Lesson in Punctuality

 

In February 1965, I was a student in Sainik School Satara, a boarding School, in class 8. 

Every evening, we used to have a roll call where important orders/updates used to be passed. on one such day, for some reason only 28 students were on time out of more than 200. Apart from a "moral lecture", as a punishment, it was announced that we won't get to see the next movie, a weekly feature. And the movie was Kabuliwala, we had just read the famous story in our English class and kept hoping, nay were almost sure that since most of us were late, the authorities would relent, punish us in some other manner but  would let us see the movie.

But came the day and only those 28 who were on time were allowed to see it, rest of us had go without it. My classmate, Atul Lakhe, who has preserved a large number of photos and other memorabilia of the School days has kindly shared this entry that he made in his diary of the day

That one incident taught me the importance of punctuality and more importantly the need to persist with a decision taken, else people might take you for granted. 

Having spent more than 30 yrs in the Army, it was  further reinforced but when I joined a PSU after Army, punctuality became the biggest casualty, so much so that I had to change this habit since many a time, I would arrive on the appointed time only to find the preparations had yet to be completed. 

Punctuality remains one of our bigger weaknesses.

 

MEMORIES OF SAINIK SCHOOL SATARA

 

Joining the School

We had just moved to Satara from Mumbai  in 1961 and I had been admitted to New English School, when one fine day I was told that I would now be going to another School. Although I don't recall the exact date, as we proceeded in a Tonga to the School with a Steel Trunk and other items beyond Powai Naka which was virtually the limit of the city then, there was a sense of foreboding and disquiet surely. As we entered the School Gate, little did I know that the School would not only define and shape my career but completely overwhelm my lifestyle forever. The residents of the Wada we stayed in, weren't so optimistic though, many of them said I was being sent to a Remand Home, which was also in the area!

Foundation Day

I vividly recall the School foundation day, hopefully correctly, more so because that's the first time saw a Helicopter when it landed  where the then Parade Ground was, in the process the amount of dust it raised was mind boggling. That and the huge Brass bell which collapsed are ingrained in my mind. The then Defence Minister had arrived to inaugurate the School.

Initial Years

The reminiscences of living away from home for the first time are surprisingly rather vague. Living in those barracks which once housed Prisoners of war or so the stories went, must have been strange but don't recall feeling overly homesick or anything of the sort. We were probably just about 150 or so in the beginning, till the School expanded slightly in early 1962, and later almost doubled in 1965/66. I had joined in the 5th class. Most of us had come from Marathi/regional language  medium schools hence at the end of 6 months, almost all of us had to repeat the 5th class from January 1962. The academic year changed to January to December too. There were select few students who spent only 6 months in class 5, I came to know only very recently why but it doesn't  matter now.

The Initial Lot

The School had an interesting mix of students, overwhelmingly  Marathi but we also had a fair sprinkling particularly from Punjab, children of defence forces personnel from all over, I was one too, some from Southern/ Eastern India. That taught us, right from then,  about living life in a cosmopolitan environment. As days went by, we realised that there were students whose parents were famous and rich, some prominent politicians including Ministers too. Not that it mattered much as far as we or the School curriculum was concerned. But on visiting days or while returning from vacations, one could see some coming in fancy cars with loads of eats and stuff.  Even in our class we had our share of such students. Since we were the first students to get in, our induction was easy, hope it still is.

 Fun Times 

One of the pastimes  some of us used to indulge in, was recalling the School numbers and the student associated with them. even now, one can recall especially those up to School number 150 without going too wrong.  There were many games and sports we got to play in School but the one good habit picked up was getting up early, going for PT regularly. We used to enjoy those road walks and runs too,  especially during Monsoons, when we could go out of the School. Mainly due to the School but also NDA and Army later, this habit has stayed and the day doesn't begin well unless there's a strenuous walk or a round of Golf early morning. Since we joined the School in its infancy when the infrastructure was just coming up, we didn't have a swimming pool or the Gymnasium till both facilities came up towards  the final years of our Schooling. That meant that many of us couldn't learn to swim well.

In the initial stages, the school was a novelty in the sleepy town that Satara was. I recall that a boxing exhibition was organised in front of the Rajwada featuring students, probably locals were given preference. Uday Godbole and I had one of the earliest bouts, being in lowest weights, don't recall the result now but wonder if that show put off some locals from joining.

