SHANKAR RAUT GETS MARRIED
(A LESSON OR TWO IN PRACTICAL MAN MANAGEMENT)
Shankar Raut (pronounced Rout) is one of the simple souls who don the ‘Olive Greens’. A young village boy, Shankar is a good soldier (who believes in acting first and thinking later,. wherever the enemy is concerned). Well, Yes! and No.
Yes! This is the story of Shankar Raut, a Lance Corporal of ‘my company’ and
No! its not entirely ‘his story’ that I want to tell you. Incidentally, all those looking for theories on Man Management should stop reading right here and switch over to more structured articles in the prescribed text books.
OK! Lets stick to the story part of it. I had little idea about Shankar Raut’s abilities when I assumed the charge of the ‘D’ company of my battalion (this ‘D’ or ‘Delta’ Company is different from the ‘D’ Company in Bollywood parlance) which was already deployed along the vital and dangerous portion of the ‘Line of Control’ on the Siachen Glacier. (Its not that other parts are easy and less important, its just my endeavour to highlight the importance of own efforts).
As per the Battalion Commander’s orders, all Company Commanders were to be at the forward most posts of their respective areas. (the term ‘Post’ here is different from all other meanings of the word ‘post’. Here it’s a proper noun used for a place which is manned by a small body of troops ) You must be wondering as to why I am explaining these petty terms. Well, I am doing this, firstly, to fill up more space, secondly to make my story look more authoritative and lastly but not least (ly) to make the story understandable for all those not in uniform. These orders were to make sure that nothing went wrong at the remote posts and also, if anything went wrong, everyone would know as to who was to be blamed. Delegation of authority sometimes means relegation of status and I was promptly “ demoted” (de-instead of pro in promoted ) to ‘Post Commander’, from the powerful appointment of ‘Company Commander’. It was at this post (you can give it any name) which was 5685 metres above the Mean Sea Level, that I met Shankar Raut for the first time. It was end of November and both of us were destined to spend the winter together. The fact that made this post so special was that it was the closest to the enemy (169 metres when measured with a Laser Range Finder with an accuracy of + 5 metres at 20 Km range). In the Army, we , at the Company Commanders’ level, always take pride in these small things like, my post is higher than your post or the temperature at my post is lower than your post (on the Glacier ) and was higher than your post (in desert) or I am closer to the enemy than you, to reach my post , it takes 26 days as against 25 and a half of yours etc etc.
Shankar Raut was interviewed by me on the very first day. He was amongst those nineteen soldiers who were not scared of the enemy and who wanted to launch an attack on the enemy at the first ‘available’ opportunity. The point to be noted here is that there were just nineteen soldiers at that post and the enemy post was almost vertically above us. We used to call the enemy’s post ‘Reshma’. (You will be surprised to know that most of the posts along the Line of Control have feminine names. It gives the soldiers a feeling of being in close proximity to Sonam, Sheela, Geeta, Anita, etc etc. For all those who don’t subscribe to this view, there are also posts named Bheem, Hanuman, Bhagwan, Arjun, Ashok).
It was the night of 5th December. The next Day was the Holy ‘Eid’ and the enemy sentry
at Reshma decided to include us in the celebrations. He thus, fired a burst of the Light Machine Gun {here the term ‘light’ refers to the weight, that too wrongly, the damn thing weighs more that 9 Kgs with .each round capable of killing a man at 1000 metres and two at 500metres (two, only if standing one behind the other)}. He had fired to express his joy which we obviously (mis) interpreted. We interpreted it as any good soldier would. “ He wants to sacrifice us”! was the general opinion. Since there had been no firing at that post since its inception, we were, therefore, not used to receiving fire at such close quarters. It indeed disturbed us. The Sentry was ‘Shaken’ but not ‘Stirred’. The sentry was none other than our friend Shankar Raut. He was not very happy and wanted to retaliate immediately. I had to remind him that though I was the ‘Post Commander’, I was also his Company Commander and as my company had still not declared ‘independence’, We still had a ‘Battalion Commander’ on top (read ‘scape- goat’ for the Brigade Commander for all the (mis) adventures of his subordinate Commanders from Company Commander to the Mess Commander). I informed the Battalion Commander about the enemy fire. He was visibly excited as Battle Lines were finally drawn after a quiet period of three months and also the first time since the Battalion had assumed charge of that portion of the LOC. It was ‘First Blood’ situation for us, the only hitch being that the ‘blood ‘ was mine, and the ‘first’ was everyone else’s.
