AFOVA New Letter 2 of Year 2021

Section 6 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 02 / 2021 Page 114 of 332 1 Behind The Battle Lines Mrs Premilla Rajan Genre: Reminiscence t was a cold wintry night in December 1971, almost a year since he had first come to this remote outpost, his domain the 113 Field workshop EME, one among the 47 field workshops scattered over NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency- now Arunachal Pradesh). His task was to Retrieve, Repair, Restore and Maintain (RRRM) the varied vehicles and weapons that the field regiments used. Night sets in early in the East and Likabali was no exception. Winter was upon the environs as the crisp winter chill caressed the sheds in this far-off field post! The shop floor was spic and span; the two brick walls held all the tools neatly numbered and hung in this very basic workshop entrusted with the repairs and maintenance of all the vehicles and weaponry used by the field regiments posted alongside. The wind set up briskly and soon the whine of rotors could be heard. A Helicopter landed in the fading twilight and behold, there emerged a tall Sardar every inch a proud soldier ... none other than a Lt. General! Crisp salutes offered by the Major, the General was escorted to the modest office. This was not an inspection of any kind. It was a visit almost on the eve of the war in aid of the Mukti Bahini of East Pakistan! The General briefed the OC workshop and said he expected his 'Jonga' any time as it had left for Likabali by the more potholed, irregular road route, days earlier! Almost on cue, the vehicle came in through the swirling mist, a ghostly apparition, dusty, with muddy streaks of water, gathered on its perilous journey over non-mapped roads --- more of an off-road trip in reality. The OC workshop's task was clear: Get the Jonga road worthy asap! The General had announced a forthcoming ride over a distance of nearly 909 km in the next 2 days and the Jonga needed to be fit for that run! The General was made comfortable with Chota pegs and a dinner hastily rustled up. The Major spent no more time in the hallowed presence of his superior officer but chose to dedicate himself to the task on hand of making the Jonga ready in all aspects. Section 6 – Memoirs I