A Tribute to the first Indian 'Rambo' - my father!

Born in one dusty village called Usthi in the interiors of the then largest district of undivided Bengal, then travelling to the bustling city of Mymensingh and then to the big bad city of Calcutta to complete his schooling, Malay Lahiri went on to join the National Defense Academy and passed out with a silver medal. While still in NDA, a bunch of teenagers comprising the NDA football team created history by reaching the finals of the Durand Cup in 1953. They lost to a team that boasted of more than half a dozen players representing India at that time.

Malay Lahiri went on to join the Gurkha Regiment, represented India in many an international football tournament and then by some cruel quirk of fate missed out on being selected for the 1960 Olympic football team. Demoralised, he kicked a football around for a few more years before putting his all into his career in the Indian Army.

In 1963 he was selected to attend the Rangers Course in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and a few months later after passing out from there, became the first India Green Beret, a la Rambo. He then went on to start the Commando Wing for the Indian Army.

Many years later, when he was a Brigadier, he commanded the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, that is today a premier institution for the training of soldiers for counter insurgency and jungle warfare, getting soldiers from the world over.

I had the privilege of participating in a few of the jungle treks and other maneuvers while he was the Commandant.

I think the jungles, the mountains, the outback, the bush, the inhospitable terrain away from the comforts of city life was something that grew in me through my association with my Father, whose shoes are so big that attempting to fill them is an exercise in futility. But I do try and walk in his shadow, try and follow his footsteps, hope that he is not too disappointed with the way his first born turned out.

The OTA Survival School is a humble effort on my part to prove myself to be a worthy son to an illustrious father. Two days ago he would have celebrated his 80th birthday. Sadly it was not to be as he passed away prematurely to cancer 15 years ago.

I miss you dad.

A long cherished dream comes to life

I have grown up with the fact that my father was the first Indian Army officer to have successfully graduated from Fort Bragg, North Carolina after completing the Rangers Course. He thus became the first Indian Green Beret, a la Rambo. He then went on to start the Commando Wing for the Indian Army. In his later days he commanded the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School which has made quite a name for itself in recent years ... globally. He, I believe, always had a smirk on his face, a wry smile, whenever he heard of some officer not being able to complete the Commando Course. After all he designed the Course and the pass out rate was less than 10%.

Well, with that kind of a heritage looming large over me from the time I was learning to walk, was a pretty daunting task. Maybe my getting into the adventure and exploration space was a way of gaining his pleasure. I will never know since he passed away a few years before I started OutThere Adventurers.

I have travelled around the country, seen places few see, got myself a couple of records, gunning for a few more, shattered my leg, walk with a limp, I have done all that. But somewhere deep inside was a doubt whether I knew enough about the wilderness, enough about survival. I still vividly remember the night I spent at 16,500 feet, in the open, with just a sleeping bag, no tent, no acclimatisation, all because my motorbike went kaput. I did not know whether I would surviv e the night. As it happens, I did, and the thought that I needed to learn more about survival was never far away from the top level of my consciousness.

I have wanted to learn about knots, how to set traps, to to perform CPR, how to drink out of fetid pool of stagnant water, how to suture a wound. I have wanted to learn all of that, and over the years have picked up some tips and tricks. I still have a long way to go.

But the things I have learnt is something that I have wanted to pass on to others. And I have this discussion with virtually every member of every group that accompanies me on the road trip to Ladakh. I know what the dangers are, while many people look at it as just another ride. I scare them silly, while they look at me funny thinking, "This guy is loco, surely I will not die." But people do fall sick on those high mountains. Anyway, once the trip is all done and the memories are full of happy tidings, they look at me and say, "See, nothing happened." I turn back and tell them, "Nothing happened because I scared you silly and you did what I told you to do." Precaution is always better than cure, every day of the week and every hour of the day.

How could I structure these learnings and spread the good word? Finally it came to me. Let's start a schoo. And that is how the worm that had been germinating in the mind for so many months and years came to finally see the light of day. The OTA Survival School was launched.

Classes are yet to begin, they should commence in a couple of weeks. I am now tying up locations where the weekend and week long courses can be conducted. In the hills, in the jungles, in the desert. I still need to figure out water survival for myself, so that is not yet part of the course. Will need to get into that pretty quick.

Well, the School is up and about, taking its first tentative steps. We also cut a film that started out being less than an hour long, but has ended up being over three hours. Packed with lods of information. And it comes along with a 68-page, pocket-sized, free booklet that can be carried as ready reckoner. Now to get the show on the road.

Here's to the future. And like I say in the film and in the book and on the website, and I am sure will tell all participants, remember the 7 Ps - Proper Planning, Preparation and Practice Prevents Possible Problems.

Have fun in the wild and maybe I will see you on one of the OTASS courses.