Till we meet again
Diamond Jubilee celebrations can turn extremely nostalgic and sentimental. 60 wonderful years are a very long time to look back and recall the joyful moments. But there is joy in even while remembering the pain. While this might sound strange, one would not feel so after witnessing a warm and emotional reunion of the Gentlemen Cadets who passed out as officers of the Indian Army from the Indian Military Academy’s hallowed portals in December, 1949.
The “Forty Niners” were the first batch that started training at the IMA after India attained independence. They fought well in the 1971 Indo-Pak war in responsible positions and did the country proud.
Incidents that may not have been the happiest acquire an air of romance when they are recalled years after they occurred. The graceful and very dignified “Forty Niners” met recently at Mahendrapur, a verdant and expansive private estate nestled in the hills of Tehri district, neighbouring the Doon valley. “Camp Redstone” was the picturesque venue selected for this Diamond Jubilee rendezvous, which brought together officers as well as their spouses. Wives of some officers who had passed away were also present on this joyous occasion.
Apart from this, a grand reunion was held on December 10 at New Delhi where the “Forty Niners” from various parts of the country met. On December 11, the day on which their passing out parade was held in 1949, the next reunion was held at Camp Redstone. Mahendrapur estate belongs to Lt Col (Retd) PC Saklani, one of the “Forty Niners”, and it was he who hosted the meet amid the lush green environs, away from the madding crowd. The venue proved ideal for a quiet exchange of memories and several interesting anecdotes.
Colonel Atma Singh Rana and his wife came all the way from Dharamshala while Maj Gen Suram Singh Pathania came from Chandigarh. The others were all from Dehra Dun. Maj Gen JN Taimni and his wife came from Rajpur in Doon, Gen Tirath Singh Verma and his wife, Rose, live at Kalidas Road in Doon and Mrs Shammi Sapru, wife of the late Ajit Narain Sapru and her granddaughter Akshata joined the group. Lt Gen Anand Sawrup, who lives in Clement Town, also came to Mahendrapur to be part of the reunion. Col Saklani and his wife, Manju, welcomed them warmly at the camp.
Out of the 180 Gentlemen Cadets who were commissioned as officers into the Indian Army from the academy in December 1949, 80 have survived. Their spirits are high and their memories vivid and crystal clear. From the day they entered the prestigious IMA gates till the day they retired from the Indian Army, they recall every little detail of their many-hued experiences. They shared these, sometimes smiling, sometimes attempting to hide a tear and sometimes with boisterous laughter. A far away look came into their eyes when they thought of their life as young boys at the academy.
It was a very special day for the officers, some of whom were meeting each other after several decades. There was time enough to remember the colleagues who are no more and those who have been taken ill in the past few years, after they gathered for the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1999. News about children and grandchildren were also exchanged.
Maj Gen JN Taimni brought out, putting in months of hard work, a special souvenir on the occasion that was distributed to all present at the Delhi and Doon reunions. The souvenir is titled “Forty Niners” and describes the entire journey of the 60 years in a most interesting manner. Articles sent in by all the surviving officers and also by the families of those who have passed away make this a fascinating record of the glorious past of the Indian Army. It also highlights the ethos of the IMA where these brave men first came together as Gentlement Cadets and lived like family.
