LBS Diaries Part 11 - श्रमदान

आजकल साफ़ सफाई के प्रति लोगो की विचारधारा बदली हुई प्रतीत होती है।  अब यह परिवर्तन सच्चा है या नहीं इस पर टिपण्णी करना तो कठिन है परन्तु फेसबुक पर दिख रही अनेक तस्वीरो से तो यही लगता है की लोग सच में पुरे देश को साफ़ कर के ही मानेंगे। हर दूसरे दिन यह देखने को मिलता है की लोग बड़ी संख्या में सडको पर उतर आते है और इनके पास सफाई के इतने औजार होते है की कचरा उनको देख कर भी भाग खड़ा होता है। और यह सारे लोगो में इतना भाईचारा होता है की सब मिलकर एक छोटी सी जगह पर ही झाड़ू मारने लगते है।  और इनमे पूर्णता पाने की इतनी ललक होती है की यह एक ही जगह पर झाड़ू लिए घंटो खड़े रहते है।

जब पूरा देश इस सफाई की लहर से प्रभावित है तो भला हमारी अकादमी कैसे पीछे रह सकती है।  तो हुआ यह की पिछले शनिवार को सुबह सुबह एक श्रमदान का कार्यक्रम रखा गया जिसके अंतर्गत सारे प्रशिक्षु अधिकारियों को विभिन्न छोटे छोटे समूहों में बांट दिया गया और हर एक समूह को अकादमी का एक हिस्सा साफ़ सफाई करने हेतु आवंटित किया गया।  इसके पश्चात हर समूह को पॉलिथीन की थैलियां और हाथ दस्ताने दिए गये।  यह सब देख के लग रहा था की कचरे से ज्यादा तो कचरा उठाने वाला कचरा है।  पर चलिए कोई बात नहीं, सोचा की कम से कम लोगो के मन में अगर सफाई की एक ज्योति भी अगर जागृत होती है तो यह इस अभियान की सफलता होगी।  

तो इसी आशा के साथ निकल पड़े हम अपने हिस्से की ओर।  हमारे समूह को वह हिस्सा आवंटित किया गया था जहा अकादमी में काम कर रहे मजदूर लोग रह रहे थे।  वहा हम शायद पहली ही बार गए थे और वहा की हालत देख कर लगा की सफाई की बहुत जरूरत है। पलक झपकते ही हमारी सारी थैलियां भर चुकी थी। परन्तु जब हमने पीछे मुड़कर देखा तो वहा रह रहा एक मजदूर बाहर आया और कुछ कचरा सामने ही फैक दिया। तब इस बात का एहसास हुआ की जब तक हम लोगो की सोच और आदते नहीं बदलेंगे तब तक कुछ फरक नहीं पड़ेगा।  सिर्फ सडको का कचरा उठाने से बात नहीं बनेगी, मन का कचरा भी साफ़ करना होगा।  हमारे समूह के कुछ लोगो ने जाकर इन मजदूरो को समझाने की कोशिश की जो की प्रशंशनीय है।  

परन्तु देश भर में चल रहे स्वच्छ भारत अभियान की झलकियाँ यहाँ भी देखने को मिली।  कुछ समूहों को ऐसे हिस्से मिले जहा पर कचरे का नामो निशाँन न था।  शायद इतने लोगो की भगदड़ के चलते सफाई का उल्टा ही असर पड़ा होगा। कुछ लोग तो केवल झाड़ू के  साथ सेल्फ़ी लेने में ही व्यस्त थे और बस समय समाप्त होने का इंतज़ार कर रहे थे।  दूसरी तरफ कुछ ऐसे भी लोग थे जिनका जस्बा देख कर दिल गार्डन गार्डन हो गया।  वो पुरे जोश के साथ सफाई करते हुए आघे बढ़ते ही जा रहे थे।  उन्हें देख और भी लोग प्रेरित हो रहे थे।  और यही तो इस अभियान का सार है।  हमे ज्यादा से ज्यादा लोगो को प्रेरित करना होगा ताकि स्वच्छ भारत का स्वप्न साकार कर सके।  

 इस अभियान के दौरान कुछ विचार मेरे मन में आये।  यह अभियान अकादमी के स्वच्छ प्रांगण में करने की बजाय मसूरी शहर के किसी ऐसे हिस्से में करना चाहिए था जहा इसकी सच में जरूरत थी और इसके साथ ही हम वहा रह रहे लोगो को स्वच्छता के महत्व के बारे में बता सकते थे। अथवा हम यह अभियान उन जगहों पर भी कर सकते थे जहा हम हर शनिवार Trek करने गए थे।  शर्म के बात है की उन वीरान सुन्दर पहाड़ियों पर भी कचरो के भण्डार पनप रहे है।  खैर जाने दीजिये, आशा करते है की कुछ समय बाद यह स्वच्छता अभियान सच में सफल हो और हमारा भारत, स्वच्छ भारत कहलाया जा सके!

LBS Diaries Part 10 - Attack of the Drone!

In those cumbersome days when one was made to study two optional subjects, my second one was Sociology as I thought it would be cool to study about the society I intend to serve. One of the chapters was about the research methodology and one of the portions dealt with how behavior of people changes when they are being observed in a social experiment. Lately, moving around LBS one could notice a team of media personnel who are probably making a documentary called "Being OT!". They have been taking pictures and video footage of nearly everything we have been up to.

And today we had the privilege of having them in the Polo grounds. And boy, they came in style. These guys actually had a drone at their disposal to take aerial shots of how the Officer Trainees of the 90th Foundation Course do their workout after being compelled to wake up that early in the morning. It is amusing how technology has empowered everyone. These days even kids own this drone kind of thing which flies and can be remotely controlled to take pictures and do territorial surveys meanwhile our armed forces like CRPF still struggle to get enough number of such equipment to deal with the difficult red corridor.

Given the presence of a camera hovering over the Polo ground, our PT instructor took the PT real seriously for the first time. His energy levels suddenly rose to such irrational levels which can only be equaled by Red Bull which gives you wings. As if that wasn't enough to attract attention, he went on to repeat the briefing he had given earlier regarding the forthcoming trek. He went on and on and on. So much so that our ears actually bled. I really love it when he goes into the breathing exercises and shouts at the top of his voice "Inhale and Exile". Yes yes, it is an Exile for all of us. Exile from the beautiful comfort of our cozy beds in this chilly weather.

