Of Hawa Singh’s steely intestines and fan club
We were at the eighth green, hugging Sukhna Lake, at the Chandigarh Golf Club the other day and the public address system was resonating with the announcement of the Annapurna Akshyapatra Yojana of the city’s Red Cross Society: “Six chappatis, sabzi, achaar sirf 10 rupaye mein.”
The fixed number of chappatis to each beneficiary caught my attention and brought back memories of early 1981, when I joined my unit as a second lieutenant. The cookhouse and kitchen where food is prepared and served to our jawans is generally referred to as ‘langar’ or community kitchen as is the one run at gurdwaras where free food is served without distinction of caste and religion. Food at the army langar is prepared from entitled ration for jawans.
Sowar (as a sepoy is referred to in cavalry and armoured corps units) Hawa Singh was my tank driver and a one-man army. He could single-handedly break the track of a tank and after fixing it would put it back without any help. He took pride in keeping his machine battle-worthy at all times. No amount of physical endeavour would strain him, where it concerned the maintenance of his 40-tonne monster of a tank.
New to the squadron, I once remarked to the senior risaldar (subedar), “Saab, Hawa has the energy of a bull,” and the risaldar rhymed in continuance, “Saab, and intestines of steel too. He polishes off two dozen chappatis in one sitting.” Well, as I got to know in due course, Hawa Singh accounted for entitled rations of at least four of his comrades.
Notwithstanding his gusto, the management of rations at our squadron langar was an uphill task for the quarter master. Our squadron was a regular defaulter with not hosting the traditional monthly Barakhana (a feast for the jawans), which could only be made possible with surplus created out of entitled rations. Hawa Singh, they said, was responsible for no such festivities that the other three squadrons enjoyed.
Getting leave in the army is a challenge but an exception was always made for Hawa. His leave application was never turned down, primarily to save on the colossal drain of ration and to facilitate a Barakhana once a while. Our squadron commander was seized of the matter and to balance his liking for Hawa and the morale of the other 120 soldiers under his command, he took a tough call. Orders were passed to the quarter master to impose a cap on the number of chappatis that a jawan was authorised during each meal.
Meanwhile, Hawa Singh, because of his professional skills and untiring dedication, was adjudged the best tank driver of our regiment. The CO was to reward him during his darbar (monthly sainik sammelan). His name was read out and he marched smartly to the dais, was rewarded with a promotion as ALD (acting lance dafadar or lance naik) and he marched back to his place. As was the norm, before the darbar ended, the risaldar major ( seniormost subedar) asked if any one had a point. Sowar Hawa Singh got up smartly and in his trademark Haryanvi dialect announced, “Shrimaan, ek bainti hai (Sir, I have a request). Mhare ko koi promotion nahin chahiye. Hamare squadron mein roti par se bandish hata di jaye (I don’t want any promotion but please lift the cap on the chappatis).”
The Tiger, who was aware of the cap imposed in ‘C’ squadron, took a second before he growled, “Granted.”
ALD Hawa Singh saluted smartly and sat down amid a huge round of applause by all 500 present there. Or, was it Hawa’s fan club? avnishrms59@gmail.com n The writer is a Chandigarh-based freelance contributor
THE FIXED NUMBER OF
CHAPPATIS TO EACH BENEFICIARY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION AND BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF EARLY 1981