Later, we used to take part in or visit Science exhibitions in local Schools as also Republic Parades. If I am not too wrong, we also marched to a theatre to go and see Battle of the Bulge, also remember watching Hatari similarly, those were enjoyable outings. There used to be lots of sports fixtures with the Schools in Panchgani and it was always a pleasure to go there to witness the matches.

Nicknames

In Maharashtra, at least then, it wasn't common to have nicknames, the most popular probably was Bandya but when the School commenced, many of the fellow students were given nicknames like Gunda, Gabru, Laddoo etc most of them by Ghadge sir. These have stuck.

Punctuality and Discipline

One incident I vividly recall is when most of us were, for some reason or the other, late for the evening roll call in February 1965,  which used to be held near the Dining Hall. Just 28 were on time. As a punishment, it was announced that we won't get to see the next movie which was a weekly feature. And the movie was Kabuliwala, we had just read the famous story in our English class and kept hoping, nay were almost sure that since most of us were late, the authorities would relent and that we would get to see the movie. But came the day and we were still not allowed to see it. That one incident taught us the importance of punctuality and more importantly the need to persist with a decision taken, else people might take you for granted. Army life further reinforced this but when a joined a PSU after Army, punctuality became the biggest casualty, so much so that I had to change this habit since many a time, I would arrive on the appointed time only to find the preparations had yet to be completed. Punctuality remains one of our bigger weaknesses. Atul Lakhe, my classmate used to maintain a diary, extract of which he was kind enough to share with me

Art

For some reason, in spite of an excellent teacher like Late Mr Kukkal, I just could not pick up the art of drawing/painting. Somehow used to manage to pass. It was probably in 8th class, that we were asked to paint a Kabbaddi match scene. For me, drawing one person used to be difficult, here I had to draw very many in different poses. I approached Ajit Magar, my classmate to help me out since he was good in drawing (also singing by the way), and he promised to help. But as the date of submission approached, somehow things didn't work out and I had nothing to show for my efforts. I somehow managed to create something and submitted it. When the result was announced, turned out I had got a Zero, it was that bad. Luckily, it wasn't a mandatory subject and didn't affect the promotion to the next standard. And from the next session, one had to choose between Art or Craft which was carpentry, my choice automatically went to Carpentry. There with another classmate Amar Patil, we created a model of the Obstacle Course which had just come up. That was quite well liked. Till date, haven't tried my hand at drawing or painting, in fact one of the reasons for not opting for Biology was because I was told that one would have to draw a frog!! Not that it mattered, since I went on to join NDA.

Expansion of the School

Since the School had come up in old barracks, we saw great activity in creating the present day dormitories, Main Building, the Dining Hall etc. It was great fun watching all this coming up, climbing up the trees and then jumping on to the sand that would be stored close by for the construction. When the foundation stone for the Dahanukar Auditorium was laid, we watched in awe as the local artist painted the whole stone one evening. The intake of the students almost doubled and the School went to have three more houses. That also meant that now it wasn't really possible to know everyone.

Delhi Party

Sometime in 1964, from being a local student I went on to become part of the Delhi Party since my father got posted to Lucknow. The Delhi Party was only for the vacations when all of us would go under the supervision of one of our teachers by ST bus to Pune, then onwards to Mumbai by a special bogie and then by one of the trains (was it Punjab Mail?) where I would drop off at Jhansi to continue to Lucknow. Return journey was similarly undertaken in the reverse order. Till then my coming and going used to be to home in Satara, hence this was a big change for me, kind of liberating. Remember finishing off almost the complete pocket money on the journey on eats etc between Pune & Mumbai apart from the mandatory halt at Shirwal on the bus journey to Pune when we would get down and buy  Parle peppermints.