As if the morning torture was not enough the cameras followed us everywhere. Even to our worst fears that is our Officers mess. Suddenly people displayed exemplary levels of Mess etiquette using all possible combinations of forks and knives even for the intake of Chappatis. There was relatively more silence in the mess, people were being more formal and quipped with manners. It is amazing to see how people would behave if they are aware of the fact that Big Brother is watching. That brings us to the very relevant question that what is morality? Is it the perception of what we think is right or what the society thinks is right? We tend to conform to whatever the social sanction points to. We are more concerned about the social judgement passed by the society at large.

Lastly, I would just like to mention something of a request to my colleagues. We all do realize that how lucky we have been to get this position in the echelons of administration. Now irrespective of who is watching and observing us, we owe it big time to the nation and to it's citizens. We must stop thinking about ourselves. We must only and only target the best we can do in this official capacity that we have been endowed upon. May the gods show us the right path. May we make most of this golden opportunity!

LBS Diaries Part 9 - Theater of Dreams

We have been waiting for her since long. Since the day we actually arrived here. People have been anticipating the various colors she would bring. The laughter, the magic and the charisma. People have been preparing for her even with such busy a schedule. She has finally arrived and true to the expectations, she has left us speechless with the beauty she spread upon us. She was phenomenal. She, the night of cultural.

The show started with a brilliant political satire written and directed by Vivek Space Anand which depicted a modern day jury with participation from all sections of the society and how the orthodox elements still succeed in suppressing the Freedom of Expression guaranteed by our Constitution. The play showcased some brilliant performances especially from superstar Rohit Yadav and the old man played by Ananya Mittal. Towards the end we saw brilliant monologue by Pamela which was the very message of the play. Full marks to the whole team!

Play by Vivek Space Anand

This particular start set the standards pretty high and the rest of show matched up to that level thoroughly entertaining the crowd. This was also coupled by the articulate compering by four of our talented colleagues which was utterly sublime. So much so that one of them actually transcended to the UPA era at the mention of the Prime Minister. Just kidding, no offence meant to anyone. Koi nahi, as they say, "बड़े बड़े कल्चरल में ऐसी छोटी छोटी गलतिया होती रहती है! "  

Then came a sensational and scintillating medley of Hindi and regional songs with so many people getting on the floor and totally nailing it. And the unforgettable visuals were provided by our very own PMC (President, Mess Committee) Bhoobhalan who took the Lungi Dance to another level. I hope under his able guidance the quality of the food in the Officer's mess also reaches this apex. Then there was another play by Vivekanand which portrayed the idiosyncrasies of certain individuals and groups and the extent to which they can go. Various sub-plots where brilliantly inter wined and the result was a hilarious situational comedy. Some people even compared it to "Inception" while others refuted the claim and asserted that "नहीं यार, Inception तो समझ में आ गयी थी!". Jokes apart, that was simply class act!

Lungi Dance!

It was indeed a beautiful surprise to see our friends from Bhutan perform their folk dance with such ease and elegance. The costumes, the music and the gestures were possibly novel to us but certainly one could easily appreciate the rhythm and symphony they created. It reminded me of my IRS days where also I had the opportunity to see my fellow Bhutanese officers perform. I can say this with some confidence that all the officers I have met from Bhutan, they have this unconditional love towards their culture and they proudly present it wherever they go. Something of a learning to the young generation of India which is unfortunately getting drifted away from it's roots.

Bhutanese extravaganza! 

In between there were many beautiful dances and I congratulate all the participants for such a colorful performance. Special mention for Aboli/Kunal and group for the visual treat which totally looked like a professional performance. The amount of effort you guys have put into it deserves nothing less than a standing ovation.  The formations, the synergy and the coordination were all fabulous and top notch.

Breathtaking!

Lastly, it was wonderful to see so many talented OTs coming forward and entertaining us with their "Shers". I think the total number of "Shers" overwhelmed even the numbers presented in the recent Tiger census. Such is the potential and talent of our batch. Lastly, congratulations to all those who's name i have missed and also those who tirelessly and anonymously worked backstage to make the event a great success. Hope we get to see more such beautiful evenings in this Theater of Dreams. Cheers!

LBS Diaries Part 8 - Conquering Lal Tibba

Boy o' boy, how time flies. Memories of the Registration day are still fresh in our minds and here we are, back from the third and last short trek of our beloved Foundation Course. Today's mission was to conquer the highest point in Mussoorie better known as Lal Tibba near Landour. Now there have been many discussions and conspiracy theories attempting to interpret this weird name.  Some say that the upper most part of Mussoorie has this red soil texture and hence the name. Some say that it's because most of the houses and cottages there have a red roof or color. Another interesting theory was propagated today during the trek among the OTs which believes that Lal Tibba features a significantly high volume of leech population and those who trek to that place are forced to shed some blood on the way.  Wow, that was some Tarantino shit!

Anyway, as we started marching along the Kempty Road, various groups poured into all possible trek routes that came alongside the road ultimately joining like the very many tributaries of a river. Now as per the weather forecast, it was supposed to be a cloudy day with little rainfall but you know how Murphy's law always comes true to screw you. It was again a hot and clear day like that on the first trek and that itself had a symbolism in it hinting that this one ain't going to be as good a trek as Binog Hill. We descended down the hill and for quite some time. This was paradoxical in a way that we started to question aren't we supposed to get to the highest point of Mussoorie?

We stopped at a point for breakfast and on opening that food box which was packed the other day, we all said hello to a questionable banana. Trekkers aren't choosers and ergo we consumed all of it. And now we were hoping that the uphill climb would start. But fate it seems is not without a sense of irony. We moved further down. And some more. So much so that people started questioning the authenticity of the trek. Soon we saw our fellow OTs on the hill opposite to us as they marched upwards. Suddenly everyone stopped and there was a common voice that resonated across the valley "Is that the hill? Noooo...". So many people said this at the same time that it almost felt like a case of constructive interference resulting into the highest intensity. But what needs to be done, must be done.

Soon the eternal uphill climb began. Anirudh was with me from the very start. He had some issues with his ankle but was denied an exemption from the trek. Given his leg condition it was always going to be a challenge to climb uphill but full credit to his persistence and the patience he displayed when we pushed him like a child. Treks are not about getting your personal best and galloping to the completion line. They are more about enjoying the very feel of being amidst the nature. They are about looking after your fellow trekkers. They are about helping out and collaboration. Making sure that no one is left behind. It was fun pushing Anirudh through his limits. It reminded me of that half marathon in Hyderabad where my major concern was making sure that my friends complete the race in time. Isn't that the main motto of FC, esprit de corps.

