SMILING INFECTIOUSLY THROUGH ADVERSITY

RAJ MEHTA argues that as a writer of military issues for years it is his firm conviction that lay readers if better informed about the terrain, climate, habitat, culture and historicity of the place of the incident being covered often understand the subject much better. They develop deep empathy and bonding with the soldiers who took part in the incident. They also develop insight about soldiering than is available in a straitjacketed linear narration. At a time when a techno savvy Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) is globally underway, such narration becomes all the more important. This is because it reveals the formidable challenges encountered by soldiers and need for team spirit and cohesion that soldiers seek in crunch situations when lives are at stake. That it takes years for such camaraderie and mutual trust to develop is what soldiering is all about. This narration of a grim accident along with its attendant bravery and follow-up follows the above-stated format

- RAJ MEHTA

Great spirits! That's what defined the 22 Maratha Light Infantry 'Hyderabadis' inducting under Operation Meghdoot after a month-long rigorous acclimatization and medical checks regimen. This occurred at Partapur Siachen Base in Shyok Valley for induction into the world's highest battlefield: Siachen. Great spirits is a normal response from the hand-selected units identified for induction into areas where the soldiers mental and physical readiness to survive, fight and win is tested exhaustively- 24x7. This includes catastrophic, unpredictable road accidents.

The Maratha-Hyderabadi connection

Before we go further, the unit's proud legacy of its Hyderabad suffix needs explanation. The battalion was raised on November 5, 1853 by the Wanaparthy 'Samsthanam', Raja Rameshwar Rao 1; a vassal of the powerful Hyderabad Kingdom. The Raja, the 15th 'Samasthanam' controlled the feudatory of Wanaparthy, located south of Hyderabad. He was one of three such Zamindars of the Hyderabad kingdom. Samasthanams oversaw core administration, irrigation, agriculture, revenue collection, trade; handled religious and cultural affairs for the feudatory placed under their charge and were compensated by the Nizam. The Samasthanam system was a brilliant leftover legacy of the efficient eastern Deccan Hindu Kakatiya Kingdom (950-1323 AD) which ruled current Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, parts of Odisha, and Karnataka for 400 years. They were defeated by Turkic Muslim dynasties such as at Hyderabad. The new rulers found it expedient to retain the Samasthanam interface for effective management of their kingdoms.