Ranchi, Oct. 12: He is known for his discipline and meticulous approach to life. Soldiers called him kasai (butcher) while undergoing commando training under him, but respected him for his sincerity and dedication to work. Meet 23 Infantry Division General Officer Commanding Major General Ashok Kumar Singh, a workaholic by nature, a former commando instructor with specialisation in handling snakes and also a sportsman at heart.

With 34 years of life spent in the olive uniform, Maj. Gen Singh is known and respected by his subordinates for his ability to cope up with pressure and manage work and social commitments with ease. Recently The Telegraph talked to the officer on his plans for the infantry division.

Maj Gen Singh has been associated with a number of development projects. He has recently completed the construction of a war memorial and is now planning to renovate the barracks at Dipatoli.

The construction will be in a phased manner and will be undertaken on priority basis depending on the availability of funds. The old accommodation of the troops will be changed and living conditions would be made more comfortable for the families of army personnel in the division.

Singh also has to his credit the construction of the War Memorial, the only one of its kind in the state. Though his predecessors envisaged the concept, Singh has successfully executed the work that is ready for inauguration. He visited different war memorials in the country and abroad to take ideas and has put them in reality. The Rs 2.5crore project has been completed in record time and will be inaugurated soon, Singh said. The funds for the project were provided by the state government, the officer said.

Speaking on his experiences as an instructor in the Commando Training Institute at Belgaum, Singh said that his trainees cursed him. “My job was not to make life rosy for the trainees. It was commando training and the participants were expected to rise up to all situations. I was aware of the feelings of the trainees but also knew that the soldiers respect their trainer when they rise in the battle field,” Singh said.

“I was a rebel cadet in the Indian Military Academy when I joined the army in early 70s. Our chief instructor Major Hoshiyar Singh, a Paramvir Chakra awardee grilled us during the training. He would come at any hour in the night and make us run around or send us on a trek.I also cursed him as a student, but today I realise his commitment to work and respect him for what he has taught me,” Singh said.

Back in the commando institute I specialised in snake handling. Snakes are a subject not broached very frequently, but commandos ought to know about the reptile and learn how to deal with the it. We deal with live poisonous snakes including vipers, crates and cobras. A commando knows to tackle and kill a snake if the need arises and can also cook himself a good snack in times of need, the senior officer said.