Finally we made it to that top where the regular mess food awaited us. That part of Mussoorie is better known as Landour. Don't dig too much into why this place is called that. There is nothing obscene about the place. In fact it is much more beautiful than the main city. Reasons are very apparent - purely temperate vegetation, less population and more greenery. And of course that is the place where you can easily see the snow-clad Himadris. Post- lunch we moved to explore the utterly famous "Char Dukaan" which serves these wonderful Pan-cakes only to realize that most OTs knew about it and with all places taken we decided to march back to the academy.

On our way back, we had to cross the main market. Walking along side the heavy traffic on that tinny road with horns going berserk from all directions, I wondered, what have we done to this beautiful place. We have totally ruined the Queen of the Hills. With such widespread construction of hotels, roads and houses, it's rare to get a glimpse of the virgin mountains. So here we are in this serene place with tourists pouring in from all corners of the country apparently to enjoy the nature's lap but the questions they have disappoint and amuse me - Where is McDonalds man? What shit, this place doesn't have a multiplex? Bloody hell, there is no mall, where the hell am I suppose to shop?

Anyway, leaving that aside for the time being, here we are having conquered the highest point in Mussoorie. At this juncture, i would like to quote Edmund Hilary "It is not the mountain that we conquer but ourselves". Congratulations all for having completed all three treks. I am sure most would not have known earlier that they were capable of this. You are capable of much more. Wishing you all the best for the Grand finale, the 10-day trek in the Himalayas!

LBS Diaries Part 7 - The Specially Abled

Like every other day, I woke up at 0445 HRS, just when the alarm was about to go on. The body now has programmed itself or rather lets just say that the logic has been force-fed into our mainframe. But then suddenly I realized that there was no Physical Torture err... PT today. Today we were to go to Dehradun to visit the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH) and an NGO named Raphael which looks into the care, training and rehabilitation of the intellectually disabled children. It was going to be an emotionally draining visit but I had no idea that the extent would be knocking us off our feet.

So after realizing that I had another hour at my disposal, I pounced under the covers again. I don't know of any other feeling which is even close to this one when you wake up and realize that there is still more time for another nap. Yes yes, it's even better than what you are thinking. Pure bliss. Anyway, finally we assembled in the Kalindi lawns and then were asked to move to our respective buses. Now in the allocation letter, most were allocated some Bus number whereas our little group was to go in a Tempo. What discrimination, we thought. But then that Tempo turned out to be a very cozy traveler. And the fact that we were a smaller group comparatively, that proved to be of much use when we went to tour the various sections of these institutions. Larger the better, does not always hold true.

Our leader was Jigme from Bhutan Royal Police Service and was already standing in front of the bus with the thing that matters the most here. The coveted attendance sheet. After duly putting our initials we set off for the downhill journey to Dehradun. The driver apparently was a big Fast and Furious fan and the way he was flying the tempo, yes flying and not driving, surely meant that we all would be soon joining Paul walker up there. No offence meant to the great actor, we all miss you dude. And then it happened. What happens in all road journeys. No no, don't worry, i only meant Antakshari. But given our diverse group, not more than a couple of people were to appreciate a song in any language. So, we just sang some random songs and tried our level best to take those songs to their ever low levels. And boy, we did it with some dignity. Cheers to that, I say.

We were approaching Dehradun at lightening speed courtesy Vin Diesel on the wheels. But there was this glitch of sorts. On the bus was written Raphael but as per plan we were to reach NIVH first. When we passed by NIVH, I looked at Anmol and he was as surprised as me. And then we foolishly agreed that the entry gates must be on the other side or something. We went too far ahead by the time we realized that something smells fishy. But soon we reached Raphael.  As OTs got down, they were as puzzled as the faculty present there as if we have done some blasphemous act. Meanwhile the admin was in shock, the OTs moved inside the seminar room and just when they were about to pour tea into their cups, they were told to rush back to their respective vehicles and go to NIVH first. KLPD. Chutzpah. And all that jazz. Some sane mind would ponder why not keep this group here and the other group there. Just flip the schedule around as a contingency measure. But sane mind, ahh, a rarity of sorts i guess.

Retracing our path, we reached to the "right" destination. The whole group assembled in an auditorium and were divided for the campus tour and were assigned guides. We visited the Braille typing center where they were converting all reading materials to Braille, the proofreading section where the blind were reading it faster than reading speed of "normal" people like us. Amazing. Then we had a glance over the very expensive Braille printers and the large printing units. The later makes available books in whichever font desired by the people with low vision. Great initiative. Post that we moved to various classrooms where the visually disabled were being trained for daily chores, cooking, working with machines, computers, programming and what not. In all those classes, the special instructors where of the view that with few modifications and a little extra effort, these people can do any work. The only problem is that the Private sector is not willing to walk that extra mile. I was amazed to see their talents and zeal. There is no ounce of doubt that they deserve to walk alongside us in whatsoever avenue.

Then we went to the school for the blind and just as we entered, we saw a group playing cricket with that special ball making sounds as it rolled towards the batsman. It was such a joy to see them in joy. They were enjoying their Game period to the fullest. We all felt like joining them on the pitch but the time constraint was keeping us on our toes. We went to one of the classroom where they were playing board games. Guddu, one among the sweet kids resent there told me that he loved playing chess and how that was a specially made set for them. The white figurines had a dot over them, the black did not. He told me he also loves to play cricket and his favorite player was Mallinga. When I asked him if no one from the Indian cricket team was good enough, he laughed and even strongly disagreed. He was so happy to see visitors. So were all of them.

They all asked us various questions and did not want us to go. Few of them surprised us with amazing vocal performances. It was such a joy to be with them. And they were so happy, so confident that they will not stop for what they do not have. After being with them, i felt ashamed of myself remembering all those times when I had complaints for such petty things. I could see that reaction on many faces around. Many OTs were disturbed seeing their conditions and struggle. They were just trying to hold it up inside them. But we seldom have control over our eyes. They give us away. People can just read us through them. Vulnerable we!

