The article about the Paratroopers is very relevant for us Kodavas given the vast number of our community that have served and are serving in the Armed Forces.
Many youngsters (and elders) in Kodagu have studied in Sainik Schools, Military Schools, Army Schools and other Central Schools that form the hunting grounds for new officer selections. Col. Ranbir Singh Bhadauria is a distinguished alumnus of Military School Bangalore. So is Lt Gen C P Cariappa. And, of course, the senior most of all being the venerable Nadikerianda Bose Mandanna.
In reproducing this article with the permission of Vikram Jit Singh which first appeared in Hindustan Times, Chandigarh on 13 April 2025, CLN is hoping that this will motivate, encourage, inspire our valiant soldiers to share similar stories – and there must be many! After all the CLN platform’s mission is to be the voice of the Kodavas. The Defence Forces represents a very distinguished part of our community and people would love to read about the gallant and valiant stories tucked away in your memory. – CLN Newsdesk
PM Narendra Modi’s act last week to lay a wreath at the IPKF Memorial near Colombo has gone down well with veterans, who nurse a feeling of being caught on the wrong side of war history. But apart from that, Col RS Bhadauria (retd) has some wild memories of his IPKF tenure as a young officer of the 10 Para (SF).
Bhadauria also commanded fighting troops in North Kashmir in the 1990s and Batalik operations of Kargil as CO, 10 Para (SF). His stealth, stalk and kill commando instincts were shaped early by shikar expeditions of childhood. A jungle parable narrated by his father wisened the young lad early on and Bhadauria shaped out as a level-headed paratrooper and leader who revelled in commando missions.
“My father would always counsel me: never be proud of anything you have. He would narrate the parable, of a stag, who narcissistically loved his antlers’ reflection at the water hole. One day, dogs chased the stag. The stag’s thinnish, unglamorous legs made good speed but the antlers got entangled in an overhead bush. The stag stumbled, dogs caught up and killed it,” Bhadauria told this writer.
“As a commando, one hunts the enemy in forbidding jungles like a patient shikari. We used to lie in wait for terrorists in Kupwara forests by setting up ambushes for 10-15 days at a stretch, merging with the terrain. In Lanka, I did a bit of game shooting between battles with LTTE. Once, I shot a Lanka stag for some camp fire meat with the service issue, M16 carbine. I chanced upon a crocodile basking on a rock in a Lanka lake. Using the M16, which was super for long-range, I shot the big croc. It was difficult to retrieve it but I got our divers to extricate it. I had the skin cured and the head made into a trophy but the croc was stolen from our mess! I did get into trouble with my commander for using the M16 for croc shikar!”
Bhadauria and his retired Army medic wife, Madhu, shoot tigers with a camera. Bhadauria gave up killing creatures after his IPKF stint. “I renounced shikar then because I realised nothing matches the thrill of hunting armed men, who can hit you back real hard.”
This article by Vikram Jit Singh, was previous published in Hindustan Times, on 13th April 2025.
To my knowledge, no other community has as many people from within their fold, who have served the Armed Forces as the Kodavas.
So I second the request by CLN to share similar stories and there must be many! After all the CLN platform’s mission is to be the voice of the Kodavas. The Defence Forces represents a very distinguished part of our community and_ _people would live to read about the gallant and valiant stories tucked away in your memory.
We are proud of your selfless service and also beseech you honored and disciplined people with secular values to participate and mentor your kin from the grassroots level.