase our collective memory of spitting or will it actually increase our intent and capabilities due to 'Social Distancing' (we need to gain more distance and accuracy to hit our objective) and apprehension of ingesting the dreaded virus. Only time will tell.

Major Thrust towards Swachh Bharat

Our hobby and specialisation need to be contained in tune with the national calling of 'Mera Bharat Mahaan' (My India is great) and 'Swachh Bharat' (Clean India). So citizens. let's spit fire on those who eye our territorial integrity and prosperity and no spitting venom and other substances in India or on each other.

- Munshi Jr, is a social activist working in India towards the betterment of India.


Tailpiece.

Was up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 9. It was an overcast day with intermittent rainfall. Our exercise bicycle and the weighing machine was finally home by a half past 4. Both of us began our exercises on it in right earnest!

A first hand account.

From a Senior Indian Naval Officer, presently posted in Goa and he hails from Kerala. 

Was on the roads for the last two days travelling to Kerala to be with my parents. I want to share my experiences with everyone for general benefit.

First I applied online for entry into Kerala. Got it in just over 3 hrs. In case of Goa, I'd to apply 4 times to get it right and clear it. It was difficult to navigate through the website. The entire process took about 30 hrs.

While on the journey itself at the Goa border, I got down and had to show ID proof of all members which was written down in the register and then cleared to go. At the Karnataka end, all of us had to get down for thermal screening. Names were entered in a register and then cleared to move. As we travelled within Karnataka we were stopped at two toll booths to enter our details.

Now comes the real one. As we entered Kerala, at the first check point, I'd to get down, show my pass and was given a token. I got in to my car and travelled another 500' approximately. At this point, we were asked to get down. The bag containing the eats was closed, the windows were rolled down and the entire vehicle was sanitised. We were told not to switch on the airconditioner. We could move to the next point.

Again travelled for 500 mts or so where we had to get down. Thermal screening was done for all and with our permit number, itself,  our details were verified online without the need for any documents.  Contact details were taken and then we could move to the next point.

Here, we sat in the car itself  and our details were recorded online by the police. And we could commence our journey homeward. We were in for a surprise; within a minute we got a call from my village panchayat confirming our entry. Next call from my village health department checking about our health. After that, from the collectorate checking our health details.

As a family, we felt we were in a foreign country (in a positive manner) where everyone was showing concern about our well being.

We reached home at 1 AM at night. At 7, I got a call checking if we had reached safely and was given instructions about home quarantine for 14 days and to report if we get any symptoms. At 9 AM, a local volunteer visited us to have a chat. He said, "In your absence we'd come to your house and checked up on your parents and were ready them out with medical treatment etc".

During the entire journey, we'd sent a word across about our travel and were surprised  to be provided with food at different points, which we'd to decline because we were already stuffed with it in the car.

My two bit.

So, Kerala is changing into a well managed welfare state, a state that gives tremendous impetus to Healthcare, Education and good Governance. 


Tailpiece.

A quiet Sunday when we'd got up half an hour late, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Today marks the end of phase 3 of the lock down. But it has been extended till 31 May.

With more and more Indians returning from abroad, by sea, air and by trains from other states, there has been an unusual spike in the number of Covid-19 cases. We need to watch as to how quick we are able to control the spike. 

29 years back......

29 years back, on this day - 16 May 91, Lekha had come into my life at a simple ceremony at the Brahmana Samooham Hall beside the Kottarakkara Maha Ganapathi kshethram. The ceremony, as in all Nair weddings, was a short one but the customs and traditions that were followed, both, before and after the wedding ceremony were quaint, yet beautiful; each had a meaning and purpose that added to the glitter of the marriage!

I can never forget what Mrs. PN Panicker - my maternal grandmother - told me after the ceremony was over and we were waiting for lunch to be served. "I'm glad that I have been able to attend your wedding. Now, I don't mind going away". And exactly, 69 days later, she would pass into the mist of time. Wasn't her utterance prophetic? It still rankles in my ears!

All of us returned to our house, Raj Nivas, by about 1530 hrs as per the charted muhurat at which the daughter-in-law was to enter the house. The entire PN Panicker family was in attendance and there was fun and frolic in the house, all through the evening! I remember Santhan kochachhan's advice for me regarding our first night! Mom and dad were happy that I'd, finally, settled down.

      *                     *                      *

Returned to Chilka a few days after and was slated to report at the DSSC, Wellington for the 47th Staff Course wef from Jun '91. Had come on leave for the wedding and therefore, did not take Lekha along with me to Chilka; instead showed the video coverage of the wedding to my friends and members of the staff during my short stay out there before returning, lock, stock and barrel to my home first and subsequently, to the Staff College.

      *                      *                       *

Many of the protagonists, who were at the wedding, have passed into the mist of time, over the years. Ammachi, Muthachhan, Achhan, Amma, Leela kunjamma, Santhan kochachhan, Vichani kunjamma, Lekha's mom, step mom and dad and quite a few others, dear to us, are no more with us.

       *                      *                       *

The day had begun thinking about all of them as I lit the lamp in the puja room. Earlier, on getting up, we'd wished each other. Our close family called us up to wish many happy returns. Calls from classmates and course mates kept pouring in, all through the day and it gave a nice feeling of being part of a huge family.