After that we all assembled back in the seminar room for an address by the Director of NIVH. When we reached there, she was already there eagerly waiting for our reactions, questions and suggestions. She patiently answered all our concerns in detail and what I really liked about her was that through her answers she also showed us the way in which we can help them in our own administrative capacities. It was wonderful to listen to her views. And that soft and composed texture of her voice was engaging and encouraging. She her self was visually disabled. She lost her vision in an accident. But the work she has done and is doing for visually disabled is phenomenal and inspirational. Lastly our colleague Beno who is herself visually disabled gave a fitting Vote of Thanks by quoting Helen Keller "I am only one, but I am still one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. "

Then we moved to an even more challenging place. Raphael, the home to the intellectually disabled. As we reached there, we were served this excellent lunch. We discussed the possibility of sending our Mess staff there for an attachment. If only. Once again, we were divided into groups and led by the special instructors there. We went to see the TB hospital that they efficiently run, various special classes and modules which were developed for the autistic children, independent living homes for such children and finally a workshop where articles made by these children are displayed for purchase. It was my first experience interacting with this specially abled lot. Before this I had no idea how to talk to them or how to react to their actions and gestures. But here is when I realized that they are no different. They are as simple as we are, they are as complex as we are. All we need is to have patience, patience and patience. All they want from others is that they should not be seen as useless. They are as much a part of this world as others. All they want from us is a smile. A smile that says they are one of us. Nothing else. It is that simple.

This was perhaps a day of immense learning for all of us. This cannot be taught by the in-house faculty or by the very many eminent speakers from around the world. To understand the concerns and needs of such special sections, you need to be with them, you need to listen to them, you need to see it in their eyes. We must understand that if such people lack something, they are good at something else which we are not trying to see. We only see what they cannot do and we tend to judge them by that. That is wrong. And especially we, as public servants, have an even bigger responsibility to make sure they are not deprived of their rights and that masses are sensitized.

Let's pledge to help them in whatever which way we can and to actively pursue their concerns. Let's pledge not to see them as disabled. They are just differently abled. Or rather, specially abled!

LBS Diaries Part 6 - This unfair world

The super busy schedule of the FC continues and keeps us on our toes. It is so difficult to keep a track of time here. At the end of the day you feel like you had just got up from the bed cursing the stupid idea of PT and the associated interstellar travel to the Polo ground. And when you wake up, you feel like you have been cheated as you had just slept. Finding time for self, for talking to family and in special cases romance over the phone- all these have become luxuries.

Over strained from the Karate and Gym sessions, I returned to my room this evening only to find food articles scattered here and there all over the room and the trail finally ending in the balcony. My roommate told me that he had mistakenly left the balcony door open just for a small time while he was away. But these monkeys here I tell you, they are so smart, aware and fearless, sometimes I feel that the evolution has been reversed or something to that effect. As if they were just waiting to pounce and looks like they firmly believe in that saying that "Enter as soon as the window of opportunity opens!"

So they breached into our rooms and scanned all possible drawers and shelves for food items. When Amit returned, he was taken aback seeing a whole platoon of our ancestors enjoying the luxury of munching on first class beds with the Discovery Channel playing on this big LCD screen on the wall. Upon seeing him, they all rushed to the balcony and continued their supper as if they had crossed over to their side of the fence. And since unlike us they had no exposure to the Mess Etiquette class, they made a mess of our balcony.

Seeing our sweet little balcony in ruins, I called the reception to inquire if any of the cleaning staff is available at this hour to which he first denied but then sent this guy. After he was done cleaning up, I asked him how come he was still here at this hour. He replied " Sir, I have to work till 10 pm in the night. And I start early in the morning. They have given me a place to stay here only". Okay, that's a lot of work man, what about your food and salary? He took a deep breathe. He pretended to smile but one could easily get under his mask. "Sir, they don't give us food, we have to cook ourselves. And we get 5000 Rupees per month."

There was silence for long in the room. Then he smiled again and went out. I looked at my roommate. He had the same expression on his face. As if I had looked into a mirror. "5000 only". We spend that much in such petty and wasteful things. Our mess bill comes double of that. Our trekking shoes value somewhere around that. People spend much more that that for monthly booze and smoke. And after working his ass off for most part of day, he gets only this much. What is left with him after the expenditure on food? What he sends back to his family? What he saves? How does he buy the amenities?

The other day, we were discussing the damaging extent of poverty and destitution in the country and it all came flashing back. On one hand we have people struggling to get one meal a day and on other we have people wasting food amounting to three such meals everyday. On one hand we have people living on the street, on the other we have a couple living in a 5000 sq feet bungalow.  On one hand we have people wearing the same torn cloths every day, on one hand we have people living the German lifestyle of throwing cloths after one use.

The people on the greener side often argue that they have earned all this and they deserve to spend it the way they wish to. Yes, you do. But along with that you have a moral obligation to help your brethren in their desperate times. And those who have helped, would second me, when I assert that there is nothing like that feeling. That feeling of having come to use for someone. That feeling of making someone feel better. That feeling of making a difference for good in this unfair world. That feeling of having done something.

Dear reader, I hope you know what that feeling is like. If not, please make sure you do. Lastly, this very feeling was well conveyed by Swami Vivekanand when he said

“So long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every person a traitor who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them!”

LBS Diaries Home || Index Page

Hi all,

The journey of the 90th FC has started. I am sure that this time in LBS is going be pretty precious and ergo I would like to share it with the near and dear ones. I know this is the age of Selfies and Groupies. But I think I like this way. It's old school yes, but the connect you make is immense. This would also clear the picture for many aspirants who have faint ideas about life after selection. I would certainly make an attempt to cover all the important and joyous moments of the 90th FC and would certainly continue this exercise during Phase I and beyond.

This is the page containing all the links to LBS diaries. Just click on the respective post heading and you will be redirected there. Hope you enjoy these readings.

1. LBS Diaries Part 1 - The Mountain Man
2. LBS Diaries Part 2 - The not so "short" trek
3. LBS Diaries Part 3 - स्वस्थ रहो 
4. LBS Diaries Part 4 - जरूरतमंद
5. LBS Diaries Part 5 - Binog Hill Trek
6. LBS Diaries Part 6 - This unfair world
7. LBS Diaries Part 7 - The Specially Abled
8. LBS Diaries Part 8 - Conquering Lal Tibba

Cheers :)

LBS Diaries Part 5 - Binog Hill Trek - The Kempty Redemption

When it rained the other day, people suddenly had "hope". Hope that it will also rain tomorrow. Perhaps more heavily so much so that the looming trek on us may get cancelled. Some folks even backed their assertions with the help of the weather forecasts available online. I am sure the more than 300 strong OTs prayed for the rains with the same intensity as we do in the pre-monsoon months with a deficit monsoon forecast. And the God of Rain listened. But i think there was some mess up with conveying the time zone and the rains stopped just before the scheduled time. And good that it happened as on the cards was a beautiful, beautiful trek.

