Page 246 - Leadership in the Indian Army

wherever he went, and his tours were very successful. During the Quit India
movement in 1942, Mahatma Gandhi was interned at the Aga Khan Palace
in Poona, under the direct care of Prem’s father-in-law. Accompanied by his

colleague, Arjan Singh, Prem went to meet the great man, and asked him
how they could help in the freedom movement. Gandhiji told them to
continue in their chosen profession. He said that once the country became
free, it would require the services of experienced soldiers.
Prem had been raising 484 Field Company at Dighi near Kirkee. In mid-
1943 the unit was moved to Chhindwara in the Central Provinces. It was
now under 14 Indian (Training) Division, located at Nagpur, which was

training troops in jungle warfare for operations on the Burma front.
Chhindwara was a remote place, without even the basic amenities, and the
troops lived in bashas (a basha is a mudwalled hut with a thatched or tin
roof) or tents. Mohini stayed on in Poona with her parents. Prem started
preparing for the Staff College examination, since he thought that this
would give him a chance to stay with his family in Quetta for five months.

Ultimately, he did go to Staff College, but not in Quetta.
In January 1945, Prem was nominated to attend the last wartime course at
Camberley in the UK. He and D.C. Misra of the Rajputana Rifles became
the first Indians to be sent to Camberley. The course was of seven months
duration, including attachment. Due to the uncertain transport
arrangements, they took 10 days to reach England by a combination of air,
sea, and rail journeys. Prem’s first interview with the Deputy Commandant

was a disaster. Having never served in India, the Deputy Commandant was
not sure if Indians knew enough of the language to be able to follow
instructions in English. He asked Prem, in halting English, speaking each
word slowly: ‘Can-you-speak-English?’ Prem replied in the same manner:
‘Yes-Sir-I-can.’ A few days later, Prem had to give a talk, which was
attended by the Deputy Commandant. When he heard Prem speaking

flawlessly, he knew that the young Indian officer had taken him for a ride.
On his return to India, Prem along with five other Indian officers, was
sent on a supplementary course at the School of Military Engineering,
Roorkee. This was the first course after the war, and the six Indian officers
were surprised to find that they had to dine in a separate mess and that the
British officers were not keen to fraternise with them. Prem had to contend
with another problem. His brother Tony had joined the Indian National

Army, and was now facing trial at the Red Fort in Delhi. He was lucky to