The ITBP story

When I came to New Delhi for my civil service preparation, I had only one place in mind to go from here which was Mussoorie. Duh, not for chilling dudes! Mussoorie, the Queen of hills and which also is the home to the grooming institution of the brightest of civil servants.  Well all right, I did manage to reach Mussoorie but unexpectedly to an altogether different world and a different academy. A midst my civil service attempts, I had given the lesser known CAPF exam also conducted by UPSC. And like others I was also enticed by the prize which was at stake-a gazette post of the Government of India. Henry Fayol listed “stability of tenure” as one of principles of management and surely it attracts quality even to this date. The famous 14 principles at work!

So here I was all set for this unforeseen adventure that would later prove to be very elemental to the way my perception of things would shape up. As I reached the gates of ITBP I saw a couple of guys wandering here and there and as confused as myself.  We were looking for the premier institute of national importance which trains the officers of ITBP and all we got was way way (the repetition here being totally intentional!) under the mark. To add to the misery, we had to take our luggage to our rooms by our own. Now this seems like a not-that-difficult a proposition. But when you have to climb mountains with that kind of weight, it becomes a little overwhelming. I was puzzled whether all this was because of the mismanagement of the institution or it was all intentional to acclimatize us for what was forthcoming.  And as I write this, I still have no clue. Perhaps no one has. But in adversities, there are avenues of becoming stronger. And this place was no different.

And hence I marched forward carrying about 40 kgs and consoling myself that it was ok and perhaps other things will be in place and of some standard. Yes, perhaps the accommodation would be awesome. Perhaps the sporting facilities would be outstanding. Perhaps the gymnasium would be world-class. And then I learnt the most important lesson of life, never to expect anything in life. As I wandered in that jungle..err campus, I couldn’t find anyone who would be able to tell me where I have to put up.  Then I saw this partially bald guy dressed in white who advised me to ‘adjust’ myself wherever I find space. He was quite mature and seemed like he has been there for a while. Possibly he was one of the instructors, I thought. In the next few days he always had ample stories to tell us about ITBP and how this training experience was going to be a topsy-turvy ride with an exhilarating pace. It took me a while to figure out that this guy was one of us, a trainee. But then he turned out to be a really nice and supportive guy to whom everyone would go when in shit. You know who I am talking about if you belong to 20^th AC Basic A/B batch!

So all set in the wilderness of the cold forests of Mussoorie, we were excited and disgusted at the same time. The zero-week began. The so called ‘initiation’ into a difficult daily physical regime. But it was ‘zero’ for just namesake. They made us run like mad dogs chasing cars for the very first day. And I vividly recall that I have never used collectively so many cuss words as I used on that morning doings push-ups on the spit-full roads of Mussoorie (Almost felt like transforming to Virat Kohli!). To top that, they made us run upto LBS NAA. There I was, physically drained and emotionally screwed looking at the dream. Irony is a bitch!

Going  a few steps backwards, before entering the slaughter Academy, I was confident enough that I would manage my preparation for mains while doing the training. I don’t know what gave me that kind of confidence and that turned out to be a nightmare of a choice. In a week I realized that I was loosing interest in geo-politics of nations as my physics and biology were going for spin in this arduous and grilling training session. Then I had a vision one night that these two things cannot survive together. Choice has to be made.  Choice was made. I am not going deep into the shits I went through to finally negotiate with the authorities to give me time to write mains and then I can continue with ITBP after that. But it happened eventually. I am grateful to the officers who pursued the case and made it possible.

After writing my mains, I was back at the academy but more as a guest this time as I awaited my posting to some battalion of ITBP. I had all the time to read and write at leisure meanwhile the rest of batch was undergoing severe stretches of physical endurance tests. To many it would seem that I was having the time of my life but the truth is that it was awful, real shit. To the extent of living in a jail. Without purpose, without direction. But the trainees of 20^th ‘B’ Batch had come very close to me and that was the saving grace, you rock guys! I would listen to the instructor bashing and all kinds of criticisms when they came back to the barrack. I sympathized and thought wow my ass just got saved from all this! They were all very supportive and I wish all of them all the best for everything. At the end, I would like to mention that even with the constrained resources, the commitment and determination of the training personnel stands out. You are surely creating tough, skilled and leader-like officers who would do great at the field level and make the country proud.

The next stop was 34^th Battalion of ITBP, sahasi chauttis, situated at a lowly place near the lowly town of Haldwani in the oh so beautiful! district of Nainital.  When I was told about the established battalions  of the force, I was told that they are beautifully constructed over nearly 100 acres of  land with high class accommodation and other infrastructure. And when I reached the place, it turned out to be an unit in transition. The dry run continues for my life it seemed. And this transition has been there for years. All it had were some unfurnished semi-permanent huts for the offices and with rest of the force living in tents. Looked more like a refugee camp where the host nation has decided to train the refugees in combat and use it for its own benefit.

But then surprisingly, all that never bothered me after I learnt more and more about the people there and the fraternity they share. As soon as I reached the Officer’s Mess area, I got an idea that an Assistant Commandant holds great value for the force personnel. Who would hate the idea of people giving you so much of respect and attention, but it did feel awkward. You get used to it eventually like every other thing in the world. Then I called on all the senior officers and found that all of them are from a generation above. That was discouraging at first but as I understood the dynamics of a government workplace and the vast experience that they repeatedly shared without hesitation, things improved and I got so absorbed that this concern never really bothered me. I was blessed to have a wonderful, highly experienced and welfare-oriented commandant (Sh. R.S.Vats), supportive seniors, wonderful colleagues (Dr. Dilip) and a highly motivated battalion. It was only here that I truly understood the sacrifices made by our force personnel as they stay far off their social circles and are dedicated to protect and guard our country in the most difficult of terrains. The induction training really helped me a lot to understand the problems of red tapism and other bureau-pathologies. This whole experience of coming around to know how a force functions has been truly enriching. People who work in the paramilitary and armed forces sacrifice a lot in terms of social capital and hence they deserve to be treated with respect.

 But now time has come to bid adieu. I acknowledge and thank all the officers of ITBP who have helped, advised and worked by my side. All the seniors too who have always shown the right path and guided me selflessly. I am proud of the work ITBP is doing. And the incredible commitment of the force eclipses all the shortcomings and I wish that the Government soon acknowledges the great contribution of all the Central Armed Police Forces and provides them enough to grow at par with others. As I walk away, I am more disciplined, ten kilograms lighter, slightly  muscular and aware of the nuances of Public administration.

Respect to all those people working in forces.

Special thanks to all from AC Basic 20^th A/B batches.

Bye, ITBP. Jai Hind!

P.S. For the uninitiated, ITBP stands for Indo-Tibetan Border force, a central armed police force which has the mandate of guarding the Indo-Chna border and also Disaster Management. To know more...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Tibetan_Border_Police