Friday, 28 October 2016

THE RHINOS OF DARING DOZEN - II









CHAPPIDI ABHIRATH REDDY,
C/O COL GKS REDDY,hile on a visit

Secunderabad - 500 015.



THE VETERANS RE-UNION OF DARING DOZEN

THE SECOND DAY FUNCTIONS


PAGAL GYMKHANA AND INTERACTION WITH JAWANS




Introduction


          The present Commanding Officer of Daring Dozen, invited all the surviving Veterans for a Re-Union on the Eve of 31st Raising Day of the Unit and he offered to make all the necessary arrangements for the event.

          Most of the Veterans confirmed their willingness to attend the event, which was scheduled to be held over a period of three days from 09 Feb 2016 to 11 Feb 2016. All of us left our different locations in the Country to the unit which is located somewhere on the Western Border and reached there by 09 Feb 2016 FN.

          Since the functions were to commence in the evening, a programme was arranged in the morning to visit the Golden Temple. I decided instead to visit, one of my Ex - Commanding Officer in Ludhiana, who could not make it to the Re-Union, due to being seriously ill and completely bed ridden

Visit to Ludhiana


          I started for Ludhiana, at about 0900 h and reached by lunch time. We had some trouble in locating the Residence of Col BS Judge, my Ex - Commanding Officer. I met him and his family, spent some time with him, discussing our past association in the unit and went back to unit after Lunch.

Second Day Functions  - Pagal  Gymkhana and Interaction with Jawans


          The Veterans participated in Pagal Gymkhana and Interacted with the Jawans. We had Lunch with the Troops and their Families.



Self with Hav Nripen Bora, who was part of My Personal Protection Party during 
Anti Militant Operations in Kupwara Dist of J&K. 







With Nk Haupu Hawkip, who was also in my Protection Party






With Hav NK Sinha, who was my Helpar during 1998 to 1999






Self with Maj SR Roy (Extreme Left), Nb Sub Lal Boy, An Excellent Marksman and 
Lead Singer for Unit Jazz Band and Hav NK Sinha






With Nk Nara Singh Meiti and Famindly with Pagal Gymkhana Stalls in the Backgrou. 
Nara Singh a Black Belt in Karate was in my Personal Protection Party during
 Anti Militant Operation in Kupwara, J&K






With Hav Chinnappa, who was incharge of the Cleanliness of the Residential and Office Complex of the Commanding Officer in Kupwara 







With Hav Ganglian Ghangte of Arunachal Pradesh, who was Shot while fighting the 
Militants in 42 Rashtriya Battalion and Permanently Disabled. He was my Helper 
during Anti Militant Operations in Kupwara, J&K






Hav Ganglian Ganghte with Col Jayachandran, who was the 
Second in Command in Kupwara, J&K






Interaction with the Veterans and Families during Pagal Gymkhana


With Col & Mrs Jagdish Pant






With Col Jagdish Pant, Senior most Surviving CO






With the Veterans Left to Right - Col AK Roy, Col J Pant, Self, A Friend, 
Commanding Officer, Col VK Rana and Brig SN Rai





Brig SN Rai, Col J Pant and a Friend with Pagal Gymkhana Stalls in the Background






Col AK Roy and Col VK Rana






Self and Col VK Rana






From Right to Left - Sub Ramanand, Col VK Rana, Self, Col AK Roy 
and son of Sub Ramanand






From Right to Left - Mrs (Late Col) SS Bhullar, Mrs Priti Pant 
and a Relative of Col Pant






From Left to Right - Mrs VK Rana (Kiran), Mrs AK Roy (Bela) and Mrs Vikram Tewatia (Boonga Antal, daughter of Late Brig JS Antal)






The Present Holders of the Fort and their Families






Self and Col Pant with the Present Rhinos and their Families






The same Group with the Commanding Officer and Gagandeep 
Singh son of Col RBS Anand






The Tribal Cultural Programme in the Evening


          The Tribal Cultural Programme of Various NE Tribes was Organised in the Evening, which is Unique to Assam Regt, As we have Troops from Assam and all the Tribes of NE.


The Area Representing the Recruiting Regions of Assam Regt






Another Unique Feature of the Regt is the Educateds  Families of the 
Jawans do the MC themselves






The Manipuri Tribal Dance




Friday, 30 September 2016

VISIT TO HUSSAINIWALA BORDER CROSSING AND BHAGAT SINGH MEMORIAL - I









CHAPPIDI ABHIRATH REDDY,
C/O COL GKS REDDY,hile on a visit

Secunderabad - 500 015.



VISIT TO HUSSAINIWALA BORDER CROSSING AND BHAGAT SINGH MEMORIAL

Introduction

          Visited Hussainiwala Border post and Bhagat Singh Memorial on 10 Feb 2016 along with all the Veterans of my parent Unit, who were in the Area for a Veterans Re-Union from 09 Feb 2016 to 11 Feb 2016.