Academics

Apart from the hitch in 5th Class, the move through the School session was quite easy. We had an excellent, dedicated set of teachers who took great care in helping us through the syllabus. Although its almost impossible now to remember everyone now, recall with fondness and gratitude Ms Sapre, the strict Maths teacher, Mr G Devasahayam, the English teacher who was fond of calling everyone by their full names eg Deebak Keshav Khar (he was probably a Malyali hence the pronunciation). At that time, the West Asian countries had just discovered oil and getting rich and he used to tell stories about them and the Americans which we used to hear in awe and bewilderment. Mr R P S Chouhan replaced him. Then there was Mr P C Sharma who taught us Hindi and had an unusual punishment of keeping pencils between fingers and squeezing the hand if we misbehaved in class. Also recall Mr Kapoor, was he, who taught Physics for some time. Mr Kirtikar was a Naval NCC officer to boot and although he never taught us, remember his smart appearance at NCC in his uniform and singing the song Life in the Navy....And there was Mr Asnare also smart in his NCC uniform and our additional Maths Teacher. I was rather fond of the subject and used to enjoy the classes. Then There was our House Master, Mr Babar and Mr Deshmukh in Shivaji and Mr Pandit in Karve. Mr Pandit used to be a good cricketer too, its he who coaxed me to write for the School journal which is how I had an article on Mihir Sen a swimmer of repute who had just swum 7 different Seas then. Throughout School I was the only Kher, till Mr V G Kher joined as a teacher, no relation of mine though. There was Mr Marathe too, one of the few to own a bike Motor Cycle then. And then we all remember Mr Ghadge and the two Jadhavs who were PT instructors, Gadge sir was much more than just that, he was the one who could control the students, taught us nuances of PT, games, boxing etc and probably knew everyone by name and idiosyncrasies. A tough but popular teacher, there's a lesson in that, if you are good, people will remember you even if you are strict.

Appearing for NDA

As we progressed in School, it was time to appear for the NDA entrance exam. We had been keenly watching our seniors going into NDA and that in any case was the goal of the School as well as for most of us. Passing the written test wasn't much of a problem but there were a few "smart ones" who otherwise brilliant, managed to fail the UPSC test itself to avoid going through the process. We were well coached for the written and even better for the SSB where the Principal Late Col Puri used to personally aided by the teachers supervise our group discussions and tasks. All that preparation helped and many from our class got through  in the first or second attempt, I qualified in the second and last attempt. Unaware initially, the repetition in class 5 in 1961 had left me with only 2 chances, while many had 5 or lesser. While preparations for NDA were on in right earnest, our medical and physical conditions were also being looked at, many of us were underweight. We were then put on a special diet which consisted of boiled potatoes among other things which didn't lead to much increase in weight. However,  we managed to clear the medical as well, though still underweight, the Drs faith in my ability to gain weight later has been fully vindicated as I now try to lose weight without much success.  It was only later that dietary research claimed that it was fried, not boiled,  potatoes which increased weight!! Oh, chips and burgers would have been so very welcome in the School diet then.

The Reading Habit

The School had a well appointed library which I made good use of.  Mr Karhade was always very helpful in the library. Magazines like Life.. English and Marathi books, all fascinated me, the reading habit continues to this day. These days, Social Media, Internet, TV, OTT and Kindle etc have probably led to reduced interest in the published word but for old timers like me, turning the page still retains its charm. this is one habit I hope I continue to nurture.

School Leaving

Ours was the first batch to complete their entire schooling from 5th to 11th, those were Senior Cambridge days, in December 1968. Many of our classmates had left the school earlier days due to various reasons but most did to join NDA after successfully completing 10th in June 1968. It was left to very few of us to complete the Schooling. Having cleared the SSB, awaiting the Merit list, many didn't take the Senior Cambridge very seriously, in retrospect that wasn't  the right thing to do but we were feeling self assured that after leaving School we would join NDA in January 1969. Remember, many including me just waiting for the cup of coffee provided to  help us keep awake for late night studies and then  promptly going back to the dormitories to sleep. Those were such carefree days. After appearing for the exams, we left School, exact date eludes me though. Remember singing the song  in chorus Savere Wali Gadi Se Chale Jayenge during the last dinner that we had in the School.

Looking Back

A we left School, little did we realise then that the bonds developed during that period would remain strong forever, most of us are still in touch with each other. Everything that we learnt in School be it academics, physical fitness, sports, public speaking and social etiquettes  has helped in living a meaningful  life and making a mark in the Society we live in. Our dedicated teaching and associated staff, matrons, ward boys and mess staff deserve our gratitude. The Batch was most fortunate to be with only one Principal all thru their schooling, special mention must be made of the late Col & Mrs Puri who deserve our special gratitude, their love, care and dedication helped us adjust through the various phases of  life that we as young boys of 9 or 10 went through till we left School. I have the fondest memories of the School even now. The uniform I wore for the first time in School in 1961, continued to change colours till I retired from the Army in 2003.

