Invoking Gods Army Way!
by Brig M G Jacob
Army is a wonderful organisation and RIMC truly prepares you for that kind of life. I must share an anecdote on such an aspect.
It was my first year of service and we were on ranges at Pokhran for Air defence Firing Practice. And there is a custom of a pooja before commencement of firing every day. After Day 1 suddenly the panditji had to rush back home for some emergency. This was apprised to the CO by the adjutant during drinks time in the field mess. So, CO asked who was the replacement as firing next day could not commence without a puja.
Adjutant took some names of some jawans who were pandit by caste. And CO the complete Brahmin was not impressed…… And he looked around to the bar and said, “Jacob, you will officiate as the panditji for tomorrow. You are the youngest guy around here and also a bloody Rimcollian. You fit the bill of a panditji”! Now no one had the guts to counter the Old Man. I quickly gulped my second large rum and looked around for support. Everyone had a smile and it was that wry smile.
Luckily my senior subaltern Abir Choudhary had a “poonool” (Janeu) and he came to my tent to brush up the shlokas with a bottle of rum, a packet of cigarettes and his guitar. We went on till early morning. It was learning of my life. But then I realised that it was just a recapitulation of what we were blindly singing in school mandir functions.
In the morning the Subedar Major came to me with Naik Shukla who gave me the finishing touches. He tried teaching me to blow the conch but I could not. So the Subedar major decided that it will be done by Shukla. That saved my day.
That morning, the puja was conducted by me and the end piece of it; blowing of the Conch and breaking of the coconut both went fine. The firing was such a grand success that the Air Force Target Towing Canberra ran out of targets. That evening CO officially declared that I would be the Unit Panditji for the rest of firing.
Well, that is how the Indian Army functions. In any case, every Christian, Muslim or a Sikh soon adopts the religion of the troops………till we retire and then re-discover our true religion, unfortunately!
