STAMP YOUR FEET HARDER

The Autumn Term had begun at the National Defence Academy. The rejuvenated Cadets were trickling into the Academy portals and excitedly looking forward to the new Term and to meet their Brothers-in-Arms. The almost salubrious climes of Pune were witnessing the changes of weather. The climate was changing and the summer had been giving indications of its harshness. The training Officers and their team had devised a new methodology of getting the best out of their Cadets. It was decided that the Drill Practice would be in peak afternoon followed by a practice cross –country run in the drill boots!! The idea was to strengthen the legs of the Cadets and on the final day of the Cross Country, the Cadets of the Squadron would be able to fly wearing the lighter version running shoes. It is a well-known military tactic to train harder in peace and consequently bleed lesser in war.

The new training sequence was planned well but the human bodies take their own time to adjust to the rigors of physical pressure modifications. The new term also saw the joining in of a new Drill Instructor (Drill Ustaad), Lance Naik (L/Nk) Diwan Singh Danu. The first looks of the affable Kumaoni were pleasant and he had replaced the tough task master Company Havildar Major (CHM) Girdhari Lal of the Grenadiers Regiment. CHM Girdhari Lal was an epitome of fitness and personal conduct. He would ensure that the Cadets would deliver their best and he would himself take great pride in demonstrating drill movements of great finesse and energy. Girdhari Lal had moved on posting and L/Nk Diwan Singh Danu had replaced him in our Squadron.

The first day of the new term began on a somber note as the Squadron began its training activities. Post lunch, the Cadets mustered into the Squadron Parade Ground and the training team took its positions. L/Nk Diwan Singh Danu had a sun burnt face and crow lines were sketching across his eyes. His veins stood out in his hands and his creased Uniform matched each angle of the Indian Army’s decorum. Fit as a fiddle, L/Nk Diwan Singh Danu came across as an ideal replacement of CHM Girdhari Lal. 150+ Cadets stood on the compact Squadron Parade Ground and L/Nk Diwan Singh Danu commenced the drill training. The heat of the atmosphere and the heat of closely maneuvering human bodies started building up to its crescendo. Soon, the starched Khakis were wet with sweat and the metabolism inside the human bodies was burning the lunch at double the pace to meet the energy level demands.

The sharp eyes of L/Nk Diwan Singh picked out various categories of Cadets and he gauged their efficiency levels. Quiet in his demeanor and efficient in his moves, he himself moved with the Squadron adding his tips to strugglers and appreciating the swift movers. Military drill is an art and when done with precision, it is a treat to watch. The mind coordinates the movements of the body in an effortless fashion and the erect postures bring out the best performance from the military folks. It is also a form of rigorous exercise and if done with passion, it can rejuvenate the human body and soul. Diwan Singh turned out to be a participative trainer. He would complete the drill class and then be available on his bicycle to join the Cadets for the run in the drill boots.

The first week of run in the drill boots immediately after drill class post lunch started taking its toll on the Cadets. The strong ones completed the routine like a clockwork, the middle ones completed the chore with some strain and the weaker ones/the fresh Cadets struggled to cope up with the grind. The long term idea was to strengthen by training hard in the beginning and then to reap the fruit on the day of the competition. The pain in human bodies had started visiting and each day, a couple of Cadets went down with various types of body aches and stress pains. Sloan’s Balm started spreading its aroma in the Squadron corridors and the crepe bandages started showing on shins and other parts of legs. The fighters had started struggling with the new concept.

The ever watchful Diwan Singh had by now got well versed with the Squadron and knew each Cadet’s strengths and weaknesses. He too sweated with the Squadron and was never found slow in his moves or sluggish in his approach. The tiring out Cadets were now making the tail of the Squadron a bit longer each day during the run. The training Officers were looking a bit worried as the strategy was boomeranging on their plans. The final day was a couple of weeks away and the Squadron was struggling to keep bare minimum competition strength on to the circuit. The bench strength was rising. Diwan Singh Danu was now a worried man too.

On that day, the Cadets went about with the drill and many had reached their tipping point. Maybe, many of us had peaked earlier than expected and many were struggling to cope with their shin pains et. al. The drill practice was sluggish and not like the requisite clockwork. L/Nk Diwan Singh Danu was still performing at his peak and stamped harder in each move. The class came to an end and it was time for the Drill Ustaad‘s pep talk. Diwan Singh spoke passionately about his drill training, the achievement of the famed Drill Ustaad’s qualification and subsequent posting to the Academy. He spoke with passion, zeal and tried to motivate everyone to overcome their pains. A hapless Cadet just let his emotions out and shared the vows of his now pulpy shins. The pain was all in the mind, said L/Nk Diwan Singh and exhorted Cadets to stamp the feet harder to train the body to a tougher level. The argument built up as the new experiment theory was being challenged. This was the time that Diwan Singh took off his shoes and showed his feet to the Squadron. The sun burnt face never did reveal what Diwan Singh had undergone. Both his toes were sans 3 fingers as the frost bite in the Glacier (The Highest Battlefield) had eaten his feet. The posting to the Academy was due and he was not being given a Squadron due to his physical inability. The affable L/Nk Diwan Singh wanted to perform his job as a Drill Ustaad and not on a desk. His fighter’s attitude got him one chance to perform with the Squadron and he was stamping his feet harder than anyone around.

