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Guest column | It’s time to recalibrate to the old normal
After almost two years of deployment in the wake of the terrorist attack on the parliament in 2001, our regiment remained in the same state of operational readiness even after we returned to our barracks, which extended to grant of authorised leaves, and organising get-togethers while posted at a peace station.
After almost two years of deployment in the wake of the terrorist attack on the parliament in 2001, our regiment remained in the same state of operational readiness even after we returned to our barracks, which extended to grant of authorised leaves, and organising get-togethers while posted at a peace station.
This did not escape the attention of our general-officer-commanding (GOC). After complimenting the operational preparedness of the regiment , he said, “Son, the soldiers have been in field under adverse and trying conditions for two years. Their social and family life has been impacted. There are two aspects to life in the army: operational and training . We are now in training mode, which besides keeping the powder dry, encompasses family and social life.”
I received similar advice during a discussion of my article on night operations that had been published in Combat Journal, the flagship professional journal of Army War College, Mhow, where I was posted as an instructor.
The director of faculty of studies (DFOS) said, “Colonel, your article on training for night operations in the Indian Army is visionary, interesting, and thought-provoking, but at the same time it is unrealistic. Your recommendations will turn the Indian Army into a purely night-fighting force, and upset the balance in an environment where, traditionally and naturally, activities are predominantly diurnal. They will disrupt existence in all spheres of activity, professional or social. Hence, I would recommend the thought-process expressed through your article be emulated in spirit rather than letter.”
As our Covid-hit lives gradually limp back towards normalcy, the advice imparted by the GOC and DFOS comes to mind. In the wake of the pandemic, bhog and kirya ceremonies were being held virtually, weddings were a subdued affair, sporting events were cancelled, and social gatherings were a taboo.Now, that Covid-imposed bans are being lifted, it is time to return to our pre-pandemic ways: offering prayers to the departed in-person, holding weddings where friends and relatives can bless the couple in person and enjoy the festivities, and enjoying playing and watching sports.
So, when a proposal to hold an online discussion on the ongoing crisis in Europe was floated in the core group of the Military Literature Festival Association (MLFA), the remarks of the festival’s chairperson were like a breath of fresh air: “Gentlemen, we need to recalibrate our functioning. The environment has eased, and it is time for us to get back into normal mode. Let us live life the way it is meant to be. We will focus on face-to-face literary interactions with the physical presence of an intellectual audience, unless the situation again forces us into a shell,” he said.
As I pen this piece, Shaarav, my five-year-old grandson comes for his customary hug before leaving for school. “Don’t forget to escort me to football academy in the evening. Bye,” he says, and I smile looking forward to watching young Ronaldo and his teammates in action, after I have played a round of golf myself.
avnishrms59@gmail.com
(The writer is a Chandigarh-based freelance contributor)