By the time the Battalion Commander gave a go ahead, we had cooled down. We were back to thinking and assessing mode (there’s hardly anything else you can do at that height and at that temperature which was only 250 degrees more than the ‘absolute zero’). I thus, decided to play ‘wait and watch’ but Shankar Raut had different plans. He persuaded me to let him fire at least one burst so as to tell the enemy that we too were Soldiers. Reluctantly, I gave the go ahead. Frankly, I had not given a serious thought to the consequences. He was visibly happy to receive such orders and lo and behold’, before I could convey my intentions to the Battalion Commander, there was a series of rather long (ish) bursts and the cracker show went on for good about ten minutes. I rushed outside my bunker to assess the situation. The ‘Trigger Happy Raut’ had already fired more than 300 rounds. The enemy must have been taken aback by this gesture of ours, as there was no response.
Next morning, hell broke loose. Enemy indeed celebrated Eid, with our post being the target. Splinters of all kind of bombs (I suspect that enemy’s DRDO could have sent up all the trial
ammunition (ammo for non soldiers ) to Reshma so as to relive the famous movie ‘ Tomorrow Never Comes’). They went ‘all out’ the whole day. Our so called strongest bunkers were ‘ Split Wide Open’ . We once again went to thinking mode (Note: All conditions except ‘the firing’ were same each day same height, same temperature. In fact there was nothing called temperature, it was just biting and chilling cold). There was one person at the post who was worried to death, and that was me and there was another person who was thoroughly enjoying himself (no points for guessing Shankar Raut’s name).
It seems that I have really digressed too much, we haven’t talked about Shankar Raut’s marriage even once except for title. Lets get back to the real story.
The days to follow were full of action. We opened up with best possible weapons that our Brigade Commander could trust us with. These included the famous Bofors Guns. Both the posts, i.e our’s and the enemy’s, which initially had ‘fortress’ type looks, now looked as if they had had close encounter with the ‘Demolition Squad’ of Municipal Corporation of Delhi’, (equipped with mammoth Bulldozers and irrefutable Supreme Court Orders).
Oh! Shankar Rauts marriage.
Yes! During those ‘ mad firefights { there were lunch breaks, and ammunition breaks
( presumably when enemy and us ran out of all working ammunition )}, I found adequate time to talk to all the boys. We will not discuss other cases but Shankar Raut’s case needs a mention (readers kindly do remember that he is the HERO of this story). Shankar Raut was to get married on 23 March of the ‘subsequent year’ . He told me all the complicated calculations as to how his elders had decided upon that specific date. He also told me that because of previous constraints, his marriage had already been postponed twice. I casually remarked about the patience of the poor ‘bride to be’, who must have waited for almost an year by now! Shankar Raut promptly informed me that this was another girl. The previous one had given up and had got married to someone else. We were told that , generally, by the end of February, the routes to our post open up ( please note that all movement for next 17 Kilometers from our post was only on foot and with ‘acclimatization’ it took almost 18 days for a person to reach the post). Therefore, Shankar Raut’s story did not raise much alarm. Also as the enemy and self were mutually keeping each other busy, I had little time to think about things like Shankar Raut’s marriage. All this continued till mid February, when suddenly the weather turned extremely bad (it is bad in summers and very bad rest of the time). The ‘action’ had also stopped as the enemy by now had realized that he could not subdue us. We had stood firm while Fortress Reshma was ‘Reshma in Distress’ now. Its security wall and most of the bunkers had collapsed due to our concentrated Rocket and machine gun fire.
