Commuting Monkeys

Once during 1968, when I was travelling by train in a remote part of Kerala-Karnataka border, I found myself in a sleeping compartment with a door to the platform on each side but no connection with the corridor. Although I had been warned never to open the wire mosquito nets on the windows, I almost strangled from the airless compartment and, once night fell, I threw the warning to the winds.

Before dawn I awoke and realized that I was not alone in my compartment. Clearly a hobo had jumped aboard while I slept and judging from the curious noises coming from other three berths, there might be more hobos aboard.

Gradually the sunlight came in, and to my horror I saw that my compartment was full of large fearsome monkeys. One of them was munching on my shoe laces; another was ripping a shirt on the hanger into strips. It was terrifying. Big monkeys are savage and can rip human flesh apart in a matter of minutes. I lay still. After about ten minutes the train slowed down and, before the carriage stopped, the monkeys leapt through the window and dropped to the ground. I watched them pound uphill towards an oil-palm plantation.

I dressed quickly and met the station master on the platform. “Why did the monkeys get off here?” I asked him.

“You see, sir,” he explained, “they come every morning on this train to eat oil-palm nuts on this plantation. Then they eat and sleep but wake to catch the six o’clock train back home.

Major Padmapani Acharya

When in 1948 Pakistan secretly invaded India in Kashmir and then as Indian troops started repulsing them back, ceasefire was agreed upon at a particular position. Since that time the same position has existed over there till date. It is called ‘line of control’. Under a conspiracy hatched again, Pakistani army entering secretly into our side of the line of control in Kargil area up to a distance of 10 kms. Occupied some high peaks. As it came into Indian army’s knowledge it took no time in realizing that these peaks were of great strategic importance for us. Perched on them, Pakistan army could keep an eye all the time on the movements of our army columns to other parts of Kashmir. Indian army began its assault to get these posts vacated. During a month long bitterly fought war, a large number of our army officers and jawans sacrificed their lives. The posts established by Pakistani army were located on higher altitudes, while we had to dislodge them by attacking them from lower positions. In spite of these adverse circumstances our troops forced the enemy to quit this area and reestablish its control there.

Wg. Cdr. Jagan Nath Acharya was a colleague of mine in Agni team. We were neighbours also in D.R.D.O. residential complex. Children from nearby areas used to play cricket together every evening and on holidays. Wing Commander’s son, Padmapani, was the captain of this team due to his bubbling enthusiasm. Joining army after a few years he left the colony for his appointment. Thereafter, he was seen at times, whenever he came home on vacation, but always made it a point to meet his friends even during those visits. One day during Kargil war, Wing Commander casually talked to me in office stating that Padmapani is posted in Kargil sector these days and that remains a cause of worry for the family due to dangerous environment prevailing there. Trying to boost his morale, I told him not to worry and that everything would be alright.

Same night the news was received about Padmapani Acharya’s martyrdom. Along with Acharya family, we also plunged in grief. Myself and my wife went and met the grieved parents. There was Mrs. Charu Padmapani also at home, waiting to become a mother for the first time within next few weeks. Both of us were feeling the pain of this family but at the same time admired the exemplary balance maintained by them even in this terrible time.

Within a few weeks after this tragedy, when we came to know about their younger son joining army, we could not but bow our head to Acharya family.