I go to hospital for checkup and wake up in the ICU

It had been a hectic day for me. In the morning, there was a meeting with the GM and, by the time I came back to my office, there was this officer from HAL Lucknow who had come to reconcile the supply status of accessories supplied by Lucknow. He was a good friend of mine and my single point contact when I visited Lucknow.
We began the reconciliation activities and broke for lunch. He went to the canteen and I took my scooter home. It was the monsoon season and the rains kept coming on and off. Anyway, I finished my lunch and then, as per my routine, sat down before the TV and lit a cigarette while I watched some program. It was a habit and, even though my wife objected, I just could not kick the habit of smoking this cigarette after lunch.

But, that day was different. Suddenly the cigarette left a bitter taste in my mouth and, after a couple of puffs, I stubbed it out. I put on the raincoat and started the scooter but, after going some distance, I began to feel uncomfortable.
Anyway, after parking the vehicle in the parking lot I was in two minds – should I enter the factory or make a trip to the hospital and get some medicine for a quick relief. I stood in front of the scooter, took off the raincoat and stuffed it into the scooter dicky because the rains had stopped. Finally I decided to go to the hospital.
I reached the hospital at around 2pm – the duty doctor listened to my complaints, asked me to lie down on the inspection table, took the readings of my BP and pulse and that is all that I remember. I went out of this world. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the ICU – one of my friends was standing at the door of the ICU along with my wife and son. The time was around 10pm.
It came as a shock to me to learn that I had suffered a stroke!!
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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Sipping tea and munching biscuits of unknown pedigree on the way to Korwa

This was the occasion when one of the senior officers wanted to visit HAL Lucknow and HAL Korwa to get acquainted with the working methods. And, he wanted me to accompany him because of the personal relationship that I had developed with the senior officers in the sister divisions.
Of course, I will always remain grateful to my Bengali boss who had rated me ‘below average’ in my ACR which deprived me of a promotion. But, because of his rating and my subsequent transfer, I got an opportunity to develop a few qualities that I never knew lay dormant within me. The qualities of being confident, interacting with people of different types at different levels.
I firmly believe that whatever happens in ones life is always for his good and he should accept it. Initially, it may not improve the feel good factor but, in due course, it will prove beneficial.
Anyway, since the officer was in a senior position, I need not worry about transportation. A car picked me up from my quarter, he was already seated in the car. We traveled by road to Mumbai Guest house where we stayed for the night. In the morning, we went to the airport and took the flight to Lucknow – it was an Indian Airlines flight via New Delhi.
We stayed at Lucknow for one day and next morning we left by a car for Korwa. It was a distance of around 140-Km. I had traveled on this stretch earlier by HAL bus and had seen that there are no eating joints worth its name on the route. The only place is Rae Bareilly which is about half way.

I had, therefore, suggested to my companion that we could take breakfast in the Guest House and then leave for Korwa but, he decided to leave by 6am hoping that we could take in some snacks on the way but that was not to be. The complete stretch of road was devoid of any settlement – there were only miles of land with huge mango trees. Fortunately, we saw a tiny tea shop – the owner was just opening the door and, seeing a car stop and us getting out, he hurriedly lit the oven and made some tea for us. We took it gladly along with some biscuits of unknown pedigree.
In those days, there was no mobile phone but, anticipating our arrival, the people at Korwa had kept breakfast ready. And, the first thing we did on arrival was to sit down for breakfast. It was heavenly – bread, butter, omelet and strong coffee. (to be continued …) (Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

My duty takes me to Hyderabad and Golconda Fort

As I have mentioned earlier, HAL Nashik Division was receiving supplies of accessories from sister divisions of HAL and, while Lucknow and Korwa supplied mechanical accessories and specific avionics items, Hyderabad was responsible to supply avionics items.
The supplies were smooth and regular and there was hardly any reason to complain but, problems arose when certain spares were not forthcoming from American suppliers. One may question why Americans should supply items for a Russian aircraft. The reason was that the Indian Air Force had replaced certain avionics items of Russian origin with items of American items and, there were disruption in supplies due to political considerations.

