Despite such handicaps, the teachers not only managed to empower us academically, but also imparted a number of life lessons, which people pay through their nose and attend workshops to learn and imbibe.
A sixteen/seventeen year old youngster who joins the academy has no idea that he would be required to study…Armed forces were all about brawn, so they assumed. Little did they realise, how foolish their assumption was, as we in the army keep training ourselves even in our 50s, which involves serious academic pursuits, at least we would like to believe these are serious(!)
Right from the time we entered Ghorpuri, our duels with the teachers had begun. My first encounter was with the Hindi teachers, Ms Maya Katara and Mr Emmanuel. Some wise guy told me that in the classification test for Hindi, meant to segregate the Elementary Hindi types mostly South Indians, if you managed to get away with committing some intentional mistakes, you could also land up in the Elementary Hindi types and have a khushi time. I was summoned by Mr Emmanuel and told that I was to be withdrawn from the academy as my CBSE result appeared to be fake. Shocked out of my wits, I told him that wasn’t true and why was he accusing me of this. He showed me my answer sheet for the classification exam, where in a single sentence I had committed as many as 12 spelling mistakes. Obviously I had gone overboard. I was asked to apologise and was sent to the highest classification (Middle Hindi, as none of us were fit enough for Higher Hindi) to be tutored by Ms Katara. Ms Uma Surya Narain was among the favourites for obvious reasons, she was the prettiest damsel and for adolescents at that age with hormones just starting to make their presence felt, that was reason enough.Dr Haldhar and his ‘Nishan toli’ (three daughters) are also firmly etched in the memory. Sudeep Bakshi as Yasser Arafat and many of our other course mates appeared as other global leaders in the activity directed by Dr Haldhar was one of the highlights of our scholarly attempts.
Khadakwasla was a different ball game, with all the ragda of second term, academics is the last thing on anyone’s mind. If it was not for the likes of Dr AB Rao very many of us would have bitten dust in our second term itself. He was not just a patient teacher but also had a soft corner for us, he diagnosed “horse sickness” in some of us, wrote down answers in the blank spaces to help some and pardoned our sleeping through…….Then there was Dr Jatwa of “You are Jat I am Jatwa”, “Sergeant Eating toast or taking post” fame. Most of our generation of cadets would distinctly recall his quips.
“Giving meaningful looks!”, was how the charge read,fwd by Dr (Mrs) SK Singh; the cadet was summoned to the squadron office and questioned. He was punished to be sent on liberty to Pune next Sunday to leave the instructor in question alone….. Foreign language department was amongst the favourites of the cadets, obviously not for any genuine interests in the languages but in the ladies who were our teachers. While French boasted of Ms Indira Gupta and Anu Graham, Russian had Ms Hingne. Even our drill instructors who were otherwise quite disciplined succumbed to their charms, with one of them, Sep Rohtash Singh, a tall and lanky Jat, having the temerity to ask Ms Gupta, “Madam ji hum se naraz ho kya aajkal, good morning bhi nahi karte!!” Sure enough he spent the next 14 days in the cell awarded by the Adjt. The cadets who were assigned their classes were the envy of the rest. I was among the lucky ones having escaped the clutches of “Khin bya na mi ba le” Burmese to petite madmeoiselle Ms Indira Gupta’s French. The only subject where there was a mad rush for front seats. In the bargain we did pick up some French and acquired the coveted Diploma Part 1 also.
I have often wondered as to what was the true aim of putting us all through myriad of subjects, from English, Hindi and a Foreign language to Economics, Political science, History, Geography, Military History, Military Geography comprising the humanities disciplines which even we the techies ( science stream) types had to endure apart from the regular dose of Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering Drawing, Workshop besides the service subjects (Military subjects). Similarly the humanities stream students also were exposed to Maths and Sciences. May be the curriculum was designed to give us an all round exposure, or treat academic pursuit holistically, but it ended up with number of holes and voids….we ended up as jacks of all and masters of none(!)
Original Comments:
Sheraz Varma (2020-05-16):
As usual you took us for a virtual tour from semester one through six. Armchair traveling with your prose is really enriching. I liked the part of French language students…. Was a stampede with the charming IG… rawther coquette.
C S Prabhakar (2020-05-16):
Very interesting. Brought back find memories of the Sudan block and science block. Great set of teachers and of course FL department was the best.
