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Front Page >> Profiles > Story

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Major Bob Khating: The Brave Tangkhul
By Anil Bhat
Ralengnao Khating was born on 28th February 1912 at Ukhrul, Manipur State. Educated at Ukhrul, Imphal, Shillong and Guwahati, he first served as Head Master at Harisingha, M.E. School, Assam and then at Ukhrul M.E. School, Manipur where he stressed upon and promoted education for girls. In May 1941, in response to the then Political Agent of Manipur, Mr. C. Gimson’s call to join the War Service, he applied for a King’s Commission in the Army. He had to appear for four interviews. First, Primary Test at Imphal; second, Provisional Test at Shillong; third, Presidential Test at Fort William, Calcutta and fourth, the Federal Interview at Shimla.

He got through all tests and after passing out from the MHOW (Military Headquarters of War), Officers Training School, Indore, he was commissioned (on same day and batch as General T N Raina, later Chief of Army Staff) to the 19th Hyderabad Regiment (later 7th Kumaon Regiment) and posted at the Regimental Training Center, Agra. He was a Company Officer under then Major S. Thimmaya (later General and Chief of Army Staff), his Company Commander.

Soon after, he was ordered to report to General Reserve Force, Jorhat to join the elite ‘V’ Force. The Japanese were then advancing at a fast pace from Burma (Myanmar) to Manipur and the ‘V’ Force, formed by recruiting local volunteers, was employed for intelligence gathering, counter-intelligence work and guerilla strikes.

Capt. Khating recruited and organized this very effective force, first in Ukhrul and then to the South of Manipur into the Kabaw valley. In the three years, between May 1942 and May 1945, he was awarded the Member of the British Empire (MBE), Chief’s Gallantry Certificate, twice Mentioned in Despatches (MID) and the Military Cross (MC).

When the ‘V’ Force was disbanded in June 1943, he was transferred to the Assam Regiment and posted to its 3rd Battalion at Shillong as a Company Commander. On repeated requests from the Maharajah of Manipur, the Political Agent and the Ukhrul elders, to return to Manipur to serve the State, he finally resigned from the Army and in October 1947, joined the Government of Manipur State, as Minister-in-charge of the Hills Administration. After winning the subsequent elections, he continued as Minister-in-Charge of Hills Administration and also raised Manipur Rifles the State Armed Police Force. In October 1949, the Manipur State Assembly was dissolved and Manipur joined the Indian Union.

In May 1950, the new Governor of Assam, Jairam Das Daulatram, requested Khating to join the Assam rifles as an Assistant Commandant of T Battalion, as a stop-gap arrangement until he was absorbed in the North East Frontier Administrative Service. In the same year, posted at Sadiya, he experienced the great earthquake and at the end of the year, he was sent to Tawang Sub Agency to establish a Sub-Divisional Headquarters. Major G.T. Allen, MC, was then Political Officer of Sela Sub Agency, but Khating was to have direct access to Shillong regarding Tawang.

His arduous journey started from Charduar, Assam, on 17th January 1951 and he reached Tawang on 6th February 1951. With him were Capt. H.B. Limbu and 2 platoons of the 5th Assam Rifles and Capt. Menters of the Indian Medical Corps with his orderlies. Khating’s personal peon was his only civilian staff.

This was the first expedition to negotiate extremely inhospitable terrain in sub-zero temperatures. He quickly and effectively established his authority over Tawang, which had been governed by Tibet. The Indian flag was hoisted and on 9th February 1951 he announced that the Tawang area, south of the Mc. Mohan Line, formed under the Shimla Treaty of 1914, had come under the charge of the Indian Government.

A permanent site for the Administrative Headquarters and the Assam Rifles Post were selected. A civil Dispensary with 12 beds was also established. Check posts were opened on all main trade routes. House counting of all villages, south of the Mc. Mohan Line began and ‘Gaonburas’ (Government Interpreters) were appointed. By August 1951, Indian Administration was finally in effective control of the Tawang area.

In April 1952, Khating took over as Political Officer of Sela Sub Agency. As per the new policy of Government of India of establishing headquarters for Sub Agencies, he conducted a vigorous search and after three weeks, chose Bomdila, at the height of 9,000 feet as the new headquarters of the Sela Sub Agency.

At the Republic Day of 1957, Khating was awarded the Padmashree by the Indian Government for his exemplary work during and after the 1950 earthquake and subsequently in establishing Indian administration in the frontier areas of the newly independent Indian Union.

Over the next two decades, Khating proved to be a tremendous asset to both the Central and State Governments. In 1971 he was selected to go as Ambassador to Burma and presented his credentials in January 1972. In 1997, he was appointed Advisor to the Governor of Manipur, when the State was under President’s Rule. He refused gubernatorial posts a number of times and served on various commissions in the State Government.

Ralengnao, popularly known as Bob, lived life king size, rising to great heights but at heart, down to earth, loved and revered by his family and a large circle of friends. The last evening of his life, was spent, as was his wont, with family and friends, over a couple of tots of rum, at his home. On 12th January 1990, the day he died at his home in Mantripukhri, Imphal, a large crowd of family, friends, tribal chiefs, members of the Tangkhul tribe to which he belonged, Ministers, State Government officials and officers as well as detachments of the Assam Regiment and the Assam Rifles gathered to pay homage. His indomitable spirit, which many bullets, some of which he stopped, could not deter, lives on in the memories of all those who knew him and also many like this writer who had only heard of him. — Wordsword

(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)

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