COL RAKESH DUBEY, VrC (THEN MAJOR) ENCOUNTER WITH CELEBRITY WRITER ANITA PRATAP /ISLAND OF BLOOD ON IPKF AND SRILANKA

EXCERPT FROM HER BEST SELLING BOOK

,"A tall officer strode in and the Indian sentries rushed to tell him the good news--- -------The officer was immediately suspicious. He was young, smart and rather handsome in his combat fatigues. His name was stitched on the breast pocket of his uniform. It said "Dubey." He scanned us carefully. -----------------------then he looked me up and down again, slowly taking in every detail. -------You are Anita Pratap?" ------Anita Pratap the journalist? My heart sank to the soles of my bare feet. What cursed luck, to be recognized by some middle-ranking Indian Army officer who actually read magazines-----------------suddenly, the officer burst out laughing.---------------------" I can't believe you are Anita Pratap -----------------------."But you are so ugly!” he said convulsing with laughter,-------------------------I was miffed. I mean, I don't have fancy notion about my beauty, but nobody had called me a witch before. But there was so much mirth in the man, I couldn’t take offense, even though I wasn’t particularly pleased.------------------"By the way, I am Major Dubey---------------he said extending his hand to me------------------------------Major Dubey sat down, shaking his hand in wonder---------------"You may not be good looking as people say, but you certainly are tougher. It would be wrong to send you back. So you carry on to Jaffna while I look the other way. We have never met? OK -------------I was so overjoyed, I could have hugged him. -------------THANKS so much. I owe you one on this. You won’t regret it. YOUR GESTURE HAS MADE THE INDIAN ARMY RISE IN MY ESTEEM. Truly! “My gratitude has made me flatter him shamelessly, though I meant every word I said." I hope we can meet some day in better circumstances, and I can assure you that I normally look better than this. --------------------Thanks for everything, and for really not meeting you,” I gushed with a big smile.” Can I have your card?" asked Dubey, then pocketed it with a smile” I will be in touch.” I have never met him, but we corresponded for a while, exchanging bits of gossip and news---------------------.
This episode took place near a place called NAVATKULE in Sri Lanka on way to Jaffna, a place where I and my coy was dropped by helicopters, into the LTTE stronghold. We pierced the LTTE impregnable ring, fighting our way through to ultimately capture Jaffna.
IN OUR GALLANT AND COURAGEOUS BATTLE FOR CAPTURE OF JAFFNA STRONGHOLD, I AND MY INFANTRY COMBAT SOLDIERS, MENACINGLY DEADLY AND FIERCELY LETHAL MARATHA COMPANY, FOUGHT FEARLESSLY, FIGHTING HAND TO HAND, WHEN OUR AMMUNITION DEPLETED. WE KILLED; SUFFERING CASUALTIES. MY BRAVE MARATHA SOLDIERS FOUGHT WITH BRAVERY UNIMAGINABLE. THE NATION WAS PROUD OF US. FOR MY CONSPICUOUS BRAVERY OF VERY HIGH ORDER, BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY;  I WAS DECORATED WITH THE GALLANTRY AWARD OF "VEER CHAKRA" BY THE HONORABLE "PRESIDENT OF INDIA".