Post script

Wanted to end on that note but must mention that we were fortunate to be in the School on Boxing Finals Day as guests in December 2018 as we gathered in Satara and celebrated the Golden Jubilee of School leaving. The School management deserves our thanks for that too.

The Sushant Singh Rajput Case; Media Overly Involved

 Ever since the death of Sushant Singh Rajput on 14 June 2020, the news media has gone overboard in pursuing the case, often viciously and with bias. Some channels have even assigned SITs and carry out virtual prosecution and pronouncements in their daily prime time shows. But is that what they are meant to do?? Isn't it their responsibility to acquaint the readers/viewers of the other version as well and then leave it for their intelligence to arrive at conclusions. But with TRPs counting for revenue, the loudes and crudest often gets all the TRPs, others just follow. 

Here are a few issues that need to be borne in  mind while looking at this case.

Sushant was a good actor, not outstanding. Aayushman Khurana, Rajkumar...are equally good. Don't think he was a threat to the Khans of Bollywood who in any case are past their prime. No one can make a superstar out of a nobody, it's the people who make them. Yes, some can be given chances again and again, to make a mark but unless public approves, it doesn't happen.

Sushant and his family are being portrayed as virtuous but details emerging from WhatsApp messages show a different picture.

Also, CBI and ED have yet to make a breakthrough in the alleged murder and siphoning of 15 Cr. In fact the theory of 15 Cr has been well demolished by a news channel just last evening.

Every fiercely competitive  profession like Bollywood industry/politician pulls down those who are likely to be a threat. Even the  CJI of SC has said it happens even with judges as well when their names come up for consideration as HC judges.

As regards drugs cartel, is it a secret. So far only the lower rung people have been nabbed, lets see if the real lords are nabbed.

There's also no doubt that media has botched up this case with its relentless pursuit. The goal post has shifted from nepotism to ED, to Rhea as murderer when she wasn't even present at home on 14th June to drug cartel....

The hounding of Rhea, showing her daily movements from home to authorities LIVE, her photos in fashionable clothes during discussions, revealing Source based information on Qs being asked and her answers all show that the media isn't being impartial. some channels have even run Hashtags like #ArrestRhea.

Media needs to pull its act and hello, aren't regulatory authorities out there somewhere??

The Problem in Kashmir Valley

I feel, the reactions to the Pulwama incident have been over the top by and large, hyped by the media and possibly due to the enormity of the tragedy & the looming Elections.

This was a terrorist attack in which terrorists got lucky with such a newsmaking target. The terrorist organisation will be the beneficiary.

Although, AFSPA is still operational in J&K, the Forces feel constrained by the Courts which ultimately decide on cases. Protests and restrictions on the use of pellets are also a burden but Forces have to act within the framework. Although, Politicians keep asking for repeal of AFSPA, as a routine, such appeals need to be ignored.

So long as the population is alienated, not much can be achieved. Kashmiris have always felt alienated due to a number of reasons. In terrorist affected areas, carrot & stick is always the better policy. This Govt, thinks they can browbeat Kashmiris by eliminating terrorists but for every terrorist eliminated, many more join. Have been studying this since late 80s, whenever, the State appears to be gaining control, one odd incident changes the equation.

Have always felt that, so long as any particular religion dominates in the Valley, there can never be peace. But who will have the gumption to repeal 370?

There's no doubt that Pakistan actively aids and abets terrorism in the Valley, having failed elsewhere.

India should tackle Pakistan by exploiting the Indus Water Treaty and the inherent faultlines in Pakistan's regions. Nothing seems to be going in that direction

Finally, A Hole in One

What could be so very difficult putting a golf ball of the diameter of 1.68 inches into a hole of 4.25 inches diameter on a manicured green grass surface? Well, ask a golfer whether amateur or professional and you could be listening to stories all day.

Now translate that to putting that ball into the hole over a distance 160 yards with a few trees and bunkers thrown in and you will get the idea that this indeed is a miracle which happens to a select few.

I have been golfing for a real long time, although without any formal training and enjoy my thrice a week outings to the Course in the mornings in Pune. 23 December 2015 was one such day. The four ball I played in wasn't  having a particularly great day at the Course although on other days we do play fairly well.

