39 years is a long time

Harsha Kakar
My batch which joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) in 1975, became commissioned officers in the Indian Army on 09 Jun 1979. It has been 39 years since we took the ‘Final Step’, which marks the end of training and the beginning of military service. That was the day, when we who joined as young boys, became leaders of men. We became men with responsibilities, imbibed with zeal, determination and fuelled with enthusiasm and national fervour.
Walking into NDA on the first day was like moving into a different world. A world of cleanliness, orderliness and discipline. Nothing could ever be out of place and no event could be missed. We all looked similar, dressed similarly, participated together. There was no difference in religion, class or creed. There was no differentiation from one to the other.We ate together, bathed together and thus bonded as one.
The initial days were difficult, adjusting to a complete change in life, but as time passed, we began to cherish our stay. Even when visiting the city, we were different, short haircuts, walking in step, neatly dressed and always with a soldierly bearing. The academy taught you that you were superior, special and a class apart.
After three years in the institution which became home as time passed, we moved further. In Jun 1978, we walked through the quarter deck, implying graduating from the academy and in the process bid farewell to those who had opted to join the navy and the air force. The parting was difficult, as we were aware that our paths may not cross again for decades, though the bonding would always remain.
The next was the Indian Military Academy (IMA), where joining us here were those who came through other entries and with whom we bonded again. We had our final grooming here and it was here, where we were fitted out to become leaders. Leaders who would lead other leaders and men into battle. Post the taking of the ‘Final Step’ we all moved into different directions and into different branches. Our paths would cross, with some frequently, with some infrequently.
Over the years, as time passed, each of us moved in directions pre-determined by destiny, with some rising to higher ranks in the army, few seeking greener pastures in the civil street while others lingering on in the service. Very few remain in service at present. During this period some of our colleagues sacrificed their lives, while some passed away due to other causes.Each loss has impacted the others, as memories and events remain etched in memory. As a group, we have never lost touch with the families and are always there to support one another.
The one aspect which has remained unchanged, despite all which happened to us is our respect for the institutions which made us what we are presently, those who trained us and the service which gave us the respect and courage to bash on regardless in life. Most importantly, we have in our hearts strong sentiments for the nation. Nationalism remains deeply imbibed in our hearts. Post the anti-national protests in JNU last year, it was this batch, which sought to surrender the degrees received from them.
The bonding within us, even after 39 years is the same as it was in training. We become children when we meet, recount the difficult days with fondness and cherish those memories. For our own families, seeing us become children comes many times as a shocker, but with many gatherings, they have accepted this proximity. Being young, locked in an academy and put through a rigour which few in the outside environment would experience, the bonding within us is closer than with our own family. The word course mates means the world.
Thanks to the rigours that we underwent, we have learnt to stand together, stand tall and be one. We learnt never to rattle on a colleague, accept punishment like a man in case we or a colleague makes a mistake and come hell or high water, never leave a colleague behind. We learnt that there are no shortcuts in life and for success we must work. It is this which differentiates us from the rest of society.
We would never have been able to keep tag of one another had it not been for social media. In the last few years, this bond of brothers has met on multiple occasions and in each the proximity within the group is evident. We may have changed in multiple ways, but for our course mates, we are always the child who joined the NDA at the age of 16.
39 years is a long time. Yet the spirit exists, the bonding exists, the warmth exists. Despite any setbacks in life, nationalism is the same as it was in 1979. This is because of the training and the rigours which we encountered. It is because we wore a uniform, worked for the nation, fought for the national flag and looked after the men we were entrusted to command. We gave respect and received the same back. We are proud to be the alumni of the NDA, ‘the cradle for leadership’ and the IMA, ‘the maker of men’. It was a career of choice, which none regrets and none ever would.
(The author is former Major General in Indian Amry)
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