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“Victory might be worshipped by fighters, But the same victory is a mere slave to warriors’’.
There are endless warriors present in the Indian Army. These same warriors were someone’s boy or girl who were loved and cared for, therefore they had a will to serve their motherland. The merciless training that goes on for days and nights to earn that uniform with olive green and stars on shoulders.
If you are young, adventurous and get a chance to attend the Passing Out Parade at the National Defence Academy, Indian Military Academy or Officer's Training Academy, Republic Day parade please don’t do So, because if you do, you are most likely to return to it as a cadet one day. The Passing Out Parade works its magic on young blood as it did on me. It evokes patriotic emotions, makes you proud of being an Indian. The Passing Out Parade can perhaps take the credit for bringing in more cadets, each year, than the high-flying advertisements in the media released by the Ministry of Defence.
Indian Army operates in the most difficult climates from -50 degree Celsius in Siachen Glacier which is the highest battlefield in the world to 60 degree Celsius in the hot deserts of Rajasthan. Being in the Army is not a job but a way of life full of adventure, glory and bravery.
Wars are not only fought with weapons but with the strategy, morale and skill of the person operating that weapon. From Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw to CDS General Bipin Rawat. We had tales of VALOUR and BRAVERY from Captain Vikram Batra to Major Manoj Kumar Pandey, To the training centres in NDA, IMA, OTA etc. Indian Army has the capability to plan and execute missions at a ghostly pace. And as is said in a famous saying in mandarin that a “Sword is made of grinding stone and a man is forged in hardship”.
The best thing that as civilians we can learn from the Army is TRUE SECULARISM. The concept SARVA-DHARMA STHAL is something that should be more popular amongst civilians as it promotes UNITY and BROTHERHOOD. The bonding between the soldiers is eternal and so are the memories. Your religion, culture and race are the same as the person standing next to you in the Indian Army which is very beautiful in this time of religious extremism and hatred. Because democracy is practised in parliament and streets but protected on frontlines.
“I was born with two mothers. One who gave birth to me, another who gave me meaning and identity, my country. Now I am only left with one of them and I will serve her until my last day’’.
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Aditya Singh
Team Geostrata
APS First-year
Hindu College, University of Delhi