So, it was almost 0630 hrs, the designated trek kick off time, and people were still holding on to that "hope". But soon some started to rush towards the starting point and the rest unwillingly followed. It was still drizzling a bit. But no one actually cared as the view beyond the Karmshilla building was just breathtaking. The clouds were looking gorgeous. White, bright and so so near that you almost feel like extending your hand and grabbing them or even to run to embrace them. Totally lost in this amazingly serene view, we were brought back to our senses by this coarse voice at the peek of its pitch asking us to line up. Having been part of ITBP force, I can understand how difficult it is for the PTIs from ITBP to deal with civilians for whom it is alien to obey orders at once. And now being a part of the civilian cloud, I admire them more and more.

And there was it, the signal to march towards Cloud's end where we were to get our breakfast. The stretch was more or less plain the only catch being the Commando Race being conducted on the same route simultaneously by ITBP. Not a problem for us but they must have faced difficulties asking the crowd to stay left all the time. Anyway, it was great seeing the glimpse of my past and also to see some of my colleagues cheering for the commandos. Way to go guys. BTW that road was a beautiful stretch for morning runs with sheer greenery and nothing else. Looking forward for some runs along that boulevard.

After walking about 7 km, we reached Cloud's end which was not really a great spot or something but who really cares when you had just walked so long for your breakfast. We attacked the food counters with great tenacity and the simple bread jam had never tasted so so good, I tell you. With that someone told us it would be a good idea to sprinkle salt all over our socks so as to avoid the forced "blood donation" to the suckers errr i mean leeches. With our feet salted up, we were all set to take on the Binog Hill. Now the inner trek around the mountain was beautiful and balanced. Not so steep down and not so steep up. It was a wonderful uphill route to start with. Suddenly there were some weird voices. Tribal and raw. It was so real we almost fell for it. But then we realized there is a significant OT population which is ahead of us and apparently some of them have a great voice coupled with the art of imitation. Great folks!

Marching through the sublime greenery, we reached the temple where we were given some time to rest. Right in front of the temple, there were numerous cow dungs as if the religious ones come right up to the top of the hill to pay homage. After all cow dungs are considered sacred and a beacon of purity. Rather there was so much of cow shit all over the hills that you start to wonder whether the cows are also being sensitized with Swachcha Bharat Abhiyaan not to litter the city roads. Also the amount of cow shit up there seriously can double the share of non-conventional energy sources if used for Bio Gas production.

Now was the tricky part to climb down the hill at this very steep end where they had put some ropes as safety measures. Perhaps the most difficult part but most useful when it comes to getting prepared for the week long trek deep in the Himalayas. Great work by those who were standing there with the rope and great work by all the OTs making sure that the person behind and in front are both safe. We picked up some pace hereafter as the lunch was on the offing.  While marching down groups were competing on how loud can they shout and the winning group was the one which went like "सुस्त रहो!", a troll of the morning PT rhetoric "स्वस्थ रहो!" Finally we reached the lunch place where we saw some of our friends taking out leeches and that very moment we all felt a tingling sensation in the feet. We all sat down there itself taking off our socks with the apprehensions of finding them red. But nothing for most of us. Just our loyal socks reflecting "सरदार, मैंने आपका नमक खाया है!"

Post lunch was entirely uphill. A slightly long return trek as compared to the previous one with no option of taking a cab  or hitchhiking. You had to finish this one the right way. And that's the whole point of this exercise, ain't it? Anyway, this was overall a wonderful wonderful trek and it had everything we expected in Kempty trek. Hope this makes up for the the incomplete promises made for the first trek. Redemption accepted with pleasure.

स्वस्थ रहो!

To read LBS Diaries Part 4, Click here!

LBS Diaries Part 4 - जरूरतमंद

समय पवन की भाँति  तीव्र गति से भागा जा रहा है और हम कोर्स के दूसरे सप्ताह के अंत तक पहुंच चुके है। प्रत्येक  कक्षा में यह  देखा जा रहा है कि कुछ लोग जो अंग्रेजी नहीं बोल या समझ पाते है वो बड़ी ही दुविधा में है। यहाँ के सारे शिक्षक अंग्रेजी का ही प्रयोग करते है और इन लोगो के लिए एक या दो शब्द हिंदी के बोल देते है । परन्तु यह देख के एक बिडम्बना होती है की देश की जो  राज भाषा है उसको बोलने वालों को ही उन्ही के देश में मुसीबत होती है।  पता नहीं ये कहना कितना सही है और कितना गलत । एक तरफ हम बात करते है प्रांतीय भाषाओं को प्रोत्साहन देने की और एक तरह हिंदी बोलने वालो को ही तकलीफ हो रही है ।

चलिए आशा करते है की इसका कुछ हल जल्दी ही निकले तबतक हम बात करते है एक महत्त्वपूर्ण विषय पर । कुछ ही दिन पहले हमारी अकादमी ने एक चिकित्सा शिविर का आयोजन किया था । इसमें हमारे साथ के प्रशिक्षु अधिकारी जो की चिकित्सक है उन्होंने मदद की । उन्होंने आस पास के क्षेत्रों में रह रहे गरीब लोगो का मुफ्त में उपचार किया और निशुल्क दवाइयाँ बाटी । इस दिन हमारे एक मित्र भी वहा मौजूद थे जिनका नाम है निखिल म व् । यह लेख लिखने की प्रेरणा मुझे उन्ही से मिली । 

तो बात ऐसी है की उनके पास एक मरीज आया जिसको पेट में दर्द की तकलीफ थी।  निखिल द्वारा जाँच करने के पश्चात कुछ गंभीर लक्षण नहीं पाए  गए । उस मरीज के साथ उसकी पत्नी और बेटी भी आई हुई थी और जो की बहुत ही चिंतित लग रही थी ।  निखिल ने जब उनको समझाने की कोशिश की और बताया की चिंता की कोई बात नहीं है क्यूंकि लक्षण सिर्फ मामूली पेट दर्द के ही है । उनका जवाब सुन कर निखिल हैरान था।  मरीज की पत्नी में बताया की उसके पति को पेट का कर्क रोग(Cancer ) है।  पहले कराये गए कुछ परीक्षणों में यह बात सामने आई थी और ये सिर्फ उसे और उसकी बेटी को पता थी।  दम्पति रोज काम कर मजदूरी कमाने वाले थे और इसके इलाज के लिए कही जा नहीं सकते थे।  पैसे का आभाव तो था ही और साथ ही बेटी का शिक्षण भी।  उनका सोचना यह था की इसका इलाज कराएंगे तो वो कर्ज के बोझ में दबते चले जायेंगे।  एक तरह से उन्होंने यह स्वीकार लिया था की वो अब बहुत दिनों का मेहमान नहीं है ।  

