By Vimal Kapoor
One spectacle that has remained etched in my memory is the flag lowering ceremony I saw at Wagah border last year near Amritsar. This is where India and Pakistan borders are separated by huge iron gates, every evening the military personnel from both sides try to outdo each other while the crowds sitting in open air stands cheer their sides. It’s spectacular as well as stirring. The body language and demeanor of six foot plus army men as they thumped their feet down with crashing sound amidst cheering of ‘Bharat mata ki jai"was simply mesmerizing! Later after the ceremony I had a short conversation with army men Virender Singh. The six foot four inches Virender with chest as wide as a barn door (for once I didn’t feel bad at being dwarfed), told me that though he has participated in this drill number of times, still when he locks eyes with his Pakistani counterparts, he feels adrenaline flowing freely, and it’s a feeling he cannot put in words, with misty eyes he told me that felt swollen with pride to be an Indian soldier. I told him how proud we are of each and every defence personnel of our country, shook his huge vice like hand and posed with him for posterity. We at Dehra Dun are proud to have a world class institution "The Indian Military Academy" (IMA)’ it transforms young men into courageous, dynamic and knowledgeable young officers of honor, who are to bear the brunt of battle, or hardship whilst guarding the Nation's frontiers, or take part in peace keeping missions abroad. The training here imparts moral values, leadership qualities co-dependent upon honor and duty, mental and physical prowess, a spirit of adventure and the will to win. The objectives are achieved by training in character building, discipline, military and academic subjects, physical exercise, drill, sports and adventure activities. I am extremely lucky to have a few cadet friends at IMA who tell me that the underlying theme of activity is camaraderie and team spirit and a commitment to excellence. Duty, honour, integrity and self esteem are stressed upon during each stage of training, because these are the very qualities that will hone their skills to guard us against enemies as well as terrorism that is so rampant during these times. Few months back while the heroic National Security Guards (NSG) commandos were overpowering the terrorists holed up inside Taj and Trident-Oberoi hotels, and Nariman House in Mumbai, all of us kept our fingers crossed. Our very own Gajender Singh laid down his life in combat. Ferocious, frightening sound of explosions, and sharp bullets directed at NSG commandos failed to deter their willpower, resolve, and strength. The ‘men in black’ moved on without shying away from giving up their lives for the nation. They spearheaded the 59-hour-long operation to end the siege of iconic landmarks of not just Mumbai, but entire India. , all eyes were on these brave heroes, who were determined to gun down terrorists and save maximum innocent lives. And when the commandos finally set their foot in Mumbai, almost 10 hours had passed since the first attack was reported. However, despite all the odds, nothing could shake their determination. The elite force was ready to undertake an operation that was unusual for India. Donning their trademark dark fatigues, the commandos were also joined by heavily-armed Army para commandos and Navy’s marine commando force. In fact, the terrorists were equipped with sound and better technologies than the NSG. The terrorists had access to significant information apropos NSG operation through the Internet on their mobile phones, hence keeping the forces at bay for hours. Despite all the ambiguities, the commandos managed to flush out the terrorists and win the battle. Hats off to them and we will always remain indebted to them. Whether natural calamities like floods, accidents or internal strife, these are people who are ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country and country men. We salute our defence forces!!
One spectacle that has remained etched in my memory is the flag lowering ceremony I saw at Wagah border last year near Amritsar. This is where India and Pakistan borders are separated by huge iron gates, every evening the military personnel from both sides try to outdo each other while the crowds sitting in open air stands cheer their sides. It’s spectacular as well as stirring. The body language and demeanor of six foot plus army men as they thumped their feet down with crashing sound amidst cheering of ‘Bharat mata ki jai"was simply mesmerizing! Later after the ceremony I had a short conversation with army men Virender Singh. The six foot four inches Virender with chest as wide as a barn door (for once I didn’t feel bad at being dwarfed), told me that though he has participated in this drill number of times, still when he locks eyes with his Pakistani counterparts, he feels adrenaline flowing freely, and it’s a feeling he cannot put in words, with misty eyes he told me that felt swollen with pride to be an Indian soldier. I told him how proud we are of each and every defence personnel of our country, shook his huge vice like hand and posed with him for posterity. We at Dehra Dun are proud to have a world class institution "The Indian Military Academy" (IMA)’ it transforms young men into courageous, dynamic and knowledgeable young officers of honor, who are to bear the brunt of battle, or hardship whilst guarding the Nation's frontiers, or take part in peace keeping missions abroad. The training here imparts moral values, leadership qualities co-dependent upon honor and duty, mental and physical prowess, a spirit of adventure and the will to win. The objectives are achieved by training in character building, discipline, military and academic subjects, physical exercise, drill, sports and adventure activities. I am extremely lucky to have a few cadet friends at IMA who tell me that the underlying theme of activity is camaraderie and team spirit and a commitment to excellence. Duty, honour, integrity and self esteem are stressed upon during each stage of training, because these are the very qualities that will hone their skills to guard us against enemies as well as terrorism that is so rampant during these times. Few months back while the heroic National Security Guards (NSG) commandos were overpowering the terrorists holed up inside Taj and Trident-Oberoi hotels, and Nariman House in Mumbai, all of us kept our fingers crossed. Our very own Gajender Singh laid down his life in combat. Ferocious, frightening sound of explosions, and sharp bullets directed at NSG commandos failed to deter their willpower, resolve, and strength. The ‘men in black’ moved on without shying away from giving up their lives for the nation. They spearheaded the 59-hour-long operation to end the siege of iconic landmarks of not just Mumbai, but entire India. , all eyes were on these brave heroes, who were determined to gun down terrorists and save maximum innocent lives. And when the commandos finally set their foot in Mumbai, almost 10 hours had passed since the first attack was reported. However, despite all the odds, nothing could shake their determination. The elite force was ready to undertake an operation that was unusual for India. Donning their trademark dark fatigues, the commandos were also joined by heavily-armed Army para commandos and Navy’s marine commando force. In fact, the terrorists were equipped with sound and better technologies than the NSG. The terrorists had access to significant information apropos NSG operation through the Internet on their mobile phones, hence keeping the forces at bay for hours. Despite all the ambiguities, the commandos managed to flush out the terrorists and win the battle. Hats off to them and we will always remain indebted to them. Whether natural calamities like floods, accidents or internal strife, these are people who are ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country and country men. We salute our defence forces!!
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