Army re-establishes
bonhomie in Punjab

By Pritam Bhullar

IN a rare gesture to help the blind, 50 soldiers — officers, JCOs, and men — of a battalion of the Brigade of the Guards pledged to donate their eyes at an integrated camp organised by the Army at Chamiari village near Amritsar last week. This was in connection with "Operation Sahyog" launched by the unit to commemorate the golden jubilee of Independence.

The Chamiari village has been adopted by the Guards battalion. At the camp inaugurated by Brigadier K.P.S Yadav in the village, one could not miss the friendliness and bonhomie between the villagers and the jawans.

At the medical camp free medical aid and medicines were provided to villagers. Col Ajay Mehta, Commanding Officer of the unit, took the lead in donating blood at the camp. His personal example set the ball rolling and, soon enough, there were officers, JCOs, men and their spouses coming to donate blood. The villagers, too, came in large numbers to donate blood for the Red Cross Blood Bank.The jawans planted 50 saplings in the village school compound and named that area "Golden Jubilee Grove". A volleyball match was also played between villagers and the unit team at a playground prepared by the jawans.

After a talk by the Assistant Recruiting Officer, a sizeable number of boys and girls of the village volunteered to join the Army.

Punjab is known as the "sword arm of India". In the 1965 war when the Army started moving in strength into Punjab, the soldiers were greeted with traditional hospitality. Whenever special trains carrying troops halted at a station, sweets and fruits poured into the compartments.

And when the toops moved into their assigned locations on the border, a regular supply of milk, lassi, saga and makki ki roti was sent to them. Not only that, it became a problem for the Army units to dissuade the villagers from accompanying them into the Lahore sector.

Adoption of villages by the Army can go a long way in re-establishing that milieu and fostering a friendly spirit between the Army and the villagers.