Yellow colour of the new generation

**lemontree** · 08 Nov 06,, 07:29

Is the new generation a bunch of wimps?....Will someone tell them that the enemy does not offer its shoulder to cry one after he over-runs you.

Army cadet puts in papers after ragging Nilesh Thakkar

Wednesday, November 8, 2006 (Vadodara):

In yet another case of ragging at the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai, cadet Digvijay Singh Kharb has put in his papers alleging misconduct on the part of his senior colleagues.

The move comes days after another cadet committed suicide, allegedly due to stress and harassment.

For as long as he can remember, Digvijay Singh wanted to join the Army and serve the nation in the footsteps of his father Colonel Fateh Singh.

Now he's back home after being ragged by his course seniors.

The OTA at Chennai, where Digvijay was undergoing training, has the reputation of being one of the toughest courses in the Armed Forces.

"Senior cadets asked us to sit on the armrest of the chair. Two people were to share one armrest and not only that, you also had to move. The cadet sitting next to me lost his balance. I fainted and fell," said Digvijay Singh, Cadet, Officers Training Academy.

Handling stress

This is the second time the OTA has been in the news in the past week. A few days back Asad Nair, a gentleman cadet at the Academy, committed suicide.

He had only recently joined the course at the OTA and shortly after told his father that he wanted to leave the Academy. His coursemate Digvijay feels Asad couldn't handle the stress and pressure.

"He (Asad) was thrown in the pool even after he said he didn't know how to swim. He was taken out at the last moment. A week later he committed suicide," said Digvijay Singh.

Digvijay's father Colonel Fateh Singh now feels his son is better off pursuing another career.

"He called and said Papa I can't lead this life. I said come back, no problem. It's not his foolishness but because of other people's mismanagement, " said Colonel Fateh Singh, Digvijay’s father.

In Digvijay's case at least, the Army Headquarters says he couldn't handle the pressure and therefore put in his papers.

As far as they're concerned, he's a civilian now. It's still more than what the Army did in the Asad suicide case.

**Ray** · 08 Nov 06,, 09:13

LT,

This case is rather wimpish.

But I was a Battalion Commander at the NDA as well as being an alumni of NDA.

I have observed (I was given a demo since I am the interactive chap so that I could understand this modern generation) some rather unofficerlike and debased punishment.

There are two issues. One is to toughen up the new chaps and make them responsive to orders without getting argumentative and another is to debase and dehumanise the man. The latter, to my mind, does nothing to build confidence and initiative.

When I was a cadet, our punishment was much tougher. But no one touched us and honour code was a serious things. Today, the bash up chaps with hockey sticks! Most assinine!

To explain how not to dehumanise and yet toughen the person, I asked a couple of chaps (the bullies) if they could stand my punishment as an experiment. They agreed and they couldn't go through the same which I did for 15 minutes!

The message was brought home. I saved a bully from relegation (a Sergeant) on the condition that he would take my punishment. It made me something of a unusual chap amongst the cadets, but then they developed confidence in me, while the Sargeant till today remembers me (he is a Sqn Ldr now) and is grateful.

Well, there were many things which are odd that I did and I think most world out and my Battalion's morale improved. Read my story in ARRSE on 'The Cadet's Beautiful Posterior" or some such title.
http://www.arrse.co.uk/cpgn2/Forums/.../start=60.html

Can't say whether I was right or wrong, but I have always, wherever I have done, built up the team and morale without compromising on discipline (well, nearly)

I will agree with you that today's chaps are soft, but even so they think that they are all Rambos!

**lemontree** · 08 Nov 06,, 13:42

There are two issues. One is to toughen up the new chaps and make them responsive to orders without getting argumentative and another is to debase and dehumanise the man. The latter, to my mind, does nothing to build confidence and initiative.

Sir,
*To add to the highlighted portion* I did not serve long enough to be an instructor in a military academy, but I always felt that the breaking down a cadets ego by dehumanizing the chap is important, and thereafter rebuilding on it is was the aim.

Just like shaping a sword in a furnace, the sword cannot enjoy the cool water unless it has gone through the heat of the furnace, a cool sword cannot be moulded.

On the first day I was made to sing in the barbers shop, doing a hand stand, my coursemate assisted in holding my legs up. Since I sang "My heart went boom" by the Beetles, and the Jat bumkin of the cadet Senior Under Offcier (SUO), did'nt like rock he made me do a whole lot of monkey tricks singing the same song over and over agian.

He treated me in the cafe later that day for being a sport, and said that I was shameless.

**Ray** · 08 Nov 06,, 14:31

You have not understood dehumanising as I meant.

The person should be made responsive to orders, but his self esteem as a person should not be shattered.

I have ensured this wherever I have commanded and I assure you that my command liked me inspite of my attitude of as if I were Lord of Tartary or Magambo Khus hai (Mogambo is Happy).

Well, I did not know that I was a Mogambo khus hai type, but they told me so.

My 2IC, when he took over, tried to emulate my style, but he failed.

In your concept of dehumanising, would you beat people with hockey sticks? Or would you make anyone drink commode water? Or have a Pal system wherein your friends, but your juniors, are given privileges denied to others?

**Jay** · 08 Nov 06,, 18:28

Sir,
Wait until you hit a medical college, you would think getting beaten by hockey sticks was much better.

I dont agree that this generation is wimpy, they are very much like their older generation. A guy I studied with ragged Madras Vice Chancellor's son (his junior) in a medical school and the altercation ended up with the death of VC's son.

After that, the laws in TN were tightened like a vice on ragging. If you are found ragging a student, you will be dismissed, fined and jailed.

**Samudra** · 09 Nov 06,, 03:23

You a classmate of John David?

The VC was a student of PSG Arts and IIRC he was also students chairman.

**Draconion** · 09 Nov 06,, 15:22

Originally Posted by lemontree

Sir,
*To add to the highlighted portion* I did not serve long enough to be an instructor in a military academy, but I always felt that the breaking down a cadets ego by dehumanizing the chap is important, and thereafter rebuilding on it is was the aim.

I may not know of the academies much, but i tend to agree with capt, first you have to break a man to rebulid him.

He treated me in the cafe later that day for being a sport, and said that I was shameless.

**Jay** · 09 Nov 06,, 17:56

Originally Posted by Samudra

You a classmate of John David?

The VC was a student of PSG Arts and IIRC he was also students chairman.

**lemontree** · 10 Nov 06,, 04:31

Originally Posted by Ray

You have not understood dehumanising as I meant.

The person should be made responsive to orders, but his self esteem as a person should not be shattered.

That sir, is the idea way, but we meet so may seniors who have their own style some good some bad. One has to withstand all of them.

In your concept of dehumanising, would you beat people with hockey sticks? Or would you make anyone drink commode water? Or have a Pal system wherein your friends, but your juniors, are given privileges denied to others?

No sir that is a saddistic way, and the perpetrators of such acts need to be thrown out of the academy.

I on the other hand was a very lazy cadet sargent during my senior term, I hated giving punishment as I loved catching up on sleep.