Patriot duty

Patriot duty

……………………..

I was wrong in assuming that after doing compulsory NCC during IIT days there would be no more regimental training, but a surprise was waiting for me in Indian Oil, Guwahati Refinery where I joined as Engineer Trainee in 1965.

It was the time when skirmishes with Pakistan in Kashmir border escalated to a full scale 17 days war in September, 1965. The management was instructed to tighten security in the township and the refinery because the East Pakistan border was very close by, Bangladesh was yet to form.

One night while we were in the officers club heard air raid siren blowing and all the lights were switched off . Pak planes on reconnaissance were  flying over our refinery and Indian antiaircraft guns located on two hillocks by the side of refinery started firing at those. Heavy armored vehicles, tanks  and trucks carrying soldiers moving was a common sight those days. Next to refinery was the Narangi military camp and so the movement. The situation was tense in and around the refinery; trenches were dug in the refinery and  the township. Every day we had to undergo civil defense drill of diving in the trenches whenever siren was blown, yes air raid sirens were put at strategic locations in the refinery, township and the market place.

All the trainees were selected to undergo training for home guard. So NCC like training by the army personnel started for us. It was regular workout, march past and finally rifle shooting in the army range. We were pressed in duty of guarding the township during the night.  We would work in the refinery in the day  and guard the township in the night.  Mr. Chowdhury was a confirmed bachelor; he offered his flat to be our night camp. At any given time as per regulation two of us would be moving together. A danda and a torch were our tools to defend. I guess at that time of history those were sufficient to handle any suspicious movement, Pathankot type attack was unheard of.

Nothing exceptional happened during that one month of guard duty excepting for one night.

I and my friend Mitra were walking towards the market from our sector 2 township on that fateful night; we had to cross a jungle. We heard some suspicious sound from the shrub, we got ready with our danda .

“Yes, there is movement.” Mitra said.

“Watch there are two shinning things in the shrub.” I said.

It was a moonless night, we debated whether we should further investigate by going around the shrub.

Both mustered enough courage to move further in, there was distinct sound of movement in the shrub.

“Come out, whoever is there!” We shouted.

No response….we cautiously walked deeper in the shrub with baited breath, it was dark and two shinning eyes stared back at us.

We spread the shrub, walked forward, to our amusement and relief found an innocent cow looking back at us.

We shared our that experience with our comrades and soon it became folklore of the refinery. The ceasefire was declared in September, 1965 and a peace treaty known as Tashkent Declaration was signed by the initiative of USA and Soviet Russia in January, 1966.

Our war time special duty ended without any other major incident.