january 2019 vol x issue 1 - rsi...

JANUARY 2019 VOL X ISSUE 1

(Our Motto - Aesthetics, Values, Courtesy)

(Extension of Telangana & Andhra Sub Area Offrs' Mess), C/o HQ Telangana & Andhra Sub Area, JJ Nagar Colony, Secunderabad-500 087. Tele: 27862584, 27862181, 27867884, 27867881, Army 6218 Website: e-mail: [email protected]

For NEFT payments send e-mail to : [email protected] Website : www.rsisecunderabad.in

Rajendra Sinhji Army Offrs Mess & Institute

Editorial Team :

Wg Cdr AB Bhushan (Retd) Mob : 9848048651, Wg Cdr T A Ramachandran (Retd) Mob : 9550864219 andSmt Shrilekha Khanna (W/o Lt Col J D Khanna (Retd)) Mob : 9849553181.

- Saturdays, 1900 hrs Film Show Sundays & Thursdays

- Fridays & 1900 hrs TambolaTuesdays

26 Jan 2019 Saturday 1900 hrs Dance Nite

Note : 1. Film Show in RSAOMI. Hindi or English film will be screened on Saturdays, Sundays and Thursdays as per availability of the film from the distributor.

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Time

RSAOMI PROGRAMME FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2019

Editor: Wg Cdr AB Bhushan (Retd)

Dear Readers,

We are now in WINTER as the Hyderabadi likes to say, though for most of our fauji family it is a pleasant experience !

The Indian cricket team is having the UPPER hand DOWN UNDER ! Sadly the Indian Hockey team lost in the Quarter finals of World Cup Hockey Tournament.

This issue has interesting articles on , an incident of 1971 Indo Pak war; Love in the library through the Russian literature ! Meditation by a Veteran Commissioned in 1947 !!; and RSI by our own doctor who specialised in putting us to sleep while the surgeons could work freely on the operating table !!

Life is full of experiences - as MIRZA GHALIB ne kaha!!

The year 2018 has gone by - seems so quickly! and 2019 is almost on us! May the coming year bring joy and happiness to all our readers, starting with Christmas, New Year & Sankranti – our RSAOMI has planned some entertaining events.

Kuch Iss Tarah Maine Zindagi ko Aasaan kar Diya

Kisi se Maafi Maang Li ,Kissi ko Maaf Kar Diya

HAPPY READING AND WISHING ALL OUR READERS A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOD BLESS

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mailto:[email protected]

Mondays Indian Cuisine (A la Carte) Indian Cuisine &

Tuesdays Mixed Cuisine Indian Cuisine & Multi Cuisine A la Carte

Wednesdays Sizzlers Sizzler Evenings & Multi Cuisine A la Carte

Thursdays Indian (A la Carte) Mini Buffet: Hyderabadi Biryani & Multi Cuisine A la Carte

Fridays Chinese Cuisine Chinese Mini Buffet & Multi Cuisine (A la Carte) A la Carte

Saturdays Continental Buffet Continental Mini Buffet & Multi Cuisine A la Carte Barbecue Evenings (during fair weather)

Sundays Buffet Brunch & Buffet Lunch Mini Buffet & Multi Cuisine A la Carte

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Multi Cuisine A la Carte

PS : Buffet Breakfast is served on all days from 8.00 AM to 10.00 AM at Satavahana Hall. Advance booking on phone will help RSAOMI kitchen to serve Members better.

Save mobile Numbers pertaining to kaey personnel of RSAOMI Catering. Food Stalls at Diwan-e-Aam are open during Movie screening, Tambola and Dance Nights. Menus and catering events are likely to change or be cancelled due to weather conditions/administrative reasons. Members are advised to use the Multi cuisine A la carte service in the Dining Room from 7.30 Pm to 10.30 PM.

PS : PS :PS : PS : PS :

Day Noon Evening

thl04 Jan (Friday) - Chinese Cuisine

thl05 Jan (Saturday) - Continental Cuisine

thl06 Jan (Sunday) - North Indian Cuisine



thl13 Jan (Sunday) - Hyderabadi Indian Cuisine



thl20 Jan (Sunday) - South Indian Cuisine



thl27 Jan (Sunday) - Andhra & Telangana

Cuisine

NEW INTRODUCTIONS

SRI J RAVICHANDRAN - 7995546155(STEWARD IC KITCHEN)

SRI ANAND RAJ - 7093968261(STEWARD PARTIES)

SRI ARUN - 7732029411HEAD COOK (KITCHEN)

LANDLINE - 27862584,EXTN. 221, 21827862181

You may also book through RSAOMI mobile app :RSISCAPP: download from Google Play Store. For queries contact RSAOMI Rxn.

