IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 106- PAY PARADE Brig PS Gothra (Retd)

“I don’t know why they hold these pay parades? Why not credit the pay in jawan’s account just as is done for officers,” I said while removing my shoes after carrying out my career’s first pay distribution, which took four hours.

     Before my immediate senior, who was staying in the same tent, could answer, I heard my Company Commander shouting from the next tent, “Oye, Gothra come here.”

     The next minute I was in front of him. He said, “You feel the pay parade is irrelevant?”

     “Yes, sir it is too colonial. Same person salutes you twice. First when he comes to take the pay and sign the acquittance roll, and then again after he counts the cash and confirms that his pay is correct. What a waste of time. It took me four hours to distribute the pay for the company.”

     “I am happy you distributed the pay as per the standard operating procedure. But let me tell you this parade is of immense value in the man management. Even the JCO who has twenty-five years of service has to come salute you and take his pay. The Commanding Officer’s sahayak also must come to collect his pay. This way everyone knows who is the boss in the company. The parade also makes you get acquainted with your command. Three of four parades and you will remember the name and number of most of your jawans. And you will remember their faces also,” said Major Nehra. And he signalled me to sit on the camp stool.

     I remembered the words of  a veteran  from my place while I was on my first leave after passing out.  He said, “Kaka, the Subedars will always try to put a screen between you and your command. But it is your responsibility to look beyond.”

     What is the point of a  soldier repeating  his army number again?” I asked thinking that he will have no answer and say it is part of the drill.

     “That is for your benefit.  Listening to that number will make your muscle memory learn the seniority of jawans. For example the jawans recruited now are having their first four numerals as 2590 in their army number. That means a jawan with 2589 will be senior to him and 2588 will be further senior. This helps while nominating the leader of a small party. Jawans hate to work under a person junior to them. Besides this, it is prudent to have a quick glance at the details given on the first of the paybook, such as village, district, next of kin, religion, and caste.”

     “How will these details help?”

     “Soldiers from different districts have different characteristics. You see a soldier from Palghat district will be more rough and tough than the one from Trivandrum. You will learn it with experience.”

     “How does knowing the caste help?” I was sure that he will have no answer to that.

     “While giving important appointments you don’t make people from same caste or place holding all or majority of appointments. This is to prevent the tendency to form cliques. Also, different castes have different customs and traditions. For example, the Lingayats bury their dead though they are Hindus. In case of a death of a Lingayat soldier if you only read his dog tag, you might cremate him and thus desecrate his mortal remains.”

     For the first time that evening I felt that it is worth delaying my bath that evening. He said, “When you see debit balance in his statement of account it tells you that you have not been diligent enough to publish his part two orders correctly and timely. While paying a soldier his leave advance it should act as an alert to remind you that you have to nominate his reliever. Also while signing the pay book you can look at the punishments awarded (red or black ink entry) to the individual.”

     “Will that not make you biased against the individual with punishments?”

     “Yes and no. When the bullets are flying, I always prefer to keep people with red and black ink entry with me. These soldiers have higher degree of self-esteem and will never let you down. Of course, the ones charged with dishonesty and moral turpitude should be kept away. But you will rarely find such a soldier in the Madras Regiment.”

     We talked for the next one hour. I realized the IAB 64 (Pay Book) is very important document and the pay parade is necessary for the command function of a company commander.

     We decided to move straight to the officer’s mess as there was no time for bath. On the way, Maj Nehra said, “By the way the cook makes the best chai pakora for the pay parade. You will miss that when you are not commanding the troops.”

     A few days later I could ratify what Major Nehra said. It was a long patrol of ten days. Three days from the beginning Sepoy Raju whose pay book indicated that he was punished for bad conduct came to me with a specially cooked breakfast.  There was a roti in it. I asked him why he had done that. He said that he found that I (a sardar) was not eating much of the pulisadham (tamrind rice) so he had cooked roti for me. I couldn’t help asking how he managed when there was no rolling pin or tawa (hot plate) available. He said he had cut out and straightened the tin of a vegetable can to make a tawa, used the reverse of his steel plate to act as a chakla, and a rum bottle to serve as a rolling pin.

     After retirement I often miss that pay parade wala chai pakora, langer wali poori, barakhana’s applam papad and saboodana kheer.  Do you also miss those eats/foods pertaining to your Regiment?

    Jai Hind.

Note:- No wonder the jawans were so much imprinted on the heads of erstwhile officers that they dread to think about agniveers going home after 4 years.