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raj2rif
September 5th, 2008, 07:28 PM
Dear Members,

One of my friend has sent me this true story. It is amazing and I would like to share it with you. I hope you will like it for its substance and values. That is what soldiers do.

A gossip between a Solider and Software Enggr in Shatabdi Train.

Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi express could not cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin person, it was the savings in time. As PM, he had so many things to do!!


He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use.


"Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop. Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with
exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car.


"You people have brought so much advancement to the
country, Sir. Today everything is getting computerized."


"Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look. He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stockily built like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely
out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.


"You people always amaze me," the man continued,
"You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside."


Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naiveness demanded
reasoning not anger. "It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it."

For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex."


"It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply.


This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence crept into his so far affable, persuasive tone. "


"Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in. Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office, does not mean our brows do not sweat. You exercise the muscle; we
exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing."


He could see, he had the man where he wanted, and it was time to drive home the point.


"Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centres across the country.


Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a time concurrently; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the complexity in designing and coding such a system?"


The man was awestuck; quite like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination.


"You design and code such things." "I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "but now I am the Project Manager."


"Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over,
"so your life is easy now."


This was like the last straw for Vivek. He retorted, "Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work.


Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest
quality.


To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer at one end, always changing his requirements, the user at the other, wanting
something else, and your boss, always expecting you to have finished it yesterday."


Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realisation. What he had said, was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while
defending the truth.

"My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you don't know what it is to be in the Line o f F ire ".


The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.


"I know sir,..... I know what it is to be in the Line of Fire......."
He was staring blankly, as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.


"There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top.


There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we finally hoisted the
tricolour at the top only 4 of us were alive."


"You are a...?"


"I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a soft assignment.


But, tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier. On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues
lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker.


It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain sahib refused me permission and went ahead himself .


He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded... ....his own personal safety came last, always and every time."


"He was killed as he shielded and brought that injured soldier into the bunker. Every morning thereafter, as we stood guard, I could see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me . I know sir....I know, what it is to be in the Line of Fire."


Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of how to respond. Abruptly, he switched off the laptop.


It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a Word document in the presence of a man for whom valour and duty was a daily part of life; valour and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to
epical heroes.


The train slowed down as it pulled into the station, and Subedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight.


"It was nice meeting you sir."


Vivek fumbled with the handshake.


This hand... had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tricolour. Suddenly, as if by impulse, he stood up at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute.


It was the least he felt he could do for the country.

PS: The incident he narrated during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and various other acts of bravery, he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the nation's highest military award.

Live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn!

Winners are ......
too busy to be sad,
too positive to be doubtful,
too optimistic to be fearful
and too determined to be defeated

And just for my friends, who feel being Jat is the license of bravery, and rightousness, Capt Batra was not JAT. So respect others as you want to be respected by others.

fundcom
September 5th, 2008, 08:30 PM
Very nice.

thank you Sir.

dndeswal
September 7th, 2008, 05:32 AM
He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded... ....his own personal safety came last, always and every time."


"He was killed as he shielded and brought that injured soldier into the bunker. Every morning thereafter, as we stood guard, I could see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me . I know sir....I know, what it is to be in the Line of Fire."


This is true sense of patriotism which, unfortunately, is losing grip among today's youth. "Soft" power is teaching them to be selfish and money-minded. The armed force are short of officers, a situation which could ultimately lead to danger for nation's security.
.

positivelook
September 7th, 2008, 03:20 PM
Hmm very good story and a valuable lesson for those who dont know the Line of fire!

Abhimanyu Phougat

spdeshwal
September 7th, 2008, 03:47 PM
Colonel saheb

I knew from the title and from the line one as what was coming through the narration but by the time I finished reading your entire post, my eyes were filled with tears!

I had read so many true stories that involved raw courage and true meaning of patriotism and the supreme sacrifices during the kargil war. There was a special issue of India today that came out soon after the Kargil war. I wish, i had treasured that issue. I am determined to find that special edition of India Today when i visit home this winter. It was both in Hindi and English as well.

One of such heroic incident involved one officer from Maharashtra whose father was a Librarian. He was leading a small team of soldiers to a special mission to recapture a post that i don't remember. That post was at very high altitude and even Our artillery was not very effective. This officer climbed and covered thousands of meter through the darkness. Just before the dawn the enemy was in sight. Then the officer started giving exact location to be fired by our artillery that was few meters away from him. The narrator of this tale of velor exclaimed in those lines, " उस लाईब्रेरियन के बेटे का साहस तो देखिये , जो अपनी जान की परवाह किए बिना, तोपखाने को गोले दागने के लिए वो जगह बता रह था जो स्थान उस से कुछ ही मीटर की दुरी पर था"

और कितने ही हैरत में डालने वाली घटना उस अंक में दी गई थी


उस बहादुर शहीद को कोटि कोटि नमन !