RSAOMI CATERING ADVANCE BOOKING

BUFFET LUNCHES

RSAOMI CATERING CALENDER - JANUARY 2019

RSAOMI has introduced restaurant style of service, in the Main Dining Room. The service will be A la Carte with limited menu.

Page No. 3

Musical Medley

Dazzling Danseuses

The Master of Ceremonies

Flowing Fashionistas

Sizzling Skit

Romantic Duet - English

Escorting the Chief Guest

Fabulous Five Fusion

PALMETTE DRAMATIC SOCIETY “MAGICAL MISHMASH” ON 1ST DEC 2018

THE SAVING OF CHANDER

December of every year takes me back to 1971 and the Indo-Pak war. I was then a Wing Commander in command of No. 20 Squadron AF equipped with Hunter MK 56A aircraft (ac) based at Pathankot, and tasked primarily with counter air operations. My pilot's log book reminds me of the sorties I personally led attacking PAF air bases at Peshawar, Mianwali, Murid, Chaklala, the Attock Oil Refinery, plus close air support in Chhamb and Poonch sectors. To this list should have been added the PAF forward airfield at Chander; this anecdote will relate a little known story.

In the first week of Dec 71, Air Cmde LM Katre who had been sent to control air operations at Pathankot, asked Wg Cdr Johnny Greene, the CO of No 2 Squadron with a Gnat ac dett at Amritsar, and myself to a confidential briefing in his office. He had been informed that the PAF airfield at Chander had to be neutralized on a date and a time to be notified by higher authorities. My squadron had been tasked to bomb the runway at Chander with eight ac each carrying 2 x 1000 lb penetration bombs. Tactically, in the relatively short distance to Chander, we were required to climb to 10,000 ft, drop speed, get into line-astern about 1000 yds apart and deliver the bombs in a steep dive along the length of the runway. Since we would be highly vulnerable, four Gnat ac would give us top cover from Amritsar, which I would overfly en route the target and cover us for four minutes over Chander before they would have to return to their base. For security purposes this plan was referred to as Mission 548 and restricted to a few need-to-know individuals.

Johnny and I carried out a mutual briefing covering communication, codes, tactics and I assured him that I would be over Amritsar 15 minutes before TOT (Time on Target). Midway through the second week we received the date and TOT (1630) for Mission 548 which gave my ground staff just enough time to provide 8 ( + 1 standby) ac armed as required. I had obtained some very basic intelligence on the target (R/W orientation, elevation, layout etc), but I had a good professional team both in the air and on the

ground. As we taxied out and neared our own R/W at 1600 hrs, I asked for stream take-off in pairs but was told abruptly to 'Hold position'. I was deeply concerned as we had nine ac sitting on the taxi track though two local Gnat ac were capping the airfield for our take-off. Then came an authoritative voice on the radio, 'Cecil, Katre here, return to your dispersal where I will be waiting for you'. We taxied back rapidly and over a cup of tea he explained that he had just received a flash message to say that high level cease-fire talks were in progress and meanwhile no offensive actions across the border were to take place after 1600 hrs.

In his book 'In the Ring and Standing' Air Cmde Kaiser Tufail of the PAF paid a compliment to No. 20 Squadron with particular reference to our strike on Murid on 08 Dec 71 where the PAF lost five ac on the ground. Though our RV (rendezvous) with the Gnats over Amritsar never took place, on the suggestion of my pilots soon after the war, we, along with our families, drove down to Amritsar, made our obeisance at the Golden Temple and gave thanks, though tinged with some regret at the last minute cancellation of Mission 548 which saved Chander!!

Postscript. After I had completed my squadron briefing for Mission 548 and was leaving the room, I heard the persuasive voice of 'Lightning 9' (the standby pilot with a sense of humour but now sadly no more) offer a bottle of whisky to anyone who had to 'fall out'! A little later all eight of us had to 'fall out'; he promptly disappeared into hiding!

Contributed by AVM CV Parker,

MVC, VM (Retd)Mob : 9810099874

FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE!

There are a few memories from your college days that leave a lasting impression or even change your life!.......Little did I know, that a chance meeting at a University Library would impact my life more than I could have ever imagined.

As an UG Scholar, and an avid reader, I would visit the UG Library at the University after classes and leisurely browse through the Literature Section for 2 hrs that it remained open in the evenings.

Having heard a lot about Russian Literature, one day, I happened to pick 'The Idiot' by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Since it was closing time and my curfew time at the hostel was nearing, I rushed to the counter to get the book issued. The clerk at the counter was finishing some entries in a ledger, and I restlessly waited for him to attend to me.

