WEAPONS IN HAND AT KOREGAON LINE

Rifle training covered disassembling and reassembling of its parts, loading and unloading of bullets in the rifle magazine, firing single shot, knowing its range, target, fixing bayonet, slinging the rifle across the shoulder, crawling with rifle, swimming with rifle and many aspects of rifle handling. A certain period to learn rifle was fixed.

 After rifle period it was the turn of Light Machine Gun (LMG or Braine Gun). Process of learning was same but LMG being much powerful and mechanically complicated it took more periods. It was also heavy and its firing type was single shot and rapid fire. Its magazine contained maximum thirty bullets. It had capacity of firing at long range and very effective.

Then we had to know grenade throw. It was very dangerous. Pin from the grenade lever to be taken out while keeping fingers grip very tight on lever and grenade, it was to be thrown from bunkers (a deep ditch to hide) out minimum 50 meters away. Slightest carelessness meant inside explosion and certain death not only of concerned jawan but also all other jawans who happened to be there in bunker. Circumferential area of grenade was 100 feet. Besides, live grenades were to keep in both the pouches hanging on the chest. Thus carrying undoubtedly death on body!

Another physically exhaustive learning was the skill of bayonet fighting. When enemy was so close in group that firing by rifle became difficult or the enemy entered in the bunker then hand to hand fighting would take place. A dummy of the enemy was placed and the jawan was supposed to kill, to wound or to capture him. The bayonet was to be pierced in the body of the enemy and or in any part of the body. By shouting loudly “Charge”, holding the bayonet-fixed rifle and running with full speed, the enemy i.e. dummy of the enemy was to be pierced; hit with the butt of the rifle and or dash him on the ground. It required different type of strikes, strokes, hits and speed. This exercise was repeated number of times in succession in order to acquire endurance skill, speed and accuracy.

To learn the skill of handling and firing of machine gun was considered a special pride and privilege of every jawan of Mahar Regiment. Machine gun was with only Mahar Regiment which showed the bravery, ability, skill, strength, confidence and effectiveness of Mahar jawans.

Machine gun was used to provide overhead covering and flanking fire

to our jawans. By firing overhead, the advancing of jawans was safer but at the same time raining of the bullets on approaching enemy as deterrent and would stop their advance. Rate of fire of the machine gun, besides single shot was 250 bullets per minute. Firing rate being so terrific the case of the barrel was kept filled with the water and the water was supplied from water can joined by a pipe to the case of the gun. Since every recruit was required basically for machine gun operation, very extensive training was imparted.

Map reading was equally important which helped jawans judge the distance, height, size, speed, and direction of the enemy. Strange about map reading technique was that it was based just on hand’s fingers besides use of compass.

Long march, route march, cross country, camouflage mock fighting, fire fighting, technique of lifting wounded jawans, crossing obstacles like barbed wires, ditches with water, scaling the walls, rope hanging, crawling with rifle mock battles in jungles, shooting up tracer lights in the sky during nights, all such aspects essentially necessary for jawan were included and taught.

Training was being given by Lance Naik, Naik and Hawaldar. All these subjects and weapons were included in daily periods.

P.T., drill, parade, rifle, MG, LMG, grenade fighting, map reading, school, with these the day from 6 AM to 1 PM with one after another period was so packed that we had no time to think or talk on any things!

After the day’s last period at 1 PM all weapons and ammunition were to be deposited in the magazine. Each jawan was allotted a rifle on his name. As soon as the weapons were deposited in magazine, the platoon leader, normally one of the jawans would take them in barrack for lunch. Menu of the meals was prepared on weekly basis. Though quantity wise it was felt less but it was nice. We had hardly one hour for

lunch. Then the Naik would blow the whistle for following (meant to come out quickly and stand quickly in line) and now they were in P.T. shoes, half pant and baniyan. He would tell us the work to be attended which included fatigue, barrack cleaning, levelling the grounds, widening internal roads, watering trees and plants and any work that was considered to be done by the platoon hawaldar (Sergeant).

It followed sports at 4 PM. The games included Hockey, Football, Basketball, Volleyball, athlete like long jump, high jump, pole volt, bars, swimming, running etc.

 I felt proud of myself when I received a few lessons of hockey from the internationally known hockey wizard Major Dhyanchand along with my other platoon players on the playground of Mahar Regiment’s centre! After games we would return to our barracks and were free to look after our personal work up to generally 8 PM. Then there was roll call (the nature of which I have described in earlier pages) which was must for every jawan to attend.

