IMA adopts Akhtar's song for platinum jubilee

The Indian Military Academy celebrating its 75th birthday on Monday has adopted a song written by ace lyricist Javed Akhtar for all its 'passing out parades'.

"Earlier, we used to sing and play army song, now we will play our own IMA song," said IMA commandant Lt Gen Pitambar Kishor Rampal soon after releasing the audio CD of the song written by Akhtar at a function to mark the academy's platinum jubilee celebrations in Dehradun on Sunday evening.

Sonu Nigam has sung the song titled Bharat Mata Teri Kasam whose music has been composed by Raju Singh.

However, the music has been changed slightly to suit the foot tapping of the cadets during the Passing out Parades, the IMA commandant said.

Set up on October 1, 1932, IMA gives nearly 1200 officers in two batches to the Indian army, for which it holds two POPS every year at the drill square where the cadets march in files before they become officers.

Later, Akhtar thanked the IMA for accepting his song and said it was the biggest honour for him so far in his life.

Remembering his association with the army, he said it took years to write the script for 'Lakshya'. "I spent 10 to 15 days in Kargil and I felt privileged for that."

"There (Kargil) I understood what the Indian army was all about. The army is a culture, the army is a way of life, the army is civilisation and the army is an ethos," he said.