अब ऐसे में निखिल क्या करता।  उसने कुछ दवाइयाँ दी और कुछ कह न सका।  वहा कार्यरत लोगो ने बताया की ये परिवार हर सप्ताह यहाँ आता है क्यूंकि ये सुविधा निशुल्क है।  ऐसे कितने परिवार भारत में है इसकी कोई कल्पना भी  नहीं कर सकता।  एक तरफ  लोग लाखो रूपए बेफिजूल ही खर्च कर देते है और एक तरफ लाखों लोग चंद रुपयो के मोहताज है।  यह किस तरह का न्याय है ?

अंत में मैं सभी से यही विनती करता हु की इन जरूरतमंद लोगो के लिए आप अगर कुछ भी कर सकते है तो जरूर करे।  भगवान ने अगर हमे दुसरो से अधिक दिया है तो यह हमारा फ़र्ज़ है की हम दुसरो की  मदद करे।  और अधिकारियों से यह भी अपेक्षित है की वो ऐसे लोगो की  सहायता कर के दुसरो को प्रेरणा दे।  आशा करता हु की इस लेख से कुछ लोग प्रेरणा लेंगे और कुछ जरूरतमंद लोगो की सहायता करेंगे।

For LBS Diaries Part 3, Click here!

The IRS Story

During the summer of 2014, I was posted in Haldwani, near Nainital as Assistant Commandant of ITBP. For the uninitiated, you can know the whole story here CLICK ME. Actually the place and the nearest railway station was called "Lal Kuan" but i guess only a few from the region would know about that. When I first came to know about the place, I thought it was some dingy place along the Red corridor where they just throw traitors into a well or something. Jokes and apprehensions apart, it was a beautiful little place just on the foothills of the Shivalik. The last stretch of the Gangetic plains.

So I was just out in the field doing a market survey for some procurement that I got a call from my friend Akshay telling me that I had made it to the list. Rank 337 in CSE 2013. And while everyone around me went berserk at the mere mention of it, my head was pondering over the harsh necessity to give another attempt. And also, the possibilities of staying in the service which I would be soon joining. The Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise).

So, the thing with civil service aspirants is that they don't know much about the other services except the elite ones. And they only start to explore the horizons of these other services when it becomes abundantly clear that they are going to get it. I have to confess that although I knew about both the IRS variants but that was only a superficial and microscopic view. And ergo, I started to dig deep. From those who were already a part of the service, I came to know about the diversity of the job, various challenging opportunities and the advantage of mostly urban postings. I have to say I was elated and looking forward to join the professional course post mains 2014.

And here I was en route NACEN (National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics) Faridabad on 30th Dec, 14 after some hiccups in the medical examination process. I was late by a week and when I reached the classroom part of the training had already started. That day, along with me there were few more Officer Trainees (OTs) who reached the academic building for joining. We were straightaway sent to the auditorium where apparently some guest faculty had already started the lecture. This sense of urgency was symbolic of the seriousness of the training but the only question being how long would it survive?

As the batch was too big, almost half of it was residing in another nearby academy and soon one half was to be sent to MCR HRD Hyderabad and the other half was to stay back here. This was unfortunate as the camaraderie of the batch was compromised as we would hardly get a chance to interact with the other half. But constraints were such that this had to be done. Half of the batch went to Hyderabad and about 117 of us stayed back including the five wonderful officers from Bhutan.

For the next 6 odd months, this was going to be our home. And it was indeed, like our home,  courtesy the wonderful people around, the fabulous quality of the Officer's mess and the eternal bonds of friendships which developed. The rooms were allocated randomly but I got lucky to have a great roommate in Hrishikesh Utpat who hails from Pune. Serendipity being the Marathi connection. We had lots in common be it the love for reading, talking on abstract things or simply Game of Thrones. I would like to believe that he also became a Manchester United fan during those days as that was all i talked about. We also shared the love for posters and literally turned the room into Leopold Cafe. He also got this artistic lamp for the room which made it the best hostel room ever. And do not get me started on our balcony which opened to this serene view of a lawn and greenish cover. Pure bliss!

The other great thing that happened at the outset was that I ran into this Arsenal fan, Anudeep. We instantly clicked and decided to just dribble the football around in the lawns as there was no dedicated ground. That rolled the ball i guess as we got more and more players. There was this lawn which was of a decent size for seven a side football games but there were lampposts and trees all over. We tried to plead with the admin to get these obstructions removed but all in vain meanwhile still wondering who the admin was. But that didn't stop us. And eventually we took them all down, one free kick at a time. Thanks to the powerful volleys of Wangchuk that we didn't even spare the concrete posts.  Playing there with all my mates, was the best thing in Faridabad.

Now coming to the training part, Customs training offers you a wide variety as you go on to study various acts governing the Customs, Excise, Service Tax and Narcotics domains. It possibly has the largest number of attachments to ports, airports and other govt bodies. It is a great learning experience. In our attachment to the Mumbai airport, working under Mr. Kiran Karlapu, we caught hold of about 10 kgs of gold being smuggled by the crew of a reputed airline. The intelligence behind, the investigation that followed and the thrill of the whole process was truly amazing. Apart from that, the surveillance runs in the Power boats and small ships across the Mumbai bay was beautifully educative. We also had a tour to the Land Customs Stations at Petrapol at the Bangladesh border. Along all these attachments, we met numerous brilliant people working as Customs and Excise Officers who are doing a great job in the service of the nation. Their work is as important as that of some of the so called elite services. No doubts about that. Having seen the practical component, I can surely say with confidence that this is a great service playing a pivotal role in the collection of revenues for the government. There are certain issues but which service is without one. It service is what you make of it. And i am confident that in the coming times, this service would reach even greater heights.

