My Journey in the Indian Army: Command of the 50 Independent Parachute Brigade, 1985 -1986

Command of the 50 Independent Parachute Brigade

September 1985 to December 1986

I had the unique privilege of being selected in September 1985 as the commander of the Special Forces Parachute Brigade of the Indian Army, despite being a non-paratrooper at that time. Notwithstanding that, I earned my para-wings within days of assuming the command of the Brigade. 

This move was an exceptional honour. The COAS, General AS Vaidya, MVC, especially selected me while I was still commanding 120 Infantry Brigade in Rajouri-Mendhar sector, on the line of control in Jammu and Kashmir. I had, in fact, done nearly two years in command and was due for a changeover to a staff or instructional assignment. Hence, the GOC of 25 Infantry Division sought clarification on this unprecedented posting. The Corps Commander of 16 Corps, Lt General K K Hazare, was informed of the special circumstances which were confidential, and which, I was told, would be explained to me in person by the Military Secretary at Army Headquarters.

I took over the 50 Independent Para Brigade on 21 September 1985 from Brigadier VK Berry, MVC. My immediate goal was to become a paratrooper as soon as possible. Since the existing rules did not permit induction as a paratrooper beyond the age of 35, whereas I was already in my mid-40s, a special waiver was obtained from the Central Air Command. I volunteered to do Para Basic Training after office hours, and completed my five mandatory jumps including the night jump by 30 September 1985 — within nine days of taking over command.

Apart from my eagerness to perform the jumps as early as possible, another compelling reason for going ahead with such speed (which I kept to myself) was the programmed visit of the RCDS — the Royal College of Defence Services, UK — scheduled on 1 October 1985. I considered it inappropriate that in my official interaction with the visiting delegation, I should be seen as a non-paratrooper in command of the Para Brigade of the Indian Army. 

Indeed, my tenure with the Para Brigade was most challenging, and was different in many ways as compared to other Brigades. The Brigade was placed directly under the Army Headquarters MOD for operations. However, for local administration it was under 1 Corps at Mathura and for all other purposes under Headquarters Central Command, Lucknow. This command and control model, although convenient for the formations concerned was not easy to operate in — with three masters with different responsibilities! 

Agra Station also had three other formations, the 509 Base Workshop, the 9 FOD, the Para Training Centre, besides the 50 Independent Para Brigade, apart from the Air Force Station commanded by a Brigadier or equivalent. The coordination of the Station functions and responsibilities was a major task, which warranted deft handling to ensure harmony and unity of purpose. It is to the credit of Brigadier SK Varma, Brigadier Limaye (Para Centre), Brigadier Ahluwalia (509 Base Workshop), and Air Commodore Bedoe that we achieved full cooperation and cordial relations while carrying out all Station functions. This was achieved with a spirit of understanding that evolved over a time.

Within the Brigade there were other challenges. To command respect, I had to become one amongst equals. Having seen many sectors and operational units, I must state that the commitment, ability to undertake independent missions, and the esprit-de-corps are decidedly of the highest in the Para Brigade Units. Para Brigade group, being the Army Headquarters Strategic Reserve, has components of all the arms and services. Besides the three Para Battalions, it consists of the Para Field Regiment, Para Field Company, and Para Brigade Signal Company. Its logistic elements consist of Para ASC Company, Ordinance Field Park (OFP) and Para Brigade Field Ambulance. All these Units are fully capable of para-borne tasks along with the full battle loads, besides the special corps tasks.

The 50 Independent Para Brigade undertakes a number of trials related to induction of parachutes, weapons induction, and high altitude drops as tasked by the Army HeadQuarters MO and WE Directorates. It also undertakes demonstration jumps at the IMA, NDA, OTA as motivational jumps, besides the operational tasks for various contingencies. The standards of fitness and readiness, thus, have to be of the highest levels. The Brigade is held in great esteem due to its professional capability and dedication. Its wonderful esprit de corps inspires one to give one’s best for all designated tasks. I volunteered to participate in various trials and induction of new parachutes and equipment, and organised special exercises to train the Brigade and the assigned likely missions with full tactical levels. I also got due appreciation for leading the Para jump at the IMA.

