Today – the 15th of June 2011 is the 45th anniversary of my commissioning in the Indian Army . Some of my course mates from the 21st Technical Course always call and greet each other on this day .
Looking back , many images come up in my mind . The first day at IMA [ Indian Military Academy ]Dehra Dun when we were inducted to the gentlemen cadet [ GC} routine with a good doze of ragging , the rigors of training on field craft on the bed of the Tons river and Siwalik hills , the tough physical training regimen followed by a sweating drill practice guided by Subedar Major Harnam Singh [ He was the first to salute us after we passed out !!] , the front rolls and restriction parade , the discomfort in wearing a full suit in summer while going out to the city and above all the battle inoculation exercise simulating war noise and gun fire ! . The packaging was so good and the food was a great draw !! .
I remember Major Bhawani Singh , MK , [ later Brigadier and the Maharaja of Jaipur ] the academy adjutant on horse back , a formidable icon of influence to all the cadets . He died recently in his eighties . Our squad instructor Major Shashikant who was a tough disciplinarian and our PT Instructor Nirmal singh who helped me pass the vertical rope and horizontal bar tests .
The passing out parade on 15th June 1966 from the steps of the famous Chetwode Hall to the tune of ” Auld Lang Syne ” was the beginning of my 31 years of Army Career which I cannot help looking back with a lot of Nostalgia on this day !
The motto of IMA was a message to all the passing out cadets which I reproduce below –
” The safety , honour and welfare of your country comes first , always and every time.
The honour , welfare and comfort of the men you command come next.
Your own ease , comfort and safety come last , always and every time. ”
While the Officer Like Qualities [ we called it OLQ while in IMA] we learned while on training helped us in our Army Career , it continued to guide me in my corporate life after retirement and in my social life all the time .