Page 259 - Leadership in the Indian Army

doing long courses at the Infantry School and the Military College of
Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE). Due to shortage of married
accommodation, they were not allowed to bring their families to the station.

When Prem heard of this, he was very angry. But he was told that additional
married quarters would cost a lot of money and take several years to build.
‘If we can’t give them proper houses, let us give them tents,’ he said. He
sanctioned, on the spot, accommodation for 80 officers, comprising a plinth
with walls and covered with tents. This would serve as the drawing-cum-
dining room, as well as a bedroom. The kitchen and bathroom would be
built alongside, and covered with asbestos sheets. He alloted three months’

time for the task to be completed, and said that he would come and inspect
the accommodation when it was ready.
After three months, Prem returned to Mhow. By now, the two tented
colonies of 40 houses each were ready and occupied. While he was going
around the two colonies, he met the wife of an officer who was doing a
course at the MCTE.

‘How long have you been married?’ he asked.
‘Two weeks’ she replied.
‘Then you are on your honeymoon. I hope you are enjoying it?’ asked
Prem.
‘Hardly,’ replied the young lady, who had never seen a general before.
‘These tents are so hot, I have to sit under a tree the whole day.’ Prem
apologised to her for the inconvenience, and assured her that he would put

it right. He asked the Garrison Engineer, who was accompanying him, why
there were no fans in the tents. The engineer replied: ‘But Sir, how can we
put fans in the tents? The ceiling is so low, and there is nothing to hang
them from.’
‘Who is asking you to put ceiling fans? Get two table fans for each tent by
tomorrow. I want a completion report before I leave,’ said Prem, and

stomped off. That evening, all the table fans in Mhow were bought up by
the MES. But they did not add up to 160, so someone had to go to Indore
and purchase the balance. Next morning, each officer had two brand new
fans in his tent, thanks to General Bhagat and the outspoken young lady.
After the 1971 Indo–Pak War, about 90,000 soldiers who had been taken
prisoner had to be housed in camps in Central Command. This was a major
task, which Prem had to undertake at extremely short notice. Apart from the

construction of camps, it involved arrangements for housing, security,