The Calf   Path of Mind.

                 The wintering period at Antarctica is a great  psychological struggle of every wintering member.Loneliness,Biological disturbances, lack of intimate relationship with family members  etc affects them.The barren long stretch of white surface for miles and miles long  creates dryness in eyes as they don't see anything other than white snow field for days and days.

                           Under these circumstances ,the responsibility of the wintering Leader need not be over explained.Firstly he himself should be fit enough and secondly he must  design wintering activities in such a way that it is entertaining,educative and constructive towards over all purpose of wintering and the Government towards future planning.

                            The readers may be aware that Colonel Ganesan  was on different plane amongst the officers as he was rational in thinking, logical in action,highly patriotic, deeply interested in Military ethos.He was very well read about Antarctic conditions and came to Antarctica fully prepared as a General entering the battle field with his forces to face the unknown enemy.

                      He was fully aware of the "Calf path of Mind ".Please gothrough the poem.

                    The Calf-Path

                                                 Sam Foss

 For men are prone to go it blind
Along the calf-paths of the mind,

And work away from sun to sun,
To do what other men have done.

They follow in the beaten track,
And out and in, and forth and back,

And still their devious course pursue,
To keep the path that others do.

They keep the path a sacred groove,
Along which all their lives they move.

                    Having read such stories,Ganesan's  approach was not only vertical and lateral but multy directional.It was fortunate that the rest of the 14 member winter team was highly co operative, contributed in co existence.Look at the design of our winter team photo done by Major Pramod Deogirikar,an M.Tech graduate of E M E team with the help of Dr,Lt Col Kochhar,our surgical specialist and winter team official photographer.

   I don't think that any where in the world any Antarctic winter team had a design like this. With this type of attitude "the calf path of mind" was brocken at every stage and the wintering went on very well.

     The Soviet union station "Novolazaravskiya " was 85 Km away and their Fuel dump was at "Indian Bay "close to our station "Dakshin gangotri. Whenever they come to this side they also call on us.The above photo was that of a "Foot ball match " played between them.A big board was kept by the side and written "Indo-Russian Football match."Both the countries National flag was hoisted by the side.

                  The onset of "Polar night "and the first sight of sun after polar night was welcome by "ice bucket dance " by our winter team.

              These were some of the examples to show that the calf path of mind has to be broken at every stage.Colonel Ganesan has demonstrated this quality time and again and never took matters at the face value.

           He took over as Battalion Commander,M E G &  Center on return from Antarctica .This Battalion was responsible for Center J C O 's Mess.Every year the center was to honour Late Sub Subramaniam,George Cross.This was going on since 1944,as Sub Subramaiam was killed in a battlefield in 2nd world war on 24 Feb 1944.The retired J C O s with the help of Training Battalion-1 organises this.

                   When Ganesan took over in 1989,the secretary of the retired J C Os approached Col Ganesan  for a grand show of the above function.Ganesan,promised him to help in all aspect and wanted to know more about Sub Subramaniam's family,children etc.As the information was not coming through ,he called the secretary and gave 3 days time to get the details. On third day he called the secretary  and told him that he will not conduct a function "just for name sake " and demanded the details.

                 The retired Sub Maj &Hony Captain,humbly submitted to Colonel Ganesan,that for the past so many years,Subramaniam Day was being celeberated with a Photo,and one or two individual who had served with Sub Subramaniam ,speaking about him for few mts.He regreted that "Other than that" he has no details.At this stage Col Ganesan opened his table drawer and took out a cover. He opened the cover and spread about 10 photographs of Sub Subramaniam.The secretary was spellbound ,wide opened his eyes and asked Col Ganesan,how did he get those photos.

                     Colonel Ganesan,after warning the secretary three days before,decided that the secetaray has got the "Calf path of mind." and wanted to break it.He took a camera,and went to "Keela othiwakkam "the village near Kanjeepuram to which Sub Sbramaniam belongs.Spoke to his people and from there went to Madras ,met his only son,Mr.Durailingam, and invited him to attend his fathers function and returned to Bangalore.

                    Mr.Durailingam,wrote a highly sentimental letter to Col Ganesan is posted below.

