Lt Gen Krishnaswami Balaram PVSM (Retd)

A DAUGHTER’S TRIBUTE: Lt Col (Dr) Radha J Joneja (Retd)

The many stories that are associated with Dad, the numerous tributes pouring forth from the people who have known him have made me add my personal very favourite tribute to him.

How did Entitled Rations become Authorised to the Defence Services?
At the time Dad was the Adjutant General two of the major issues he handled were the Fourth Pay Commission and getting Authorised rations or Free rations ( as it was then called) for the Defence Services.

When the file for the Free rations was ready the General sent it across to the Ministry for approval and signature. The file came back with some observations. Duly rectified the General sent it back. Again the file came back with some fresh observations. The General made the necessary corrections and sent it back. When this had occurred a few times the General got suspicious and sent one of his officers across to the Ministry to find out exactly what was needed to get the file through.

The officer came back and told him that one of the officers in the Ministry who was vital for getting the file signed had a daughter in the Army Medical Corps who was posted in MH X and he wanted her posted to Delhi. “ Is that all?” said the General incredulously. Promptly he picked up the phone and called the DGMS (Army). Giving him the details of the Lady MO he told him “ issue the posting order and a copy of the same to be on my table by the afternoon”.

A little later the DGMS (Army) called him back and told him “ Sir, this lady has been posted to MH X not even three months back. How can I issue another posting order for Delhi?”

To this the General replied “ To you it is issuing the posting order of one Lady Medical Officer. To me it is a question of getting through Free rations for the entire Defence Forces. Issue the posting order and send me a copy within this hour.”

The posting order was issued. A copy of the same was with the General within the hour. The file with the posting order was sent to the Ministry. The file was processed rapidly. Signed and returned to the General.

Free Rations were then authorized and issued to the Defence Forces.

Dad often looked at me and with a twinkle in his say “ Lady Medical Officers………God Bless them!!!”

Lt Gen K Balaram PVSM, Media Tributes

Dear Friends,
Jai Hind. The Puja/ Prayer meeting for Late Lt Gen K Balaram, PVSM, will be held on 25 Feb 2010, between 1530h to 1630h, at Som Vihar Central Lawn, Som Vihar Apartments, RK Puram, New Delhi- 110066.
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj

Former Kurukshetra varsity VC Lt Gen K Balaram expires
C.S.KANWAR Tuesday, 16 February 2010
KURUKSHETRA: Lt General (retired) K. Balaram former vice chancellor of Kurukshetra University expired last night at his residence in New Delhi. The incumbent VC Lt General (retired) Dr DDS Sandhu broke this sad news in a crucial meeting of the Deans and Chairpersons in the senate Hall today.

All those present in the meeting observed two minutes silence to pay homages to the departed soul and prayed to the Almighty to give consolation to the family members of the deceased and give peace to the departed souls in heaven.
Lt General Balaram was only vice chancellor of the oldest university of Haryana who practised austerity and bridled the unbridled in the university whether in the teaching fraternity or in the categories of employees. He was the administrator who suspended an IAS Registrar Rajiv Arora and got his almirahs broke open in his absence where some important files were locked, just a few days before the expiry of his three year tenure. The Fauji Balaram was the VC who denied access to university auditorium to the then Prime Minister late Chander Shekhar who was to address a workers rally in the presence of the then Haryana CM Om Prakash Chautala. Although the District Magistrate used his special powers and acquisited the auditorium. The hand-over and take-over was done by the junior officers of the university and the district administration. Unlike today's vice chancellors in the country, Lt. General Balaram made his way to Delhi to attend a meeting and did not bother even to receive the PM at the helipad in the university sports grounds itself.

Balaram used to walk to his office and back on Thursdays during the Iran-Iraq war to save petrol, a call given by the union ministry those days. He could venture sliding beneath his official car to repair it during the lunch break and then board it after stretching his safari suit which could be seen with torn stitches under the cockpits. He never availed any free medicines from the University Health centre , rather he was the VC who paid a cheque of five thousand rupees to the university in lieu of the reimbursement of medical bills despite the repeated requests to the contrary from the then SMO Dr Mrs S Maleyvar.

