How a village lad ( Brij Raj Singh Dahiya)becomes Colonel in Indian Army.

Gustakhi Maaf Haryana- Pawan Kumar Bansal

How a village lad ( Brij Raj Singh Dahiya )became Colonel in Indian Army .His first letter to his father from Birla Public School Pilani on 10 July 1958(5th Class),just after a week of admission, requesting him to take him out of School since he was homesick, and moreover, not comfortable with English.Having passed 5th Class from his village School in Hindi medium,the English was totally an alien language to him .In erstwhile Punjab, English was taught from 6th class.Interestingly, in his interview before admission,Mrs Malkani ,the Headmistress Junior School asked him Alphabets. He was perplexed since his father had made him
cram ABCD……..Didn’t know about the similarity of both.Well! I was offered admission to 2nd class.But after his father’s repeated plea, he was adjusted for 5 th Class.The letter was written and despatched on a bearing mode,where the receiver was to pay 4 Anas on receipt.Having gone from Village background,his entire tenure at the Public School was spent under an ‘Inferiority complex’ Vis a Vis those children coming from Urban environment. All said and done,he managed to catch up with these urbanites and stood third in 8th class.Passing out as School Prefect was no less an achievement for a rustic village lad,who was not aware of Alphabets seeking admission for 6th Class.The letter is a relic, duly framed and put up on his Drawing Room wall, reminding him and his Children of his humble Starting Point.