It is needless to explain further about "Calf path of Mind "

Command is not a transitory Appointmwnt

       Command is not a transitory Appointment-1.

Colonel Ganesan was not one of the Army officer who was dreaming of army life and physically and mentally prepared from very young age.Being a village lad he was physically very strong with excellent stamina and high flexibility of body and mind.When he became an Army officer accidently,he had capitalised those qualities to suit his career.

            Even though he was not a brilliant student in academics, he left no stone unturned to learn the Military law and Army regulations.Most of the people who had no knowledge about Army and its functioning had created an imaginary world by them self and happy with that.But in reality it is not so .Because the Defence service ,by itself is a separate world . Even those people serving in one branch of it may not know in detail about the functioning of other branches.

           Under these circumstances,He was commissioned as Emergency Commission Officer.The officership in the Army consists of Regular,short service,special list  and Emergency commissioned officers.With in the category of Regular officers,there are N D A entry,Direct entry,Technical entry,ACC.It is needless to explain that each category has a place of pride.Even with in N D A entry,there are sainik school entry,Military school entry,ordinary +2 entry and ofcourse the cream layer R I M C entry.

                With such a vast difference in the background,the officer group is a conglomeratory mix and it will be a tough job for the Commanding Officer to assess the leadership quality of each officer and recommend them for higher appointments.In the Diving competition in swimming events,the diver selects and executes a particular dive with  different degree of difficulty.A dive with zero degree of difficulty and a dive with 3 degree of difficulty  has to be appropriately assessed.

                      In the same way an Emergency commissioned officer with no Army background knowledge and an R I MC trained NDA entry officer  has to be suitably inspired and motivated  by the Commanding officer especially at the early stages of entry..During British rule, a number of indian soldiers were correctly identified and commissioned by British officers,who later became outstanding Army Commanders.

                       This quality of leadership training was lacking in the Army at present. Because of  lack of such devoted leadership and easy going attitude many excellent caliber officers were wasted out.I take my personal case  and put forward to the public to judge themself.The bond that develops between officer,Jawan,and the "spirit-de-Corps "cannot be explained but to be felt by each individuals.

                   The Officers of the Army are highly respected by Personnel Below Officer Rank (P B O R )With in six months  of my service I was sent on road recce in high altitude area of UP-Tibet border.My team was myself,a surveyer,jeep with driver,enough resources for 4-5 days outings. At one stage ,there was no road  and we came to a dead end.But My task was to find out the details beyond that.I decided to walk about 30 Km and reach other end.The driver will go back and take different route to come to other end and meet us there.Myself and surveyer will walk.With this plan, the next day we started.The driver left on his way.It was shivalik Ranges of Himalayas,and Kumaon hills.Complete claim upto 2.00 Oclock in the afternoon and then slowly going down.When the Sun goes down on other side of the hill, it gets dark even by 4.00 oclock evening.

                    It was getting darker and darker and destination was not in sight.I was dead tired.The surveyer was having about 10 years service and was used to Army way of tough training.We reached the destination in total darkness, and time may be 7 or 8 PM.There were two-three huts and a kerosine lamp was on.We reached there and as I could not stand,felldown on the floor.My assistant covered me with the blanket we were carrying.The driver has not reached,and I had no idea whether he will reach or not.In middle of night,I heard the sound, "Saheb ! Saheb !

                            It was the driver. !Get up Saheb ! I have reached safely.The surveyer was in panic and did not know what to do.As soon as I came ,we prepared parotta,fish curry and dall,I had bought fish en route,.I was given a bottle of whiskey by company Subedar saheb.. Please have one or two pegs.I will massage your legs with mustered oil and then wash with warm water .Morning you will be absolutely fit.

                                I was in a dream world and tears were bubling out of my eyes.Who are these people.? What have I done to them ? How they are showereing such boundless love and affection. Is that loyalty,Officer-PBOR relationship.Will I  be  worth to return that loyalty to them.?

                           On that day I decided that I will develop myself physically,mentally  to be better than them,My professional competence will protect them like an Armour. In the officership I will stand second to none.

                    The honesty,integrity and uprightness  was a self generated energy  in my life.In the next few writings I will bring out few more incidents which will be unique in an Army Officer's life.

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