He was so popular amongst teaching fraternity and also amongst employees that on his retirement, a ceremonial departure was performed by pulling the ropes tied to his car and a send-off was given at the Oasis at Karnal after which his convoy was escorted upto Delhi by the representatives of teachers and employees. His last words of advice to the university people were : 'Save this prestigious university from unscrupulous people if you can, let it flourish to blossom fully'.
Former Kurukshetra varsity VC Lt.Gen K. Balaram expires

Tributes paid to KU former VC
Tribune News Service Kurukshetra, February 22
Kurukshetra University staff paid tributes to former Vice-Chancellor, Lt- Gen K. Balram, who passed away on February 14, at a condolence meeting.

Gen Balram, who adorned the office of Vice-Chancellor from August 8, 1989, to August 7, 1992, was a visionary and a man of action who took the bold decision to revise the syllabi of all postgraduate courses in tune with modern curriculum of UGC.

Following up his plans to revise the syllabus, he took another major academic decision, asking all chairpersons to prepare lesson plans of the revised syllabi of a semester and put it in the library so that students could know in advance about the schedule of classes.

Paying homage to the former vice-chancellor, the current incumbent, Lt-Gen (Dr.) DDS Sandhu, recalled his contributions in developing the varsity.

"The university was in deficit when Gen Balram joined as its VC but he took bold fiscal decisions and covered the deficit. There was a serious problem of power failure in the hostels. The then VC solved it by getting the worn-out wirings changed, besides ensuring the installation of separate transformers", recalled Prof Raghvendra Tanwar, Registrar.
Tributes paid to KU former VC

Lt Gen K Balaram PVSM, is MTech in Telecommunication Engineering and MSc in Defence Science from UK and Madras respectively. Commandant of Defence Services Staff College from 1981 to 1983. He was the Vice Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Haryana from August 1989 to August 1992. Great loss of a Soldier and Leader especially to the Corps of Signals fraternity. He will be remembered forever by his invention "Balaram Aerial/ Antenna" for extended Radio Communication.

Lt Gen K Balaram

The sad demise of Lt Gen K Balaram is indeed an irreparable loss to the corps in particular and the Indian Armed Forces in general.

My first cousin Wg Cdr KSS Rajan (now late) and the general were close friends and classmates when both of them were studying in the St Joseph's college at Bangalore Cantt. They used to pass through our house in the heart of the city on their way to the college. Their families were neighbours at Ranga Rao Road Shankarpur Basavangudi. Although i was 2 years junior in age i always admired Balaram for his erudition, scholarly bearing. He and my cousin were in the college cricket team too.
He was declared first class first from the Madras university when he got his BSc degree.

Although i too was commissioned in to the corps of signals in 1949 my contacts with him have never been official. We only met at Bangalore whenever we three happened to be on leave. Knowing how forthright he was, i kept away from any contact in the then Infantry School Mhow when i was a student in the SO course and he a DS.. i always admired his professional ability and straight dealings.. i am sure the Sterling qualities of gentleman and outstanding abilities as a general were appreciated by the army as a result of which he was accorded the status of vice chief of army staff when he was the AG at the Army HQ.

May God grant courage and fortitude to the members of his family to withstand the irreparable loss. Let us all pray to the Almighty God to bestow everlasting peace to the departed soul.
Col N S Dwarakanath AVSM

Words fail to express my condolence on the sad demise of Dear Revered Lt Gen K Balaram,PVSM. Thorough gentleman, philosopher and a very caring guide for all of us. He has left behind lot for us to follow his ideals.

May the departed soul rest in peace , May GOD give the family and all of us courage to face this irreparable loss . I had the privilege of serving with the General Officer as his GSO3 ( Int ) at HQ 15 Corp 1974-75.
Lt Col Suresh Sarine (Retd)

Lt Gen K Balaram

I have had the honor of doing DSSC 39(way back in 1983) under General K Balaram. Incidentally he was not only a great General but also a great scholar and an exemplary walking and talking model of integrity. in order to prove his influence on the students of that course I would like to say that more than 120 flag officers have been produced by that course. The next COAS designate, Seven C-in-C, 27 Lt Gens, 37 Maj Gens and equivalent and more than 50 Brigadiers and equivalent have been produced by that course.

