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.

Strangers on a Chain.

My late father used to tell us this episode, which I want to share:

“In 1947 our family moved from the erstwhile West Punjab (now Pakistan) to Amritsar in East Punjab (India). We had to travel by train. We were warned that we should carry a permit for our household goods to avoid their being confiscated at a border post near Atari.

Our permit was to expire at midnight of a particular day, but we had problems with train tickets and finally got them for a trip just prior to the expiry date.

Our heavily loaded passenger train left an hour late and though it raced against the time, we still reached the border 15 minutes past midnight. The customs man on duty would not let us pass and no amount of pleading would move him.

We were forced to unload our goods on marshy land. None of us slept that night. Early next morning passengers who arrived by another train saw our plight and suggested that we approach the customs official through someone very close to him. His family doctor, we were told, would do nicely enough.

But how could we approach the doctor when we were new to the place? As we brooded over the matter, we learnt that doctor could be influenced by his driver. Now, a hunt began to locate the driver. When we finally found him he was reluctant to undertake the job. Then a passenger who had travelled with us suggested that the driver was friendly with a popular barber of that area. If only he could be persuaded!

All of us menfolk ran to the shop. The barber was willing, but, as he put it, he could only help his customers. “All of us will have our hair cut,” we offered. “That makes a difference,” the barber replied.

The sacrifice was worth it. Soon, we were able to travel despite an expired permit, thanks to the barber-driver-doctor-customs man chain.”

Sea at Chandipur

A peculiarity of sea at Chandipur (Dist. Balasore, Odisha) is that in addition to normal high and low tides (Jwar and Bhata), associated with moon’s phases, there is another noticeable daily cycle for maximum and minimum water level. It is a strange phenomenon. Once during 24 hours the level of sea water rises so much so, that it touches the boundaries of Test range campus (DRDO), while receding at other time it goes back around 5 to 8 kms away from here. During this period one can easily walk, run or cycle around on the beach sand. The timings for these “high and low” differ everyday throughout the year, which can be found out by complex formulations. The physics of this “happening” lies in the inclination of earth around its axis and latitude/longitude of this place.

Missile flight trial teams utilize this occurrence to retrieve the metallic remnants from flights conducted towards sea for studying and drawing possible conclusions.

There is only one more such place in the world, somewhere in Brazil, which also experiences this phenomenon.

Junoon

Major Jai Bahuguna’s death on Mount Everest in October 1985 marked the tragic end of a story that began in April 1971. That day, his elder brother Harsh died in Everest.

Jai hero-worshipped his brother and was shattered on his death. Grieving silently, he made one resolve; he would climb Everest as homage to Harsh.

Jai had climbed no mountains till then. His brother’s death changed all that. Jai turned to mountaineering with ferocity and was soon going on one expedition after another.

“Give up this madness,” his mother would plead. “Mountaineering is not dangerous,” Jai would reply. “That is what Harsh said, and see what happened?” Jai would say nothing. His mother knew Jai wanted only one thing in life, to climb the mountain that had defeated his brother.

I see similarities in their lives which they lived and death which they died. Both were Army majors. Both died in their second attempt on Everest. Both died at roughly the same height---8000 meters. But Harsh died alone, Jai with three team mates.

Did they ever fear that mountaineering would take their lives? Most certainly not. The MAHABHARATA says that one of the world’s greatest wonders is that no man, though he sees others dying all round him, believes he himself will die.

Technology explosion : where will it end?

Recently glancing through technical reports and journals I have come across the ongoing discussions regarding “Technology Forecasting”. I have felt fascinated towards this subject.

Evolution of any technology with time in history is not linear, but depends on some mathematical formulations. An extrapolation of graphs on this subject brings out exciting possibilities.

I feel astonished considering the list of general items within my own lifespan which are on the verge of becoming obsolete. The store room in house has got filled up with electronic items like record player, bulky telephone sets, desk tops etc. which have been retired prematurely by more refined and powerful new generation appliances. The same can also be said about match box, telegram, inland letters, table fan and radio. The speed at which a newly invented item becomes obsolete is amazing.

Is there any possibility regarding “The end” of this explosion? Unfortunately, there is. Think of the time when science traversing its progress trajectory will reach a stage, beyond which it will not be possible to imagine any further results by humanity. If machines in their development process exceed the human intelligence a bit, then from that stage onward they would be able to improve their own versions to an extent that would be unseen and unheard by their creators. In other words when machines thinking better than men could themselves develop new improved machines, then men would not be required for this purpose. The invention of such a “Super intelligent” machine will be the last invention in the series to be undertaken by man. As an amateur artificial intelligence professional, I believe that a machine with such extra-ordinary capacity may come into existence by 2050.

How will be our life post this event? Till now, such fears that “They” will enslave us or destroy us seem remote. We can remain hopeful that ultimately “They” would get bored of limitations of earth and then move on towards some other unknown destination, so that we can embark on a new journey.