Para operations are all about teamwork — building up from a small team to larger ones of sub-Units, Units, and the Formation. The professionalism of the 50 Independent Para Brigade and commitment to perform with determination the assigned tasks and independent missions, is exemplary. During my tenure, we successfully converted the Brigade on the new Russian D5 parachutes for jumps from the IL 76 aircraft. We had to learn to use the new heavy drop platforms for guns and vehicles. It did not prove to be a smooth transition, as we had two fatalities due to the parachutes not deploying, and paratroopers being dropped as a free load. We later learnt that the 7.62 Barrel rifles with the long barrels, unlike the Russian AK7 rifles, used to get entangled with the ropes of the parachute. We were forced to jump only with stenguns till we had the appropriate rifles. 

As per the directions of Army Headquarters, the Brigade was tasked to undertake the Brigade Para-jump at Tilpat ranges in Faridabad. This was witnessed by the Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi, the Services chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and diplomats. Simultaneous drop of the Brigade in IL 76 and AN 32 with a stream of aircraft was a unique and impressive sight. I had the honour of leading the jump piloted by Group Captain Ashok Goel (later AVM) and being introduced to the Prime Minister of India. The Brigade needed to do an operational exercise with Southern Command with full tactical loads and heavy drops of weapons, essential vehicles, and participate in the exercise by securing an airhead and beachhead in Goa by a night jump. We practised at the Gwalior airbase and prepared for the eventual jump at Dabolin and Panjim in Goa.

I was very fortunate to have an excellent team with Colonel JS Mahalwar as my Deputy, Gundu Rao as the BM, and Major ShivNeon Singh as the DD, with Major Jacob as the GSO2 Air. I also had Colonel Nirbhay Sharma as the CO 2 Para, Colonel KL Sharma as CO 3 Para and Colonel Nagaraj as CO 7 Para. Colonel Patankar and HS Rana Vada were at the helm of 17 Para Field Regiment. Major Nobel Thumba Raj was OC 411 Field Company, Major Perera at Para Workshop, Major Shankar Murthy at Brigade Signal Company, Major HJ Singh at Para ASC Company. Lieutenant Colonel Dayal was in command of Para Medical Units and Field Ambulance. All the Units were very competent and were specially selected from amongst various arms and services. It is a matter of great pride for all of us that this team went on to produce two Army Commanders/ VCOAS, two PSO’s, (one of them became chairman of UPSC and governor), and two Major Generals. 

In December 1986, on my selection to undergo the course at the National Defence College at New Delhi, I relinquished command of the Brigade after a very satisfying and memorable tenure. As I look back, I can say with conviction that the traditions and camaraderie inculcated and honed in the 50 Independent Para Brigade are one of the finest in the Indian Army. I am sure they will maintain these in the years to come. 

Recollections of an Eventful Army Tenure

Early childhood days and going to NDA

Lt General Chandra Shekhar

PVSM, AVSM

I belong to an extended family of a remote village, in the Kumaon hills (now in the newly formed state of Uttrakhand), at  village ‘Paganna’, in the Pithoragarh district, a distance of a few kilometres from Dharchula on the Indo-Nepal border.

I lived in the village till early 1948. In all these early childhood years, I hardly recall meeting my father, who was away on duty with the Bengal Sappers and Miners, of the Indian Army. During the Second World War, he was posted on the Burma Front and later at Colombo and Singapore with, a Field Engineering Company. My father was the eldest son, with a younger sister and five brothers. One of his brothers was in the police, and died in the partition riots of 1947, at Dehradun. Two others also joined the army, and like him both attained the rank of Subedar Major and Honorary Captains. The younger ones were at home, helping out the family in rearing cattle and farming.

