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Journalism of Courage
At the National Defence Academy, Pune, where future officers of the Armed Forces are groomed, discipline is supposed to be second nature to the cadets. The cadet, however, sometimes proves defiant if driven into a corner.
My course passed out from NDA on December 7, 1983. Once, during the grueling two weeks8217; Passing-Out-Parade POP practice, the adjutant caught M.J.S. Bains, my course-mate, taking things easy. He peremptorily forbade him from taking part in the POP. Since Bains habitually spoiled for a fray, he charged Subedar Major Darbara Singh with trying to pre-empt him. Given what was at stake, Bains knew he had to be in the POP at any cost. The old fox Darbara had seen it all. He knew the only way Bains could pop in was when the sixth termers8217; contingents marched along either breadth of the parade ground. To foil Bains he detailed a drill master each to police the flanks discreetly.
The matter did not end there. Even before the drill saab could squeal, the adjutant had noticed the tall, turbaned figure of Bains on parade. Unamused, he whispered about his misconduct to the commandant during the post-POP tea party. Livid, the commandant decided to relegate Bains summarily.
Out of the blue, the adjutant saw Bains approaching Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh Singh, the chief guest. He dutifully indicated the culprit to the commandant. To their surprise, the air chief hugged Bains and then introduced him as his nephew! The air chief had noted Bains8217; inexplicable absence when he inspected the parade and his mysterious presence later during the march past. Bains had to spill the beans. The nephew got an earful from the uncle.
Refusing to wear his avuncular hat8212;or should that be turban?8212;he told the commandant to crucify Bains. Post-tea, the adjutant duly marched Bains up to the commandant but the cadet was let off with just a stinging censure. Did the uncle-nephew revelation cause the angry commandant to develop cold feet? I don8217;t think so. Once the man8217;s temper had cooled, he8212;an alumnus of NDA8212;put himself presumably in Bains8217; boots and realised that he would have done what he young cadet had done. That encapsulates the NDA DNA. Viva NDA!
