MY MEMORY OF NAWANG
By Major Badal Subba
Maj Badal Subba (retd) is a course mate of Lt. Nawang Kapadia from their time together at the Officers Training Academy, Chennai. He served with distinction in the Dogra Regiment. He was kind enough to share his recollections of their time together there.
July 2019
Whenever I see Nawang’s page I remember him as a quiet person who was always motivated to join Infantry. In the academy there was a frequently asked question to the new Gentlemen Cadets (GCs) “Which Regiment you want to join on commissioning?”
During the start of the training, once it happened that Nawang, I and other GCs were being asked by the seniors, which Regiment you want to join?. When the question was asked to Nawang he said he wants to join “The GORKHA REGIMENT”. I myself being a GORKHALI (by caste) thought will he be able to prove himself in The GORKHA REGIMENT as the GORKHAs are supposed to be one of the best Regiments in the Indian Army. The thought came and went away as we got busy with our training.
We finished our first term went for the short 14 days mid-term break and came back to begin the training for the second term. During our second term we (Nawang & Myself) were part of the same Company. One day Nawang and I got late to go to the Armory and the two of us had to walk by ourselves without the platoon formation, which was not allowed in the Academy. While we were walking towards the Armory one of the drill instructors saw us and shouted from a distance why we were breaking the rule of the Academy and started coming towards us.
Seeing the drill instructor approaching, I told Nawang that if he takes our personal details we will get restrictions or Extra Drills (punishment), therefore, we should run away. However, he said he will not run and face whatever is the consequences.
This incident reminded me of the first term memory where everyone was frequently asked the choice of Regiment they wanted to join. I said it to myself that he was a perfect GC to join the GORKHA REGIMENT with this fearless attitude. When he made the Supreme Sacrifice while saving a fellow soldier I was very clear in my mind that he was a Gentleman and an Officer who would have not hesitated to fulfill his responsibility as a leader towards the soldiers under his command.