For the last two months in IRS, I was at MCR Hyderabad for the Excise and Service Tax component of the training. This was different from Faridabad in the sense that this was not our own academy. There were various other Central and State service personnel who were being trained apart from us. It was a different setup altogether. But the good part was that we got to meet so many other people from so many other services and it turned out to be a great learning experience. The best part was the Turfside Football field which was just around the corner. And the entire staff of NACEN Hyderabad was very cooperative and accommodating.

At the very last I would like mention some of my friends in IRS who greatly inspired me. Utpat, it was great sharing the room with you. You are extremely well read with balanced views on almost everything and a great orator too. Anudeep, you are first Arsenal fan I liked and it was great playing football with you and not to mention all the shit we talked about be it AI or the Fermi paradox. Kaushik, I just wonder if all OTs were like you. You have done so much for the batch that writing about it would result in a book. Glad to meet you buddy. Keep the spirit going! Prianceu Pandey, it was great to meet such a pure soul like you who also shared my interests in running and Gym. Your desire for Police services in unparalleled and I am glad that you succeeded in it. Best of luck with that and I am sure you would also be around in NE. Unde, you are the darling of the batch. You have always kept the dinner table discussions interesting with different flavours of nationalism. A big big thanks for the constant supply of Bakhar wadi and Pomegranate. Your inclinations to help everyone is what we need to see in all public servants. Goutham, my United Mate, the matches we saw together be it the Underdoggs Sports bar or our very own rooms, you company has been truly amazing. I realized wish you were here with me today as I watch United beat Liverpool today. And my jersey is now with the right guy. The Mess Committee at Faridabad, you guys rock. The standards set cannot and cannot be broken. Epic stuff!

And the list goes on and on. Ergo, I would like to collectively thank all of my friends from the 66th batch of IRS (C&CE) who have made this short journey together such a wonderful affair. I wish you all the best for your ventures and let's look out for one another.

P.N. Rao Sir and Chander Shekhar Sir, you both have inspired all of us and I would like to thank you both for caring for the entire batch at each and every juncture. Hope we can replicate the standards set by you in our careers.

Cheers!

LBS Diaries Part 3 - स्वस्थ रहो!

We humans are sometimes so amusing, even to ourselves at times. Even when we know that something can be beneficial for us, we do not accept it without question as we are always skeptical to put up the effort required to do that. With morning PT we face the same dilemma. I mean who would debate against the fact that such morning PT sessions on the beautiful landscape of Mussoorie are purifying to our health. But who the hell likes to wake up at five in the morning. And it gets worse for that roommate who selflessly volunteers to wake up first. Folks, take a bow, for all those 30-minutes early roommates. It is for you that the rest half gets to sleep some more.

But the bottom line is, for the next three months, our Right to Sleep derived from Art. 21 providing Right to Life and liberty would be compromised. And we must accept the bitter pill, the sooner the better. So everyday around 5 30 in the morning, gloomy faces come out of the campus gates covered with LBS tracks with the hood covering their agonized faces. They march forward with the hands in their pockets when suddenly out of nowhere in the dark some ITBP personnel shout out loud "Hands out Sir, Good morning!" The OTs hesitatingly take out their hands mumbling some words back at them. Mostly would love to reply back "No no, this is not 'Good' morning. On Sundays, when we sleep through the morning, that my friend, is a 'Good' morning." But like the commoners in a martial law, we keep our feelings to ourselves.

There are various grounds in the campus itself or near to it. The happy valley ground or the football ground near it. These can easily accommodate even the inflated OT strength but they had to choose a ground to which the travel time is nearly 20 mins. I am sure the word "Polo" has entered the wrath list of most of the OTs. They tell us that the beautiful and serene view will make up for it. Duh. that might work for a day, even for the second day, for a week to a few nature lovers, what about the rest of the FC?

So after deep deliberations on How PT is just a tool to make us sleep early in the night, how other academies have various relaxations when it comes to PT and lastly the ineffectiveness of some naive stretches, we finally reach our destinations and line up as per our OT codes. Amidst the various stretches they make us do, the PTI tell us that we should keep our eyes wide open while doing eny variation. On being asked why, one of them confidently said "साब लोग, अपनी आँख खुली रखे, क्या पता ऊपर से क्या गिर जाये, अपने आप को बचा के रखे!" God, that was visionary. That was some random shit. Or shall I say random bird shit!

Apart from just turning out on time everyday, they also want the male OTs to be clean shaved everyday. Duh admin, you have just forced us to pre-pone our alarm clocks by 15 precious minutes. We have tried all the possible excuses by now-"पिम्पल हो गए है सर", "सर वो Mach ३ का ब्लेडवा ही नहीं मिल रहा है", "किया था सर, फिर उग गयी ". In case of any sign of non-compliance, they warn us that the PT personnel would "feel up" our cheeks. Yes please, that's the only thing remaining i guess. Go ahead, feel our cheeks, if in fact that makes you happy, or a more suitable synonym for it, gay!

After the ridiculously boring set of stretches, finally we get the orders to disperse with a loud call at the top of our voices "स्वस्थ रहो!". Yes, that's a good one but you know what else is required for good health. Good Sleep, long and without interruptions. Anyway, the road back to our hostels is difficult, uphill and too steep at times. This indeed is the real deal. But in spite of all these, I see some people who run all the way back, some who go the gym post this and some who go out for a bike ride. Great stuff guys.

On a serious note, these three months are going to be hard. But at the end, they are going to make us harder too. Stay healthy, stay foolish!


P.S. To read about the Short trek to Kempty, Click Here!

LBS Diaries Part 2 - The not so "Short" Trek

On the very day of completing joining formalities, we were handed over the schedule of the week by the training section and I couldn't wait until the end of the day to peek into that. I opened it right there and was so elated so see a short trek to Kempty falls which I could not see in my previous visit. Now as per the schedule it was supposed to be "Short" trek. How on earth was it short for crying out loud? The return from the PT sessions in the Polo ground everyday, that my friend is a short trek. The most difficult walk of whole day from Silver Woods to the Officers Mess for dinner, that my friend is called s short trek. This in no stretch of imagination was a "short" trek.

Anyway, it could have been worse i guess. When we were briefed the other day, I thought they would expect us to go the Mess early in the morning dressed in formals, then go to respective hostels and change to sports gear and then to assemble in the Polo ground at 8. But better sense prevailed I guess. We reached the spot where the "short" trek was to be flagged off but after a week long adherence to time, Indian Standard Time prevailed today. On top of that, it was apparently a hot day. The good thing being that no rains would ensure easy walks along the mountain edges which tend to be very slippery and as told to us they witnessed a lot of mess the last time this happened. But later, as we came to know, the heat became the most difficult of all challenges in our trek and especially in the return leg.