One day our sentry reported that two enemy soldiers were repairing the wall. The sentry issued ‘verbal warning’ (written warning, obviously, was not possible), but the enemy soldiers carried on with the repair work. The Guard Commander, once again, Shankar Raut, seemed to be disturbed by the fact that I was taking too much time to issue orders for firing. I reached the observation post and assessed the situation. The enemy was to be taught a lesson, but I decided to keep the temperature low (I must be joking...... the temperature was minus 28° C already). I told the commander of another post of my company which was approximately 1.5 Km from Reshma (on a different ridgeline ) to fire two warning bursts with the medium Machine Gun (MMG). This, I thought, would send the right message across. I also told Shankar Raut to be ready with his LMG and he should fire only on my orders after the MMG had opened from the other post.
As luck would have it, when I said fire over the telephone (this is entirely an army contraption and is not to be confused with the sleek Gen X sets), the MMG did not fire as it developed some fault. I repeated the command and once again Shankar Raut did the soldiers job of acting first and thinking later. He thought that the subsequent set of orders was for him. Enemy soldiers were hit (and must have died too..........). Anyway! The enemy retaliated by launching a fire assault at all our posts. Such was the effect of Shankar Raut’s exuberance for action. This was also the last action as the weather was not at all cooperating. The next few days saw heavy snowfall and avalanches. Our post was now totally cut off ( not that otherwise we were ‘connected’ with anyone except Reshma...). A massive slide had taken place on 28th February and 2nd of March and all along the border there were a number of avalanche casualties. The ever cheerful Shankar, now, wore a gloomy look. I had forgotten about the date of his marriage and due to bad weather the interaction amongst us was limited to exchange of pleasantries. Everyone at the post was busy either clearing snow, or digging out buried kerosene jerry cans or praying for weather to clear up and also due to the national indulgence; listening to the world cup cricket commentary.
During one of my routine visits at the ‘observation post’, Lance Corporal Prabhakar Shahane ( Shankar Raut’s ‘buddy’), casually mentioned that Shankar Raut was planning to run away. I must explain here what running away meant at that place. Our post was at 19,763 feet and the nearest post was at 17,500 feet. It required nine hours of walking down with the help of ropes and that too at night. A group movement of minimum ten persons was only permitted during clear weather. The temperature was nowhere near the normal zero. The chances of death of anyone not adhering to the laid down norms were as close as 100%.
I mentioned the same to Sergeant Shashi Kumar who added to my worries by a simple comment, “ Sir! Shankar Raut is capable of running away”. Promptly, I called Shankar Raut to my bunker and confronted him over a cup of tea. He played innocent but I was not prepared to take any chance with him. I told him to hand over his weapon to me and also that from then on he was going to be my buddy ( instead of the Artillery officer who was co located with me). Shankar Raut was again ‘Shaken’but not ‘Stirred’. He tried to convince me that he would not run away but I had our Battalion Motto “WE CAN : WE WILL” at the back of my mind (In the Army, back of the mind is the most cluttered portion of the body. It is because everyday we receive at least ten orders to be kept at the back of our mind !!).
If “ Shankar Raut COULD : Shankar Raut WOULD”
There were two boys at my post who were injured due to enemy fire. One of them was temporarily paralyzed below waist and was the major cause of concern. We couldn’t have done anything other than pray and wait. Good news finally came on 10th March. We were told over the wireless set that the Route Opening and Line ( telephone cable ) Laying Party had already left the Battalion Headquarters and we should be prepared to move the casualties down.
