Alok’s rejuvenated post about Chinese Pregnancy scam reminded me of this scam which happens in India, too.
Year 2001 Circa; Location: Indo-Pakistan Border; Place: My tent in the middle of a paddy field, right next to a forcefully closed school; Reason: Afzal Guru’s action on Parliament had resulted in Launch of Op Parakram against the neighbour. Army was deployed at Border.
I was part of a field hospital where we had 5 male and 3 female officers (doctors). We had been unceremoniously dragged out of our quilts on the night of 16 Dec and I had led a force of 28 vehicles from Meerut to a place near Amritsar. It was 28 Dec now. Punjab had such thick fog that even during day, we could barely move our caravan at 20kmph. Night halts had to be done earlier as sunset was early and every nite we set up our tents, slept in uniform with our guns, got up at 5, had tea over a kerosene stove, demolished our tents, did our toilet in holes dug in the ground and moved before the usual reveille time. Thanks to punjab hospitality, where every family boasts a fauji, food and milk were offered aplenty.
By the time three months passed living this life, everyone had become very edgy. No leave, no home, hardly any phone calls (mobile towers were rare in those parts and calls were 6 Rs/min/ for incoming also) and intense winter.
The CO held a meeting early march, saying that we had been allowed to keep One officer by rotation at our base station so everyone can go there for 15 days and attend to family and other stuff. This was a huge relief.HUGE.
Rotation was decided. According to needs, slots were given so that everyone could go home. One of my female course-mate was also a lady officer there. We’ll call her Maj Mrs XYZ. She had been newly married and had sulked big time about having to serve in such frigid conditions. She was the second one to go and i was 5th (or 6th) i guess. When she went back, she overstayed by a week spoiling the whole schedule. The CO, a fatherly boss, was accommodative. By the time it was my turn to go, I received a signal (equiv of telegram) I was told that my rotation is cancelled. I had been at the border for about 5 months and i was furious. I went to the CO’s location, a 3 hour drive from my camp, and asked for an explanation.
He looked down and said that ‘Maj (Mrs) xyz will have to be placed permanently at the rear. No other officer will now be able to go’
Why? I asked
I had asked her the same question, too, my dear fellow, and in this time when our nation needed us to serve it selflessly, the reply I got was “But I am pregnant, Sir”
Image source: wikipedia