Alka Nangia

Most of the time she remains confined to her bed and a wheel chair as her constant companion. Due to her limbs getting affected by paralysis, she is not able to move even her fingers. But still, Alka Nangia, brimming with determination and enthusiasm is trying to get her name entered in Guinness book of world records under the category Calendar related calculations Such an achievement for a person would be considered unique, if s/he is  suffering from Spino cerebellar degeneration.

Basically a resident of Garden Estate, Gurgaon, Alka now stays at Okhla situated Cheshire home. In 1982, as a 21 years old student of lady Irwin College, she suffered injuries to her spinal cord when her scooter skidded. Around same time she had a mysterious attack of viral fever. Difficult to say because of which reason or perhaps both, she started feeling instability during her walks which gradually turned her completely immobile. Ultimately she lost control on her hands, feet and other physical faculties. In spite of being given the best medical treatment available in country, there was no improvement in her condition. Gradually escalating, this disease incapacitated her conducting nerves which transmit signals to all other organs in body. 

It was a setback for young lass. But her brain remained agile and she was able to scribble slowly. She wrote several articles and ‘letters to the editor’. Her father, Vidya Bhushan Nangia, a retired railway engineer informs that nearly 20 0f such articles got published. According to her “now whenever she wants to write something she dictates in her feeble voice.” 

But providing constant care to a handicapped daughter, who could not even take turns on her own in the bed was becoming difficult for her old parents. As such, they got her admitted into Cheshire Home situated near Escort Hospital in Delhi. This institution, run by retired service officers looks after such handicapped persons. Twice a year Alka comes to her parents in Gurgaon to spend some time with them. Otherwise Cheshire is her home. 

During some such moments, lying on her bed unable to move around, Alka started gazing at a calendar hanging on the opposite wall and started making calculations regarding some dates from the past and future. The choice of these dates was just random. Initially, she told about her newly acquired skill to some of her close relatives. Gradually, she reached a level when for any date falling in 20^th and 21^st century, she could immediately tell the corresponding day of the week. This skill of hers was recognized by Limca Book of Records. 

Now in Delhi Cheshire Home she is trying for the acceptance by Guinness Book of records. To test her for this extra-ordinary capability, a demo-test was arranged on 19 Jan 2004 in front of 30 selected examiners. She was asked to state the days falling on 18 randomly selected dates between 4 Apr 1917 and 30 May 2085. A computer was used to verify the correctness of her answers. All 18 answers were found correct. Her average reaction time was 12.5 seconds. 

Affected by the acute weakness of her lungs muscles, she tells about her technique. “Partially calculations, partially memory.” She is able to speak only this much. This test has been videotaped and sent for acceptance in Guinness book of world records. Meanwhile Alka remains busy in extending the range of her calculations.

 

I have to state now that Alka was my niece. She expired in 2010 due to her disease related complications getting aggravated.

 

 

Author with Alka Nangia (Gurgaon Sept 1996)

 

 

Interviews for SAM-X

Director DRDL, Air Commodore Narayanan, after knowing my background and experience, ordered my posting to L.P.D. ( Liquid Propulsion Division). As I presented this posting order to Divisional Head, Squadron Leader Gopalaswamy, a look of surprise appeared on his face instead of normally expected happiness. Two other scientists, Arun Kumar Nayyar and Vijay Kumar Saraswat working in the same division were also in his room that time. He showed this posting order to both of them also and I found all three of them sharing a mysterious smile amongst themselves. Within next two days, however, as I talked to my other scientist colleagues, I understood the reason behind this unexpected reaction of theirs.

Around 1 year back, with the posting of Narayanan as Director, the development activities related to SAM-X missile began with an excitement at DRDL. As per the threat perception of that time, the government at its highest level had accorded so much priority for the time bound development of this project ( only 7 years ) that an asking was just enough to get sanction for any proposal related to it. Getting money from Defence Ministry was not a problem but the selection and appointment of suitably qualified and experienced scientists in particular fields through UPSC was a 6 months processing cycle. That was not acceptable for this project. DRDL, R&D Headquarters, Defence Ministry and UPSC used to regularize the appointments of scientists under a pre-planned unwritten arrangement. Senior scientists from the Laboratory used to visit reputed engineering colleges in the country ( mainly I.I.Ts and I.I.Sc ), interview the final year students and issue on the spot ad hoc appointment letters. After a year or two, for regularizing this appointment, a suitable advertisement was drafted and got advertised through UPSC. In this, under ‘desirable experience’, the activity mentioned was same on which that particular person was already working before hand on ad hoc basis. In  addition to it, that senior scientist of DRDL, who was present in the interview board as internal member had to inform the chairman and external members that the selection of this candidate is required for the success of Project. Thus, the selection of this scientist in question was almost a certainty, after this “ interview”. Exceptions were rare. My selection and subsequent appointment in DRDL was one such exception, because the candidate for whom this advertisement was actually meant had performed very poorly during the interview.

This was the reason for that mutual mysterious smile between Gopalaswamy and his colleagues.