Taking a cue from the Battalion Headquarters and exercising whatever little initiative that I could, I also sent a line laying party from my post to re-lay the cable as far as they could. This party worked for over three nights under the same commander; Shankar Raut. On 16th night, the line was finally through and I got the message to send the casualties the same night. I could not have sent anyone else as each man at the post had a specific job. People could only move down when their replacements had duly settled at the post. Two soldiers were to come up with the ‘Link Patrol’ ( patrol does not carry any ‘Link’.......... it itself is the link!! ) to replace the casualties of my post. I took another bold step and told Shankar Raut also to pack his bags and get ready to move down. He couldn’t have been happier.
The officer leading the route opening party was not very happy to learn that Shankar Raut was being moved down without relief, which was contrary to the orders. The line to the Battalion Headquarters was still not through, therefore, the lecture that I was to receive (for the disobedience of orders ) from the CO was still a couple of days away. The route opening officer, being senior to me, gave me ‘his piece of mind’ (polite English term for equally polite English phrase ‘dressing down’ which means ‘verbal assault’ which ultimately meant ‘bullshit’ and conveyed that ‘I was no good’ in not such polite manner). On the part of telephone line which was through, I argued my point and ‘temporarily won’ because the weather at the link up point (and everywhere else too) was packing up (means becoming ‘extremely bad’ from ‘very bad’ ) and the link patrol had to return to my post before the first light (Army way of saying ‘morning’).
By morning of 17th March, Shankar Raut had reached the next staging area. I briefed the officer on telephone about the precautions to be taken regarding Shankar Raut. The officer did not waste time and placed Shankar Raut under the charge of a guard. Weather had turned hostile (next stage of extremely bad ) and ‘no move warning’ was announced for the complete sector. The only good thing being that the telephone cable had been laid till the Battalion headquarters and I could speak to everyone, including the CO. After receiving his ‘piece of mind’ ( same as has been explained earlier ), I briefed the CO about Shankar Raut’s achievements and mentioned that he deserved a gallantry award too.
I utilized rest of the time to do something which is generally not done for everyone. I spoke to the unit representative at Thoise airfield to arrange for a priority slip for Shankar Raut. (The priority slip is the ‘ confirmed ticket and boarding pass’ to travel in the Air force Jet, (ILYUSHIN -76). I asked him to manage a priority slip for all days from 18th March to 23rd March. The Company Sergeant Major was also told to arrange for Shankar Raut’s leave documents, pay, baggage etc. Everything had been tied up from the LOC to the Chandigarh airfield.
The only obstacle in Shankar Raut’s marriage, now, was the weather. To all of us it appeared that the weather was not going to clear up for next one week. He was not at all happy at the
staging area and the STD calls that he made through the satellite phone, added to the problem. Since no one at our post had spoken home for the past 20 days ( owing to lines being cut off due to avalanches ) and there had been too many deaths due to avalanches on 28th February and 2nd March, Shankar’s parents presumed him ,also, to be amongst the dead (so much for positive thinking. ) A search party from his home was already on its way to Chandigarh (the journey to the mighty Glacier actually starts from here ) to find his whereabouts.
The weather ‘packed up’ again and a 48 hours ‘No Movement Warning’ was issued,the chances of Shankar Raut’s marriage were getting remote. He continued to be under close observation. He had not given up as yet and the glint in his eyes was enough proof that he could execute his ‘running away threat’ anytime. Let me not keep you guessing. This is going to be the first story ever where the climax is not at the end .
YES !
A thousand praises to the Almighty. Shankar Raut did get married and that too on 23rd March of the same year ( on the auspicious day when all his lucky stars were in order ). The weather cleared up on 18th night and we managed to convince the Battalion Commander to permit just one move as the ‘casualties’ were not in a very bright state. CO agreed and soon enough Shankar Raut was on his way to the Battalion Headquarters.
The sequence of events is as under :-
19 March
4.00 AM
Shankar Raut reaches the Battalion Headquarters.
4.05AM
He is given a cup of hot sweet Tea.
4.15AM
He is given a haircut and shave by the unit barber. (Readers, please note that this haircut and shave was due for the last 137 days.)
