Ambulance Train

Even in war Indian psyche is preoccupied with VIPs! Let us return to lesser mortals, in this case ‘wounded soldiers & exhausted doctors & paramedics’. After a week or 10 days there was a lull . (We knew later PAK’s 5^th Armoured Brigade with their Patton tanks were devastated by century old ‘centurians’ produced in Avadi near Madras. Close to SIXTY patton tanks were taken possession by our armoured corps ably supported by artillery and air force}. One of them is an exhibit in NDA Kadakvasala. (does Suba remember?) Pride in the exploits of our army could not help the hapless AMC who were struggling with hospital bursting on its seam with casualties and more worrisome fast diminishing rations.  Local civilians pitched in, pitched in a BIG way. Trains to & from Ferozepore had been discontinued. Number of casualties was large . Transporting to Delhi or even Ambala by road was not feasible. Train had to be mobilized. (Even the administrators agreed(!) and gave permission for ‘dispatch (I resent when this word is used in case of humans) by rail’. Local bigwigs and welfare organizations (including, I  learnt later, RSS) did the spade work and a train was arranged. My CO agreed to my request to go as an escort/ doctor.It was not my incessant wining about wanting to see chellachu & Jaya but the request of an armoured corps officer with SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT burn that he would feel confident with Capt.Krishnan around that softened the CO. A nurse belonging to Delhi & two sepoy assistants were assigned for the task of escorting about TWENTY ‘stretcher casualties’ and double that number of ‘walking wounded’.(Cannot fault army on “ classification” whatever be the subject). LOTS of food ,adequate medicine etc, could not assuage the trepidations that was churning in me. The guard & engine crew came up to me & asked whether train can move! When I replied “aye” I felt a momentary thrill that I was COAS himself!! Cries of JaiRamjiki Jai rented the air. Search light in the engine was ordered NOT to be switched on. Train moved. None knew when Delhi will be reached.

There were two first class coaches.My nurse was in one & I in the other. Suddenly “Save me Sir” screamed the nurse. I ran to her compartment. Other AMC sepoys also came over. A tall hefty jat jawan was pushing the girl beneath the seat. The moment he saw me he straightened up & complained that the nurse’madam’ refused to take cover when he heard LMG(light machine gun) fire. By then the ‘sound of firing’ had ceased. Well , shell shocked as the soldier was, he mistook the sound when train changes track to be LMG fire.( Nalanda, I had not yet read Agatha Christie but it was not difficult to deduce. My favourite those days was Erle S.Gardener’s Perry Mason) .

Train stops at a small station. Food, soft drinks poured in. I asked “cigarette hain?” In a jiffy two packets materialized. Unfortunately they were ‘Panama’ . Not the brand I smoked & so returned them with thanks. “ Konsa cigarette chaye saab” “Gold flake” I blurted ,immediately cursing myself for mentioning the costly brand. The boy sprinted and returned running with the priced possession-goldflake- but the train had started moving. Like trained cricketer hurling the ball on the move to the wicket keeper the boy hurled the packet at me right into my hands ,all the time running to keep pace with the train gaining speed. I did not cry but my heart swelled with pride. That boy could not have known that I was a doctor. It was pretty dark. But he knew that I was an army officer & that was what mattered.    

Jawans exchanged notes on their experiences & travails. Even laughed with relief that they were wounded but ALIVE!. Some even sang. Have you heard JAT FOLK LORE? It is comparable to the RAP MUSIC in the west .Major with 75% burns was peaceful. The shell shocked Jat jawan was quiet .The nurse was no longer frightened but was seen to be conversing with him.

Train had halted a bit too long in a place which was NOT a station. The Guard informed me that we are on the “outer” of NewDelhi station. (Balaji may know that “outer” in railway parlance means on the outskirts of the station) & that will move into any platform that becomes free. “No way, Mr. Guard” I said “ the train MUST pull up at platform No: ONE because TWENTY stretcher casualties cannot be taken up & down the stairway”. It took about 15 minutes or so  but our ‘ambulance train’ steamed into platform No: ONE. (I was told that the station master found a smart solution. He stopped ALL other trains in the’outer’. Another Indian who touched my heart & made me proud.

Local army from Delhi took over. I sat in the rear of the ambulance along with the major and we had to accommodate more stretchers the rear doors had to be kept open. It was about 6 AM now & as the ambulance was exiting New Delhi station couple of “paper boys” on bicycles threw newspapers to me. They were in Hindi. I passed them back. The little boy immediately threw English papers to me. How did he ever know?! Please remember that every paper has to be accounted by him. Whenever I recollect this noble gesture from those urchins I bless them & hope that their employers pardoned them—or even praised them

Entered the ‘Mecca’ of AMC, ARMY HOSPITAL. Major was carried to ICU. I walked with him. His parents & two young girls were waiting ,sobbing uncontrollably. The father thanked me for bringing him alive. With 75% burns, how long?  Major had told me about his parents and ONE younger sister7 He was not yet married.  Who is the other young girl? –Oh No God, Not his fiancé

In the movie Bridge on the River Kwai,  when the bridge had been blown up , the train had crashed and ALL were  dead, end shows the lone survivor, the Colonel walking muttering the word “madness” repeatedly. This one word is my conclusion too.