REAR GUARD ACTION

 REAR GUARD ACTION

Obviously, rear guard action –though used ‘as above’ is not a single word. Truly, it is an assembly of words – “action”, “Guard” and “rear”. ALL THE THREE are independent of one another and make ‘sense’ as individual terms. But, when assembled as a phrase/ an idiom, they connote a meaning ‘somewhat’ different from three independent terms.

In essence, RGA suggests a delayed action or response or retaliation as the situation may require.

In Battle field

RGA is practiced as a delayed defence or protection of sovereignty of the land; an army which is ‘retreating’ , unable to contain the advancing enemy  slowly retraces to mainland. During the ‘retreat’, the army chooses to employ skills of thwarting the enemy  by creating hurdles,  like cutting off roads, or damaging the bridges to baffle the advancement of enemy or planting explosives on the path causing disruption of movement of men and material for the enemy.  The action may also safeguard the communication system of the domestic forces.. This kind of ‘late’ reaction against the advancing enemy is named RGA.

Cricket reporting / commentary

Another situation when RGA finds verbal expression is during the description or commentary of the’ on-going’ events in a cricket match. Yes, sometimes the most recognized batsmen on a team , fail to make good scores  to make a big fight of the match. For a paltry 103 or 104 runs 6 or 7 0f the top order batsmen have been dismissed by the rival team. Surprisingly, the lower-down players 8 /9 launch an offence by sound performance and pile up another 80-90 runs raising their score to near 200 for 7 , results in a respectable performance , besides frustrating the opponent’s  desire to bundle them out. Such late fight to save the match and pride of the team is described RGA in cricket description.  

Another instance

The use of ‘commandos’ to combat the terrorists [who had laid siege over parts of Mumbai in an attempt to terrorize civilians] also can be described as RGA because, before any salvage could occur quite some damage had been inflicted. Such late actions are typically RGA in view of the time taken.

RGA IN INSTITUTIONS

Quite a few institutions in our country slump into slumber almost as a routine and try to launch RGA more or less as a routine.

Teaching

Many teachers visit classroom as per the work stipulated. Do they visit the lessons as often and stick to work in those hours of work. At least 15-20% keep talking to students through best part of the teaching sessions –on topics not prescribed for study. They earnestly ‘believe’ that they are the most sought after on the campus. Students relish such pedestrian teaching until the fear of public examination looms large  and ‘feel’ butterflies in stomach. Thereafter, they hate the gossip mongers among teachers. These teachers abruptly come to their senses and ‘rush through’ the topics[ RGA] , leaving everything in doubt, just keen to ‘complete’ the topics. 

LEARNING

Equally bad are some learners; they stay relaxed and less attentive till about a month before the final examinations. They too swing into RGA and TRY TO ‘memorize’ cartloads of matter and suffer ‘mental fatigue’. In teaching and learning, RGA  cannot  provide the advantages of systematic approach of steady  learning through daily efforts.  Like ‘healthy living’ learning has to be a daily exercise of balanced effort. RGA is no panacea and cannot be a substitute for progressive approach to any work.

Prof. K. Raman