Bhubaneswar: At the age of 80, retired Major General Bikash Mohanti—a former regimental medical officer (RMC) from Odisha’s Kataka, who had served the 10th battalion of The Garhwal Rifles of Indian Army and was the first Odia to serve as the Additional Director General, Medical Services at Army Headquarters— still prescribes ‘paracetamol with pride.’ But there’s an additional calibre that he possesses and most of his civilian counterparts may lack or haven’t had the chance to practice: the ability to make do with what is available, sans any ‘panic’ or ‘drama’.
And nearly 38 years of being associated with the Indian Army, Mohanti— who claims to be the first Odia to have joined the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune in 1963 and was commissioned into the Army in 1969— has penned anecdotes from his career as an RMO in his recently released book, A Sheep in the Tiger’s Den.
The book was launched on Friday (October 30) at the Indian Military Heritage Festival, organised by the United Service Institution of India.
The book also highlights the art of healing soldiers as a battlefield doctor while preserving morale during combat. An RMO, as Mohanti puts it, maintains a culture of “quiet professionalism”—sometimes performing minor surgery at a forward post by the beam of a lantern or flashlight held by a nursing assistant when the generator sputters out.
For readers, the book offers a dual perspective, blending humor, melancholy, wit, and subtle sarcasm. It serves as both a reflection on a regimental doctor’s life and work ethic and a personal account of the Battle of Chhamb—a pivotal conflict during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War—alongside his interactions with commanders of Mukti Bahini (the Bangladesh Liberation Forces).
Even while addressing subjects such as the ‘nature of war’, the history of regimental medicine, and the evolution of the RMO from the British Indian Army to the modern era, his witty punchlines offer a welcome breather. As he aptly writes: “…from fever to fractures, from lantern to lore, the RMO’s saga is never a bore!”
‘The Sheep in the Tiger’s Den’
The book’s title naturally invites readers to wonder: who is the sheep in the tiger’s den? As the narrative unfolds, the “sheep” emerges as the doctor—trained to preserve life—surrounded by the “tigers” of an infantry battalion, men trained to face danger and fight battles. Yet the sheep, though gentle, retains its voice. That is how the author presents his role, noting: “My loyalty is to the regiment; my independence is to medical ethics. Neither contradicts the other.”
Why the RMO is the ‘Human Pulse’ of a Regiment
Mohanti offers a compelling explanation for this notion. While the outside world often commemorates war through “maps, medals, manoeuvres, and memorials,” he writes that a soldier primarily experiences it through the body: “hunger, thirst, exhaustion, fear, pain, boredom, laughter, and the sudden realisation that life can alter in an instant.”
According to the author, the RMO acts as the custodian of the battalion’s human pulse, attending to the soldiers’ mental well-being whether acting as a confidant, a counsellor, or a party to the mess or barrack banters.
Racial Discrimination in the British Indian Army
Under British rule, medical services were divided into the elite, British-led Indian Medical Service (IMS) and the Indian Medical Department (IMD), which comprised Indian doctors with limited authority. In this colonial setup, RMOs served in purely advisory roles, were excluded from command decisions, and faced racial discrimination that limited their promotion prospects.
After 1947, RMOs were integrated into regiments as fully commissioned officers with both clinical and preventive duties. Mohanti outlines how lessons learned during the 1947–48 Kashmir War and the 1962 Sino-Indian War led to structural consolidation and modernisation (1962–1999). During this era, the Army Medical Corps introduced advanced combat-ready training for RMOs, including Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) training.
Combat Fatigue & Lessons from Vietnam
In his book, Mohanti tackles combat fatigue and post-traumatic stress disorder, refuting claims that mental health challenges do not affect armed forces personnel. He points to the Vietnam War, noting that particularly after 1969, the conflict left many American veterans dealing with severe behavioural issues and substance abuse.
Revelations About Mukti Bahini Commanders
Mohanti refers to the urban warfare wing of the Mukti Bahini during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War—the “Urban Force”—as “sacrificial goats,” developed through Indian assistance. These fighters were primarily students, youth, and civilians from Dhaka who received specialized guerrilla and commando training in Indian camps before sneaking into Bangladesh.
According to the author, these young Bengalis were trained under Brigadier Arthur Sallick, VrC, who commanded the Charlie Sector. However, he notes that their contributions were later overshadowed when credit was claimed by those who eventually became generals in the Bangladesh Army. Having interacted with former East Pakistani Army officers who were regrouping to form the Bangladesh Army, Mohanti observes: “The commanders of the Mukti Bahini were acutely aware of their future roles in an independent Bangladesh. As a result, they were reluctant to jeopardize their prospects by taking undue risks during the conflict.”
Chhamb: When Military History Becomes Personal
The narrative takes on deeper emotional resonance when Mohanti revisits the Battle of Chhamb during the 1971 war. His attachment to the 10th Battalion of The Garhwal Rifles—affectionately dubbed the “Tigerish Tenth”—forms the heart of these memories. For Mohanti, the battalion was far more than a military assignment; it was his introduction to the traditions, discipline, hardships, and extraordinary camaraderie of infantry life.
Without sanitising the reality of war, his account avoids graphic sensationalism. Instead, he softens the grim backdrop of conflict by highlighting lighter moments, such as the meals prepared by mess chefs using local village supplies despite nomadic field conditions. For readers interested in India’s military history, these details provide an intimate perspective that extends beyond the usual accounts of strategy and battlefield manoeuvres.