As we arrived at the 15th hole, leaving all the rather difficult holes behind, we did hope for a change in fortunes. I picked up a 6 iron as I normally do for this hole and hit a good shot. It was nice to see the ball soaring high over the trees and begin its descent. On its descent the ball dropped almost vertically hit the base of the trunk of a tree close to the green and could not be seen from the tee. That was good enough, since on many occasions in the past, the ball was found lying close by in the grassy area. As I walked to the area where the ball should have been, I just could not locate the ball. Two of the caddies were standing in the same area but both said that they didn't know where the ball went. After the mandatory search, losing a ball on the fairway is a terrible thing for a golfer, for a few minutes, I gave up and played another ball as a provisional ball and chipped it on to the green. I awaited my turn to putt as another golfer was putting being further away from the pin. Since his putt came close to the hole, the three of us almost unanimously said Given and his ball was picked up. Now it was my turn, and I putted, again very close, almost 2 inches, from the pin and the same Given comment prompted me to pick up my ball. As I was doing this, I couldn't help but notice that a ball was already lying in the cup and as I said this, I picked up the ball in the cup and was thoroughly surprised to see that the ball had my initials on it and in fact was the very ball that I had teed off with. Suddenly, the atmosphere was electrified and everyone was congratulating me for a hole in one while I was thanking my stars having found the ball till it began to sink in that the miracle of a Hole In One had finally happened to me.

The Golfing Gods had finally showered their mercy on me and I got my Hole In One. I do hope that this is just the beginning although I am very happy with this one and will forever treasure it.

Striking Water in Pune

            Settling down in Pune has become the choice of very many, after all it provides a decent place to settle down, good weather, connectivity, unmatched educational facilities and employment avenues. No wonder with so many preferring to settle down here, the realty sector had to do well and the residential property prices keep going up. In their search for newer areas to build houses, the builders and the Corporation, explored the areas outside of the original Pune without any thought to the requirements of infrastructure especially roads and water.

            I live in one such Society in Kondhwa area of Pune. Our Society, miraculously  had good supply of  PMC water till the builder handed over the Society to the Committee and then the water supply began to diminish to such an extent that we became totally dependent on water tankers for our daily requirement. A quick read of the sales deed, who reads that document while purchasing the flat anyway, showed that the PMC had washed its hands off the responsibility of supplying water by saying that the permission was being given with the proviso that the builder/Society would look after the shortfall. Even a meeting with the Municipal Commissioner did not yield any promise of improvement since he said that we should have read the document while buying, giving no credence to the argument that one does expect the PMC/ Govt bodies to provide such amenities after a few years.

            The dependence on tankers led to an increase in the contributions to run the Society which hurt everyone. Although efforts made earlier to sink a bore well had not yielded results, finding such a source became all the more necessary to avoid the huge expenditure on water.

            After some research on the net, it was clear that identifying a spot for a bore well was rather a dicey exercise, relying more on the "expertise" of the person than any scientific method. Fortunately, a person from Daund who had a 90% success rate in identifying such a spot was called. He came with a pair of copper wires, carried out his job with us watching anxiously and in what appeared to be sheer magic, identified two spots telling us clearly the depth at which water would be struck and what bore to use.

            Based on his hunch, we immediately contacted a drilling party recommended by him. Surprisingly, almost all drilling vehicles available even in Pune are registered in Tamilnadu and with the crew also from there or Andhra. One fine day, at the height of summers, they arrived at 6 AM and began to drill at the spot which had been identified. Some of us from the Society were watching this operation with anticipation to see if the money was going down the drain or would actually yield water. After about 2 hours, at about 315 feet, water was struck much to our collective joy. The prediction, dont know what else to call it, was within 10 feet!! After going a little further, the bore well was ready for commissioning. Water was tested, found to be good enough for general use, and the bore well was ready to be utilised.

            The well is working well, yielding a good amount of water and has reduced our dependence on the water tankers to a large extent. Now waiting for the second site identified by the person and hoping that it too will be successful.

            This whole episode told us a few things

• ·         Read the fine print while buying a house in Pune, while the areas within the city get full supply of water from the PMC, the others are left to fend for themselves especially after the builders sell the flats and hand over the running to the Society.
• ·         There is no choice but to sink bore wells till the PMC takes the responsibility of supplying water to all parts of the city. Why it does not do so is a mystery. The fact that most of the tanker owners/suppliers are local politicians is probably the reason.
• ·         Contact a good person to identify the spots, go by his track record and have faith. Like someone from our Society said, lets dig in 10 places if we have to, if even 3/4 spots give us water the expenditure is worth the effort.
• ·         Use the bore well water judiciously and yes rain water harvesting is a must.  

