Memory can sometimes be unreliable, so I may need my fellow scouts who were there to help fill in the missing pieces of this unforgettable story!

We were camping in Uran and, as part of the programme, a trekking competition had been organised. Trekking and mapping exercises in scouting involves carefully charting routes on a map and collecting information about important landmarks, structures, and buildings along the way, often accompanied by sketches and drawings. Under normal circumstances, this was considered an excellent scouting exercise in observation, mapping, and reporting skills.

However, these were not normal times. The year was during the tense period of the 1971 India–Pakistan War, and Uran, being close to important naval and strategic installations, was regarded as a sensitive area vital to maritime security and logistics. In such an atmosphere, a group of young boys in civilian clothes wandering about, observing and taking notes in detail and mapping routes, sketching buildings was almost certain to attract official attention! This understandably was viewed with suspicion by the authorities.

I was the Patrol Leader of the Tiger Patrol, and we had just completed our trek and were making our way through the bazaar area—tired, dusty, but quite pleased with ourselves. Then came the shock. We suddenly noticed a number of our fellow scouts gathered inside the Uran Police Station!

It did not take long to realise that something had gone terribly wrong. In hindsight, it seems our perfectly innocent scouting exercise had been interpreted as possible spying activity. Rather than walking straight into trouble ourselves, we quietly retreated and hurried back to the Bhiwandiwala Bungalow campsite to report what we had seen to our scouters.

Without delay, our scouters put on their scout uniforms and proceeded to the police station. At the same time, their counterparts in Mumbai were informed and immediately rushed all the way to Uran, carrying documents and identification to prove that we were merely Scouts attending a legitimate camp and trekking exercise.

Fortunately, after lengthy discussions and explanations, our unfortunate troop members who had by then spent some anxious time in police custody were finally released.

Looking back today, the whole incident seems almost unbelievable and even amusing. But at the time, it was a tense and unforgettable experience that taught us an important lesson: Always wear your Scout uniform and always be aware of your surroundings!

If any fellow scouts remember additional details, or perhaps remember events differently, please do add to this account and help keep the memory alive for future generations of Scouts.

– Viraf Commassariat