4.35AM
He is taken to the barrack where good snacks and another cup of tea are waiting. After this he has a longish bath (lasting upto 28 minutes).
5.30AM
The Company Sergeant Major hands over the pay and leave documents to Shankar Raut. He has been granted 45 days of Annual Leave (the total authorisation is 56 days excluding journey period).
6.15AM
Shankar Raut in the Subedar Major’s jeep heads for Thoise airfield. The journey of 50 Km is going to take approximately three hours.
9.30 AM
Shankar Raut with priority slip in hand is ready to board the Airforce Jet.
12.10PM
The Jet from Chandigarh lands at Thoise airfield and, after loading the Passengers, is ready to head back at 1.50 PM.
3.15PM
IL-76 Aircraft with 208 passengers on board lands at Chandigarh. The temperature outside the aircraft is 27° C and from minus 27° C, Shankar Raut crosses over to the other side of ‘Normal Zero’ for the first time in 7 months, 18 days and 3 hours).
4.10PM
Shankar Raut is handed over the train ticket from Chandigarh to New Delhi and another one from New Delhi to Ahmednagar, by the Unit representative.
21 March
5.00PM
Shankar Raut reaches his home in a village 16 Km away from Ahmednagar. He is given a warm and teary welcome. His neighbours are surprised by the commotion.
22 March
3.00PM
The search party that had gone looking for him to Chandigarh, returns ‘empty handed’. They reveal that they themselves got lost at
Chandigarh and could not find the whereabouts of Shankar Raut.
They are subsequently informed that Shankar Raut has reached home
and is undergoing the preliminary ceremonies.
23 March
7.00PM
Shankar Raut is a WEDDED man !!!
By now you must have realized that the credit for ensuring that Shankar Raut gets married on the due date goes to no one other than me.
But wait !!!
Suddenly I am arrested by a bout of modesty and I (reluctantly) admit that everyone (who was directly or indirectly involved) had played an important role. I, as the Company Commander, felt that it was somehow my moral responsibility to send Shankar Raut on leave.
There are two positive aspects of the story . First, that I am no one special (remember! that bout of modesty ). The same job is being done by all company commanders in the Indian Army and in a much better manner (It is only my luck that most of them don’t brag about their achievements and others who can, do not have time to write anything other than ‘bi-annual’ application for leave which requires precisely 29 words to be filled.)
The second positive aspect is that all the soldiers are as brave as Shankar Raut , most of them (about 99.9%) have a balanced mind and the remaining 0.1% are under the Company Commanders like yours truly.
Now you must also be wondering as to where are the management lessons.
Well there are none!!!
I had only added that to the title to expand the scope (read readership) of the story and also to make sure that it gets published in professional journals of the Army ( no journal would otherwise publish Shankar Raut’s story ).
Epilogue
(In my endeavour to get noticed as a writer, I have packed my story with all that it can be packed with, hence the epilogue too)
Shankar Raut was duly rewarded for his gallantry. He received the Army Chief’s Commendation Card (had I written this story in time, Shankar Raut would have received nothing less than Shaurya Charkra, but the official citation for the award has a limit of 300 words and you will agree with me that ,unless this story is attached to the official citation, Shankar Raut’s achievements cannot be highlighted in the correct perspective) and was also given the rank of Corporal.
Our next meeting was outside the Battalion Commander’s office. Shankar Raut was in ceremonial dress and had just been handed over some punishment. On enquiry, I came to know that Shankar Raut had overstayed the leave granted to him ( which is an offence under the Army Act ). He had availed full quota of 56 days plus the travel period as against 45 days that were granted to him. I could not help myself from scolding him for the poor state of discipline. I reminded him that he was a good soldier and good soldiers should be well disciplined. Shankar Raut’s alibi was simple. He said “ Sir, you went out of your way to send me on leave. Since I did not want to put you through the pains again, I decided to avail my leave in single packet.’’
I, obviously, had no answer.