SOME CAREER CHOICES IN GOVT

I was born in a fauzi family and later went on to join the Sainik School at Satara. These two events sealed my career choice even before I realised that there could be other careers as well. Joining the armed forces alone became the goal in life; after all getting ones name on the roll of honour at the School was and probably still is a major achievement.  Having now retired after serving in the Army and later in a public sector undertaking, one looks back with nostalgia at some of the career choices that are available in the Govt.

Armed forces will remain at the top of the choices for the simple reason that it was the chosen profession. Life in the Army (similar aspects would hopefully apply to other two services) is challenging yet enjoyable. One forms strong bonds which last a life time, with coursemates, units and formations served in or even places as small as Gachham. Life in the services is unique in that one has to work hard and serve in all sorts of places, in peace stations or field. The wives  and the children bear the brunt of it especially when the person has to go to the field station leaving them behind, but then the organisation looks  after the members all the way, even after retirement. . Having recently attended two get togethers, the feeling of nostalgia about the time spent in the unit and enjoyment of meeting long lost friends was really to be seen to be believed. Army is not all about playing and partying though, there is plenty of training to be undergone as well as to impart. There are also a variety of jobs that one is required to undertake with meagre resources and time constraints and all this keeps one on his toes. The move up the chain is very competitive since its a very steep pyramid out there and if 9 is not your boss’s favourite number and not your lucky number as well, your professional competence alone may not be of much help. But the respect that Fauzis still command in the Society proves that at the end of it all, armed forces remains the preferred choice of many.

All India services like the IAS, IPS etc were earlier quite prized careers. Although the selection process is similar, albeit with a higher educational requirement, their service graph is entirely different to the Fauzis. Earlier, they had to deal with the vision of the politicians and ensure its delivery to the citizens. Somewhere down the line and with the passage of time, there was and is no vision and the all India services people have become the servants of the political masters. Imagine being posted to states ruled by some of the regional parties who know they cannot last more than one term in office and one can imagine the plight of such govt servants. One thing in their favour though, they have a hand in all the decision making and get the best of the deals for themselves. Also their move up the chain is guaranteed and they have great prospects at post retirement placement within the govt, enjoying even more perks and status than they did while in service. And if they land up in lucrative ministries, who knows, even the likes of ambanis pick them up.. One may never see an all India services person settle in the neighbourhood after retirement since they are the chosen ones and get land and housing at subsidised rates along with the politicians. And when they decide to join politics, there is not much of a hue and cry unlike when a Veteran does.

  

 A small note about PSUs, I happened to get in to one in 2003 but could never understand the need for the kind of politicking and the rivalry between various cadres that existed. Working there, one realised that one is expected to go with the system, not work too hard and let matters be. On the contrary, trying to work hard was looked down upon and got one in to trouble. Going up the chain there too is much easier, its getting the prize postings where knowing people got better dividends. People are good too but there is no incentive to work hard, do I sound like a person for free enterprise?

That brings me to the politicians who are there to “serve the people.” Immediately after independence, most leaders were visionaries, had given up lucrative careers to join the movement and their lives were full of sacrifices for the cause of the nation. They are the ones who laid the foundations of the country. Two or three decades down the line, things changed so very much that being a politician became a dynastic right of the privileged few,  starting at the very top. We now know who the next MP/MLA/Corporator will be because the choice sare limited to families on either sides. Success is no longer measured by how many institutions/facilities have been created but by how much the wealth has grown from one election to the next. When reservations of seats for women was announced, the ladies of the house also came out but we all know who continues to wield the power. Politicians get to establish Universities and Schools, sugar and other cooperatives and also win contracts for their near ones. Now in the age of visibility, the birth days of all members of the family are well known since huge billboards with photos announcing the dates and good wishes of other hopefuls are put up all over, without caring for rules and regulations. Apart from all this, the politicians get to make rules for themselves and get their pay, perks  and pensions enhanced from time to time without much discussion, after all jiski lathi usiki bhains!  If a person really wants to look after generations to come, politics in India provides the one real choice. Of course life in that field too must be tough and then people like Arvind come along and spoil the fun.

So at the end of it, when I look back I know I made the correct choice of leading a life of dignity, living by the rules and ensuring that, one served the Nation and ensured that the persons who served in the units and formations got what they deserved and needed to carry out their tasks. And I continue to enjoy life as a Veteran.