Suma had wished us on arrival and the cake had come by at 9. I was ready by a half past 9. After going through the day's work, the cake was cut at 1200 hrs. Suma took a few of the shots on mine and Lekha's cellphones.

The telephone kept ringing and messages piled up in the inboxes! It was a day of nice memories!!


Tailpiece.

Another quiet day with not much of activities!

A day that zipped past.

Had got up at our usual time of 6, gone through the chores and was ready by a quarter past 9. An hour before, I'd received a message from our neighbour that the well washers, who were supposed to reach by 0700 hrs, had not yet arrived.

They were to have washed down their well and got it ready before they were to start work on ours. I just sent back a message saying, "Do not worry, they might be on their way. Let's hold our horses for a while more". I really can't think negatively and have made it a point not to let anyone's negative thoughts to dampen my spirits and instead, throw back my optimistic frame of mind at them to spark off a positive vibe......I must say that I've always been successful!

The well washers - Ramesh, Subbru and Appu - reached our place by about a half past 10. They'd brought packed breakfast and Lekha and Suma had supplemented it with glasses of water and cups of tea. They got to work soon after.

The remaining water was removed from the well with a submersible pump that they'd brought along. The silt - white sand, from the environment - that had accumulated over the last one year, was taken out with buckets tied on ropes, passed through the pulley.

Meanwhile, Bijish, the Whirlpool service rep, had arrived around a quarter to 11, to fix up the mother board that he'd taken to the shop floor for changing a faulty electronic chip. He, too, quickly got on to his job and had got the air conditioner going within the next 45 minutes.

The well washers, meanwhile, had completed the job and the well looked good with a bright green net put over the top. Prior to that, a small bagful of rock salt and a couple of handfuls of charcoal had been dumped into the floor of the well. The water had started seeping in, almost immediately, after the last bucketful of silt was thrown out of the well.

The well washers went into the next part of their work which was to fix up the new system to clear the kitchen waste water for which a concrete receptacle and lid had been bought and positioned at the spot almost three days ago. This job was also accomplished within a matter of another 45' thanks to our planning, when I'd met with the team last weekend.

Didn't really know as to how the forenoon had passed off so fast, with quite a few pending jobs done within a short span of time.

Didn't even know that there was a lock down on! And yes, we were all with our masks on and following the requisite social distancing!!


Tailpiece.

There was no requirement to water the plants, in the evening, as it had rained last night and in the wee hours of the morning. Saw the movie, 'Mission Mangal' on television. It was nice!      

Army's new proposal.

Allows youth to serve for 3 years, cites patriotism and unemployment!

The selection process will remain in the same that is followed for regular recruitment with age and fitness level being a key criteria.

The Indian Army has proposed a three-year "Tour of Duty"programme that allows youth to serve in the forces as officers and in other ranks. This "game changing" proposal is being examined by the top commanders of the force.

Unidentified officials told the agency that there is a "resurgence of nationalism and patriotism" in the country. The proposal for youth who do not want to join the forces permanently but want to experience military life for a limited period. The Army aims to bring people closer to the 1.3-million-strong force.

The selection process will remain the same that is followed for regular recruitment with age and fitness level being the key criteria. Currently, the Army recruits youth under the short service commission. This is for a tenure of 10 years and can be extended to 14 years.

The Army spokesperson said that if the proposal is approved, it will be a voluntary engagement. "There will be no dilution in selection criteria", he added. "Initially, 100 officers and 1,000 men are being considered for recruitment as part of test bedding of the project".

According to the proposal, there will be no restrictions on the roles of those selected under the programme.

Unidentified official said that this will also benefit the Army financially, as it will save a huge amount on gratuity, severance packages, leave encashment and pension. The cost incurred on an officer who is released after 10 to 14 years is between Rs.5.12 crore and Rs.6.83 crore. However, the cost for an officer who will be released after three years will be released will be between Rs.80 lakhs and Rs.85 lakhs.

Source. Adapted from Scroll.in

  *                 *                 *

The 'Baan Stambh'.

There's a pillar in the premises of Somnath temple. This is known as Baan Stambh (Arrow Pillar). It is difficult to say that since what time it is there. Going by taking history as reference, it has been there since at least the sixth century.

On the pole it is inscribed : "Aa samudranth dakshindhruv paryanth abhaadith jyothirmarg".

It means, "There is no hindrance in the straight line from this point to the south pole". And yes, in reality today we know there is no piece of land in this path right up to the South Pole, nearly 10,000 km away. Amazing!

This is a wonderful indicator of ancient Indian wisdom. Remember, at that time the rest of the world was still learning how to survive in the jungles.

This means our ancestors knew not only that the earth is round but that the earth is having a South Pole (and the North Pole as well). Did they have the Earth's 'aerial view'? If not, did the Earth's map exist at that time?

The Baan Stambh identifying its location as the first point of land to the north of the South Pole is yet another illustration of the knowledge of astronomy, geography, mathematics and indeed, maritime sciences of the ancient India, an invaluable element of our vast rich heritage.

Source. From the net.



Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 9. A quiet day. The caretaker had called up for the go ahead to apply manure to the rubber trees. It will be done on Saturday and Sunday, by two hands for Rs.3,040/- that includes the cost of the manure, too.

A market survey was carried out for an exercise bike and a weighing machine and have zeroed in on to three items.

Suma left by a half past 5 after her work. And it rained nicely for about an hour and a half,  accompanied by thunder and lightning, from about 1900 hrs.