The US had imposed sanctions on defense supplies to India as a result of the Pokhran II nuclear test in 1998, hence I was asked to proceed to Hyderabad to get a first-hand picture.
Accordingly, I left by the Kacheguda Express from Manmad – the train left at 5.30pm and next morning by 9am, I was at Hyderabad. I took a cab to the HAL Guest House and checked in – I met a couple of officers and got the general briefing on the problems and efforts being made by Hyderabad to tackle the problems.
I had some more meetings the next day and in the evening, I went to the office of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation APTDC and booked a sightseeing tour. The bus left by 9am and I had to hire an auto rickshaw to reach the pickup point in time. Of course, I had some time on hand and had a sumptuous breakfast of super-size idi-wada sambhar.
The tour was a good one – it covered all important tourist attractions of Hyderabad like the Husseinsagar Lake with the huge stone statue of Buddha in the middle, Salar Jung museum with the man who came out of his cell to strike the hour, and Golconda Fort which was a marvel of engineering. The tour ended by 5.30pm and I returned back to the Guest House. (to be continued …)
(Image courtesy wikimediacommoms.org)

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I become a detective to trace a missing consignment

It was supposed to be a regular movement of consignments from Nashik Road to Lucknow by the Indian Railways. As per practice, the items to be shipped would be suitably packed and dispatched to the railway station for onward movement to Lucknow. Usually, it would reach the consignee within a week.
Of course, there would be delays and uncertainties during the grape season because grapes are perishable and their movements cannot be delayed. Therefore in such cases, delays were inevitable.
However, if there was urgency, the goods would be sent under escort – and the escort would have to liaise with the railway staff and porters to ensure that the aircraft spares got priority.

The system that had been agreed upon between Nashik and the recipients Lucknow and Korwa divisions was that a message indicating dispatch details would be sent once the consignment had left Nashik. And – one day, it suddenly transpired that an important consignment had not been received by Lucknow. The stores personnel of Lucknow had checked with the railway authorities at their end and there was virtually no trace of it.
Therefore I was told to make a trip to Lucknow and locate the missing consignment.
That was the first time I went into the goods store at Lucknow railway station. I had the dispatch details and I first checked the inward goods register maintained by the store clerk. I went through date wise beginning with the date the consignment had left Nashik Road.
I even went through the goods stacked in the racks and piled up in corners.
Then I kept a watch on how goods are taken from the trains and moved into the goods stores.
I was at this exercise for three or four days when suddenly I got an idea – did the consignment go ahead to Gorakhpur, the terminus of the Kushinagar Express, instead of being unloaded at Lucknow? I immediately contacted the Station Master and requested him to check with his counterpart at Gorakhpur.
Fortunately, my guess was correct – the goods were physically at Gorakhpur and the station master promised to move them by the next train.
That was a big load off my chest. (to be continued ..)

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I am asked to fly to Lucknow at short notice

A team of officers had come from Air Headquarters for a meeting with HAL Nashik. It was a long and never ending meeting that began after lunch and went on till dinner time. The dinner was in the HAL Guest House along with the visiting officers. After dinner, the team assembled in the computer room because the subject was related to computerization and the computer staff including some of the girls had been asked to stay back.
Suddenly, my boss took me aside and told me to pack up and go home. The reason? I would have to leave for Lucknow the next day to obtain the latest status on Lucknow and Korwa supplies for a meeting of the MDs of the two complexes. I would have to fly from Mumbai to Lucknow and my air tickets would be kept ready in the Mumbai Guest House.

Well – when I arrived home my wife was surprised. It was around 9.30pm and she had not expected me so early. I explained to her and then rang up Mumbai Guest House. The Manager had already got the message from my boss and confirmed that the air-ticket would be kept ready.
Relieved, I packed my briefcase and went to sleep. Next morning I left by bus for Mumbai and arrived at the Guest House by afternoon. I rested for the night and the company car dropped me at the domestic lounge of Santa Cruz airport. My flight was an Indian Airlines Mumbai-Lucknow flight via New Delhi.
At New Delhi, there was a halt. Most of the passengers alighted and a few new members boarded – they were for Lucknow. One of them was a burly woman loaded with several bags. Most of the bags contained toys!!
Anyway, when the plane landed at Lucknow, I got out of the lounge and was nabbed by cab drivers. There was a pre-paid booth from where I could get a cab but the counter was empty. The drivers standing around were enjoying my predicament.
Finally one of them came up to me and agreed to take me to HAL Guest House and gave me an official receipt also for me to claim the expenses. (to be continued …)

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Waterlogged trip to Lucknow during the monsoons

That was a trip to HAL Lucknow that I will never forget. It was during the monsoon season and a colleague was accompanying me. When we boarded the Kushinagar Express at Nashik Road, we did not know what the future had in store for us. The trouble began shortly after the train left Bhopal. The train came to a standstill and no one knew the reason for the sudden holdup.

