THERE has been much debate on the officer-jawan relationship in recent months in the media. Let me forcefully state that the Indian Army officers can cross all boundaries of laid-down rules to look after the welfare of their troops. Here goes an ‘actuality’. I got my flying wings in 1975, and by 1976, was flying in an Observation Post Flight in Jammu. The three-seater Krishak aircraft was mainly meant for directing fire on enemy locations, photo missions, evacuation of injured personnel and ferrying of Commanders for operational tasks. The switch to this aircraft from Auster MK IX, which I flew earlier, was done under the watchful eye of a flying instructor who was a no-nonsense man and a stickler for rules.VIP tasks soon came my way. I was to pick up the GOC of a division from Poonch and fly him to Rajouri. I had to clear the hills by midday to avoid turbulence. The takeoff from Jammu was delayed by an hour due to inclement weather and I landed, an hour late, at my final destination, Poonch. As I was taxying to a mini ad-hoc dispersal, I saw the staff officer from the Brigade HQ, heading towards my aircraft. I was told that the GOC had already left for Rajouri by road as he was not sure of my arrival due to bad weather. In the same breath, I was told that the Brigade Commander wanted me to join him for breakfast. Quick to accept the offer, I directed the Guard Commander to ensure that guards were placed all around the aircraft. The breakfast was sumptuous, and soon, I was heading back to the landing ground. As I approached the kit, I could see someone already sitting in the co-pilot seat — a handsome Sikh soldier, carrying a small bag in his lap. In a commanding voice, I asked my unauthorised passenger to come out of the aircraft. I asked the Guard Commander how he allowed this security breach. He replied that he was told that ‘he’ and ‘I’ were performing similar duties and had the ‘right to board’ the aircraft. My next arrow was fired at this overconfident soldier; and I asked him how our duties were similar. Pat came the reply, ‘Sir, you are a driver, and so am I. If a driver does not look after another, who will?’ I was fuming. How dare he call a pilot a driver! To put him in his place, I asked him what type of ‘vehicle/aircraft’ he ‘drove’ on which he rested his claim. Proudly, he stated that his task was more difficult than mine, for he was a ‘mule driver’, and had taken the liberty of taking a lift in my aircraft as he wanted to reach his hometown early to see his ailing mother. My anger gave way to guilt. I immediately strapped him in my co-pilot seat. Seeing him smile, I felt I had made up for the unwanted vocal ordeal of the last 10 minutes. I made contact with the Jammu Air Traffic Control and said I was carrying a passenger who was not a planned occupant and this be told to my Flight Commander. On landing, I ensured that he was taken to a langar, where a feast was laid out for him. The jeep driver was directed to drop him at the railway station, with the order that he must be brought to my office before leaving the air base. Soon, he entered my office, his salute perfect. His verdict was that I was a ‘good driver’. Indeed, I was a driver in the air and was lucky to have been given an opportunity to ferry a ‘VIP mule driver’!