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IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 64- PHOTO OPS -Brig PS Gothra(Retd)

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  “Yaar, the new Commanding Officer(CO) is top-notch—he’s whipped the unit admin into shape in just three months!” the Havildar remarked to his buddy, a Naik, as they sat on a bench at the Jammu Railway Station. Their suitcases covered with camouflage pattern cover, marked with their ranks and names, caught my eye.   I found myself wondering if soldiers ever exchanged similar reviews of my command. “Yes ustad, but the pichla (previous) CO was better although I was always on my toes. During his command the unit killed twelve terrorists. It felt like I was really contributing to something important.” “I don’t know about the previous CO as I was out of the unit. But, You? Making a difference? Aren’t you just the CO’s photographer? What kind of sense of achievement can you get from clicking pictures?” “I feel I had a major contribution in getting the twelve terrorists killed and also ensuring the operational efficiency of the unit.” “You are talking as if you were the adjutant of
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IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 63- PANAGARH THROUGH MY EYES Brig PS Gothra(Retd)

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  "Yeh kadam ka ped agar maan hota yamuna teere……." These lines by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan come to mind as I pass the kadam tree, sheltering the statue of Brahmastra from sun and rain. The tree's yellow pom-pom blossoms often go unnoticed by those who bow their heads to the towering tricolour nearby. As I move on, the sight of the café and the cinema hall comes into view. The hall feels like sitting inside a tunnel; it’s also the place of my first public pretense as a child. I had come to watch an English movie with friends, but not knowing "chikni angreji," I simply laughed whenever they did. Ahead, I spot the dilapidated building of my old school, peeking through tall elephant grass. I’m reminded of the countless punishments I faced for being a poor student, but the sight of a crab and a tortoise crushed under a truck’s wheels the night before reminds me that, at least, I survived. Just a few meters away, a newly built path has started caving in. I wo
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IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 62- PONSI SCHEMES Brig PS Gothra (Retd)

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  “Why do faujies fall prey to the Ponzi Schemes?" Asked the doctor traveling with me while going through a newspaper. I knew he had seen the article regarding a retired colonel swindled by a fake broker. I thought hard to find a suitable answer so that the doctor doesn’t feel that we are all chu***as. I said, “others also get trapped, but because of our truthfulness we declare that we have been duped while the others just hide.” The doctor just smiled. And that was more hurting. Regarding the truthfulness I remembered that year after year our newly inducted officers in the counter terrorist duties were trapped by the uneducated, unpolished villager called ‘source’ in believing that he has the information of some injured terrorist. The officer starts salivating and day dreaming of decorations. He is fleeced of cash for a month or so by that source, till the time it dawns on the officer that he is being made a Charlie. But the beauty of all this is that the officer never shares
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IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 61- JAI HIND

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“There is something off,” I told myself. But then, the cool breeze brushed against my face, distracting me with the first hint of the changing season . The plants swayed gently as if nodding a warm “hello” on my morning walk. As I reached the far end of the park, the lights in the park went off. The darkness pleasantly reminded me of night patrols from my army days. There’s a special kind of confidence that comes with slinging a weapon over your shoulder. In fact, I might have even welcomed a threat, if only to have an excuse to feel that familiar weight again. I heard the peacocks calling out and I realized that I was early for the walk. The peacocks I feel make that noise when there is a sudden drop in the temperature in the morning which is around half past three. Looking at my watch, I realized that it was exactly that time. A good ninety minutes before my normal walk time. Waking up early has become a second nature because of life in fauj. But waking up this early can be blam
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