Tales From Khadakwasla : The Indomitable Subedar Major (Hony Captain) Kanshi Ram
Dated : 26 Dec 2020 (IST)
Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) KANSHI RAM was THE PILLAR OF THE NATIONAL DEFENCE ACADEMY. He was also an actual hero and survivor of the Shitang Rail Work Project on which the famous movie BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI was made.
PART ONE
By
Brig Ajit Apte, (Retd)
“Steady Cadet Steady, Why two in one sharing rain” were very common sentences spoken while we were cadets in the NDA. These were uttered by none less than the most erect, ramrod pillar like figure (6 ft 2 in tall) Sub Maj Kanshi Ram (Dogra Regiment) who would invariably be lurking near the Ashoka Pillar Circle in the NDA opposite the Sudan Block and near the Mecca of Drill(the drill square, now very rightly named the Khetrapal Parade Ground /Drill Square).
Kanshi Ram was born on 08 September 1922, and was enrolled on 08 September 1941, promoted Hon Lt on 26 Jan 71 (while in NDA). Sub Maj Kanshi Ram joined the NDA in June 1966, as the Drill and Discipline Sub Maj (coinciding with the entry of our 36th course into the Academy).
finally retired and settled in his village about 80 km from Hamirpur in HP, as a fully contended man. He deservedly became Honorary Captain. His moments of great happiness may have been in the shaping of some 6000 odd young school boys after they joined the NDA, to become the finest officers in the Indian Armed Forces. Many of his cadets would later distinguish themselves in the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Ten of them would become Chiefs of their respective Services. Many would excel themselves in gallantry and valour in battle and be awarded for such acts of bravery in the ‘face of the enemy’. Many of his cadets would become One, Two and Three star Generals.
would enjoy that sense of satisfaction in his days of retirement in his village, for he had made boys march to perfection. Some of his cadets would march at the Republic Day Parades, some commanding their respective contingents and some the Republic Day Parade (RDP) itself.
Our own Sub Maj Kanshi Ram was from the Dogra Regiment and I was commissioned into 14 Field Regiment Artillery ( originally 14th Battalion the Dogra Regiment) In my regiment many gunners knew him and some were his relatives, who belonged to Hamirpur and his village.
They would tell me on return from leave that the NDA was deeply ingrained in Sub Maj Kanshi Ram’s mind and he always had an inseparable bond with the Academy. He thought of each cadet as his own ward, despite some having a long innings with him on the Drill square for getting punished with extra drills and/or restrictions.
Some were just in love with the Drill Square and thus took a little longer to pass the Drill Square Test (DST). But Kanshi Ram ensured that Cadets who would pass out from the NDA would dig their heels and swing their arms properly. Kanshi Ram was a legend in the annals of the history of the NDA and the Armed forces, for those of us who drilled and grilled at the Academy under his guidance.
I would convey my sincere gratitude and good wishes to him and he would reciprocate the same to me, through these personal couriers. There were no mobiles or STD then in the 1970s and 1980s.He was an icon for our courses in the NDA from 1966 to 1969, when we passed out from the Academy. Kanshi Ram was recruited at age 18, and sent to Kotbaru (a British enclave in Malaya).
Shortly after his arrival, as the youngest in A Coy of 17 Dogra (under new raising after operations in Africa), they were the only obstacle in the way of the mighty Japanese invasion force of Malaya (like the Normandy landings on 6th June 1944).
Kanshi Ram. was the only survivor, he had been sent as runner/swimmer, cross country across the jungles and lagoons to inform CO 17 Dogra at the airfield to inform him of the invasion (no radio with them then). He fought a rear guard action with the retreating mixed Allied forces and was taken Prisoner of War at Johor causeway before the fall of Singapore.
was put to work as part of the labour force to build the Sittang Railway net work (the famous movie *Bridge on the River Kwai*). We had all seen this movie in the NDA in 1967, little knowing that one of its actual Real Time actor was in the Academy itself, and at Rendezvous with us every morning.
He had fallen ill there, during the war and was thus repatriated when the Japanese withdrew from Malaya. He fought with 3 Dogra in 1947 to 49 in Kashmir. He then went with the UN mission to Korea, fought with 3 Dogra in the 1962 war, again in1965 in the Raja Picquet battle.
His one son Ajit Singh joined the NDA Comdt’s secretariat as a Clerk GD and retired as an ‘Office Manager’ or Superintendent perhaps. His other son Baldev joined the Corps of Signals and retired as a Subedar Major. His one son lives in Pune and we made efforts to invite him for our NDA course Golden Jubilee Reunion in 2019, but we couldn’t connect with him. The other son is settled in Hamirpur.
The great iconic Drill Sub Maj (Hony Capt) Kanshi Ram finally Marched off from his Drill Square or faded away into the sunset like all true soldiers on 04 November 2011. Kanshi Ram was the brave and unwavering soldier; one of the ever watchful lions on the Ashoka Pillar in the NDA.
His British Company Commander then Capt McDowell of the Second World War vintage and his Sgt Maor CSM O’Sullivan, who had been his Drill Instructor in the Training Centre had perhaps rubbed their personality on the great Hony Capt Kanshi Ram and he exhibited that in full measure to the NDA and his cadets, who always remember him with great respect and honour.
PART 2
THE ICONIC SUBEDAR MAJOR KANSHI RAM : WE WERE BKESSED TO HAVE IN OUR CADET DAYS
By
Pradeep Saxena/Delta Sqn.
