NairAn Expedition to SPR (selected place of Residence)
I read an interesting narrative of one of my friends Ravi Nair, my name sake about the good old times of his father, a VCO coming on leave from NWFA where the latter was posted. It read like an expedition to selected place of residence South of Vindhya Ranges !!!
Reading this, I too was reminded of my travails home from the borders, half a century ago. I venture to jot down my memories for the posterity.
I vividly remember coming on my first Annual leave from Mizo Hills, Vaphai Post, bordering Burma (todays Myanmar) along Tio River .
— On foot for four days to reach the road head at Tuirial- Aizol, that too at the convenience of Link Patrols, which ensured the protection to the foot columns. Then to Masimpur via Wrangte, Laylapur Rear, in a Convoy of minimum 70-80 vehicles, with a vanguard and rear guard of Armoured Cars. Crouched in the body of a Sakthiman or a Tata Mercedes Benz 3 Ton truck, winding down, forcing one to throw up till nothing is left in ones aching bowels.
And to Silchar to catch a meter gauge locomotive steaming out towards Halflong. From Halflong to Gauhati on a broad gauge rail chugging sedate in no hurry , and disgorged at Gauhati in the dead of the night. From Gauhati to New Bongaigaon on a metergauge .
At New Bongaigaon, walk across the sand banks to the waterlines of Ganges, with the coolie following lugging ones steel trunk on latter’s head. By the way, the trunk had more of bottles than of any clothes, the latter acting only as paddings between bottles so as not to break. Walk towards the River ends where the Steamer waited to ferry one across the Ganges at Farakka.
Few hours in the steamer which brought images of the huge paddle boats of Amazon. Being a First Class passenger the steamer provided steaming rice with watery daal and pickles as dinner, then in utter contrast coffee served with decoction, cream and sugar in separate ceramic pots (chinked and dirty) -in true occidental style. !!
On reaching the other bank long walk on river sand towards New Jalpai Guri railway station, where the rail rake awaited with similar seat/ berth reservation arrangements. The steam engine laboured the rake to Sealda Station and from there to Howra in a local train .
Depositing luggage in the clock room. A quick shower and shampoo at First Class Waiting Room and ‘non-itinerary visits’ to Calcutta City just to have a feel of the metro life, and returning for the night train Coromandel Express to Madras. After two nights reaching Madras early morning.
Once again the luggage to clock room. Taxi ride to relatives unannounced and to the 24 x 7 movie halls Diamond, Emerald and Sapphire, all housed in same building on Mount Road . Normally went off to sleep in the AC comfort of movie hall while intermittent watching of Taras Bulba, which had no END, kept repeating. Move to the Madras Central by evening to catch the night’s Cochin Express.
The ‘Canadian Bullet Engine’ took on the initial traction and then local snub nosed ones which sneezed burning coal and dust through out, brought one finally to Cochin Harbour Terminus by noon. ‘Runglee Rungliot’ meaning ‘thus far and no further’ .
That was the termination of journey on rails and thence forth in a ‘yellow and black’ Hindustan taxi for move to Alleppey 65 kms away.
And, Alas by evening, after a fortnight of having set forth from Vaphai, one entered ones ‘selected place of residence’ and to ones Sweet Home, waking up and surprising his mother and siblings – as the FL (Forces Letter) -FOAS (Free on Active Service) one had posted a month early from ones picquet of announcing sanctioning of his leave and tentative travel plan, had not reached his mother, after customary sensoring at 99 APO, till then. Hence, surprised indeed – they were.
The matted hair filled with few pounds of coal dust and the telltale ‘railway acquired syndromes’ for over a week, like bugs and lice, had to be scrubbed off. Answer mother knew, bar soap (used for washing clothes) and ‘besan flour’ with abrasive ‘incha scrub’, ‘Amma’s special concoction coconut oil massaged lavishly and washed down with scores of buckets of water from the well, drawn and water cannoned by ‘man Friday ‘ Bhaskara Pillai, who showed signs of kindness on promise of two pegs in the evening !!!!
By now the meagre amount of ₹200/- discounted through a Canara Bank, Boat Jetty Road Branch, Alleppey, cheque from unit Baniya (Wet Canteen Contractor), for the journey had dried out. First thing in the morning was to visit ones bankers to whom all the salary – a princely sum of ₹ 345/- was remitted after the TDS of ₹5/- every month, irrespective of where one was posted . !!! It was a big money indeed, as a Sovereign (Kuthira Pavan of 8 gms of 22 k gold) costed only ₹ 90/-. !!! Surprised to find nearly 2k in the bank to blow off. !!!!
Serving in field the entire salary got accumulated in the bank as there were no scopes to spend in a picquet, where ‘roti, kapada, makkan’ were free.!!!
With ‘kuppies’ (bottles) full in crates, crisp notes in the pocket, and cartons of 555 and Kent in lieu of few pegs to right friends with US connections!! ; And ones First Love – the original British Royal Enfield KLT 7724, always fully filled—- life was worth living ——Till the ‘kuppi (booz)’ and ‘panam (money)’ lasted !!! Then people start asking ‘when are you returning?’.
Finally one returns to Mother for a ‘non- refundable loan’ for financing the ‘expedition back’. Totally demoralised and ‘home sick’ return. !!!!, which would take a couple of Long Range Patrols to heal !!!
-The present generation soldier cannot imagine such a situation. Airforce Courier service, concessional air travels, authorised LTCs by Air, fast electric trains and the Farakka barrage over Ganges, beautiful roads wider than NHs crisscrossing and ‘spiralling’ the Mizo hills heights – where we once heaved and perambulated, and above all the mobile phones which announced and videoed live minute to minute progress of ones move etc – were non existent and couldn’t even be thought of.
To achieve surprise nowadays is difficult!!!—
– Ravi Nair- (Sikh LI)
