Page 207 - Leadership in the Indian Army

Some of the cadets often spent their summer holidays with Prasad in
Kashmir, and they have many anecdotes about their adventures there.
Once, Raj Batra, Masood Ali Baig, Kartar Dubey, Mark Ranganathan,

Dewan Prem Chand and Manohar Lal were in Srinagar during their
holidays. At that time, swimming boats on the Dal and Nagin lakes carried
noticeboards with the warning: ‘Indians Not Allowed’, or ‘Europeans
Only’. One day, when the cadets attempted to go for a swim, they were
shooed away by the boatmen. On the following day, they decided to
forcibly board the boats. Led by Raj, the gang donned swimming trunks and
got into shikara s (a shikara is a narrow boat, similar to the gondola, which

seats two people and is manned by a boatman). Like in a military operation,
they approached the swimming boat from both sides in order to distract the
three boatmen. When the latter tried to push them away, the cadets dived
into the lake and clambered aboard. As the boatmen tried to hit them with
their oars, the cadets knocked them down and threw them into the lake.
Within a few minutes, there was complete pandemonium. The boatmen

shouted for help, and dozens of other boats converged on the scene.
Hundreds of Hanjis surrounded them, and a free-for-all ensued, with the
cadets giving as good as they got. Finally, an elderly gentleman intervened
and brought the situation under control. The cadets left only after removing
the offending notice-boards, and an undertaking that they would be allowed
to swim.
Another interesting incident occurred in December 1936, when Raj was in

Lahore during the winter vacations. His elder brother, Rajeshwar had just
turned 25 and a tea dance was being held to celebrate the occasion. In those
days, two attributes were prized by Indians, especially in the north—
fluency in speaking the English language and skill in ballroom dancing.
Having been to one of the best schools, Raj was quite proficient in both.
The 18 months he had spent at Dehradun had added to his dexterity and

boosted his confidence. So when he saw an attractive English lady at his
brother’s party, he went up to her and asked her for a dance.
The lady gave him a sweet smile, but instead of rising from her chair,
said; ‘I am sorry, I cannot dance with child.’ Raj was shattered. The thought
that he could be considered a child had never entered his mind, and was a
big blow to his vanity. He retreated like a defeated warrior. A few minutes
later, when he related the incident to his elder brother, Rajeshwar burst out

laughing. It was only after Rajeshwar explained that the lady was in an