Illustrated Weekly Magazine of the
Armed Forces of India

May 17, 1953

It was a unique opportunity and great honour for the Madras Regiment, when one of its battalions was called upon to rebuild the house of Nasib Khan, a disabled ex-Serviceman of the Jaipur Infantry, living in village Chammu, 25 miles away from Jaipur in Rajasthan. Nasib Khan had lost both his legs in Italy during the last war. It was nothing short of calamity when his house was destroyed through sandstorms in 1952.

At an ex-Servicemen's Rally held in Jaipur during December 1952, Nasib Khan appealed for help to General Cariappa, former C-in-C, Indian Army. The General ordered the Commanding Officer of the battalion and the Garrison Engineer to help Nasib Khan. Accordingly the Pioneer Platoon of the battalion comprising one JCO and twenty-five Other Ranks was sent to village Chammu and the work of building the house for Nasib Khan was started on January 10, 1953.

The task that confronted the Pioneer Platoon was not an easy one. The detachment had to work daily including Sundays and holidays from dawn to dusk. To rebuild the house the old structure had to be pulled down completely. They had to build the house with stone and cement in order to guard against any future destruction through sand-storms. Zinc corrugated galvanized iron sheets were used for the sloping roof. The rebuilt house comprised three rooms of 16 feet by 13 feet by 10-1/2 feet, one of which being a kitchen with a verandah of 13 feet by 12 feet.

The stone required for the house had to be broken and carried by Army personnel from a quarry, five miles away from the village. This stone had further to be broken into various shapes and sizes. In addition two doors and two windows were constructed. It is worth mentioning that necessary available material for this house was supplied by the Military Engineering Service. The Army did all this with a smile.

A contributing factor for accomplishing this task was the co-operation of the civil population. The local civil population of the village took keen interest, throughout the rebuilding operations. They were ever ready to afford all possible assistance to the Army personnel. The villagers expressed admiration and praise for the Army for so readily coming to the assistance of a disabled ex-serviceman and building a lovely home for him.

At a simple ceremony, on March 1, 1953, the Commanding Officer of the battalion handed over the newly built house to Nasib Khan. Nasib Khan was overwhelmed with gratitude. The local population of the village gave a farewell party to the Army personnel at which the village brass band was in attendance. The Army personnel were heartened by the appreciation of their work by the local residents.