NCC

NCC

I was a cadet of the Jr Air wing NCC in school. There rose up to the rank of Corporal. I passed the ‘A’ Certificate Examination. I attended one Annual Training Camp too once. NCC in college belonged to the army. It was a Signals unit. I was not too happy but nevertheless I joined and could firing practice once. As I joined Tura Government College I found out that there were two NCC units, one for the boys and another for the girls. Prof (Lt) Niren Sangma was in-charge of the boys’ unit under 2 Meghalaya BN NCC and Prof (Ms) (Lt) Bianna W. Momin was in-charge of the girls’ unit under 61 Meghalaya Girls BN NCC. I wanted to join as an officer but there was no opportunity. I was once told that one more unit may be opened and I may be made in-charge there. But this never materialized. As Lt Sangma retired as an Associate NCC Officer (ANO) I was called upon to take charge. That was in the year 1996. I was called for interview in Shillong after the authorities were satisfied with my credentials. There were others too. In the corridors of the DPI’s office (where the interview was supposed to have been held) we met Col Gogoi, the Commanding Officer. He suggested we could have gone to the unit itself. In fact, we had no such idea or knowledge. The interview was just a formality. As the appointment letter came I was shocked to find that instead of my name, it carried the name of my dad!!! It was rectified much later. I took over as a Care Taking Officer. I was worried about the kind of instructor I might have to expect. The first duty was to arrange a firing practice. NCC in Tura Govt. College was dead before I joined. Students were not interested in joining NCC, there was hardly any back up from the HQ in Shillong. Lt Sangma also had lost all interested. As hung the notice for firing some fifty-two cadets turned up. I was overjoyed. One of the cadets was Rangku Orris N. Sangma. I will talk about him in details later. Luckily for me as well as NCC of Tura Govt. College Hav ST Tamang was sent. There was an immediate rapport with the cadets. Lt Sangma was sad. He expressed his sorrow to Bianna, “When I called not a single cadet turned up but as Prof Burmon called so many cadets turned up!!!” Bianna, who happened to be departmental colleague too was quite diplomatic in her reply, “Please don’t feel sad, Burmon is young and hence they may be feel close to him. There is nothing against you personally, I believe.” Prof Sangma was satisfied. My cadets were very happy with the practice too. I got some practice myself too. Soon I received an intimation to join the Republic Day (RD) Parade but as I was not a commissioned Officer till then, I lost the chance. In fact, I lost three more chances of attending the RD Parade!!!

Havildar Instructor Tamang and Rangku Orris N. Sangma gave shape to the TGC NCC. Rangku was a great leader. He proved to be best among the commanders of all the contingents in parade in the Chandmary play groung both in Republic and Inependence Day parades. There were other cadets too who deserve a mention here - Russel R. Marak, Jim Momin, Festus, Jen Muller, Triobirth. As I 

used to take care of the Girls unit too, unfficially though, I will be failing in my duties if I do not make a mention of Nancy Sangma and Janice Marak. Nancy is a school teacher as I know. Janice is in Meghalaya Police Service.
I was detailed for training. Three of us were supposed to travel to Nagpur. Mr Sinil Pio fromUnion Christian College, Barapani and Mr Indrajit Das from Ramakrishna Mission, Cherrapunji. In fact, Indrajit was a year junior to me in school. We were given our tickets and some money for our expenses. I was lucky to have taken my cadets to some camp where I had some practice with .303 and Light Machine Gun. Pio and me reached Guwahati and learnt about a bandh. So promptly took a bus and reached Cooch Behar. This was the first time I actually stayed in Cooch Behar. We found some accomodation for the night in Hotel Mayur. In fact, when I actually started living in Cooch Behar in a rented house the owner of the hotel happened to be the brother -in-law of my landlord. In fact, he used to look after the house. We reached Howrah the next day. There we met Indrajit who did not face any problem as the trains were not affected by the bandh. We reached Nagpur. There on to a place called Kamptee. Here was our Officers' Training Academy. We were housed in 'S' Coy barrack. Indrajit was in Junior Division, so he was in a separate barrack. Didn't have much to do in the evening. We wer all lined in white shorts and briefed in the vening by quite a friendly looking Halvidar Instructor. He was our Basic HI. Somehow I seem to forget his name. Our Course Officer-in-Charge was Major Anil Puri. We were some 60 of us.
The Ordeal
The ordeal started the very next day. Around 4 in the morning we had to wake up with a shriek, "Chaye". All the lights were turned on. There was a huge rush. Taking tea, preparing our beds, brushing, shaving, clearing the bowels, bathing and ready in the ground for PT in shorts by 6 am. And then the killing 2.4 km run!!! Why the hell on earth did I have to choose this?! Straight for breakfast after PT and rush for changing clothes and parade in the 'Kala Ground' which we used to refer to as 'Killing Ground'. A slightly better time was class. It was impossible to control the drooping eyelids. A number of stand ups and sit downs of course helped keep us awake. A cup of tea and then Weapons Training or Map Reading Class. One HI asked who would like to be the leader. Not knowing that one should not take a lead in the army the nly one hand that went up that was mine. I was promptly made the senior and the Senior Under Officer. In fact, my being the senior did help me a lot later in the course.
On one occasion during the first phase of RD selection at Umroi Cantt TGC unit was alloted the fifty percent of the total strength of Meghalaya. Colleges in Shillong were not amused. The Group Commander replied, "Given the scope I would have given the whole quota to TGC, as things are happening there." By that time it was clear that in TGC serious NCC activities were taking place. The Deputy Director General was paying us a visit. Our cadets got an opportunity to take care of the Quarter Guard as well as the RP. All seven tall, Garo cadets looked brilliant in thhier uniform. the HIs left no stone unturned to train them. Unluckily for us the RP fell ill so a cadet from Shillong College got the chance. The DDG arrived. He asked each cadet in the Quarter Guard which college they belonged to. 'Tura Govt. College, Sir!' resounded everytime. The DDG looked pleased. Then met the ANOs. I was first in the line. REturning the salute he asked me which college I was from. There was the same resounding, 'Tura Govt. College, Sir!' Very clearly the DDG was pleased. So he asked, 'Parade karate hain?!" 'Han Saab karate hain.' I said. The DDG replied, 'Dekhke lagt hain karate hain!' There was a huge pat at the back. We have proved it that we were the best in Meghalaya!