WHEN THE GENERALS DOG DIED THE ENTIRE STATION WAS IN ATTENDANCE AND WHEN THE GENERAL DIED NONE CAME

Annual Confidential Report is very important in the Indian Army; and rightfully it should be related to your year’s professional out put. Nevertheless, it does not happen that way, the report undergoes total change at the last moment, depending upon the ingenious method of pleasing, the officers desirous of good report adopts. Some thing similar was to unfold at Gwalior. The officer was clever, he promised the Brigadier, that he can arrange free lift, in Air Force aircraft, to Chandigarh, whenever he desired. The Brigadier, made frequent trips to Chandigarh, nobody knew, why? This was quite an offer, as journey by train was painful, and getting reservation every time was also not easy. The time for the test arrived, the Brigadier was honorably seated in the air craft, he had no luggage as, he was going home and the flight time was hardly 45 minutes. The air craft took off, things were going fine, calculated the officer, job well done. Thanking his Air Force connections, the satisfied officer proceeded home. It was time to celebrate in the evening, come on gentlemen, the drinks are on the house, he announced. Yes! He said. Any help to anyone, any time. All were two to three drinks down, music was loud. The officer gave a smug smile, the report will certainly be outstanding, and the Brigadier is going to endorse the report on return, he was sure. A phone call for you Sir, someone shouted. Get the cordless. I suggest, you do not speak Sir, advised the junior officer, the one who had informed about the phone call; Why, asked the officer? The Brigadier is on the phone, fuming, the aircraft has landed him at LEH in Kashmir, and there is no scope of its take off from LEH today. Use your connection to get him off from that place, he is ordering
That was the end of, the officer’s bright future; the Brigadier was stranded in LEH for a week
.
Indian Army is a thoroughly professional army. The officers are constantly on move, to attend with regularity, War Games, Tactical discussions and actual Combat training exercises with troops.
The General was a master tactical prowess, a great strategic planner; he was known to leave nothing to chance. The General arrived in time, thanks to the Indian Railways and was received by a smart young officer. Good morning Sir, I will be your liaison officer during your stay here. Yes! Yes! Good morning, get these suitcases collected, the General ordered. As customary, the General shook hands with the young officer, simultaneously, enquiring every thing about him. He handed his return ticket to the young officer; get the reservation confirmed, was his next order. The General was escorted to the Army’s black ambassador car, after ensuring, the car star plates were correct as per his rank, the General sat inside. The travel time was approximately half an hour from the station to the officer’s mess; the time was rightfully, utilized by the young officer to update the General, of his engagements. Well! Thanks said the General, I will not be requiring your assistance for next two days, kindly ensure my return reservation and see me off on the last day. It was a dream come true for the young officer, officially he is supposed to be with the General, and here the General does not require him. Total break from the army’s tough life for two days, for the return reservation the Movement Control Officer (MCO), located at the railway station will be tasked
How fast the time passes the young officer did not realize, well the MCO had done his duty, and the reservation was confirmed. The young officer’s men were already at the station, to inform him about the train’s time of arrival. The General was escorted, to the railway station, ensuring that his and the trains arrival was so synchronized, that the General straight away boarded the train. The General was happy, things were as per plan. Thanks, he told the young officer, any thing I can do for you? The young officer was quite bold, yes! Sir, I want, to request you for my posting to Delhi. Well! That shouldn’t be a problem? I will get it done, said the General. Give your details. A duty well performed, the young officer, presented one of the smartest salute to the General and left, the train had already started moving. What a satisfaction, very soon I will move to Delhi, on a comfortable appointment, away from the hardship of the combat battalion. It certainly calls for a nice chilled Beer in the club, Cheers! Delhi. Nice girls. What a life.
Sir, the Commanding Officer (CO) is frantically looking for you, kindly leave for the battalion straightaway, informed the waiter. Yap, it must be to thank me, I think. Which train, did you board the General? The CO was fuming, The General has reached Bhopal, and he was to go to Delhi, do you know, there are UP and Down trains, the name may be similar.
The young officer did receive his posting order, but to the highest military out post in Arunachal Pradesh.
THERE IS A LESSON TO LEARN MY FRIENDS. MY LEARNED WIFE VANITA ALWAYS SERMONS, YOU AT LEAST HAVE SOMETHING IN LIFE, BUT TO MANIPULATE FOR THAT ONE THING YOU MAY LAND
UP LOSING EVERYTHING.

