Hello
Every year, 15th January is celebrated as Army Day in recognition of Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa taking over from General Roy Bucher as Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army in 1949. Today, social media will be full of #ArmyBrat posts commemorating the Indian Army. Interestingly, one of the theories behind the etymology of ‘Army Brat’, comes from the British military when the wives and children were permitted to accompany the officials and soldiers on an assignment. They were referred to as the British Regiment Attached Traveler (BRAT).
Reigniting the patriot in us all, this week’s issue will cover some of the lesser known facts about the Indian Army.
Things we learnt this week 🤓
The Indo-Pak War of 1971, which culminated in the formal freedom of Bangladesh, witnessed the world’s largest military surrender after WWII, with a record 93,000 Pakistani Soldiers surrendering to the Indian Army.
One of the CIA’s (Central Intelligence Force) significant failures in espionage and detection is considered to be the Indian Army covertly testing its nuclear arsenal in the late 1990s.
What’s common to Kapil Dev, Mohanlal, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Abhinav Bindra? They are part of the Territorial Army - a volunteer reserve force of the Indian Army. In fact, MSD even had an army insignia on his wicketkeeping gloves which was then disallowed by the ICC. As the Beatles famously said - “All you need is glove”
The Indian Army trains armed forces of the US, UK, Russian at the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun and the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School at Vairengte, Mizoram. Considering India controls the highest battlefield in the world - the Siachen glacier, Indian soldiers are among the best in high altitude and mountain warfare. The U.S Special Forces trained at their High Altitude Warfare School before their deployment during the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan.
And finally, in April, 2019 the Indian Army tweeted of their discovery of Yeti’s footprints close to the Makalu Base. Naturally, sceptical Netizens took it upon themselves to refute the claim and demanded indisputable evidence to substantiate the post. You know what they say about big feet...
IWTK Recommendations 💌
Our favorite Wall turns 49 this week. Here are Fun Facts about Rahul Dravid
Since we’re celebrating the Indian army, read this gripping story of a daring escape
In 1989 India got its first female judge in the supreme court. 33 years later our neighbour, Pakistan caught on with the time. Here's to women who crack the glass ceiling for other women to shatter🥂
Merch Alert 🎁
With lots of love, laughter, and puns we’ve created an all new, exclusive, limited-edition merchandise and words fail to express how stoked we are. If you’ve known us for a while, you know trivia is our staple and we love a good pun seasoned with some Bollywood and pop culture references. Our new bundle of joy consists of
A calendar that celebrates inspiring Indian women with commissioned illustrations.
A sticker pack with 8 pun-tastic references that will have you chuckling for days.
A mask that even Amitabh Bachchan would want.
A mug that consoles you every time you pick it up.
A diary perfect for brain farts and to-do-lists alike.
We’re shipping all over India and accepting orders till January 10th or till stocks last. So, hurry and grab your bundle now, at just Rs. 1,800!
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❤️ IWTK