After an hour or so, the train began to roll but it was not picking up speed – it was moving as if it was doing so with reluctance. By that time we realized that the route of the train was being diverted because of waterlogging of the tracks. There had been heavy rainfall in the surrounding regions and, hence, the train would crawl to its destination.
Well – the pantry car put u its hands. There was no food, not even tea and snacks. The wayside stations were no solutions and we had to just keep waiting till a big station came up – and, when it finally came, it was Lucknow.
The scheduled time of arrival of Kushinagar Express at Lucknow was 4am, we had arrived at 8pm. Once the train stopped, my colleague and I made a beeline for the refreshment room, ordered a cup of strong tea and then a plate of bread-butter sandwich and omelet. Realizing that we would not get dinner at the Guest House, we ordered a second round of sandwich-omelet. After that, we took a cycle rickshaw to the Guest House. (to be continued …)

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A new destination Korwa gets added

After a couple of trips to Lucknow, I had to proceed to Korwa – there was another unit of HAL in that location and it also was a supplier for Nashik. Hence, I had to maintain a follow-up with them also during my visits to Lucknow. This was because Korwa was about two hours distance from Lucknow and it was possible to go in the morning and return back same night.
Korwa was located in Amethi – the Parliamentary constituency of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi but, the upkeep of the railway station and the development of the village and surrounding areas left a lot to be desired.
Communication was terrible and there used to be a HAL bus at the station and its timing was linked to important trains.

The HAL Korwa unit had been established with a view of developing the region but the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi put a stop to all activities. In fact, as the bus traveled out from the station, one could see many incomplete buildings, and shops.
The first time I went to Korwa, I was in a hurry. I boarded the train from Lucknow at around 10am and reached Amehi at 12 – from there, I took the bus and arrived at the factory by 1.30pm. The officer I was supposed to meet was waiting for me. He had received intimation about my coming. Both of us had lunch in the canteen and then we held a quick conference with other officers, prepared the record of discussions and made a beeline for the station. There was a train to Lucknow at around 6pm and I wanted to avail that.
Well, the first shock I had when I reached Amethi station was electricity failure – there was not a single light on the platform, all shops were in darkness with tiny lamps providing illumination. When a train rolled in, there was a mad rush in the darkness and I somehow managed to enter a compartment and finally reached Lucknow by 9pm. I knew there would not be any dinner left in the Guest House – so, I finished my dinner of rumali roti and kebabs at a wayside shop outside the station. (to be continued …)

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Trip to HAL Lucknow becomes a regular affair

My first trip to Lucknow was one of familiarizing myself with a new territory and gaining the confidence of others at not just the working level but, also at senior levels. Trust and confidence can play vital roles in any arrangement and, for this, I will always be grateful to my new boss who made me feel important.
I remember his telephone calls that would come to me by exception and, invariably, the purpose of those calls would be to test out my efficiency.

For example – one morning he rang up and gave me the part number of an item. It seems IAF wanted the item badly and they rang up to him and he, in turn, asked me to get the information about its availability. Well – immediately, I set my wheels in motion. I rang up here and there and, within half an hour, I had gathered enough information. I was like Hanuman with the Mount Rishabha, a mountain in which was hidden the herb that would cure Lakshman-ji.
My boss was satisfied and, after testing out my abilities through some more similar cases, he came to rely on my information system. That was a huge boost to my confidence.
Anyway, after my first visit to Lucknow, it became a regular feature once every three months because such interdependency between divisions of HAL was a new concept and there were innumerable hurdles to be sorted out. Therefore, a close follow-up was necessary to smoothen out the bumps.
Therefore, I would book a berth in the Kushinagar Express that originated in Mumbai and went on to Kushinagar, a district in north Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow was on its route and, hence, it was a convenient mode of transport for me. But, the timing was terrible – its arrival time at Nashik Road station was 2.30am and it reached Lucknow at 4am. (to be continued …)

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Getting to know HAL Lucknow

I knew a few officers of HAL Lucknow by name and, once in the Division, my first task was to locate these gentlemen. They must have got information about my coming and I had to get to first base with them. I had heard that people of Lucknow love to have cordial relationships and respect the other man. The popular saying ‘pahele aap’ is their philosophy. ‘Pehele aap’ means you get the right of way.