AMUSING REAL ARMY INCIDENTS; DO GIVE YOUR COMMENTS

BABA IN YOUR BED ROOM

Every morning, every day, without fail, "Ramdeo Baba" is in your bed room. He wants to communicate some thing important to you, I think? His dedication and Perseverance does not seem to wither. "But he is primitive, his clientele is generally rural, does he know English"? The lady seated next to me, during a formal sitting in dinner party, uttered softly. "Do you, exercise, madam"? I asked. She appeared starved thin and not exercised fit; "Yes" she replied, "I go for Kick Boxing and Aerobics". It is a fashion, I presume to be part of such fast mushrooming pseudo exercise club centers. The gentleman, on my other side played golf, the one in front was regular at tennis, but none of them were eating any thing? Why? "I wondered". I was enjoying, every dish prepared and served. It was later revealed, that the lady was on insulin, the other was having high blood pressure and the one in front was suffering from severe joint pain. The regular soft exercise regime in the cozy air conditioned environment of posh clubs, was making no difference to their modern life style misery. 
We were deployed on the heights the Saichen Glacier, the highest battle field in the world. A virtual war zone, where there is perennial day and night threat of enemy intrusion along with permanent survival excercise; the most dangerous and extreme rough terrain under hazardous and difficult weather conditions. You have to be there at the glacier and undergo a personal experience to understand the vagaries of that horrific, although beautiful place. It is the Infantry combat soldier of the great Indian Army which operates on those heights, beyond imagination and reach of any other army in the world. The  precarious heights where only expert and trained mountaineers did expeditions, earlier. The training is highly specialized, the fighting technique extremely sophisticated with emphasis on survival training of very high order at 18000ft and above. There is age a limit for the Indian Army combat soldiers to operate on the Saichen Glacier heights, a tough and detail medical examination is carried out before we are made combat fit to militarily operate on the precarious, precipice Glaciated top. The normal temperature during winter is minus 50 degree Celsius. During bright sunny days, the ice surface reflects pure ultra violets rays; any direct eye exposure can cause permanent blindness. The place is solid ice; the best of digging equipment fail to create even a small dent on the ice surface. Water is not available, only way is to melt ice to drink water. There is absolutely no appetite due to severe and extreme high altitude conditions that is in spite of the best availability of nutritious and ready to eat food. Oxygen is scarcely inadequate; we remain breathless most of the time. It is very difficult to take bath, shave and change clothes on those conditions. A misconception that drinks prevent cold is put to rest, there is total prohibition on the glacier. Drinks dehydrate the body. No metallic thing can be touched with your bare hand in that temperature, it is like holding a red hot iron, the skin peels with flesh. The clothing supplied is the best in the world, but it is certainly not the best on those heights and conditions. It protects you from cold till the time you are on the move, but the moment you are inactive, you freeze. One has to fall back into the warmth of the fiber glass huts during inactivity. The tenure on the glacier takes a heavy toll of the Infantry Combat Soldiers body, both medically and physiologically. Nothing can compensate the damage suffered by us.
My entire inner system had to be set in place, I thought? The constant, climbing of steep Ice walls and negotiating crevices, during daily combat patrols, was telling on my body. I had to remain fit, as no medicine is my resolution.
The "Ramdeo Baba" continued his foray into the bed room, the elitist were against him, as he did not match up with their style and culture. A man was outdated and a down market.