1. It was my 4th term in NDA (Jul 1967 to Dec 1967). The Comdt was AVM SN Goyal, Dep Com was Col Ajit Singh, Adjt was Maj Soli Canteenwala and the ACA was HS Panag (33rd NDA Course). SM Kanshi Ram from the DOGRAs was the SM.
2. AVM Goyal ever since his appointment as Comdt in Aug 1966 had done away with the Wed movie and replaced it with a variety of cultural activities – attendance of which was made compulsory and only those excused medically were exempted from attendance. The cadets being what they were in the vibrant age group of 16 to 18 were not happy with the change but being unable to do anything deliberately started skipping them.
3. It is pertinent to mention that amongst the better Wed Eves we had the likes of Shenai maestro Bismillah Khan; actresses Asha Parekh and Vijantimala Bali; danseuses Reetha Devi, Yamini & Nandini Krishnamurthy and Magicians Gogia Pasha and PC Sorcar to regale us. These evenings were obviously well attended.
4. Of the not so good ones were those who were brought in solely to utilize the Wed eve slot. Their quality was not always as desired which resulted in the increase in the incidence of many a cadet not attending them. A number of measures were adopted from time to time to prevent it but the enthusiasm of the cadets to skip remained. These performances remain forgotten except the one being narrated.
5. The skipping reached unacceptable levels and a committee was formed to tackle it. It was headed by the Dep Com who was fondly called Bandooka Singh because of his habit of sneaking behind us quietly and scaring the hell out of us when we cadets were at our vulnerable worst, the Adjt, ACA Panag and SM Kanshi Ram. It was the most formidable ever crack team created in living memory of the NDA till then. If they could not beat the cadets at their own game no one could.
6. ACA Panag had 3 Battalion Cadet Adjutants (BCAs), 12 Cadet Sergent Major (CSMs) and 12 Cadet Quarter Master Sergents (CQMS) from 12 Squadrons of the NDA. These were further backed by 36 Sergents and 36 Corporals @ 3 per Sqn. All told 100 in number. SM Kanshi Ram had an equally impressive lineup consisting of Drill and PT Ustaads.
7. It was just another Wed Eve and a Magic Show had been planned. It was by some obscure artiste whom one had never heard off. All cadets were assembled Sqn wise and then marched to the Assembly Hall (now called the Khetrapal Auditorium) under respective CSMs, CQs, Sergents and Corporals. The CSMs gave the parade state to the BCAs who in turn gave it to the ACA. The ACA gave it in turn to the SM and the Adjt. Only Attend C and those in MH were excused.
8. A 3 Tier security cordon was thrown around the Assembly Hall. CSMs and CQMS’ manned the exits while the Sqn Sergents and Corporals ensured we sat in an organised manner to check any absence on occurrence. The “Gents” was similarly garrisoned and anyone overstaying its precincts beyond normal was discouraged suitably. The Warden of Alcatraz would have been impressed.
9. The Comdt arrived at dot 7 PM and the Magician started his performance shortly thereafter. As the show proceeded the Dep Com showed a strip of paper to the Comdt which was apparently the details of attendance and the success of his master plan of ensuring it. The Comdt visibly happy nodded in encouragement. The interval came and went unnoticed as the show resumed. The only thing it did was shake many of us out of our deep slumber which we had slipped into to avoid the ongoing agony.
10. The act moved to its grand finale stage wherein the Magician was to disappear from the stage and then reappear some time later from behind us via the main entrance. The magician’s assistants held a curtain for the act from behind which the magician kept showing his head – sometimes over the top sometimes from the sides (both sides) and sometimes from below even as they all moved to the Sudan Block side of the stage to complete his act of disappearance.
11. The magician’s assistants made the usual noises through a song and drama sequence so common on such occasions as we cadets waited for the magician’s return. 10 mins stretched to 20 and 20 became 40 but the magician hadn’t returned. The Comdt and Dep Com got worried and finally the Adjt went to the stage to make enquiries and retrace the Magician’s last taken route.
12. As he stepped off the stage out of the Exit in the darkness towards the Sudan block side he came face to face with SM Kanshi Ram who saluted him smartly and holding someone by the neck said “Sahib Humne Yeh Cadet Pakra hai Joh Bhagne ki Koshish Kar Raha Tha. Yeh apna Naam, Number aur Sqn nahi bata raha hai”. In his grip was the 5 ft 4 inches tall Magician who seemed to have given up not only with life but magic too. He was pleading “Main Jadugar Hoon” but SM Kanshi Ram was unimpressed. The Adjt finally cleared the air and the Magician now released, reverted to his primary role managed to make a grand entry and complete his act.
13. Later it was learnt courtesy my cousin who was a Div O in Echo that when the Magician exited from the stage an alert Drill Ustaad, a JCO, noticed his escape and nabbed him promptly. The magician was then “produced” before SM Kanshi Ram who naturally asked him his Name, Cadet Number and Squadron which the poor magician could not provide. Taking him to be a Cadet skipping they got him haunching and front rolling which is why he failed to reappear. In all fairness the Magician did plead his case and told SM Kanshi Ram that he was a Magician and not a Cadet but SM Kanshi Ram would have none of it and was unrelenting.
14. I don’t know what became off the magician but movies were restored on Wed after that and the quality of shows we were exposed to also improved.
15. Some Bhooli Bisri Yaadein
….