Hussainiwala

          The village is named after the Muslim Peer Baba Hussainiwala ji (Saint Hussaini wala or Saint "who is of Husain"), whose tomb is in the Border Security Force headquarters at Hussainiwala

Hussainiwala Border Post

          The Hussainiwala border crossing is now closed for travelers, although a flag retreat ceremony is still held daily. Until 1970, it was the principal road crossing between India and Pakistan, and was a trade route for truckers, mostly for the import of Kandahari Angoor (dehydrated grapes) and other fruits and food products from Pakistan and Afghanistan. The border crossing was replaced by the border crossing at Wagah, a little further north. In 2005 there were proposals to reopen the border, but it has not yet frutified and the Border Post remains closed.


The Entry Gate at Hussainiwala Memorial





A BSF Sniffer Dog Guarding the Entry 






The Inner Gate to The Border Crossing Entry. Self with a Friend






The Pakistani Visitors Gallery at the Border Post






Another View of the Pakistani Visitors Gallery with The Border Gate in the Foreground






The Central Portion of the Pakistani Visitors Gallery





A Close up of the Pakistani Ranger and some of the Pakistani Visitors






The Indian Visitors Gallery





Another View of the Indian Visitors Gallery






A Closeup View of the Indian Visitors Gallery






Border Gates Open and the Soldiers on Both sides Ready for the Flag Down Ceremony






A View of the Indian and Pakistani Flags before the Flag Down Ceremony





 The Complete Flag Downing Guard on the Indian Side





Flag Downing Ceremony In Progress. Note that, the Indian 
Soldier is on the Pakistani Side and vice Versa





The Flags are down and Being Folded















Note - The Information about Hussainiwala has been extracted from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.

Sunday, 14 August 2016

THE RHINOS OF DARING DOZEN - I



























CHAPPIDI ABHIRATH REDDY
C/O COL GKS REDDY

Secunderabad - 500 015.



THE VETERANS RE-UNION OF DARING DOZEN

THE FIRST DAY IN THE UNIT

Introduction

          The present Commanding Officer of Daring Dozen, invited all the surviving Veterans for a Re-Union on the Eve of 31st Raising Day of the Unit and he offered to make all the necessary arrangements for the event.

          Most of the Veterans confirmed their willingness to attend the event, which was scheduled to be held over a period of three days from 09 Feb 2016 to 11 Feb 2016. All of us left our different locations in the Country to the unit which is located somewhere on the Western Border and reached there by 09 Feb 2016 FN.

          Since the functions were to commence in the evening, a programme was arranged in the morning to visit the Golden Temple. I decided instead to visit, one of my Ex - Commanding Officer in Ludhiana, who could not make it to the Re-Union, due to being seriously ill and completely bed ridden

Visit to Ludhiana

I started for Ludhiana, at about 0900 h and reached by lunch time. We had some trouble in locating the Residence of Col BS Judge, my Ex - Commanding Officer. I met him and his family, spent some time with him, discussing our past association in the unit and went back to unit after Lunch.


Col BS Judge, My Ex-Commanding Officer in J&K, who is seriously Ill





Self with Col BS Judge, Remembering the Past Association Through Thick and Thin





Self with Col BS Judge and Mrs Judge






Family Photo of Col BS Judge, Less his Elder son Who stays at Patiala





Dinner at Assam House in Honour of the Veterans

          After spending some time with Col Judge and his family, I started back for the Unit after Lunch, and made it just in time to change and reach Assam House for the Veterans Dinner.


The Veterans and Families at Assam House Dinner





Self (Extreme Right) with Col SR Das, who was our 
EX - Second in Command from 1988 to 1990





Veterns and Families at Assam House Dinner. Second from Left Col AK Roy, 
Col RBS Anand, His Daughter in law and Grand Children, Second from 
Right COs wife, the Hostess and Mrs Bela Roy wife of Col AK Roy






Veterans at Assam House. From Right Col AK Jayachandran, 
Brig SN Rai facing away from the Camera, Maj SR Roy, 
Col RBS Anand and Col VK Rana partially facing away from the Camera







Extreme Left Mrs (Late Brig) JS Antal, the senior most lady and wife of First CO, 
who Raised the Unit in Feb 1985. Third from Left Facing the Camera - Boonga Antal, 
daughter of Late Brig Antal, Second from Right partially facing away from Camera 
Col VS Sharawat and Maj Tarun Rajkumar from Imphal






Veterans DinnerSitting Left Brig SN Rai and Right Col AK Roy





Extreme Left Col VK Rana, Col AK Jayachandran, Col SR Das and Self





Extreme Left Miss Rithika Daughter of Maj SR Roy, Guddu, Son of Col Jayachandran, 
Lady partially facing the Camera the Hostess and Extreme Right Mrs AK Jayachandran






Extreme Right Facing away from Camera Col AK Jayachandran, Second from Right Col J Pant, Senior most Surviving Commanding Officer From Jun 1987 to May 1990.






Extreme Left The Hostess, Mrs AK Jayachandran, Mrs Rauthela and Col SM Tabib






Third from Right Mrs (Late Col) SS Bhullar, the First Second in Command of the Unit and Fourth from Right Mrs JS Antal the senior most lady of the unit






On the Dancing Floor












The second and the third days of the Re-Union will be published as separate Blogs