I did confront Ramdeo Baba; I found him to be a total miracle, a wonder, he speaks from the Hindu Vedic scriptures, no Religion, only pure Hindu system of health and exercise. The elitist, and all those who are on constant life support medicines for ailments, which has no known cure are really missing something important. It’s their bad luck. Amusing? How complacent they are towards their poor and deteriorating health condition.
I had to go through my periodic medical examination; a thorough medical check up in the Military Hospital. The Army doctor, who was finally endorsing my medical report, was surprised in disbelieve, "How can it be", he said? "Your report is as per our medical manual, ditto". "You are perfect fit". "Thanks", I said. "No! No! Do not thank me", he said. "No" I said. "I am thanking Ramdeo Baba, who disturbs many in the morning". He did not understand the meaning of my utterance and I had no desire to explain to him, the reason of my joy. I took my report and left.
Our Army exercise tables have been taken from the British Army; fortunately, the British have copied it from our Vedic Scriptures, the Yogic exercises which the Baba teaches. His Pranayam, the Yoga, the exercises of the outer body and the inner organs, mind and soul, which he teaches and explains with so clarity and transparency, that you need no book to be consulted thereafter. Apprising of benefits, each exercise ritual does to your organs and body.
Your High/ Low Blood pressure, Diabetes, Joint pains etc, will get aggravated if you venture on an unscientific exercise routine in a gymnasium, golf course, long walk etc. The daily intake of medicine to control ailment/ disease along with strenuous unscientific exercise is a deadly combination causing fatal results instead of benefits. The modern medicine has no cure for these ailments, it can only control. Try Pranayam and Yoga to feel the wonder.
I remember having frequent allergic cold in Bangalore; no amount of medicine could cure it. The doctors gave only one advice; leave Bangalore, as this place does not suit people prone to cold. I started Pranayam daily, and the cold has vanished for ever. I take no medicine ever and I suffer from no ailments, remaining fit to do any kind of strenuous exercise, I run daily at the speed of, 7.5 miles per hour for 20 minutes, do my biceps and triceps exercise with 60 kg weight in each hand, my chest exercise regime with 100 kg weight, shoulders and back with equal amount of heavy weights. My hair line has not receded; it is as thick as ever, still have to shave hair from my forehead. I never discuss my age and never celebrate my birthday.
I am no extraordinary man, and therefore I advise that each one of us can live healthy, without being dependent on medicines. The excuses that my working, living, eating condition and the vagaries of nature and place of work, are the reason of my poor and ill health is a weak argument. Nothing can be worse than the glacier. My wife "Vanita Dubey" always propagates, if you are healthy, every one will enjoy your healthy company, but if you are sick and on the bed, the agony will be yours, no one can share your pain, your dear one can only watch you suffer.
WAKE UP! BEFORE IT IS LATE "RAMDEO BABA" IS IN YOUR BED ROOM WITH SOME USEFUL MESSAGE.
I did visit the kick boxing class with the lady. The instructor was a black belt. "Welcome", he said, to me. "I have been teaching people kick boxing, so that they can protect themselves and remain fit". The lady was all thrilled by his introduction, she felt privileged. "Demonstrate", I said. "Oh! Yes", He came and stood in front of me, forming himself in a position to attack, it was enough provocation, and I swung my left leg, hitting him straight on the right cheek. In the Army we are taught to hit the neck, that is fatal, I deliberately avoided that. The instructor lay in pain, "What should I do"? He cried. "Nothing", I said, "Take a deep breath". I left the place, followed by the lady. She never came back for the Kick Boxing class ever.
Take a deep breath; hold it for 2 minutes, not more. Exhale, by Resonating "OM" through the mouth, it will soothe and massage your internal system. "OM has thousand meaning and has 1000 cure".
BASED ON A TRUE LIFE INCIDENTS. DO GIVE YOUR AND COMMENTS

