Gajraj eagles celebrates Corps  Day

The Corps has an enviable history since its inception during the turbulent years of the Second World War.

THE Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), one of the most illustrious Corps of the Indian Army, celebrates its Diamond Jubilee on 15 October 2003. This Corps is responsible for maintaining the entire technical equipment of the Indian Army, from the highest mountains of Siachen glacier in the North, to operating with the Indian Navy in the South, from the Thar Desert in the West, to the land of the mighty Brahmaputra in the East, as also the UN peacekeeping mission overseas. The Corps has an enviable history since its inception during the turbulent years of the Second World War, through various major operations in independent India till the present.

Before World War II, the responsibility for the maintenance of the technical aspects of the Indian Army was divided between two organizations – the Royal Indian Army Service Corps (RIASC) for vehicles and the Indian Army Ordinance Corps (IAOC) for all other equipments. The concept of a single repair agency led to the creation of the Stores and Workshop branch of the IAOC in 1939. The workshop branch of the IAOC, augmented by the resources of the erstwhile RIASC set up, came into being as the new Corps of Indian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (IEME) on May 1, 1943. The Corps, over the period, has gone through a large number of reorganizations and in the year 2002, it was renamed as the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME).

The role of the Corps of EME is to ensure operational fitness of all the mechanical, electrical, optical, medical, electronics and aviation equipment of the Indian Army. In general terms, this translates into ensuring the war readiness of practically the entire equipment holding of the Indian Army. This includes tanks, mechanized infantry vehicles, missiles, guns helicopters, radars, all types of weapons, computers, instruments, night vision devices, medical equipments, vehicles, road and bridge constructing and earth moving equipment, and communication equipments (telephones and wireless sets) of the Indian Army.

During the recently concluded Operation PARAKRAM in the Western desert of the country, the Corps worked untiringly to ensure that the Indian Army was ready to undertake any operational task with completely war ready equipment. This performance of the Corps was aptly recognised by all the commanders, right up to the Chief of the Army Staff, as also the Raksha Mantri. Prior to this, the Corps had performed exceedingly well during Operation VIJAY in 1999. The complete range of equipment deployed during the operation in extreme perilous weather conditions were maintained in operational readiness at all times leading to successful eviction of the intruders from across the Line of Control.

The Corps is also actively engaged in maintaining the operational readiness of the troops deployed as part of Operation Meghdoot on the famous Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield in the World. All personnel of the Corps deployed on the Glacier brave inhuman conditions of extreme lack of Oxygen, low temperatures, high velocity winds, avalanches and last but not the least, the bullets and shelling from across the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL).

Apart from the primary task of providing the repair and recovery cover to the Army, the Corps is also active in various sports and adventure activities. Padma Shree Jemadar (Retd) Milkha Singh, the Flying Sikh of the country, is a living legend from the Corps of EME. Major (Retd) HPS Ahluwalia of EME was one of the early Indian pioneers to have successfully conquered the mighty Mt Everest. Colonel JK Bajaj, SM, VSM was one of the first in the world to step on the South Pole. Brigadier (Retd) Raj Manchanda, VSM has brought laurels to the nation in the game of Squash by being the National Champion for many years. Who hasn’t heard of the name of EME, Jalandhar in the field of Hockey ? Brigadier DVS Rathee, VSM is another a serving legend of the Corps, who has served at Dakshin Gangotri at Antarctica for two full nights of winter (One winter night on this icy continent has a duration of six months and the temperatures are seldom above - 40° C). Major K. S. Dhami, SM, is a name t o reckon with in the field of mountaineering. This officer is presently serving as the Vice Principal of the prestigious National Institute of Mountaineering at Uttarkashi. Lt Col (Retd) J S Dhillon, VSM, has won many National and International events in the field of shooting. The Corps has produced many International level sailors, athletes and boxers, who brought laurels to the country including at the Busan Asian Games recently. The Corps boasts of having the most modern Hot Air Ballooning centre in the country at Bhopal.

In the Eastern Sector, the Corps is deployed in Counter Insurgency ridden zone and is providing repair and recovery engineering support to the troops fighting the insurgency. One of the units in this sector is 7004 EME Battalion. This Battalion of the Corps of EME is looking after all the units of the mighty Gajraj Corps of the Indian Army in Tezpur, Missarmi and Charduar for over 33 years now. The engineering support provided by this battalion includes the very latest state-of-art equipment sourced from various part of the country and the world. When it is the vehicles being considered, the electronic engine analyzers, pollution control equipments, wheel aligners and brake efficiency testers have been procured from the very best in the world while the tradesmen work on pneumatic power lines with sophisticated high-efficiency tools and fixtures. When it is the repair to electronic wireless equipments and the computers, the test equipments and repair jigs used are the best av ailable in the market and the army. This battalion has been instrumental in providing the crucial support to all the equipment that gets deployed for the Flood Relief activities in various parts of Assam every monsoon. Even presently, with the recent incessant rains, the battalion has geared up itself for the flood relief activities on a war footing.

7004 EME Battalion was initially raised as 1004 EME Battalion in Jun 1970. Its chequered history includes its role in “OPERATION CACTUS LILY” in the Eastern Sector during Dec 1971, which lead to the creation of Bangladesh. An Advance Workshop Detachment of the battalion had the distinction of being the first EME unit to reach Dacca to provide effective engineering support. During the operations, this Battalion captured a war trophy, which is proudly displayed in the Quarter Guard of the Battalion. The Battalion was firstly reorganized on 15 Oct 1975 and was again reorganized to make on its increasing roles, as part of restructuring of all Corps EME units of the Army, in Nov 2000.

7004 EME Btn, an elite Btn of the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, is celebrating its 60th Corps Day with well-known traditions, fervour and enthusiasm. It is also being celebrated as an opportunity to express the gratitude to all those illustrious senior and elders who have brought the battalion to its present glory.

To commemorate the occasion, various events and programs are being organised for two weeks in which all the Jawans and Officers and their families are taking a break from the rigours of their daily life and bring colour and fun to the routine. The traditional Pagal Gymkhana was celebrated on 12 Oct 2002 on a grand scale, which had all the trappings of a Grand Mela in the local stadium. Brig DVS Rathee, VSM, DDEME HQ 4 Corps was invited as the chief guest of the function. All EME personnel of the station, along with their families, graced the occasion by their presence. Various games, races, competitions, free eatables stalls, elephant/horse rides, toy train and other fun and frolic activities were conducted and participated into by all. The corps day felicitation message as received from various dignitaries was read out along with presentation of awards to the personnel who have contributed outstandingly to the sterling performance of the battalion.