कर्नल साहेब , इस सची वीर गाथा को यहाँ प्रेषित करने के लिए हार्दिक धन्यवाद !

sanjeev_balyan
September 7th, 2008, 08:00 PM
Sixth pay commission has been declared by GOI, all jat landers in govt service know the value of this pay commission for them, Chief of Air Staff has raised an issue of one anomaly in SPC. Lt Col/ Cdr/ Wg Cdr have not been placed in PB 4. I am pasting a comment here given by an officer of Paramilitary officer on a blog site.
Equal pay will make a Battallion CO of a paramilitary force leading 1000+ troops equivalent to a Lt. Col. of army, commanding either a Coy. of some 150 troops or none most or the time... If this theory seems logical to top brass of armed forces, I doubt their competence... The revised pay commission has not created an anomaly, but has rectified an age old anomaly by recommending equal pay for equal responsiblity...
Saying that command and control function and joint operation will be hampered because of not making a army coy. comdr. equal to CPMF Battallion Commander doesnt hold any water... And for the common knowledge of a common man, let me make it clear that a bsf battallion is larger than a army infantery bn, be it in terms of numbers, trg., tactics, responsiblity, hardship, operational efficiency.. the list goes on..... A bsf commandant who has been put in pb4 commands more trops than even an army Col... Where is the logic Comparing him with a Lt col...
For more knowledge of a common man, paramilitary officers are not short service commissioned officers. To the contrary, they serve the force for more permanent duration than most of the so called permanent commissioned offrs of armed forces...
Ab MSP mil to rahi hai aap logo ko.. Khus rahna seekho mere dosto... Ab Badi ladaiyon ka jamana gaya.. aap logo ko koi yuddh nahin ladna.. Terrorist ka saamna aapne bhi utna hi karna hai jitna humne.. shayad kam hi karna ho.. Ap logo ko peace postings jo milti hain.... Jai Hind...

this is the link, where u can read all posts
http://paycommissionnews.blogspot.com/2008/09/armed-forces-want-cabinet-to-consider.html

now let me clear myself here, Jats r everywhere in all services from Armed forces to para military to IAS to IPS to -------. So I dont want anything here as it is in that link. pl dont take it in this way that i m against the Paramiliatary or ias or ips or IT. Indian Army is running with a deficiency of almost 14000 officers and intake of cadets in training Academies is very poor. Reason is very clear, talented youths r going towards IT and similar sector due to good salaries with luxurious life. situation will go further down instead of improving after this pay commission.

raj2rif
September 8th, 2008, 09:44 AM
Sixth pay commission has been declared by GOI, all jat landers in govt service know the value of this pay commission for them, Chief of Air Staff has raised an issue of one anomaly in SPC. Lt Col/ Cdr/ Wg Cdr have not been placed in PB 4. I am pasting a comment here given by an officer of Paramilitary officer on a blog site.
Equal pay will make a Battallion CO of a paramilitary force leading 1000+ troops equivalent to a Lt. Col. of army, commanding either a Coy. of some 150 troops or none most or the time... If this theory seems logical to top brass of armed forces, I doubt their competence... The revised pay commission has not created an anomaly, but has rectified an age old anomaly by recommending equal pay for equal responsiblity...
Saying that command and control function and joint operation will be hampered because of not making a army coy. comdr. equal to CPMF Battallion Commander doesnt hold any water... And for the common knowledge of a common man, let me make it clear that a bsf battallion is larger than a army infantery bn, be it in terms of numbers, trg., tactics, responsiblity, hardship, operational efficiency.. the list goes on..... A bsf commandant who has been put in pb4 commands more trops than even an army Col... Where is the logic Comparing him with a Lt col...
For more knowledge of a common man, paramilitary officers are not short service commissioned officers. To the contrary, they serve the force for more permanent duration than most of the so called permanent commissioned offrs of armed forces...
Ab MSP mil to rahi hai aap logo ko.. Khus rahna seekho mere dosto... Ab Badi ladaiyon ka jamana gaya.. aap logo ko koi yuddh nahin ladna.. Terrorist ka saamna aapne bhi utna hi karna hai jitna humne.. shayad kam hi karna ho.. Ap logo ko peace postings jo milti hain.... Jai Hind...

this is the link, where u can read all posts
http://paycommissionnews.blogspot.com/2008/09/armed-forces-want-cabinet-to-consider.html

now let me clear myself here, Jats r everywhere in all services from Armed forces to para military to IAS to IPS to -------. So I dont want anything here as it is in that link. pl dont take it in this way that i m against the Paramiliatary or ias or ips or IT. Indian Army is running with a deficiency of almost 14000 officers and intake of cadets in training Academies is very poor. Reason is very clear, talented youths r going towards IT and similar sector due to good salaries with luxurious life. situation will go further down instead of improving after this pay commission.

Dear Mr. Baliyan,

I don't know from where have you got the functioning of BSF Bns in Op areas. The truth is far different what you have mentioned. I don't care what BSF bn Cdr get in his pay, but let us not distort the facts here.

In op areas most of the BSF Bn tps are placed under command of those very company commanders in the units of Platoons and sections. The BSF companies are more often than not are placed under Infantry Units. So there is no direct operational command.

The BSF unit have most questions to answer about the situation getting out of control in Kashmir in 1989 onward till the time Army was asked to take over the direct control. I can keep writing on this issue, but let us not get into rivelary between the two organizations which have their own strengths and weaknesses.

What we should not do here is the distortion of facts for the consumption of our fellow readers.

d_dhankhar
September 8th, 2008, 11:31 AM
What a story..... Good one, thanks for sharing....