Besides next day’s program, the next day’s duties were announced. Duties were mainly night duty, patrolling night duty, magazine duty and quarter guard duty. All night duties would start from 10 PM to 12 AM, 12 AM to 2 AM, 2 Am to 4 AM and 4 AM to 6 AM. Most difficult duty was of quarter guard duty, which was to be performed only by four soldiers alternately. Here, there was a cell where convicted soldiers – jawans were kept. It was a prison cell. There was also a vault to deposit money.

Quarter guard duty was for 24 hours. It was a very tough and of high discipline and required excellent uniforms and smartness. Commissioned officer or JCO on duty could come any time to visit it and any omission of any jawan or NCO on duty if noticed by the visiting officer, punishment was certain. Major and   above ranks  were entitled for special salute from the jawans on duty. Important part of the duty was every jawan was to know night password. During night any officer or JCO coming to visit the jawan on duty would ask, “Who is there foe or friend?” then he would ask him the password. Both must know it. The officer must tell the password to the jawan on duty. Everyday flag was to hoist and bring down ceremoniously at the time of Retreat and Reveille. Equally hard job was night patrolling. The jawans on duty with loaded rifles were required to roam every place of the area whole duty

hours every night. Difficult part of it was jawans on duty were to attend next day’s parade etc. as usual.

 All weapons, ammunitions were stored in a bunker type room. Such store was called magazine, which was extremely vulnerable to any mishap. They were to be guarded and hence jawans put on duty.

After roll call letters received were given to the concerned jawans and NCOs. Then jawans would go to the company’s library, information or recreation room and listen to the radio programmes. Time left thus was hardly one or one and half hours because the jawans on night duty would switch off the lights at 10 PM no matter whatever you might be doing. Library and information rooms  were treasuries for me.

To prepare for and participate in the Ceremonial Parades was a joyful task. These parades were conducted in honour of senior visiting army officers generally Brigadier and above. Fit uniform, absolutely clean, crisp ironed, same size buttons, belt, sling applied blanko, proper hair cut, shining shoes and rifle, polished badge, and overall extremely smart and composed in appearance on ground! When the company with platoons took slow march on regiment’s band’s beats, presenting salute to the army officer standing on the Dias, the whole show was so fascinating that one would rarely forget it in his lifetime. At the same time it was so strenuous!

Still another item that would make jawans restless, sleepless was “Kit Inspection”! Suffice to say in this regard that arranging all items, which were issued to the Sepoy on the first day of his joining were to be arranged in perfect line on the ground in the cleanest possible shape that you would imagine. The inspecting officer, normally Company Commander or Commanding Officer of the centre would examine each item minutely going from one end to the other end of each row and each platoon. A minor mistake meant punishment to the concerned jawan. If there were more jawans then even entire platoon was to suffer. Punishment would range from crawling with rifle or holding rifle on head with both hands up and running for hours or even putting kit box on head and walking. That was the reason even expression of “Kit Inspection” would shiver the jawan.

Generally Saturday was the maintenance day when weapons were cleaned and barracks swept. Even a small particle of dust if found on window or door or floor meant attracting trouble from platoon hawaldar or JCO.

 But this was harsh and hard one side of the jawan’s life. There was other side also. It was much more pleasing, smoothing, satisfying and most importantly help extending, entertaining and lifelong learning.

On all Sundays we were going to temple. It was one joint and homogenous group of jawans caste wise and religion wise. There were followers of other religions also working in non-combatant departments of officer ranks. Chanting prayers in chorus by hundreds of jawans and offering puja - worship-provided real mental peace and solace.

On almost all Sundays Hindi movie was shown, rarely anyone missed it. On Sundays we were allowed to go to city market in muffi dress but in groups. Individual was not permitted. In the market normally we got scattered to make purchases or window-shopping including site seeing. But we were secretly under constant watch of military police who on slightest misbehaviour would catch the offending jawan and result would be quarter guard imprisonment. In serious offences  provision was Court Martial or Civil Jail, which was very rare as in city every jawan was duty conscious and importantly regiment’s name and prestige conscious. Thus soldiers enjoyed civil life and interaction on weekend.

On festival days there would be a “Bada Khana” meant a “Big Feast”. Various dishes and recipes were prepared in Lungar by the regiments’ cook. They were unusual, uncommon and tasty. This was arranged in the evening and except jawans on duty, all jawans, NCOs and JCOs joined for Badda Khana. Officers would gatheri in officers’ mess. Generally Commanding Officer or Second-in-Command (2-1C) would visit Badda Khan, taste it and cheer up the jawans. To receive appreciation from C.O. was considered a reward that encouraged jawans’ moral immensely.

