Lt Gen K Balaram, PVSM

Reading Cdr Arun Saigal's nostalgic report on late Gen. K Balaram, brought a tear into my eyes. I was in the same 38th Staff Course as Cdr Arun Saigal and I had a very touching experience of Gen Balaram's fatherly posture. Just prior to the mid course 'Bharat Darshan' on the "Wellington special train" my father-in-law was seriously ill in Mumbai and my wife had to rush off, leaving my 4 year old daughter with me. I was a predicament as to how to take care of my daughter without missing the trip. I took courage and put up a "service request" to allow my daughter to travel with me in the train from Mettupalayam to Mumbai as it was the first halt of the train. My Syndicate DS (Cdr CSV Rajan)duly forwarded my request through the Chief Instructor (Cmde Inder Bedi)to the Commandant. I was called by the Commandant, who heard me patiently, but informed me that he could not create a precedent of allowing my daughter to travel by the Wellington special train, but would grant me three days leave so that I could travel to Mumbai with my daughter on my own and join the train there. He even said that he would ensure my rail booking for the same. It was indeed a great relief for me.

The matter did not end there. Three days before the scheduled departure of the train I was waiting at the Wellington Bus stop to catch a bus to Mettupalayam and thence to Coimbatore, when the General's car drove past us. After going a short distance the car stopped and was reversed towards me. When the car stopped, I came to attention and saluted the General. He immediately asked me, "aren't you going to Bombay (Mumbai) with your daughter?" I replied in the affirmative. He asked me to enter the car with my daughter. To be frank I was "shell-shocked" as I had never had such a 'close encounter' with an Army General. During the two and a half hour drive to Coimbatore, while I maintained a respectful silence, my little daughter was "jabbering" away with the General. In Coimbatore the General went straight to the Sulur airport and directed his Staff Officer to drop us at the railway station and to ensure that we had our rail booking confirmed. The rail booking was indeed confirmed and we travelled to Mumbai and I caught up with the Wellington special at VT station.

On completion of the Bharat Darshan, I did write a note of thanks to the General who without fail acknowledged the same.

This incident has had an indelible mark on me as I had always pictured Army Generals to be tough task masters, keeping a straight face requiring a junior officer to keep a safe distance.

Dear General Balaram Sir, while I pray for the eternal repose of your soul, I salute you for the various values that you have instilled in us while we were student officers at the great institution of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. As Cdr Arun Saigal has said we did put into practice those values, when we took command of ships and headed any shore establishment. I am sure many an alumni of DSSC Wellington would have a touching story about late K Balaram

Cdr Hector Poppen