Just then, came rushing this tall lanky boy, apparently a student, in a hurry to return his book. Seeing the clerk busy with his work, he got more fidgety than I was.

Being the only 2 waiting at the counter, we exchanged civilities. He eyed the book I had on the counter and seeing the title remarked, 'good book,'. I noticed his book too and smiled back .

Thereafter, we bumped into each other in the University Campus quite a few times. Subsequently, many more 'planned' chance meetings happened at the library followed by long hours of talking outside the library in the pretext of discussing books. We realised that we were getting naturally drawn to each other.

Then Life happened! ….While I continued my Masters and Research Fellowship

programs at the University, the man changed his course towards Military. In spite of long distances that tested the connections from time to time, some Alchemy ensured that we held together and joined in marriage!

In the course of married life, both, lighter moments and domestic battle-fields, have many times led me to remark that the book title ('The Idiot') was an Ironic reference to what I was getting into in life.

Well the husband, could not pull any such punches. After all, the book he had come to return on that fateful meeting was 'Resurrection' by Leo Tolstoy.

Cut to now!... 20 years, one lovely daughter and with many military & corporate moves…..'The Idiot' and 'The Resurrection' have been together since!!

Mrs Sudha Mathews w/o Wg Cdr Anil J Mathews,

Mob: 9866116909

Page No. 6

MEDITATION – AN INTERVIEW

Rajiv, my neighbour's son, who got his degree of MBBS couple of years ago and is aspiring to specialise as a Clinical Psychologist, was quite inquisitive to know something about meditation. I reproduce below our conversation in brief.

Rajiv: Uncle, please tell me about your experience with the art of meditation. What made you interested in it and when did you really commence practising it?

S K: It was some time in 1966. I was then in Bangalore. Over the years, even prior to getting married, I had got attracted to Sri Ramakrishna and had been going over his Gospel. It got me deeper and deeper into the bhakti-bhaava for him. Though Ramakrishna Mission from home was 15 km, yet Rama and I made it a point to attend their Sunday evening programme regularly.

Swami Praboddhananda, head of the Mission was a very knowledgeable person on vedantic literature and had been laying stress on practice of meditation in his talks. After I approached him, he personally guided me and over time, put me onto the path of going inwards in a step-by-step manner wherein I reached a level of awareness becoming more and more conscious of peace and quiet within. At the same time, awareness of my environment, sounds, feel of the air, smells, all started receding into a misty, dream-like, unreal state during my practice. This process was slow and progressive, probably took more than a year.

Rajiv: How long was each session of practice? And I suppose you pursued it regularly. What was the driving force which kept you at it?

S K: Oh, the length of time of each session varied. I would say the shortest ones lasted around 15 minutes and often when I got deep into that higher state of peace where one is not so aware of passage of time, one probably transcends sense of relative time itself. Often, at the end, on getting up and checking the clock, I would realize that I had spent sometimes 30 to 40 minutes. On rare occasions I exceeded this, reaching my deepest state of peace, though such occasions came much later in life. And regarding the driving force, all I can say is that the experience of peace

and quiet during these sessions was “something out-of-the-world”. These experiences are indescribable and super-sensitive in quality of calmness, tranquillity, peace and harmony. After every session one feels complete, fulfilled with 'nothing' required at all. Is there anything more to say about it?

Rajiv: I understand what you are trying to convey Uncle, though am unable to conceive of such a state. Our minds keep chattering, jumping from one thought to another throughout our wakeful state as well as during our dreams. It is only during our deep sleep that brain waves subside and acquire an even mode.

S K: You have hit the nail on the head, Rajiv. My training and personal experience in meditation has been to quieten the mind, not by force, but by using age old methods of relaxing the body completely and then extending the same feeling to one's mind, without any forced effort. The aim is to bring about a state of total non-doing which results in a state of so-called 'wakeful-sleep (jaagrat-sushupti), wherein one is aware of the inner-most 'being', of the deepest sense of 'I-am-ness'. While I speak to you of experiences unknown to you, probably with your background, you can get hints about such states of the mind. Even my own experiences concerning this art are those of a primary school boy, who aspires to progress on this path, reaching higher states of total peace. I have had mere glimpses of this multi-dimensional inner-most 'I' and am unable to say anything about it. Even those who become THAT, cannot say much, I believe Gautam Buddha too kept quiet about it.

Rajiv: Your descriptions are quite vivid, sir. My own understanding of this dimension is not so hazy after having talked with you. Uncle, you mentioned about peace of mind and tranquillity, but is that enough for one to make one's life successful, feel complete and fulfilled?