Show of “Tattoo" exhibition arranged on usually Regiment’s Day was another feast to eyes where various “Exercises with “Torches” different items of athletic which were breath taking! This was performed during

night and decorating the parade ground with beautiful scenes and symbols. All jawans i.e. ORS, NCOs, JCOs, Officers and their families were invited to witness this show participated and exhibited by the jawans themselves. As I said earlier it was ‘Big Feast’ for eyes! Debate

competitions on various subjects were held. Dramas were performed. Jawans were supposed to avail compulsory casual leave of 10 days and annual leave of 2 months. This period jawans spent with their nearer and dearer. As per availability of the accommodation jawans, normally rank holders were allowed to bring their families. Here family

meant essentially wife. Other member could stay with her.

For some time I was the platoon leader. One day after roll call one of our platoon jawans came to me and complained that somebody has stolen his money from his kit box. I was shocked and scared for anticipated punishment for the thief and also entire platoon if the real thief was not traced. I reported the matter to our “Ustad” and in turn as per procedure the case travelled from JCO to Company Commander. Captain Pathaniya was our Company Commander. He ordered to identify the culprit within 3 days failing of which platoon was to be punished with kit box, meant holding it on head and doing parade.

One day passed and I could not lay my hands on the offender. So went off the second day and I got panicky. After roll call one of our platoon jawans came to me and said he would find out the person within no time as he was blessed with divine power and claimed to possess it,    In order to save platoon from impending punishment and out of curiosity I asked him to go ahead. In a minute the news spread quickly in the barrack and all gathered around us. The jawan belonged to our platoon. He brought some fragrance sticks, some powder and mess tin. He put the mess tin vertically against the wall keeping its flat bottom towards us. Then he asked one rupee coin and in front of the mess-tin started chanting some magic words loudly and we found he was behaving hysterically. All stood speechless. Suddenly he shouted saying, “Divine spirit has come – Divine spirit has come”. All felt as if cold chill breeze spread in the barrack. Then he uttered one name from us and stuck the coin on the surface of the erected mess-tin. But it fell down. The divine spirited jawan shouted – “Not this”. But the jawan

whose name he shouted was seen terrified. Every jawan present was scared whether the coin would stick on the mess-tin after his name. One by one name was taken and every time the coin fell down.

There were 52 jawans in our platoon. Suddenly we noticed the coin stuck on the mess-tin. The divine spirited jawan shouted repeatedly the name and happily declared the name of thief. It was jawan Dadu Nagare (real name). Everybody started looking for Dadu Nagare who was standing in the corner a bit away from the show. When he heard his name he rushed to us and looked at Oza (Vernacular name for such person claiming divine power). We all knew Dadu Nagare. He was six feet tall, strong, well built and professional wrestler in his civil

life and also played wrestling in MRC. He always quarreled with the cooks in the Lungar demanding more food. Indeed the food given to us and especially for the person like Dadu it was very insufficient. He was furious and snatched the coin from the mess tin. Then he quickly held Oza by neck and lifted up and threw him on the ground. He started abusing Oza. We all were taken aback. He picked up the coin, made Oza forceably sit in front of the mess-tin and taking Oza’s name put the coin on the mess tin and lo! It again got stuck on it. Now in front of us all he thrashed Oza. Somehow I pacified Dadu and Oza also openly admitted that it was all hoax and he did it only to raise his name in the platoon. But we could not avoid punishment of crawling with rifles. It would have been continued for more days but for the declaration by the complainant that he found his money in his kit. Though we were saved from further torture, the complainant suffered it for 3 days more for making false complaint.

Darbar (meetings) on quarterly basis were held. Darbar meant gathering of all ranks presided over generally by C.O. or 2-1C. In this Darbar the presiding officer would listen to complaints, suggestions, difficulties and problem on common issues. It was considered that C.O. would address the problems.

In one of the Darbars where I too was present, one hawaldar Mr. Gunwant Bansode (real name) complained to the presiding officer - who happened to be a Maharashtrian – that, we were being supplied bad quality “Rotis”. On hearing this presiding officer got furious and said – some thing like this “You people have been living on our left over food. Now when you are getting good food you are complaining”. Hawaldar also got angry and retorted saying why he was talking bad about our community. In the argument the atmosphere of Darbar

became tense and the Darbar was cancelled. Next day we heard hawldar Gunwant Bansode had a “Peshi” (Means summons to appear

before C.O.) and Bansode was sent quarter guard and afterwards we

heard that  he was Court Martialed Due to military discipline nobody said anything.