After a long long wait in the Polo ground we finally started to trickle. The initial part was through the dense hill and it was literally like walking on the edge. The path was pretty narrow and a single slip could have been costly. But thanks to the grace of almighty, all have returned safely. Or at least I presume that everyone has. The initial movement was slower than any tortoise in the world and we wrongly attributed it to the narrow path in the mountains. Later evidence which came up on the Facebook wall showed that it was mostly because of various candid pic moments and most importantly the Selfie-mania. But let's accept it, this was to best opportunity for that and as my brothers would say "आज तो बनता है ***!"

Coming down the hills lots of groups were singing beautiful songs which we all enjoyed but there was mostly silence in the return leg courtesy the strenuous nature of the uphill climb. On our way down we went through a little village where the Army personnel had arranged for a plantation drive, Most of the front runners got the saplings to be planted. Rest posed with the planted ones as #SelfieWithSapling was going to trend later and you just cannot afford to loose points on that. Some even pondered over the possibility of taking out the planted ones. Evil genius! Post plantation they arranged some snacks for us which we are very thankful for. Way to go Indian Army!

Re-energized from a round of samosas, we moved ahead downhill along the beautiful stream gushing with fresh water piercing the stones around and making it so picturesque that you would just sit there all day watching it. You just cannot resist the temptation to go down, feel the water in your hands and splash it on your forehead. At some distance, we came across a small fall where few of our brothers were going berserk. We were told that the actual fall is even down the trek and this is relatively way smaller. But it was so damn beautiful, sparsely populated and breathtaking that we pounced into the waters with no second thoughts and believe you me it was the best moment of the day. Standing beneath the little waterfall felt like having a shower of pebbles. Not painful but at just the right amount of pressure to make it soothing. The little space behind the waterfall where we sat for long was truly a moment to cherish. I almost felt like Bruce Wayne entering his secret place through the waterfall. 

Now having done it all, it was time to head towards the real fall. As we met folks returning from that place, they advised us not to bother as the place was full of half naked and hairy Indian men with such numbers that the water was hardly visible. Not that we have any fascination for such visuals but we still decided to move on just for task completion sake. As we finally reached the lowest point, the overwhelming sight of obese men proudly showing their family pack reaffirmed our conviction that the smaller waterfall was the right choice to make. They should consider renaming it k-crowded falls from k-empty.

On our way back, we met many who were of the view that the trek was over and from here taking a cab was the way to go. When they were corrected, the expressions on their faces, priceless! From here onward, every OT we came across had the same question in mind "भाई लंच कहा है ****?" Finally after crossing a stream, getting up a steep hill, we saw the arrangements. On the way uphill, there was this moment of weakness when I wanted to just sit down. Tired, sweating and thirsty. Then I saw this really old women carrying a huge bunch of cut grass without a sign of complaint on her face. She smiled at me. I smiled back disguising my tired state. My god, how do these people do it. And this was the moment which gave me the inspiration to sprint the rest of the way back. God bless you, dear lady. Long may you live to inspire many more.

Again, would like to thank the Mess members for arranging lunch for us all the way up there. Thanks to the Academy was such a wonderful trek although i might not agree with you on the prefix "Short". Congratulations to all OTs for making it through and thanks for looking out for others. 

There was always a hand grabbing one from the back when one slipped. There was always someone offering water when one was thirsty. Great batch, Great trek. 

Cheers 90th FC!

To read LBS Diaries Part 1, Click here!

LBS Diaries Part 1 - The Mountain Man

Once again into the breech dear friends. This Shakespeare line is what comes to my mind when I think of my times two years back when I came to Mussoorie to join the ITBP Academy. And this time, it's the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBS NAA). In a way its the palace to be situated at the heart of the Queen of the hills. And the adrenaline of about 360 Officer Trainees (OTs) met the reality on this 7th Sep'15 when they poured in from every nook and corner of the country to join the 90th Foundation Course.

After the smooth and streamlined completion of the joining formalities, the OTs settled down into the various hostels in the campus area viz. Ganga, Narmada and Kaveri. And a bunch of chosen ones were catapulted out of the academy into the woods. Silver woods to be precise. An almost 3-star a facility to be more precise. But as they say luxury comes at a cost. The cost of trekking up and down the curvy track to go inside the academy for the daily sessions, the really long walk to the Polo grounds at 5 in the freaking morning and embrace yourself for the most difficult one- Going back one more time dressed in formal to eat the oh so delicious mess dinner. That's a lot of cost I would say.

Among the vary many OTs in Silver Woods, some have made peace with it. Some have decided to dine at the prestigious Ganga Dhaba instead. But there is this one OT named Manjhi who just cannot take it anymore. His heart bleeds at the sight of tired OTs gasping for breath especially at this giant steep uphill road just beneath Silver Woods when they return from the PT in the morning. His heart bleeds some more when he sees that many OTs skip dinner just because the effort is not worth it. When he asked one of his fellow OT how he felt about it the guy replied "PT से डर नहीं लगता साहेब, वापस Silver  Woods  जाने में लगता है!"

Manjhi right from the first day opposed his allotment to the Silver Woods hostel outside the campus. He felt they have made him the outcast. But then what option did he have with him. He also was on the verge of accepting his and others fate or ill fate to be more correct. But he totally lost it the day one of his best friends got a severe cramp while running to the Polo ground to make it in time. Manjhi felt this could have been avoided if his friend was allocated a room in well placed hostels like Ganga.

That moment was the turning point of his life. He has resolved to break the mountainous terrain between Silver woods and academy to dig tunnels to Sampornanand Auditorium, Officer's Mess and to the Polo ground. He had started breaking it up with a shovel and an axe. And he will only stop when the route from Silver Woods to Officers Mess becomes the shortest of all. His fellow OTs from the Silver Woods are bringing him meals throughout the day and have vouched to make his proxy in all classes at any cost.The media is all over the place keeping in tune with the latest updates on Manjhi. On being asked by a journalist to advice other OTs, Manjhi replied "Admin के भरोसे मत बैठिये, क्या पता admin आपके भरोसे बैठा हो?"

On a serious note, the ball has started to roll. The days are getting hectic. The bonds are getting stronger. It's a great place to be with so many talented people. So many things to write about.Stay tune for more updates from LBS.

Genie Reporting.
Yours truly.