SHILLONG: It is not every day that the Chief of the Army Staff asks after a lower-rung employee and so 71-year-old Letamo Lotha was surprised on Wednesday when General Dalbir Singh came up to him against protocol and greeted him in Nepali.
The septuagenarian, who had served as havaldar in the Assam Rifles for 20 years, was among the guests at the regiment’s 75th year celebrations at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday.
Gen. Singh also asked Lotha which unit he belonged to. Later, the Army chief also met several other retired officers and personnel of the Assam Regimental Centre who were present at the function.
Lotha, who hails from Wokha district of Nagaland, said it was a great moment for him when the Chief of the Army Staff came and had a word with him. “I feel that my whole services in the Army for the last 20 years has paid its dividend today,” he told reporters and added that this was probably the first such experience in his life when a high-ranking officer came and spoke to him.
He recalled that he had seen General Singh on several occasions when he was not the Chief of Army Staff and that he had maintained a good conduct throughout his career in the Armed forces.
The retired havaldar has also worked in posting throughout the country, including the toughest Poonch sector in Jammu & Kashmir.