As Brig Adm 11 Corps I was fortunate to meet him and look after him for a day when he came to collect a car from Jhalandhar. I received him at the railway station personally and he said,"Why did you have to come"? In reply i said," as your student from 39 staff course i thought it would be appropriate if I come to receive you at the railway station". He simply smiled.

May I on behalf of all the students of 39 staff corps (Army, Navy, Air force) pray to God for eternal peace for the General.
With Regards,
Brig(Retd) Kartar Singh
President RESL

Lt Gen K Balaram

It is with a sense of loss that I read the news of Gen Balaram's demise. I was at DSSC in 1982 for the Staff Course when I came across this very human and unassuming General. What an impact he made on all of us with his sound professional knowledge and military acumen. His simplicity in everything he did was a source of inspiration. Perhaps he would be remembered for the change in learning environment he brought about at the DSSC. For the first time in 1982, he dispensed with the tie as an essential ingredient of the student officer's attire. His take on this was "How can you study with your neck in the noose!". He would listen in on sand model discussions and would not hesitate to tell the DS to amend the "Whites" if the presentation by the student group brought about a different but logical solution.
My salute to Lt Gen Balaram.....a great general and a wonderful human being. May his soul rest in peace.
Ashok D Chhibbar

Lt Gen K Balaram

1. I am shocked to learn about the demise of Gen Balaram. Pray for the his peaceful heavenly abode. I am sure he would have got the best place in the heaven for he was a very dutiful citizen of the God.
2. I share your views about his running the Staff college. I was also present then doing DSSC 38 Course in 1982. Till date I emulate his teachings. Later when I was DS in 1995-98, I tried to emulate him. As a disciple of his, I could manage to follow not even 10% of what he taught us. He was a genuine person with no airs about him. Once, while returning from Coonoor, I noticed that near the bridge (WGC), he was changing the punctured wheel of his old Lambretta scooter himself. He refused help from us.
3. I also remember, the present form of AWHO is his creation. It was not practical when we were contributing Rs 100 per month. He changed to the present form which has become roaring success.
4. I also happened to meet him later when he was the VC of the Krukshetra University. We nostalgically recounted our staff college days.
5. I consider him as one of my Guru, from whom, I learnt to be a human being.
God Bless His Soul.
ब्रिगडियर (रिटाइर्ड) सत्येन्द्र कुमार, सेना मेडल
Brig (Retd) Satyendra Kumar, SM

Lt Gen K Balaram, PVSM

I would like to share a minor incident of my encounter with Late Gen Balaram with you. Being from the Corps of Signals it may interest you.

In 1989, I was commanding an Artillery Brigade in J&K. My sister and her husband were both posted in Kurukshetra University as lecturers. My sister was overdue for promotion but it had been held up. The University was going through a bad period due to mismanagement and nepotism. To sort out the affair Gen Balaram was posted as the VC. My sister asked me to pay a visit and meet the General personally to plead her case for promotion. Used to the ways of civil she thought the VC being a retired General, would certainly give due weightage to a serving officer's recommendation. I was aware of General Balaram's spoken reputation. I tried to tell her how strict he was in his commitment to fairness and his aversion to pulling of strings but she did not believe it.

Lest she drew an adverse conclusion about my reluctance, I decided to visit Kurukshetra on a week end. The next morning a Sunday I called up the VC, introduced myself and asked for an appointment. He must have partially guessed my purpose of seeing him. His reply was polite yet stunningly blunt, "You are welcome to have a cup of coffee with me but if you have come with a personal recommendation for some one, I shall send you back with a flea in your ear."

Though embarrassed by the rebuff I felt proud at the same time. There was no point in going for the cup of coffee. I explained the difference between the cultures in the civil and the armed forces to my sister and her husband, with my head held high.

Brig Onkar S Goraya (Retd)