Sepoy to Subedar

From Sepoy to Subedar is a very rare, first person account of a sepoy who served in both the East India Company's army until the mutiny and then continued serving after the Indian army was brought directly under government control. Sita Ram began his service for the Honorable Company in 1812 and fought in virtually all the army's major campaigns. Ram's narrative describes his active service, and provides a private soldier's insights, into the Gurkha War (1814-1816), the Pindari War (1817-1818), the incursion into Afghanistan(1838-1839), and the subsequent retreat (1842) to include his capture and time as a slave before escaping to return to India. Ram's story continues with his actions in both Sikh wars, and the Mutiny in 1857.

What makes the book interesting is that it provides a soldier's level perspective of all these actions and life in the Indian Army. What makes it even better is it is written by a soldier in the Indian Army along with the insights and perspectives of a Hindu soldier in the service of the Raj. It's this perspective that makes the book unique and worth reading.

As with many soldier's narratives, it lacks the context that would go along with a more polished military history. However, the book's editor provides both context and background at the beginning of each chapter and in the footnotes.

It would be interesting if we get  sepoy/soldier level perspective of IPKf, Kashmir insurgency, naxalism etc. But his memoir also points to some painful reality, like technology won the day for Britishers, caste was an important fact for north Indian hindus which were prevented  to go abroad or serve beyond Indus and even mere touch or eating with impure irritated them to no ends

Nice guys finish second

In this post I will deal with B K Nehru's view about Nehru household before he bid it a good bye to join ICS. He gives a picture of Kashmirs brahmin community in Allahabad which is interesting. A community which is rising under colonial masters in a sense cheating with other countrymen but at the same time cuaght in a time wrap in some issues.
Motilal comes as anglicized person with a great degree of contempt for common Indianm. This so called first family of India was so angliscised that they had names like batty,Dorthy for each other in house. Their living was particularly anglicized in all respects and we don't find much mention of Indian religions and common Indian people except their servants.I think it was only thanks to his dad and his postings outside Allahabad that BK turned out to be sensible man that he was.

e.g. how luxurious used to be stay of Nehru's in jail. But still one would have to agree that family wholeheartedly supported an uncertain cause and especially Nehru;s effort to organize peasants in UP were commendable.

Nice guys finish second - 1

I read the book almost a year back when I was about to enter this college. I am sure many people specially contemporary of the author and other people associated with those events would have written much insightful reviews but I guess my unique position in time and some other factors which i would deal with later make my review or rather collection of my insights from the book it interesting because ultimately all people of that age are to be evaluated by people of my generation !!!

Boasting apart before reading this book I had hear about B K Nehru in class 5th when mugging name of popular books and authors was one way of winning inter school GK contests.

Later I read a book by HT journalist who was sent to cover nagaland but ended up marrying a naga woman and became a spokesperson of naga cause which obviously did not paint a good picture of B K Nehru and he was portrayed as an old school man who was hell bent upon enforcing writ of Indian state.

Just before reading this book i read Jagmohan's "My Frozen Turbulence in kashmir" in which two main issues as to how Faruk abdualla govt failed and what happened in Srinagar city on the night jagmohan arrived were described in detail to create for justification of all the moves mentioned BK in not that adulating terms. He infact tried to pin any blame for dismissal of farukh governemnt on BK's door ( this is 84 - first stint of Jagmohan which actually saw the beginning of terrro