By V. Vijayalakshmi
IANS
Khadakwasla (Maharashtra) : Three and a half decades ago, they barely had the time to bid each other goodbye as they completed their National Defence Academy (NDA) course in 1971. No sooner had they been commissioned at the end of the 38th course, this batch was pitch forked into the battlefield of the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
It was a matter of life and death, and the honour of the Indian nation, to whom they had pledged their lives, was at stake. They were truly born to battle.
This weekend, the 38th batch finally met each other in a different ambience. Coming together for the first time since 1971, this special batch went through a euphoric reunion Saturday.
According to Vice Admiral S. Bhasin, "I was a 20-year-old midshipmen sent to the battleground. More than the fear of losing my life, there was a sense of excitement that I was going to fight for my country."
Ever since their commissioning, the officers of the 38th course have actively participated in various military operations at home and on UN missions abroad. This is reflected in the numerous decorations they have received, including the Param Vir Chakra and the Ashok Chakra, the highest awards respectively in times of war and peace.
2nd Lt. Arun Khetrapal was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously during the 1971 war while Col. N.J. Nair received the Ashok Chakra, also posthumously, during counter-insurgency operations in the northeast in the mid-1980s.
The 38th NDA course today boasts of 22 generals, six air marshals and three admirals.
This prompted NDA commandant Air Marshal T.S. Randhawa, himself a 38th batcher, to remark: "Sometimes, it really pays to have friends at such high positions."
Many alumni of the 38th course are now big names in the corporate world, too. Among the best known is Capt. G.R. Gopinath, who founded the low-cost carrier Air Deccan.
It was a delightful sight to see such senior people Saturday laughing, recalling old incidents and teasing each other like in the good old days. Some 110 of them along with their families partied through the day.
As for the wives, it was a case of husbands disclosing secrets about the other.
All this moved Randhawa to remark: "I feel proud to be a part of this batch. I am meeting some of them after 38 years."
Along with fun and frolic, the reunion also brought back memories of their peers like Khetrapal and Nair who had laid down their lives in the line of duty.
According to Commander V.S Agashe, "it's a pity that these days, kids have role models such as Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. No one even remembers people who have laid down their lives for the country."
Thus, as Randhawa pointed out, the present generation of cadets are physically less strong than their counterparts of yesteryears. According to him, it is the current educational system that is to be blamed for this.
"These days, schools pay a lot of emphasis on academic excellence as against physical education, which certainly is not a good sign," he maintained.
Meanwhile, NDA will celebrate its diamond jubilee in January 2009. The president of India is expected to be the chief guest on the occasion, with the three service chiefs also joining the celebrations.