The mere sight of those feet, the sun burnt face, the crow lines and Diwan Singh’s pep talk pushed the fight into the Cadet’s minds. The Fighter’s spirit was rekindled and the Squadron got invigorated. Each cadet came out the next day with a rekindled challenge and the human machines started operating again in tandem. The strategy was tested at its peak and the results came out 2 weeks later. The Cadets fought well and the Squadron rose up in position from the last term’s performance. The upward climb had begun and the results from here on were put on the rising graph mode.

In all human endeavors, the energy levels vary from one grid point to the other. Some humans have the capability to keep their energies focused and keep achieving their aims. Some are not so fortunate, lose out steam and go down into the annals of their life as ‘also participated’ variants. On the final day, each one of us gets an equal opportunity to showcase our strengths. On the practice days, all of us have almost equal opportunity to hone and sharpen our skills. All humans are not made equals and our brains are wired differently. However, when the challenge is common, then the practice has to be challenge specific. The legs and shins may pain, but when the drill is common, the feet have to rise up together and come down together in a synchronous motion. In a clubbed movement, the prize is common. In an individual movement, the stakes are personal prizes and gains.

There is no gain without pain and gains earned by sweat and toil bring everlasting happiness. The spirit of the competition rises as well trained humans participate to win. The winner does take it all but all others must stamp their feet harder to keep the competition alive. Do not worry about the pain as the smell of the victory wipes off the harsh training. Just stamp your feet harder and do not give up till the target is met. So, go on, stand up, put on your shoes and just stamp your feet harder. Will you?    

  

THE EARTHQUAKE

The Submarine crew had closed in at the sun set. The boat had to set sail at midnight and the destination of the sortie was not known. The Captain had walked in with a suitcase in his hand and taken it down the hatch himself after a long discussion with the Executive Officer (2 i/c). The last three days gone by had been hectic for the Officers and Men of the Submarine. The war complement had been loaded into the boat and each department had worked overtime to stock up the boat for an unknown mission. The mid-night sailing orders were an indication that the human bodies had to alter their chemistry- the day would become night and vice versa. This strongly indicated a long patrol and the cat and mouse game would again be played.

Young Submariners have a sizable excitement about their first patrols. They have only heard about these great games and they keenly look forward to the fulfillment of their long cherished desire of sailing beneath the punishing seas to meet their counterparts. After all, they are the spies on a hunt. The game was new for many of us who were onboard the Submarine. Having qualified the Submarine Qualifying Board a few months ago, I had taken over the appointment as the Second-in-Charge of my department. The work had been going on feverishly as the Submarine was getting ready for the coveted operation.

I had been keeping a close watch on my crew and listening to their pearls of wisdom as the long sortie loomed ahead. There were many a veterans of such patrols and collective wisdom added up into centuries. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were put into motion and experienced brains did their own calculations to stock up the spares for the plethora of onboard machines. The shipyard also worked relentlessly to produce requisite replicas of common use items. The Engine Room crew moved in some heavy big nuts and bolts which the mighty engines might require in case of Murphy’s visit onboard to check the Crew’s metal.

The crew’s behavior patterns become interesting during such patrols. Men on their planned leave during the patrol are generally granted leave if a suitable relief is available. Some men are recalled as they form the backbone crew. Some men try to get dropped from such patrols as their past experience is like that of an earthquake’s unannounced visit into human lives. Observing the crew closely, I could divide the men into various categories. Some stocked up for meeting the challenge of the patrol whilst a few were desperately trying to wriggle out of what they considered as an ordeal. Those were the days of telegrams and inland/postcards. The sight of a postman would enlighten a few faces as they exactly knew the content of telegrams that would arrive. The hard preparation time was behind us and the crew list had been prepared. We were all set to go and the equipment checks began.

On a Submarine, the equipment is first turned in cold state to check for any mechanical flaws. The flaps, vents, masts etc went through their routine checks. The puff of the compressed air was then used to check the status of massive Submarine Diesel Engines. The port (left) Engine turned smoothly. The starboard (right) engine turned and a not-so-healthy sound could be heard. The earthquake had started its run. The patrol had to begin in next 5 hours and here the starboard engine had a potential defect.

