Brig H Ckakerbuti

1. When I was a student at DSSC, Wellington in 1993-94 I had the good fortune of meeting Brig H Chukerbuti. Till date I always cherish the memory of our meeting.
2. I volunteered to go for angling in Upper Bhavani Sagar Dam as an Angling Club activity. I was to pick up Brig Chukerbuti from his lovely home Bonnie Nestie at 4 O'clock morning. When I reached he was ready and raring to go. He was not getting younger even then.
3. On the way we had to take clearance from the Forest authorities. He briefed me what is to be done. Even before I could meet the concerned persons he was already there and since he was well known by them the pass was just a formality. During the journey to that picturesque place he kept on telling us about the flora and fauna and wild lives of that place.
4. Though I had no idea about angling, the foreign offrs accompanying us had great enthusiasm. But Brig Chukerbuti could get couple of rainbow trout's without any fuss. whereas others were struggling.
5. While coming back from upper Bhavani Sagar Dam he told me number of interesting anecdotes. If memory serves me right, as CSO Southern Comd when he visited Wellington, the then Comdt, his close friend, suggested him to settle down in Wellington. Even in those days money was always short. A British EME offr was leaving and he sold that house to Brig Chukerbuti. When he took over the house he realized that there was an out house also. He told me with a twinkle in his eyes that he got two houses for the cost of one! He served in Wellington Gymkhana Club for a long time. When I asked him about his hand injury in Burma War he characteristically brushed it aside.
6. Much later in 2002-03 his son Brig Chukerbuti from Armd Corps was our Head of Faculty in CDM, Secunderabad. I always wanted to meet this grand old gentleman of Corps of Signals. Alas there are not many opportunities to go back to Wellington unless one is posted as instructor there.
7. May God bless his soul.
Brig PK Mallick (Retd)