Bisht (2020-05-16):
Nice article buddy.You always take us down the memory lane which is very nostalgic.Your writing skills are becoming very interesting n better day by day.Keep it up buddy.
Anonymous (2020-05-16):
Good one, sir. Brings back memories of Sudan block and the famed LH-100.
Truly, FL was the one highlight of the time there.
Keep up the writing, sir.
jaggi
Suresh Yadav (2020-05-16):
Words will fail to eulogise some of our teachers at NDA in beauty and in art of teaching… Your mention of the anecdotes of Academy days brings back the memories alive and for sometime it was like going through NDA days once again… The Cabin Cupboards the mansion polish, the cycle valve pack breakfast I Slip Pashan Periphery Rohtash's Ustads "Nipple touch" Flat foot carry on … Outstanding Cadet or Standing out and list is endless… Beautifully Penned.
Shesh Iyengar (2020-05-16):
Excellent, as always, chief ! Makes me kick myself more than ever for not working on my father hard enough to get permission to write the NDA entrance exam. You describe it so well !
Pankaj (2020-05-16):
Excellent and long awaited …
Some of them were real professionals.
arun sharma (2020-05-16):
Excellent recollection of a great time in our lives.
NK (2020-05-17):
Great bro….Transformed be back in time to good old days. There was this fellow Hav DB Thapa who had caught one Cadet Rathore for smoking in the bathroom. He told him,' Cadet aap smoking kar rahe ho, aur mai chaahun to tumhe 14 days dila sakta hun', to which the Cadet curtly replied; 'Pata hai Saahab'. But that Robot Saahab' as he was called in Academy told him 'Main nahin doonga, kyonki aaj pakadne ka hukum nahi mila hai'. Those were the times….
Sujay (2020-05-17):
As always Interesting and Professional master piece , got to know so many mischievous activities done during academy days .
Sanjay (2020-05-17):
Hilarious and each sentence brought a smile of things gone by……the ending was apt ….. We never could balance out what was expected and what we could just manage by scraping through….. wonderful read
Akshaya Handa (2020-05-17):
Interesting and hilarious as always. Your long term memory is impeccable and the art of penning them down is god gifted.
Col Jitendra Singh (2020-05-17):
Oh,How could u remember so many famous names.very nicely written, taking me back to 'NDA days' memory lanes.
Jatinder Singh Dhillon (2020-05-17):
Thanks sir for another nostalgic trip down the memory lane. By the way I had Russian as my FL
KPM Das (2020-05-17):
Good read Suyash.
Understated and forgotten, many of them were front and center of our development. In our time, the masters played a larger role (academics was not a focus and books only filled the Riding Rig Book Order for fall ins); they were national level coaches of sports teams , Sarwadekar cricket (NDA team lost to visiting West Indies by two wickets), Bhandari hockey (quarter finals Beighton Cup), Mathew (basketball). Much before our time the Football team then coached by Bhandari reached finals of the second oldest football tournament in the world, Durand Cup, losing to Mohun Bagan in the final, team led by Cadet Lahiri (later Maj Gen Lahiri) and 10 others with just josh nothing else. NDA was a wild card entry filling in for Korea. The masters went beyond just being professors
AtulBeret (2020-05-17):
Enjoyed reading it. It brought back so many old memories. A telling a story in simple language is an art and which you have in abundance.More power to your pen!
Sofie (2020-05-17):
Nicely done Suyash! the value and worth of our preceptors at the Academic block is often not recognised enough. We do owe them…I also recollect Padmanabhan Sir – the Registrar – among others…he gave me a shock of life once when during Real Analysis, he told me "Child you do not understand the implications of relegation", which made me re-focus on academics once again!
Bubesh (2020-05-17):
My tryst with French was not so joie..
Like many of us It was the Mademoisellles and not the language pe se that attracted me to French, and hence French was over subscribed.
So, to make my chances better I lied in the application form saying I had learnt French before and wanted to pursue further.
I got French but unfortunately landed up not in either of the Mademoisellles' but in one MR Gaekwad's class..
Mr Gaekwad, right in the first class gave me a French book and asked me to read and explain the meaning..and so I was caught and that landed me with a sevener on the periphery… and there ended my dreams about the Mademoisellles and learning the French language..
In IMA again took up French, this time with the ambition to get that diploma.. somehow I did not like the Khalsa French teacher at IMA (or he didn't like me !) .. and I never attended his class except for exams..