As I said earlier our training period was six months. Above description would give almost all aspects of the recruit’s preparation to make him an able combatant fit soldier. In fact the whole training was imparted step by step but in order to avoid repetition I have given the entire picture at one stroke and I have undergone each of the training phase literally. Training period made me tougher, disciplined. Its each day broadened my outlook. Everyday at the end I was feeling wiser and wiser. Our library and information room provided me wealth of knowledge, which made me humbler and humbler.

When I received my first salary, which was Rs. 35/- my joy overflowed. Immediately I sent M.O. of Rs. 14/- to my brother in first week and then half of the amount was sent by M.O. in the third week of the month. The purpose to send money in two instalments in the same month was that throughout month the money will be available for them to meet their daily requirements. It served the purpose so well that my brother wrote that ever since I joined military he stopped going to work and there was not even a word of hunger in the house. I maintained this cycle (so long I was in military). And my first and primary important ambition was nearly fulfilled. Thus I succeeded to overcome my first priority problem of food. Now my promise given to my mother was on anvil.

Our “Kasam Parade” i.e. “Oath Taking Ceremonial Parade” was over; and we became full-fledged trained “Combatant Soldiers”. Many jawans got posting in field area of Mahar Battalions. There were 3 Mahar battalions that time and all were stationed in J&K area.

Names of Baramulla, Naushera, Punj, Kargil, Banihall.Rajouri etc. were quite familiar in the MRC (i.e. Mahar Regimental Centre) and I too was eagerly waiting for my posting. But before I was to receive my orders. I and 2-3 more jawans got posting in Administration Company (in short Adam Company) of the centre. The reasons were not known but we were shifted to British Line from Koregaon Lines. Here barracks were quite spacious, looked nice and had big grounds. Our platoon was also shifted. Before shift a lot of stories of ghosts of dead soldiers

and officers were in fast circulation among us. Most dreadful story was of a Captain and a beautiful girl who, it was rumoured committed suicide and their spirits always danced in the kitchen hall, which was during their time a dancing hall made of wooden planks. The kitchen with wooden floor was just near to barrack and there were in rows several big tamarind trees.

On the very first day I was on second shift night duty, which started from 12 AM to 2 AM. That night it was extremely cold. I took over duty

from the first sentry and started patrolling the company. Dark night, shadows of tamarind trees, total tranquil prevailed and new area, slowly fear of ghost started trickling in my mind. I was also told the dead couple would take forcibly jawan on duty to the dancing hall and kill him after dance. My feet dragged towards kitchen and I heard somebody’s noise in the hall. There was a huge tamarind tree near the kitchen. Straight I was taken to the trunk of the tree. Now the noise was much louder as if it would pierce my ears. My heartbeats had already escalated. Rifle was in hand, but the ghost would not be killed by it?

Thinking that now it was the end, I gathered courage and entered the kitchen hall and saw the lights were on. I was double sure of the ghost’s presence. I was nearly going to collapse when I saw our main cook coming out of the kitchen room. When I inquired, although in frightened voice, the cook whom we called “Mama” told that they were arranging the kitchen, which was not in much use and in a very disorderly manner. My first two hours duty was over and I immediately fell fast asleep in the mosquito fed cot.

British line (also known as Cavellory) was clean, neat, huge, well planned and maintained. Adam. Company was in the same premises, bungalows of officers, JCOs and NCOs were scattered but looked nice. Adjacent to it was a small village named LalKurti and Saugar City was not so near but not so far off from British Line as it was from Koregaon Line.

Bungalows of Major Thomas, Subhedar Major Dilbag Singh, Jamadar GL Pandit and Subhedar N.B. Gaikwad were within walking distance from our barrack. (Jamadar now  redesignated  as Naib  Subedar )

I was very fond of reading. I had already won prizes in inter-company debate competitions for our company and some of my poems and short stories were published in Army’s prestigious monthly magazine named “Sainik Samachar” published from Delhi Army H.Q. This also made me quite well known jawan, since it was considered a prestige not only for MRC but for Mahar Regiment itself.

May be probably because of my known interests in academic sphere,

I was asked to work as a teacher in our centre’s school where jawans

were taught. Of course that was in addition to my usual duties of the soldier. Later on Mr. Girdhari Lal Pandit, AEC (Army Education Core), in charge J.C.O. of the centre’s school told me to work in the school till I was posted out (In military asking or telling has no place, it is always meant an order!).