Band of Brothers

This is a story that may not have a parallel in the annals of the Indian Army but is so amazing that one may at the outset even doubt it. The story of the Vohra brothers needs to be told so extraordinary a tale it is.

The family came from the land that is now Pakistan, migrating east to independent India as part of the most traumatic parting of ways that the world witnessed in the previous century. The Vohra boys - there were four of them - were already finding their feet in the world. The eldest - Inder - was already an army officer, having been commissioned in 1942. The second - Jagat - had medical ambitions, which he was shortly to junk to follow the trail blazed by his elder sibling. In a few more years the two younger brothers - Raj and Satish also joined up.

That four 'real' brothers from a single family all joined the army sounds amazing. But that was just the first step. Not only were they in the same service, all of them also ended up joining the armoured corps. 'IM' (the eldest) was commissioned into the 8th Cavalary, 'JM' (Jagat) into the Deccan Horse, 'RM' (the third) into the Scinde Horse and Satish (the youngest) into the 3rd Cavalry. But what really makes their case truly unique is that all of them went on to become generals in the Indian Army.

The chain of coincidences can be further described by the following:

• Both 'I.M' and 'RM' commanded the War College/ College of Combat.
• 'JM' and 'RM' commanded the same armoured division.
• 'JM' led a brigade that 'IM" had raised into the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Between the time that the eldest was commissioned - in 1942, and when the youngest retired - in 1996 - the four brothers had between them served for over 150 years collectively. Now, that is quite something.

Interlude: Desert Storm

From the pages of India Today: Written by Rohit Parihar
When 12 riders galloped past villages in the deep desert of Rajasthan, their horses excited children, were surprised by camels and had people worshipping them. The 1,000-mile expedition, organised by the Indian Army’s Directorate-General of Mechanised Forces and the Adventure Wing, covered 200 villages in 60 days and was the first to be organised after Independence. The aim was adventure as much as to familiarise the armymen with the terrain. Led by Lt-Colonel P.S. Grewal and his second in command Lt-Colonel Sanjeev Bhalla, a veterinary doctor, the 10 jawans are now fondly called ‘Desert Centaurs’. “The expedition reminds me of the historical progression from cavalry to armour,” says Lt-General S.N. Handa, chief of staff, headquarters, South West Command.

The horses and men underwent rigorous training which helped them cover up to 64 km a day. The riders lost weight during the expedition till their meals were augmented with desi ghee and mutton. To escape the heat, they would often begin their journey at 4 am and reach a village at midnight, surprising villagers. The locals in turn worshipped the horses, recreating scenes depicted in village paintings. But the biggest shock was reserved for a village that saw 12 horses stay there and live as the villagers believed that they were cursed and no horse could survive there. The journey had its escapes too.

Once Grewal’s stallion suddenly stopped and turned back while racing down a slope which had a deep and invisible gorge. At times, potable water was a problem. Also, what put their plans in disarray was the fact that maps would show a much shorter distance than what they would actually cover. A major military advantage of the expedition was that it updated their knowledge about the desert terrain after a long gap.

The soldiers were taken aback by rural progress. “Most villages had power, roads and schools,” Grewal says. They also saw antelopes, lizards, snakes and even a pair of desert wolves, and hope to undertake a longer journey in the future. As part of their preparations, they had gone through Colonel James Todd’s Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan but decided to make their own way. Next time, it could just be in Todd’s footsteps.

An extraordinary Indian

At first glance, R M Vohra is an ordinary Indian. Look a little closer and you notice the distinct military bearing, the crisp voice and the sharp eyes. Speak with him for a while on his experiences - as I did - and you realize that he is anything but ordinary. Lt. Gen. R. M. Vohra, PVSM, Mahavir Chakra winner of the 1971 war, to give his full introduction, commanded an Indian armoured regiment during the famous Battle of Basantar during the Indo-Pak war of 1971.

The war was won many years ago, the dust has settled on the battlefields, the warriors have moved on with the passage of time but for a short while one evening in early April, the warrior in Gen Vohra spoke again. During the time I spent with the General, he recounted the story of his journey from being a young boy who, along with his family, made the desperate crossing into India from the land that became Pakistan and went on to serve his country with honour.

The first pit stop for Vohra came as a Gentleman Cadet at the Joint Services Wing (JSW), where he was part of the first course. With coursemates such as Ramdas (later Admiral and Chief of Naval Staff), N C Suri (later Air Chief Marshal and Chief of Air Staff), Roderigues (later Gen and Chief of Army Staff) and the renowned Hanut Singh (later Lt Gen), the JSW was an experience that built solid foundations to what would be a distinguished career.

Gen. Vohra spoke of people and places he had known, touching upon both military leaders like Gen. Sundarji and a senior JCO of his regiment with equal respect. Notable among his 'people-experiences' was the time when he drove Sundarji (then GOC-in-C, Western Command) through the desert with nothing more than "a map in my hand and the stars above". At another time, he was humble enough to acknowledge that his senior JCO was correct in admonishing him and showed the true spirit of the armoured corps in learning from one and all.

The manner in which the General spoke made it sound like a great time, but there were moments of extreme uncertainty and grave danger in his career. His journey from the JSW to becoming Eastern Army Commander was full of trials and tribulations. From commanding the Hodsons Horse in 1971, to being a member of the team planning Ex. Digvijay; from commanding an armoured division to a Corps, it was a long tough journey. But then, Lt. Gen. R.M. Vohra, PVSM, MVC is a tough man.

To hear Lt. Gen. Vohra speak of his career, log on to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPRTOlfWQ88

Remembering a hero: Gen. Vaidya

In the b/w pic, take a look at the guy standing on the extreme right. That is Second Lieutenant Arun Shridhar Vaidya. The pic was taken during Operation Polo in Hyderabad, a lifetime away from Operation Blue Star - an operation that would change the course of Vaidya's life (literally so). Vaidya - later General and Chief of Army Staff - was an accomplished soldier long before Blue Star. He won a Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) as the Commandant of an armoured regiment during 1965 and won another MVC during 1971 - this time as Commander of 16 (Indep) Armoured Brigade. The b/w pic shows a young, enthusiastic officer - the other pic - of a grave general - is an interesting contrast.

Field Marshal Manekshaw: An Anecdote

Press Trust of India; Tuesday, July 1, 2008 (London)

A British journalist, who was based in New Delhi and covered India-Pakistan war, remembers late Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw as his favourite military leader.''I have cherished the memory of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw as my favourite military leader ever since reporting on the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971,'' said Harold Jackson, who was The Guardian's correspondent based in New Delhi during the 1971 war.Jackson, who reported the Indo-Pak war that led to the liberation of Bangladesh, recalled his association with Manekshaw following his death last week.

''The military hazards in Kashmir and East Pakistan turned out to be child's play compared with my grim battles against Indian bureaucrats in New Delhi and their Bengali brothers in Dhaka: by the time I flew back to Delhi, they had almost reduced me to a gibbering wreck,'' he said.''I arrived just in time to hear rumours that the Pakistan army had surrendered - unfortunately accompanied by one of Delhi's power cuts.''The defence ministry phones were all engaged. In desperation, I rang the chief of staff's direct line,'' he recalled. 'Manekshaw here', came the reply from other side. '''Harold Jackson of the Guardian. Nobody here seems sure if you've won the war or not.''' Jackson said.'''Oh yes, we've won all right. General Niazi signed the surrender at 4.31 this afternoon. Is that all? Anything else I can help you with? No. Well I'm afraid I'm rather busy just now. All the best.' Manekshaw replied.

''He was one of a kind'', he said.