The Engine Room crew began their defect analysis and rectification procedure. I went about my routine analysis of crew reactions. There are all kinds of humans onboard a platform. Some are happy, some disconnected, some worried and some looking for an opportunity. I zeroed down to one of my boys who was not very keen to join the patrol and he was constantly trying to figure out what the Engineers were up to as the defect was being isolated. He came on my radar as he kept up his talk with a few other crew members and rattled his past patrol experiences. I closed up to him and generally kept myself near his area of responsibility. I also chatted with him and gauged his mood. He had been retained for the sailing as he was a senior crew and had an important promotion coming up. He had not cleared the mandatory swimming test and with the patrol, his promotion date had shifted almost 45 days ahead. Further knowledge assessment revealed that he had been member of a Submarine Patrol which had turned tough and he had been part of an accident during that patrol. Lives had been saved. He had become the natural victim of Murphy’s psychological stress.

Soon enough, the Engineers fished out a big bolt which had been inserted into the Starboard Engine and this was the prime reason for the abnormal noise. The clock had ticked by and the crew worked frantically to meet the cast off timeline. The engines fired smoothly during the trials and the boat casted off on schedule. The crew settled down and I began my investigation. A pep talk and gentle prodding brought out the truth. The man owned up and he admitted his guilt. He had got hold of the bolt and thrown it inside the engine from an inspection window. He wanted to gain bargaining time for a drop from the patrol and this act could have fetched him that time. Further, he thought that his mishap in the previous Patrol might earn him a “Bad Luck” tag and that would be a good enough reason to earn the drop. The news of the patrol had brought an earthquake into his life. The rumble had begun inside him and he had lost his nerve. I had a call to take- to punish him or to push him to make him come out of his dilemma. I went for the second option. He was a seasoned hand who had spent many a years into the Submarines. He knew his job well and was a talented artiste too. I took him into my watch roster and got him engaged into a lot of activities. Putting him onto important tasks, I also trained him on the Main Motor Operations.

Handling the Main Motor Operations of a Submarine is an art. The Main Motor Operator has to be absolutely like a clock work precision mechanism. He has to be absolutely alert and knowledge of the entire Power Generation Network of the Submarine has to at his fingertips. In any situation, he has an important role to play as the entire Submarine’s efficiency falls onto deft Main Motor operations. Many a men onboard Submarines do not qualify as expert operators. The earthquake in the man’s life had now taken another turn. He had committed a critical mistake. He had got away with a different penalty for the offense. He had to qualify as an expert Main Motor Operator and that too within the patrol’s tight schedule. His actions had to be swift and efficient as any error at this stage could lead to a catastrophe. I had become his shadow and with careful watch on each and every action. The pep talks had got me the details of his entire biology, chemistry, history and so called mental demons. The rumbles and aftershocks inside him died down as the patrol progressed from one box of the ocean onto another box.

The Submarine completed the patrol with aplomb and returned to the harbor safely. The sailor had qualified the patrol with an added Main Motor Operator certification. He was a step away from being a senior sailor and soon enough, he cleared his mandatory swimming test and wore the Petty Officer’s rank. He no longer suffered from the rumbles of the earthquakes inside him and had left the patrol accident behind him. Eventually, he ended his Navy and Submarine career as the Motor Chief of a Submarine and using his talents is now a part of the Bollywood.

The turmoil inside humans are like earthquakes. Earthquakes are usually caused when rock underground suddenly breaks along a fault. This sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake. When two blocks of rock or two plates are rubbing against each other, they stick a little. They don't just slide smoothly; the rocks catch on each other. The rocks are still pushing against each other, but not moving. After a while, the rocks break because of all the pressure that's built up. When the rocks break, the earthquake occurs. During the earthquake and afterward, the plates or blocks of rock start moving, and they continue to move until they get stuck again. The spot underground where the rock breaks is called the focus of the earthquake. The place right above the focus (on top of the ground) is called the epicenter of the earthquake. A similar phenomenon occurs inside human hearts and minds as the building pressure breaks the psyche. The control is relinquished and the rumble follows its own course.

Minor earthquakes only shake and pass through. The major ones can flatten humans and lead towards irreversible chemistry changes inside the human body. The path from thereon is just a downwards slide as the normal settings can never be regained. We need to be very careful as all around us chaos prevails. The thriving chaos is a stimulant for human earthquakes. These are trying times for the society. Most humans in and around our lives arena are going through minor and major earthquakes. We need to stop a little and give them a helping hand. We ourselves too need an introspection of our lives. The missions and goals will only keep on adding more challenges. The challenges can only be met if the player is at ease with his/her inner self. The helping hand can reassure many an earthquake build-ups and reduce the damage. It is easy to raze down a leaning tower. A timely support can help falling humans. Support virtually becomes the counterweight and can keep the human towers standing as earthquake rumbles down and then moves away.

So, will you provide the support to the humans in your arena as they meet their earthquakes? After all, the well-known adage is almost true in many lives-  As you sow, so shall you reap.