My Father, Late Honorary Captain Daya Krishna Joshi

 I recall, we were with our mother only at night before going off to sleep, as women folk in the hills are extremely busy undertaking a variety of house -hold tasks. Life for women, particularly in the hills during the yester years, was tough. They were involved in work all the time – milking the cows, clearing the cattle shed, maintaining the house, cooking, fetching fire-wood or water, besides knitting and washing. I hardly remember playing with my elder sister or younger brothers, specifically, as we lived as joint-families in the house, together with other cousins and elders. The children played collectively, went to the village school or accompanied the elders at times to the mountain meadows with herds of village cattle. The houses were always two-storeyed with slate roofs. The goth - ground floor - had half a dozen or so cows, two oxen, and a few goats. The senior members of the family had cots and the rest of us slept on the floor. Our grandfather, Shri Bishan Dutt Joshi, was the ‘mukhiya’ of the house. He was also the village “Pradhan’’ and a prominent personality. He was consulted for various ceremonies and rituals and had some exclusive religious beliefs and powers. He could it was believed, supposedly cure some chronic ailments, and even snake bites, by reciting some special mantras like a ‘tantric.’

My Grandfather, Shri Bishan Dutt Joshi

During his young days he used to be a mountain guide to the surveying teams of Survey of India, mapping the watershed on the Indo-Tibet border. After retiring from the army my father wisely decided to move to Dehra Dun, primarily for educational considerations, having realised the difficulties in the village at Pithoragarh .It was a difficult period for us as we had to live in a rented house and manage within his pension from the army. My intention for joining the NDA and getting settled in a job quickly so as to help my father financially, further motivated me to prepare hard. I made it to the NDA selections at the very young age of 15 years in my first attempt .Fortunately, my younger brothers were good in the studies and did well on their own to progress in life. In the initial years I, however, contributed to the family budget and towards clearing the loan taken for building our own house at Dehra Dun. My father lived to attain a healthy life of 93 years, had strong religious beliefs, discipline and high moral values. Though short-tempered, he was generous and well meaning. He took to palmistry and yoga, as a hobby and became highly proficient in both.

The land holdings in our village, as usual were small, on terraced slopes or down in the valley. These produced corn, millets, soya bean, and coarse grain, but in small quantities, barely adequate to sustain the household. We had lots of fruit trees – oranges, pears, walnuts and pomegranates in our compound. There was so much fruit that pears were often fed to the cattle as these could not be marketed or preserved. All the young males were away in the Army or doing some other jobs in the plains. It was part and parcel of what is typically called a ‘money-order economy’ of the hills.This continues to be so even today, as I noticed during my recent trip to Nainital and Ranikhet in May 2012, along with my family, inclusive of the three grand-children. Though these days there are much better roads and good connectivity, there is reduced forest cover, with considerable building activity mostly by outsiders. There is little evidence of investment in educational institutions, or in establishing eco-friendly horticulture activities, unlike in the state of Himachal Pradesh, which has shown tremendous progress and planning .The youth go astray after initial education, as there are no openings other than in the armed forces or small jobs in the plains.

My Father and Mother with all their children (I am standing on the extreme right) 

             The first time we moved out from our village, as a family was in February 1948, when my father took us to Dehradun where he was posted as the Subedar Major in the 501 Field Survey Group. I recall the trek that took us three days to reach the railhead at Tanakpur. There were no roads those days. Instead there were only caravan routes. On these routes, there was a stream of moving people, generally a mix of returning soldiers from leave or their dependents, besides the porters and the column of mules with loads on their backs. This journey, more like an expedition, took us, with porters and ponies, to traditional resting places enroute, like ‘Chalthi’ downstream or the scenic’ Champawat’, where during nightfall, the wayside stalls provided us with food and shelter. The children and the elderly were carried piggyback by the Nepali porters, known as ‘dotiyals’ or mounted ponies with frequent halts for tea enroute or for watering the ponies.

We hardly settled in a house anywhere during my early childhood. In typical army style, we relocated frequently as we accompanied our father on his different assignments, or stayed back in the separated quarters in the last location. In 1949, from Dehradun we went to Bangalore. I was too young then to recollect distinctly where exactly he was posted. Perhaps it was to the Madras Engineering Group Centre. I am only aware of this because I used to watch the obstacle course being used by the men. One day, I along with my younger brother, ventured to try out some of the obstacles when there was no one around. While climbing the suspended ladder secured by my brother, I went for a toss and cut my upper lip. This had to be stitched, giving me a scar on the upper lip as my identification mark. Here again, after a short stay of a few months, we moved to Roorkee, where my father was posted at the Bengal Engineering Training Centre, as the Group Subedar Major, for five long years, with two extensions granted in very exceptional cases due to his excellent work.

