Once upon a time in Zemithang...

A couple of weeks back, as my driver drove past The Madras Regimental Centre at Wellington near Ooty, a memorable story flashed across my mind.

It was April 2017 and I was doing a motorcycle trip in Western Arunachal Pradesh. We ( my wife and me) were in the border town of Zemithang, some 70 kilometers from Tawang.

I had read a story of the Dalai Lama making his way to India through a certain route across the border in 1959. After crossing over to the Indian side, the Dalai Lama stuck his walking stick in the soil. Tree trunks are said to have come out of the stick and this story was confirmed by the locals.

I wanted to visit this place near the border. But needed prior permission from the Army Brigade headquarters at Tawang which we obviously didn't have.

The ITBP authorities (Indo Tibetan Border Police) suggested that I go meet their boss and perhaps, he could arrange a visit to this place. The commander had agreed to personally take us but the visit didn’t happen since he left the town the night before for an emergency meeting. Tough luck.

A Buddhist monk, who later became a good friend, suggested that I get a letter from the district authorities. The local district commissioner was on leave so I spent a day riding to the neighboring town to get the permission letter.

The next day or let’s call it the d-day, we passed the initial check-post manned by the ITBP authorities, thanks to the letter. And after 2 kilometers, came the second or the final check post, guarded by the Indian Army. The soldiers carefully checked the letter, called up their adjutant and then politely declined. We could go no further, they said.

I didn’t give up so easily and wanted to try one last time. So decided to go meet their top commander. It started pouring heavily but we easily made to it to the Army Battalion Headquarters at Lumpo (9000 ft.). Told the soldier at the entry gate that I wanted to meet their Commanding Officer. He called up his officers, asked about our place of origin (Mumbai) and then allowed us inside. Wow, their top boss decided to meet me!

Now the Commanding Officer of an Infantry Battalion is under no obligation to meet a mere civilian like me. It was his large heartedness to grant me an audience.

The Commanding Officer was of the rank of a Colonel and led the 5th Battalion of the Madras Regiment, the oldest infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The Battalion even had a punchy tagline: Thambi Kaisa, Sher Jaisa. Nicknamed ‘Ferocious Five’, the battalion comprised 800 soldiers from the 4 South Indian states and officers from across the country. Tough as nails, all of them.

The Colonel examined the letter and told us that the border areas were extremely sensitive at that point of time and hence the denial of entry. He showed us a photograph of the tree (the stick that was planted by the Dalai Lama) and some other pics on his personal computer.

We got talking and found that the Colonel was from Mumbai of all places. In fact, his wife worked in Ogilvy (in another creative team) during the same time. He immediately called his wife and we spoke. Small world, indeed.

Later, kiwi wine happened followed by a sumptuous lunch and a hearty discussion. The Colonel was an avid motorcyclist as well. He shared his travel experiences and tales of his cycling trips in Ladakh. Today, the Colonel’s wife pens Bollywood song lyrics, writes ads, and runs ultra-marathons.

It was incredibly inspiring to see how the Colonel carried himself and how his soldiers and officers treated each other. With such honour, respect and integrity. All of them serving a greater cause.

The motto of the Madras Regiment speaks for itself. 'Swadharme Nidhanam Shreyaha', it says. Meaning: It is a glory to die doing one’s duty.?

Thanks for the gift, the wine, and the lunch, Colonel. This memory will remain alive for a lifetime. ??