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 "