I joined the Knox Memorial high School, now converted into a Central School. I studied here till the 8^th standard before joining the Government High School Roorkee, from where I completed my 10^th standard with first good grades, in 1954. In the meantime, my father had retired in 1953 and moved to Dehradun. I moved to my sister’s house in the Central Building Research Institute, adjacent to the then Thompson’s Engineering College, and now IIT. The early years spent at Roorkee Cantonment gave me a glimpse of Army life and an interest in sports. My education at Dehradun was for a brief 18 months at the DAV College, and gave me an opportunity to prepare for the National Defence Academy (NDA). Being the eldest son, I wanted to settle in a job quickly. Joining the NDA became a career option, only due to the awareness created by the smartly attired cadets of the Indian Military Academy (IMA) seen in the town at Dehradun and by interacting with friends similarly inclined, in the college.

I got through in the UPSC Examinations and joined the 15^th NDA Course at Khadakvasla in January 1956. I was assigned to George Squadron, where I spent the next three years in six terms. Each term entailed undergoing composite military and academic training followed by assessment tests. We had a very strict squadron commander from the Navy (Sqn. Ldr. P.S. Bahar), who relegated nearly half the course, (a record at the NDA) to repeat the first term, either due to weak performance in the academics or in the physical tests. The training at NDA for three years was a great learning experience, and gave us a very fine background where we got excellent academic, military and physical education. The best part of the NDA training was learning all the basics – what I call ‘life values’, and interaction with fellow cadets from different backgrounds and schools ranging from reputed public schools to regional and vernacular schools as well as the Military Schools. The cadets with the public school background had the initial advantage in the English language and in the elitist sports such as cricket, riding; tennis and squash. This, however, got neutralized after few months due to personal attention and various sports facilities given to us under competent trainers. The NDA provided excellent facilities for sports, besides teaching, science, humanities, the military subjects and inter-service joint training. I had a natural aptitude for sports and physical training. I learnt quickly and represented the NDA in football and my squadron teams in all the other games.

I moved to the IMA at Dehradun, in January 1959, to join the 24 Regular Course, as a Gentlemen Cadet, along with other successful army cadets from the NDA for specialised army training of one year’s duration and was assigned to be part of the Zojila Company, located in the Kingsley Lines rather than the other temporary accommodation for the rest, being the champion company of the term.

As part of the IMA Football Team (I am standing third from right)
Standing A.S. Sandhu, Satish Murgai, Amar Sinha, a Nigerian GC, J.P.Khanduri, Myself, C.B.Khanduri, Ranjit Rishi
Sitting: Our Football Coach, K.S.Sandhu, E.M.Pun, Officer-in-Charge Football, B.R. Ale, H.S. Wadalia, Manuel Diwan

I was selected for the IMA Football and Hockey teams, and visited NDA to play the yearly tournaments The IMA also provided us facilities for organised outdoor treks and hikes during the term break .I was able to participate and lead a trek into the Garwhal hills to the Valley of Flowers and the 'Mana' Pass, during the summer break in June 1959. In December 1959, I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 2/4^th Gorkha Rifles, a distinguished infantry battalion with a rich military reputation and fame. The only reason to join the Gorkha unit was my love for football and the smart Gorkha hat. The battalion had on its roll, names like ex-IMA Commandants, Brigs Kingsley and Collins, besides General Joe Lentaigne, the first commandant of the DSSC Wellington. Lt Gen Moti Sager,was the first Indian Commanding officer of the battalion, as prior to 1947, the Indian officers were not posted to the Gorkha units. The famous author, John Masters, was also from my regiment, the 4^th Gorkha Rifles. Looking back at my early formative years, I can see how the opportunities and the quality training at the NDA and IMA, and the professional courses in the Army Institutions, make us into energetic, disciplined and motivated leaders.

On the trek to Mana Pass (I am standing at the back, second from right)