The General's Command

The General’s Command

It is such a loss to society that many an old soldier chooses to fade away rather than give back to his country and his people the wealth of his discipline and down-to-earthiness in seeking solutions to problems. Many are apprehensive of the devious wheeling-dealing ways of `civvie' street which they find repelling, as indeed does every right-minded civilian as well. Most old soldiers prefer to stay cloistered within their own circles rather than take the plunge into the mainstream of their new life. The few who do so are invariably  successful and leave indelible prints of their personality upon the minds of those who work with them.

Major General Mohite was one such old soldier who,  after hanging up his uniform, rose to be a shining star on the corporate and social life of Poona. He resided in a large house located at a prominent `T' junction on the up-market University Road and everyone knew him to be the Managing Director of one of the city's prominent Corporate firms. None in our group of upstart joggers had however ever met or even seen him.

While strolling down the gentle slope of the University Road one winter morning, the bustle of routine activity was suddenly interrupted by the screeching halt of a Municipal `PMT' Bus. In front of the bus stood this formidable military personality - baton in one hand and a leash tethering a huge canine in the other.

With an authority that came naturally, he commanded the driver in characteristic military crisp forceful and unambiguous way -  `Bus peeche jayega'. The bus slowly moved back to the stop it had just left.

The next command followed - `Sab bacche bus mein jayega' –About six or seven primary children who were disallowed to board the bus at the stop now hurriedly jumped in.

Then came the final command, a single word - `Jao'. The bus moved on.

It was much later, after the experience of travelling in Delhi’s `DTC' buses which gave a better understanding on the actual carrying capacity of a bus. Till then, the strictly enforced rule of nine or eleven standees only, depending on the model of the bus, imposed by Poona's PMT had been so ingrained in the mind that even a little extra weight on board was considered a risk to the equilibrium of the vehicle, with consequential danger to its passengers.

A General who had `seen the world' could not but act to quell the sheer insensitivity of a few small children being delayed to reach their school and left out in the cold due to such misplaced emphasis on a non-existent risk.

A true soldier at heart would never let such insensitivity go by without taking action to set it right.

A General is one who will assume command and direct action – whenever and wherever required.