Some hand of God, mine or someone else's I don't know, had written my coy as Sangro instead of Zojila and happily the absence report never reached my company but French remained Greek and Latin.
It was many years later in UN Msn in Congo that I had to learn French, and speak pretty fluently then, as there were no anglophones in that isolated MILOB site…and so Fench happened for me for both official communication as well as for those belle femme noire..
Unknown (2020-05-17):
Very nostalgic and brought about memories of NDA. I was not lucky enough to learn French from the Mademoiselle and ended up under the tutelage of Mr Gaikwad, a short burly man with no nonsense approach
chhotu (2020-05-17):
Lovely! I underwent restrictions for writing output/input = kaput in CV ramaiahs physics class. Those were the days
Mike James (2020-05-17):
Awesome write up and incredible memory. Blessed with selective memory I only remember the pretty ones But unfortunately I was in the khin bya nami ba le category.
Random Thoughts… (2020-05-17):
Have now been reading your blogs for more than a couple of years, I guess, and find them very simple but touching. To be transported back to those days when we were still boys, is always an enjoyable nostalgic journey. Not only must you be complimented for articulating those small incidents/phases in a beautiful manner, but also for remembering events and names, with such accuracy and clarity. Well done my friend, and though needless to say, keep them coming. Cheers
raju (2020-05-17):
Memories , indeed they keep you alive. Excellent recollection. You may like to putthem in a book " NDA DAYS" . Similar to Malgudi days.
Yo (2020-05-17):
What an amazing memory you have and the lucid account makes it seem like it happened yesterday only
A salute to our Gurus who've made us what we are
Yo (2020-05-17):
What an amazing memory you have and the lucid account makes it seem like it happened yesterday only
A salute to our Gurus who've made us what we are
Esskay (2020-05-17):
I barely remember the divs I was in at NDA…and you? Guess that phase in my life was to survive those years.
Well articulated sir
Anil Kumar F/70 (2020-05-18):
Suyash Bro! Very well Syndicated and concise write up replete with nostalgic memories, anecdotes with precise factual accuracy as they had transpired.HATS OFF BRO!!!
Anil Kumar F/70 (2020-05-18):
Suyash Bro! Very well Syndicated and concise write up replete with nostalgic memories, anecdotes with precise factual accuracy as they had transpired.HATS OFF BRO!!!
Satish Mallik (2020-05-19):
Suyash, which memory pill do you take? How can you remember so many names and small anecdotes from Academy days? Very well narrated dear friend. Dr. Haldar had a penchant for quoting exact figures, something like “Babar attacked with 26732 infantry soldiers, 771 horses …”. I still wonder whether he used to make it up or that was true. I was always in awe of Mr. Panda for his deep knowledge of international relations. While I could not even remember names of those countries, he would talk about their political and diplomacy. Hats off to these teachers! Good show and keep writing.
Sunil V Damle (2020-05-19):
Nostalgic…
Pani (2020-05-19):
You r bringing home dreams bygone. Superb painting on canvas of memories galore .Yet another common element betwn us, we r Frenchies
Glad Gladiator (2020-05-20):
Amazing… Suyash!!!
Lalit Kumar Bhatia (2020-05-21):
Very well written Suyash. Nostalgic – brought back memories of those happy,carefree & busy days. Even though none of the names mentioned were there in 1967 when joined the NDA.
We had legends like Mr Keshwani – Chemistry, Mr NL Kapur – Maths,
Mr Prem Singh & the largest of them all then Commodore Ronnie Periara.
Thanks for the memories.
Rajeev Dalal (2021-08-21):
Indeed a nostalgic reading ….
Bengal Lancer (2021-08-21):
Personally, and it's exactly that – personal, NDA was a huge waste of three years of my life. As an institution it represents a colossal waste of Govt money. Tri-Service integration …my puckered ass! It is just another recruit training centre. The products turn out to be reprogrammed morons who revel in drill and PT labour with minimal academic engagement and definitely no academic excellence. Yes one made great friends for life in the course of NDA training. But that's not why NDA was founded. When a PT Blue and X-country enclosure define your achievement and potential, there's trouble ahead. NDA products are more amenable to the idiocy of military authority and rigor – a fact which defines and limits the Academy's institutional horizon. What a waste of precious manhood years.
Shrishti (2021-11-21):
Excellent account sir. Really took me down the memory lane