S K : Of course not, this is just the beginning, the ofirst practical step on this new path, which is 180

Contd on next page

Page No. 7

opposite to our habitual direction of thought. You see, our senses are normally directed out ward, from very birth we get used to seeing things in the world around us, same way we listen to sounds emanating in the environs that surround us. In meditation techniques, we start learning to guide our attention, focus of the mind, inward. This is just a beginning of the process of looking within. Only those who have an inner urge to pursue their search for the ultimate reality which lies 'within', will have the perseverance to continue on this path. At the same time, journey on this path is so self-fulfilling, that more you progress, the more you fall in love with the journey.

Rajiv : Interesting! So I suppose once you set foot on this road you are caught for good?

S K : Not always. Basic interest/urge of the traveller is primary, thereafter his mental faculties, power of concentration, ability to let-go with no attachment, allowing the body and mind to reach a state of stillness and power of perseverance, all play a double role, in that, their hold from within on the mind keeps developing with time. I think it is an automatic, self-developing process.

Rajiv : I get it. Exploring the subject further, I would like to know if there are any conjoined disciplines or religious practices that are involved in pursuance of this path?

S K : Not in the type of practice that I followed finally. Yes, basically I followed a practice in which I concentrated on an image of my 'Isshta– God –Beloved'. That helps in channelizing the mind. I lay stress here on the point that these practices are to be followed invariably, under the guidance of an experienced guru on any type of meditation that one may choose. At a later stage however, I followed a path that was taught by The Buddha himself in which no 'bhakti' aspect is involved. In this, the practitioner is introduced to a step-by-step procedure to be followed under direct guidance of someone who has travelled the same path, the practitioner is taught to focus on one's breath. This way of meditation is called Vipassana, personally I find it to be the one for me and have practiced it over the last 40 odd years.

Rajiv: Uncle, this talk with you has made me look at things in a way that no book could have taught. As a last word, What would you say has been your personal gain from this, sir?

S K :Rajiv, I have always wanted to find the purpose of this life. Why are we born? What is all this creation about us? What is our relationship with this world? etc.? All those queries have now disappeared. I take life as it is, accept it as His 'prasaadam' gracefully. All 'This' around us is 'His Lila'. Our minute, limited minds are incapable of grasping the multidimensional creation of His. I pray that I may continue for as long as He grants me on my path, peacefully and in harmony with “THE ULTIMATE”.

About the author: He was born in old Delhi not far from Chandani Chowk, in April 1928. Graduated from Banaras Hindu University and joined Royal Indian Air Force in October, 1947 as an Officer Cadet. Received his Commission and Wings in April 1950*. He was initiated into practice of 'Yoga and Meditation” by a Paramahamsa Swamiji in Nagpur in 1973, which he has pursued and taught till late 1990s.

*:To know more about him, please read his M e m o i r s ' T H E S P I T F I R E ' - g o t o <gorospitfire>Alsoavailable in RSAOMI Library.

Contributed by

Wg Cdr SK Gorowala (Retd)

9849237469

MEDITATION – AN INTERVIEW (Continuation)

SK TRANSPORT

Estd. 1999

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OUR OWN RSAOMI RSAOMI NOTICE

I live next to a happening neighborhood of RSI Secunderabad. RSAOMI Secunderabad is a trendy, funky, hip, cool and a groovy place both for the young and the old. In fact, I bought a house next to RSI Secunderabad as I wanted to grow old watching movies at . I do have my breakfast and lunch at my place, but my dinner is always at without fail. It has all the facilities of any and every game...Tennis, badminton, Gym and countless kiosks selling anything and everything you want besides an army canteen. A retired army life doesn't mean a rocking chair and newspaper to me...I love a happening life...and

gives me exactly that...I am seen at the Gym and the tennis court and in all the DJ nights and non stop functions throughout the year. Nothing can change the problems and pains of life but

changes these to a large extent.

Col Pradeep Pendyala (Retd) Mob : 9502997571

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RSAOMI Mobile App

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. User ID will be RSAOMI Membership Number & Password is 123456. User must change the password after login the app. Those using iOS devices may use safari/google browser rsiscapp.in. Feedback for improvement of RSAOMI app is solicited.

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OBITUARYIt is with deep regret we convey the news of the sad demise of the following members on the date noted against their name. May God Almighty grant peace to the departed soul and give courage to the bereaved members of the family to bear the irreparable loss.

a) Col PS Nayyar - 16 Nov 2018(Retd) (ASC)

b) Lt Col YV Appa Rao - 20 Dec 2018 (Retd) (ASC)

c) Lt Col KVS Choudhary - 20 Dec 2018(Retd) (Gen Service)

january 2019 vol x issue 1 - rsi...

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