Khybar Pass journey continues..

6 May, 2011

Khyber Pass journey

As one drives along the Khyber, there is another fort en-route, named Baghai... (See picture below.) One can see only the boundary wall in the back ground.

One interesting aspect I must mention here. During my stay in Pakistan. I was on their 24 hour/360 days watch. The Pakistan Counter Intelligence had pitched a permanent tent across the road, in front of my residence. The team was equipped with walkie-talkie sets (there was no mobile phones then).

Also they had assigned 1-2 motor bikes and cars (all imported since the country hardly manufactured any thing, except some textiles goods). The team members would follow me and my other family members every where, even when going to local market or children going to schools. Interestingly, the surveillance was always overt, aggressive and at times intimidating. Their Foreign Office had also imposed a restriction where one had to obtain a written permission from them a week in advance for visiting any place out side Islamabad. It was understandable as they needed some time to organise mobile surveillance team to follow my car.

Another notable aspect of the surveillance was that while in Punjab State, it used to be very close, rather bumper to bumper, but comparatively more relaxed in other states, as in Sindh, Baluchistan & NWFP. The most congenial surveillance used to be after crossing Peshawar into the FATA area, as by and large, the local tribes had a soft corner for the Indians and hated the Punjabis. Thus, while travelling in their area, the team acted more like a tourist guide than a watch team.

Conclusively, one could say that majority of the people of states of Sind, Baluchistan, NWFP and FATA held similar sentiments towards Punjab state that the East Pakistanis (new Bangladesh) had held prior to their independence.

To continue....

Pakistan days...

5^th May, 2011

Recent elimination of Osama by Obama on May 2^nd brought back the thrilling but sweet memories of my stay in Pakistan. from 1980 to 85. It was unusually a very long period of stay in a hostile country by any standard. (you know what I mean if one has to work under cover). But it was fruitful & satisfying.

I was much younger then and was always keen to explore the country, driving long distances. The picture below was taken on 21 Oct.1981, during one of the trips to the Khyber Pass in the west of Pakistan. The pass lies between Peshawar and Landi-kotal from where one enters Afghanistan. Jamrood fort is just few kms. from Peshawar and can be spotted on the left of the bus.

The area all along the Khyber Pass which stretches between 30-40 Kms is rocky, dry with hardly any vegetation and water. If one remembers the ancient history of India correctly, this was the route followed by most of the invaders, of whom many perished or had to abandon their journey as the pass provided a natural barrier on India’s western flank.

The area came to be known as FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Area) once the British Raj came in to power. However, it always remained a partially independent area, run and administered by the local tribes according to their own customs & traditions.  The main source of income, since time immemorial, continues to be from sales of drugs and locally manufactured fire arms. Durra village, the main arms manufacturing centre in FATA, is worth a visit for their workmanship.

(To continue...)

Picture of Alize..the turbo-prop aircrat

My Navy days contd.....

Hi folks,

From my old  collections, I have been able to dig out two more pictures of INS Viktant, the first Air craft Carrier of the Indian Navy. These are again taken in  1961-62. In the initial stage, Vikrant as equipped with  only two types of air-crafts, viz. Alize’ and sea-hawks.. Both were great to fly and had added tremendous teeth to the Navy. 

My Naval Days:

Year 1961-62. I had joined the Indian Navy as a Naval Aviation Officer trainee in early 1961. It was the period when the country was tense and in a state of emergency as the stage was already set for an Indo-China show-down. The border clashes had started in various sectors all along the Northern borders and eventually culminated in a full fledged war.

The prestigious HMS Hercules of the British Navy had just been commissioned in the Indian Navy and re-designated (Indian Naval Ship) INS Vikrant. This was the first aircraft carrier India had acquired and was thus, the pride of the whole nation in general and the Navy in particular.

It was also a proud moment for me as I joined the first batch of the Naval officers who were to be deputed to the INS Vikrant as pilots after training. Our batch consisted of 10 officers trainees and was nicknamed by officers of other branches as the CREAMY (Cream of the Navy).

This is the group picture of my batch, a rare and precious one. I am putting it on my blog with hopes of locating some one at least from this group. They are- sitting L to R;

Rathore, Sanan, Shetty, Sharma and Sabarwal. Standing L to R are Varma, Aron, Natrajan Bhati, self and Bansod.

Devlali revisited

In December 2010, I visited the Artillery Centre, Devlali after a period of  47 years to attend the Re-Union of my elite Regiment, (popularly called the Victoria Regiment). This Regiment, being the oldest Artillery unit of the Indian Army, was initially a pack unit. This means that the guns were carried on mules while the officers rode on horses.

The picture below depicts how the pack units used to move in operational areas. If one sees the picture minutely, you will find detachments of 4 guns, led by Gun Number One - or the lead gun - of the unit. Serving as a mountain gunner not only required a very high standard of physical fitness but also meant being a very good horse rider.

Hallo and Welcome

This blog will document my memories of the different parts of India and the globe where my service to the country took me. During over four decades of service to the nation, I traveled within India and across the globe, often to places that have been seen by very few people.  This blog will carry photographs, anecdotes and memories that have stayed with me during this long course.

I hope you enjoy my thoughts and memories. For the moment, let me share one of my first memories of Air Observation Post at Devlali Artillery Centre all the way back in 1963:

This photograph was taken during my training as an artillery officer.