Anyway, within a few hours, my circle of acquaintances in HAL Lucknow had grown. And, among them was an officer who had, once upon a time, been employed in Nashik. Naturally, he recollected his past days in Nashik and I updated him. He invited me over to his quarters for dinner and, during duty hours, he helped me out in resolving a number of technical issues.
My boss had asked me to provide daily feedback on the progress of follow-up activities and, at the end of the day, I would sit with the HAL Lucknow bosses and prepare my feedback in consultation with them. That way, we maintained the same frequency.
I was at Lucknow for one week and, in between, my Nashik acquaintance took me around in his Maruti van for sightseeing. We took in the British Residency, Bara Imambara, Moti Mahal, and Clock Tower and, of course, Hasratganj, It was important that I build rapport with people who matter in Lucknow because that would help in ensuring continuity of work at both ends. Nashik had to send the accessories to Lucknow for overhaul and return. In case there was delay at any end, the total work plan would get disrupted and that needed to be avoided. Therefore, I had to take on the role of troubleshooter. (to be continued…)

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Landing up at Lucknow railway station at 4am

As I have already mentioned earlier, I had to keep moving out on official duties to different places. When I was I customer services department, I had to go to Indian Air Force bases because they were our customers. Later, when I set up my own department, I had to liaise with sister divisions of HAL. These sister divisions were in Lucknow, Korwa and Hyderabad. They were a part of the accessories complex and were entrusted with the responsibility of supplying new accessories of MiG-27 aircraft and also, servicing and repairing them.
Therefore, since the MiG-27 aircraft would arrive at Nashik for overhaul, we had to remove the accessories and send them to the respective divisions for overhauling and return back to Nashik. Subsequently, these would be fitted on the aircraft during overhaul and handed back to the IAF.
My responsibility was to keep track of dispatch and receipt of these individual units and maintain a continuous follow-up with the respective divisions. And, in order to do this efficiently, I had arranged to develop a computerized system.

For this and other such development activities on computers, I was fortunate to have with me a trainee engineer who happened to be the son of one of my colleagues. The kid was smart and could anticipate my requirements and, accordingly, introduce suitable changes in the system.
Anyway, one morning, I received a phone call from my boss. The time was around 10am – and, when I entered his office, I saw him browsing through a file. He motioned to me to take a seat and, pushing aside the file, looked me in the eye and said – Ghose, you have to make a trip to Lucknow.
When? – I asked him.
Today, he said. Go to the cash section, collect some advance and take the first available train. I want you to get the updated supply status of Lucknow and fax it to me. I also want you to create a man-to-man rapport with your counterparts in Lucknow.
Yes Sir, I said and left.
I went home, told my wife about the sudden development and got a suitcase ready. Then after dinner, I left for the railway station. I did not have any reservation and, therefore, boarded the Punjab Mail. It left at 9pm and reached Jhansi by midnight. Fortunately, there was another train from Jhansi to Lucknow waiting at another platform and I boarded it. By the time I reached Lucknow, it was 4am and I was famished. I took a cycle rickshaw from the station to HAL Guest House and found it in total darkness. Somehow I woke up the guard and walked into a new world. (to be continued …)

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Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

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Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


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I discover the power of my pen

The work in HAL Nashik depended on the availability of materials that used to be imported from Russia and, usually, the work load would be high in the period September to March. Once March ended, the work force would not have enough work load and would idle.
This was the state of affairs in the section where I worked. But, in some other sections there was an excess of workload. Therefore the management would transfer some people on a temporary basis to work centers where there was sufficient workload.
I seized this opportunity and volunteered my services and was transferred to the sheet metal section. It suited me fine because my actual work was in assembly section where sheet metal components were used. The experience that I gained was useful at a later stage.
Anyway, this piece is not about my work but of how I helped out an individual with the power of my pen and my knack of writing.
He was a technician in the sheet metal section and, one day, he came to me with a request. He was from Uttar Pradesh and he wanted a transfer to HAL Lucknow division which was located in his home state.
Such transfers are rare and I explained as much to the young man. But, he pleaded. He said that he had all necessary contacts in the right places and a suitably worded application would do the trick.
He brought a sheet of paper with him and I asked him questions to get a sort of background. Questions that were designed to find out what sort of reason would be most appropriate to put forth in the application to justify a case of transfer on compassionate grounds.
Once the application was drafted, he got it typed out and sent it to the authorities. I treated it as a case of an eccentric person and was surprised when he came back to me within a week. He was all smiles and showed me the official orders for his transfer from HAL Nashik to HAL Lucknow.
I suddenly realized the power of my pen. (to be continued…)

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My job interview over a cup of coffee

Train travel to and from Kanpur to Kolkata

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I finally join the MiG factory in HAL Nashik