BE A ROLE MODEL NOT A ROGUE MODEL

I was deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and given the task to search and flush suspected Pakistani armed intruders, if any; from the villages located on the base of the Pir Panjal Ranges in J&K. The task required my moving outside the safe confines of the well fortified defensive positions and camp into the open mountain plains and jungles of J&K. The atmosphere fortunately during those days was still friendly and serene, and therefore moving outside of our safe defenses and to camp in open was not difficult .My camp was established near the road head, and I got on to my task straightaway. It was not an easy assignment, every house of villages in the near vicinity was required to be thoroughly searched for militants, weapons, explosives or any war like material; meaning entering their privacy. Therefore, there was all the danger of creating disturbance to their woman folks with full scope of antagonism towards our action. It was one evening, a total surprise awaited me, a group of approximately fifty women, children and men, after being off loaded from the bus, straightaway came to my camp. Fearing the worse, apprehensive of trouble, presuming, that my combat troops, during the house searches; inadvertently, must have got into some kind of problem with this crowd and therefore this force approach to my camp by the villagers.
"Janab"! "We are late now to reach our village, and it is unsafe for our woman folks to travel along with us, at this time of the day, can we therefore leave our women folks, children and these two old men in safety of your camp tonight, before rest of us proceed to our village without worry". "Kindly do not refuse Saab, because we know you are a very good man and a thorough gentleman; during your daily search operations, your soldier have been found, to be highly disciplined, respectful and never seen or found to touch, harass and intrude or disturb the privacy of the women folks nor did they ever disrespect the old. It has never happened earlier. You are our role model Saab", he said! Expressing, that in his style.
The Sri Lanka military combat operations were very difficult, even for the most hardened and seasoned combat soldiers. The Indian Army was operating in an alien land, for a cause which the normal citizens of India were not aligning with and the right decision of the Indian Government was being questioned. In spite of all these odds, the Indian Army’s Infantry combat soldier was making the supreme sacrifice, unabated. I was a very important member of this team, we fought bravely regardless of safety to our life, being the combat soldiers of the elite Indian Army. In my pursuit for victory, I must have inadvertently; though I was always careful, must have caused pain to many en route. LTTE was ruthless, it warned and gave threat to many Indian Army officers;they were meticulous, cunning, cleaver and therefore always executed their threats smoothly and successfully. It was on one such occasion, the LTTE ambush party in a crowded market place, threw a grenade inside my jeep. The grenade did not explode, fortunately; we manage to catch the LTTE cadre. On checking it was found that the grenade was without its fuse. Why,we wondered? On interrogation, the cadre revealed, that in spite of LTTE dictate, the cadre which comes from the general population did not want to kill me, he further disclosed, that in view of that he had removed the fuse from the grenade. He also confessed that they respected Maj Rakesh Dubey,Vir Chakra as the perfect Combat Soldier, he and his combat troops, never in any military operations showed disrespect to any women folk, girls or harass anyone old or weak. The captured LTTE cadre also disclosed, that it was a well known fact amongst the LTTE, that Maj Rakesh Dubey,Vir Chakra and his combat troops never adopted or used any kind of third degree method during interrogation of their captured cadre. Information traveled very fast in military operations, was evidently clear. It was further disclosed by the captured LTTE cadre that the LTTE would never kill, Maj Rakesh Dubey, Vir Chakra, by deceit, because he was brave, strong and fought like a true brave combat soldier with rules of engagement I was their "Role Model" I presume and believe?
In Jhansi, I was regular in attending a well equipped gymnasium, in civil area. My driver, due to my daily visit had selected an exclusive spot, for the vehicle parking. None would take liberty to park their vehicle at that designated place.
But, one fine evening, when I came to the gym, it was seen that two motor bikes were parked on that particular spot. I knew my driver would get it vacated by the strength of military force and authority, but I never wanted that to happen. I therefore, instructed him to park the vehicle at some other place. Few youth standing a little distance away were observing the entire incident, rather heard the conversation between me and the driver. The moment I got down and was walking towards the gymnasium, all of them approached me. "Sir"! They said, "We are proud to meet you and talk, anyone else in your place and authority, would have thrown our motor bikes out from that place and spot. You are a different man, Sir! Different from the rest. You are, A ROLE MODEL, to all of us. And they took my autograph.
All the above incidents are normal, a duty and conduct, all responsible man in authority are supposed to perform. If we are conscious of this simple fact, "WE BECOME A ROLE MODEL" to people around us, and if we are casual in our thinking and approach, we are "A ROGUE MODEL TO THE SOCIETY". Everyone can become "A ROLE MODEL" to people around. Pick up that "NATIONAL FLAG", thrown by the reveler on the road, after the "REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATION". Help that old man cross the road, the one who blocks your car, rather than keep sitting in your car cribbing. "BE A ROLE MODEL", by saying "NO TO DOWRY" and "NO TO PORNOGRAPHY" because you can prevent someone’s mother, sister and daughter from exploitation somewhere . There are thousands of reasons and ways, which can make you "A ROLE MODEL", therefore go ahead and be one for the society.
ALL THE INCIDENTS ARE TRUE. DO GIVE YOUR COMMENTS