Dear Friends,
A very warm Namaste and a resounding Jai Hind!
“To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods”
If you are one of those people who are wondering whether the Indian Armed Forces are good enough for you to join or, what this profession offers, this post is for you.
The profession of arms is, without an iota of doubt, the noblest of all professions and only the chosen few are privileged to take up the profession of soldiering. What could be a greater form of service to the nation than pledging one’s life in the line of duty? Soldiering, in fact, transcends the definition of a profession, from merely doing a job to earn a livelihood, to a way of life – and an unmatched life at that!
It is only in the Defence Services that honour, dignity, respect, pride and prestige come as a package. Where every step is a challenge, every day is exciting and every task or event is an adventure. Here, Discipline, Self-respect, Honesty, Duty, Brotherhood, Elan and a Clean and Orderly Life are not mere slogans but are emulated and practiced to perfection. In the Services, even the ordinary feel important; well beyond the narrow considerations of caste, creed, colour or religion. The life depicted in the advertisements put out by the three services, inviting the youth to join the Armed Forces, are actually not far from the truth of life in the services!
On the financial side, from the day you are selected to join one of the training academies, you cease to be a financial burden on your parents, well, except maybe for essential luxuries such as the latest i-phone! All your lodging and boarding, as well as the uniforms you will wear during training, will be provided to you. The stipends, where provided, may differ from academy to academy and the type of entry you choose. More importantly, the pay and perks that an Indian Armed Forces officer gets are good enough to keep you and your family in middle class comfort throughout your life.
But honestly, personally for me one of the biggest gains I have made in my almost 36 years of commissioned service as an officer, is the camaraderie and bonds of friendship that I formed with innumerable fellow officers, whether my peers, my seniors or juniors. The assurance and the pleasure of knowing that, even years from now, if one were to call any one of them, it will be like yesterday, is immeasurable.
And the biggest honour you can have (provided you measure up in their eyes) is the utmost trust and loyalty of the men you will command! And the Indian Army soldier is a special breed – he will produce wonders and follow you to hell and back, if he accepts you as his leader.
Command of men is what sets military leaders apart from leaders in any other field – whether in industry, commerce, politics or, even the police. For it is only as an Armed Forces Officer that you will need to be worthy of that command – to be able to order a soldier to do something that he knows may or, even will, lead to his death. If you think that this is the most onerous responsibility of all and that you would love to be worthy of bearing such responsibility, the Armed Forces are for you.
To sum up, the Indian Armed Forces are an exalted extended family, that only the most fortunate get to join and experience.
What do you think about the Armed Forces? Would you like it to make it your way of life? Is there anything in particular you would like to know about the process? Do write to me or comment.
Waiting for your responses. See you soon!!
Till then, Farewell.
JAI HIND!!
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