Of the regimental life at OTA Bagrakote

OTA is the abbreviation for Officers Training Academy. In this institution, cadets are trained for short service commission into the Indian Army. Though I’m from the National Defence Academy, I have a story to tell from my early days in the army.

Late December 1965 found me chugging along in a steam engine train on metre gauge to join my first artillery regiment in north Bengal. Full of coal dust, I disembarked at a small place called New Mall Junction. I was received and carted in a 1-ton vehicle to be deposited in a 180-pounder tent. The location was Bagrakote and we were surrounded by tea gardens. I was told that the commanding officer (CO) would see me the next day at 10am.

The CO was an impressivelooking man with an air of authority. After a few basic questions, he welcomed me to the regiment. He told me that he was not impressed by my top grading in the young officer’s (YO) course and that I would have to earn my spurs through hard work. The adjutant directed me to report to my battery, 5 Bombay Mountain Battery, which was the senior most serving element of the Indian artillery. Our regiment was a mountain pack regiment which meant that the guns and allied equipment was carried on mules. We had a few horses also.

The battery commander told me that there were 15 emergency commissioned officers in the regiment. They had been given just six months of basic training in the military academy followed by the YO course. So, the CO had set up a tough schedule to bring everyone up to the desired standards. The next day, I realised what a tough training schedule meant.

The day started with the PT parade at 6am and lasted an hour. After an hour’s break, the animal grooming parade started at 8am and I was given a mule to groom as part of my introduction to animal management. This was followed by the gun drill and command post exercises that continued for three hours. Thereafter, it was an hour in the office to check on personal documentation of the troops. Finally, a break of one-and-a-half hours for lunch and recoupment.

At 2.30pm, we had to be at the miniature range in the games rig to practice artillery shooting procedures. From there straight to the games parade at 4pm for troop games lasting an hour. A merciful two-hour break after which we had to be in the officers mess in our walking out uniform. One hour of officers’ class, which had to be taken by each of us in turn on professional subjects. And then there used to be a dinner night four days a week. The dinner menu on these days was continental and one had to be quick about it to keep pace with the CO who was not a big eater.

But more was to follow. After the dinner night, we had to sit under the bamboo gazebo outside to listen to Indian semiclassical music in order to give some cultural touch to our personalities. After listening to the songs of CH Atma and KL Saigal

on repeat mode, the CO used to walk off to his hut. We rushed back to our tents/barracks to catch some sleep because the next day was not far away. If you were the duty officer, you had to get up in the middle of the night to check on the guards.

That was my introduction to regimental life. Considering the rather busy schedule akin to life in the military academies, we named our regiment OTA Bagrakote. Years later, I met my first CO and shared this information with him. He had a laugh but told me that he had to do all this to bring the officers to the required physical and professional standards. He is no more now but some of us are still around and remain in touch. We all agree that life at OTA Bagrakote, though tough, was a great learning phase.

THE ANIMAL GROOMING PARADE STARTED AT 8AM AND I WAS GIVEN A MULE TO GROOM. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY THE GUN DRILL AND COMMAND POST EXERCISES