AFVOA Newsletter 03 of 2020

Section 2 – News / Updates from the Association CV 2 No. 03 / 2020 Page 15 of 167 ‘Bhuj to Jorhat’ by Chandrika is an eye opener about victimization in services. Successive hard area postings are not normal in any circumstances. When driven to the wall, just not the officer, but the entire family rises together to face the challenge with courage and tenacity. When she narrates travelling with a baby in arms, I remembered my move from Kochi to Mumbai when my daughter was just eighteen days old. Fortunately, I could leave my wife and three children under the care of my parents in Chennai while I proceeded to join INS Nilgiri (soon to be commissioned by the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi) - of course a prize appointment. In ‘An Ode to A Soldier’ the floral tributes of Cardoza and McRae to the fallen soldiers are poignant sentiments and somber reflections that make us ponder and beckon us to carry forward their mission. ‘Throwback to 1975’ by Raghavan gives an insight into the perilous conditions encountered in the NE India. Unitentionally, his directions to one of his men took wrong turns, and soon his unit had a search and rescue mission on its hand – a hazardous task on a wintry night. It was not the day for doctor’s orders! Harshavardhan’s study on ‘Fear – Is It Real or False’ is analytical and to the point. He echoes in a large measure Franklin Roosevelt’s famous saying – ‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself’ for any kind of fear restrains our decisions and actions. It is also moot to remember that daredevilry (not appreciating real danger) is no answer to fear. As Tiruvalluvar has said, “ அஞ்�வ தஞ்சாைம ேபைதைம யஞ்�வ தஞ்ச ல�யார் ெதா�ல் .” In the fifties and sixties, drinking was a taboo among most families and particularly among Brahmins. It was no wonder then that Ravishankar took a decade or so to ‘Raise a Toast Finally’. Though family approbation was not wanting, he patiently waited for Swami’s (God’s - pun intended) intervention for his initiation. My wait was just two years; a serious bout of eosinophilia was enough to choose a peg of brandy as wholesome medicine to recoup my health. ‘When Madras Saved India’s Capital’ by Ramachandran exemplifies North’s admiration of the people from the South for their neutrality in any fight. In post-independence India the role of Madras Regiment is unparalleled for their tenacity and valor. Like Vishnu, the men from that regiment had four arms each – two to rein in the unruly and two to provide succor to the needy. Unni Kartha experiences Government of India much as we experience God. It is there, but not to be seen or identified. Though one would agree with Unni Nair that human beings need training, one question baffles us all. Who trained the first trainer? How can we be sure that he is right? Gurunath Reddy’s painting of his father’s accomplishments