Reflections Across The Stream

- Capt Kasiraman

When an option to pen a few lines for this magazine knocked at my door, I
realized that describing narrative outside core competency is a different challenge.
So, here is an attempt to reflect some random thoughts of my higher command
course and ‘beyond’ as cohesively as I can. Professional Military Education (PME)
aspirants at the rank of Colonel fetch up for Higher Command as a mixed bag. Few
claim it as a deserved break after their hectic tenures, few with pride of having been
selected or even hand-picked and few for whom it’s another exposure to various
aspects. Considering the seniority, selection criteria and expertise, almost everyone
is actually a ‘Tees Maar Khan’ in his/ her subject. Therefore, there is hardly anything
to assess on expertise/ capability of each participant other than their involvement.
Nevertheless, based (probably) on the ability to adapt to an academically inclined
tenure few ‘souls’ do get retained as ‘bodies’.

Being part of such a course is something that everyone is proud of and there
are hardly any exceptions. Irrespective of the taunts such as - ‘isme naya kya hai’ or
‘yeh sab tho hamne pehle hi dekha hai’; everyone learns even as a mere spectator
even if they had meditated for the large part of the course. I definitely gained
immensely being a white among the blues, without any pressure of being judged for
proficiency. However, the flow across the stream is more turbulent and the freedom
to navigate is restricted with enough terrain friction. Any DS worth his salt,
irrespective of his seniority, has the responsibility to prove himself especially to a
peer group; he strives not only to be good but also to be the best. This keeps the
‘body’ on the ‘toes’ even if there is no supervision. This is a typical difference from
the instructional tenures that I had served before.

But all isn’t that dull. A tenure as a Directing Staff provides an opportunity to
bind with many participants of another peer group. Needless to say that the outdoors
keep one alive to physical fitness and mental strength, be it sports fixtures or cycling
expeditions (not to discount the ‘golf gossips’); the indoors startle you with the depths
of unknown knowledge on many subjects. Each day is a revelation of the fact that
the more you read; the more you realize your ignorance. More often than not, the
experience of engaging in a subtly different environment than the one where I was
groomed enabled varied lessons to imbibe. Though an academic journey rather than
a typical tri-service institution, the learning process of other arms and service seeps
in inadvertently. As you join hands with the team to play a sport or sport a thought,
the spirit resident in the depth of your conscience awakens to its youth to reveal the
strength of the ‘pack’.

PME at this stage provides an exposure to many aspects, from geo-politics to

academic writing; from military strategy to food security. It sometimes makes me
wonder as to what we are up-to. Is this conversion from a specialist to generalist
desirable? Am I ready for such transformation and is it needed?

It took some time to realize that every knowledge at a peripheral level at this
stage can only be incremental. For further depth, the choice of orientation is left to
the individual. The ‘Unknown-Unknowns’ shall remain. The aim should always be to
enhance the other three quadrants and reduce the ‘Unknowns’, so that necessary
mitigation can be attempted. Nevertheless, the opportunity to interact with
enlightened minds and absorb through repeated interactions across varied
experience bracket is in itself enchanting. And the choice of opting for such
absorption also lies with none other than the individual. Probably, that is the most
difficult part; to take ownership of such responsibility. This reminds me of a verse
towards the end of Bhagavad-Gita that Krishna narrates to Arjuna and it goes like
this:-

“I have given you all the knowledge. Now you think about it, contemplate it,
challenge it, consider and reflect on everything I have said and then make your
choice.”

Similarly, it’s everyone’s choice to implement the aspects of the exposure, be

it academic, practical experience, social bonding, family cohesiveness, tearoom
bonhomie or operational/strategic learning. And there are not one but many
‘Choices’ among the opportunity provided. Every individual is talented who I came
across and has atleast one aspect to be reflected upon. Personally for me (and am
sure for all those reading), the reflections across the stream are symmetrical, being a
good CP or a DS, efforts always have needed to be earnest. And before my prose
becomes long enough to be skipped, I leave the Choice to the editor for further
pondering.