A HEROINE!

Subhedar N. B. Gaikwad planned a stage show of a Marathi drama. He selected a play entitled “Amaldar” (Inspector) written by the famous Marathi play writer Mr. P. L. Deshpande. The show was to be presented on the Foundation Day of the Regiment. Subhedar Gaikwad, a good reader of Marathi literature, selected all characters from MRC jawans. I was asked to play a leading role of heroine! Needless to write women soldiers were not in the army & (MRC too!), and a woman’s character was to be presented before centre’s jawans, NCOs, JCOs, officers and more interestingly in the presence of families of the MRC! A combatant soldier to act as a woman! Indeed a challenge! But Subhedar Gaikwad was a tough master and director. He conducted rehearsals meticulously day & night. A few days before the actual date of show he took a dress rehearsal, which he found quite satisfactory. In fact his prestige also was involved. Everyone was doubtful and hopeful of his own performance. I was already nervous. How to be a woman? How to look like a woman? and how to make womanlike gestures and that too before women! Mr. Gaikwad too was playing a lead role of hero!

And the night of the show dawned! Hall was packed. Every character player’s heartbeats were already accelerated! Outwardly behind the curtain everybody was encouraging to each other and Mr. Gaikwad was confidently telling that we should be successful. And with the third bell curtain rolled ajar! When and how actual play started and ended, we all players simply forgot. Then we identified so much with the roles and each one of us moved, talked and acted so casually as if we were real persons. We heard claps and claps after every few minutes and when the play ended the audience gave a rousing applause by standing for a long!

It was a tremendous success besides it provided   a unique entertainment for the jawans. Many officers thanked Subhedar Gaikwad. Being in the woman’s dress many jawans climbed the stage, appreciated my role and cut all sorts of jokes with me. Needless to say credit for the success went to Subhedar Gaikwad.

For many days I remained a target of jokes for jawans related to my woman’s role. Although all was in a lighter vein, but it became a memorable  event for my lifetime! I was relieved of one burden after the show; although my all functions viz, military hard exercises, MRC’s school classes, tuition of children and my university up and down running were going unabatedly. It kept me awfully busy.

 Inter-university tournaments were going on and one day a hockey match between Saugar University and Punjab university (?) probably was being played on the ground of our university. Hockey was a very popular game and to witness the match a large contingent of jawans from MRC was sent. The purpose to send jawans was to know as how the students play the hockey. Students and the other civilians were sitting on one side while exactly on the opposite side jawans were sitting. When the match progressed and there was cheering up for the players, it became gradually evident that the Punjab university students were far better than the Saugar university team. As such there was very frequent and loud cheer up from the jawans for the Punjab team which provoked and enraged the Saugar university students and other civilians who started abusing and taunting the jawans.

I was sitting in the students. The main accusation against the jawans was that MRC was at Saugar and they were eating “salt” of this city and as such their cheering up the Punjab team amounted ungrateful attitude. Tension developed so much that actual fighting between the jawans and the students ensued. Although I was a student, basically I was a MRC jawan and unfortunately fairly known in my class and campus. So the students around me started taunting and abusing me. I was to be beaten but for timely help from my friend Subhash Pathak who intervened and immediately whisked me away to his bungalow which was just few yards away from the ground. On the ground a serious turn took place.

Somehow the riotous situation was averted with the arrival of MRC officers and civil police officers. But the event cast its ugly shadow in the city where a sharp reaction against the jawans had taken place. Resultantly the jawans' going to city became risky and if any untoward incident took place it would create havoc! Match was suspended. As such MRC, probably in consultation with civic authorities, a flag march was conducted in Saugar city and I being a jawan was also in Flag March  was very much noticed by my classmates who were standing on roadsides to see the flag march out of curiosity. I was in full uniform with rifle on shoulder marching along with company’s jawans. Slowly the tension died down. But I could not attend my classes for a week fearing that should something bad happen with me it would not only permanently damage my education but might flare up the tension between jawans of MRC and civilians. I crossed second year successfully.

As it was natural I started receiving feelers for marriage from some quarters. Lot of promises were offered especially from one family. I deliberately declined it. The reason, though childish, was earlier the same family had declined my mother in my presence when she had proposed one of the girls' hand from their family for me. “You are too poor to propose”, they had commented. As I stated my thinking was childish because any parents would see their daughter’s future wellbeing and comforts. And we were exhibitionally poor! I thought marriage was too early. Subhedar Major Dilbag Singh and J.C.O. G. L. Pandit were encouraging me for further education. I was also totally    of my ‘family committed" determined to end hunger and eager to become a big man – yet a very ambiguous and hazy word!

My old bicycle had long divorced me as I could not afford to maintain it and my running race was resumed. Here my determination overcame all hurdles and crossing successfully three years finally I scaled the mountain’s peak |

 I passed B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) in Second division. How happy I was! It was beyond description to explain! I immediately conveyed the good news to my mother and family members and Subhedar Major Dilbag Singh and J.C.O. G. L. Pandit who were my real protectors. By hearing the news they felt very happy and they conveyed the news to our C.O. Col. Tuli who appreciated my efforts. My close friend Yadav Ranshringare distributed sweets and who told me that entire MRC felt proud of me. (To be a graduate was considered a big achievement and to pursue education, obtaining degree in military was considered miracle that time). Officers, JCOs, NCOs and ORs congratulated me.

Needless to say about the feelings of Madhukarrao, Chintamanrao and Indutai i.e. Shrikhande family .Mrs. Hardikar my immediate teacher and principal Mrs. Shrikhande! They hosted family dinners at their  respective residences, ceremony, I received my B.A. Degree at the hands of our Vice Chancellor Mr. D. P. Mishra.

My all classmates of Mahila Vidyalaya got the degrees. Knowing that it was the end of my university educational life I rushed to the photo studio and took photographs in gown holding the Degree. It was June 1960!

 I made the second visit to all my well-wishers who made my life and showed them my Degree certificate. I knew what the happiness meant when it was followed by hard work.Hectic days were over. Degree was translated in reality. Restless mind was silenced. Total relaxation and tranquility prevailed in body and mind and never-ending overflow of ambition, and worries brought the whirl in my mind to standstill!

Back to MRC, British Lines! As usual hard routine started. But again mind began hammering! Should this be an end of my education? When casually I put this question to my guardians and life makers namely G. L. Pandit and Dilbag Singh, they said, “No problem, but why don’t you go personally and meet the (Second in Command) 2-I-C, who is a Maharashtrian? C.O. Col. Tuli probably was on leave and 2-I-C was acting as C.O. As I was permitted by Subhedar Major, I dared and met the 2-I-C and explained my desire to join LLB classes! He replied something like this – “You should thank your stars that you were permitted. You people need not have so much education”. I saluted and shattered mentally by the sarcastic reply – I returned and reported 2-I-C’s refusal to G. L. Pandit and Dilbag Singh.

(Was Dr. Ambedkar wrong when he  persistently  was telling us through his news paper – Janata – which I used to read regularly about Oppression, Suppression and exploitation of our community people by high caste Hindus! My mind agitated.)