LIVING WITH MONGOOSE AND SNAKES

Basically, I am a Med/Asst, specialised in Physiotherapy, retired in 1985 and worked as HOD of Dept of Physiotherapy for 25 years in a medical research Institute of National Importance, under Govt. Of India and retired eight years ago.

Now, let me come to the 50 years old anecdote happened during post 1971 war period. I had my first posting in Adumpur flying station in a flying squadron strength. I was working in SSQ common for all. We, medical assistants, mostly junior guys like me, senior scroungers, and habitual offenders, were given Crash ambulance duty. I was one, who had some conflict with superiors, was given punishment duty in a crash ambulance in the runway end, where I had nothing much to do other than watching the flying and joining with the "gup" of my everloving AFSO staff, who were lovingly calling me "doc", I obliged them with some paracetamol or Avil for silly ailments.

Many truths and untruths were unfolded and came as subject matter of "gupping". But we were very friendly as we had no stress of duty other than a mock drill, once in a while, of the crash tender. As there was sufficient free time, and relatively unnecessary "dandas" from the top were not usual, many progress-minded AFSOs made higher studies and are in very higher positions, higher than their SATCO. I know a high court judge, and some district judges who were once upon a time our crash comrades. I too could achieve some academic degrees, motivated by these guys, as a bonus of crash ambulance duty. I could achieve a heavy vehicle driving licence by learning some ABCD in TATRA, a Checkoslovakia made crash tender, which was air-conditioned in drivers cabin, maybe for the first time, Indian MTDs enjoyed, at that time. A very generous loving MTD, Daya Singh, the very name itself is self-explanatory that, he was a storehouse of kindness, helped me in this achievement, by showing this complicated vehicle to the RTO Jullundhur, who till then had not seen a vehicle like Tatra. With the eloquent dialogue in Punjabi by Daya singh, the R T O was looking at us wonder-struck that as if we were some extraordinary astronauts driving that magic vehicle. The new-gen. cannot perceive it because Tatra is not a big thing now. But one thing, two years back only the Trivandrum International Airport, could get a Tatra with a big news. I reminisce the Mr. Daya Singh with utmost gratitude.

The runway and taxitrak as you know are surrounded by dense tall grass which was maintained for camouflage. This grass jungle was full of reptiles, mongoose, rabbits, and big rats. Once we could catch a big rat and we thought to have some amusement. We tied a plastic thread around its neck and left it for its futile attempt for escape. The other end was fastened to the branch of a tree. The rat started making life-saving sounds and after watching it for some time we left that place. After sometime when we came to the spot we were shuddered to see a cobra lying near the rat keeping its hood considerably up. We did not hurt both of them as there were some who considered the snake sacred. As we had nothing else to do we kept on watching the snake trying to catch its prey. But the rat, within the permitted circle, made skillful somersaulting and running so that the snake had a tough time. Instantly one mongoose arrived there and was preparing for an attack on that snake, suddenly sprang upon the snake. But the snake was so large that the mongoose percieved that it was an unconquerable opponent. So the mongoose withdrew and disappeared. Being victorious in the fight the cobra raised its hood still higher to show the supremacy. But his headweigtedness did not last long. In some minutes the mongoose arrived there again, not alone, but with the escort of four other fellow mongoose for an undeclared ambush. We were eagerly waiting for what dreadful combat was going to happen.

Had there been a crash or a bird hit report also, probably we wouldn't have known that at that hair raising moment. In some minutes suddenly, the first mongoose sprang upon the cobra followed by the other three in a split second. The cobra was not given any chance to escape or for retaliation by the four tiny mongooses In five minutes the big six-footer cobra was flat dead on the ground. I kept on thinking the strategy webbed out by the tiny mongoose. God is great.

Thank you