The Agniveer passing out parade was as much about family celebration as it was a military event.
Alongside the pomp, pageantry and discipline of the parade were the personal stories of families, their struggles and how far they had come.
Text: Archana Masih/Rediff.com.
Photographs: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com
Parents and relatives bursting with pride streamed out of the mess after a celebratory lunch of pooris, chicken, paneer, aloo-gobi and ice cream.
Their eyes shone, faces glowed as they walked besides their sons, turning to look at the beaming young men who had just been inducted as Agniveers into the Indian Air Force after five months of rigorous training at the IAF's training institute in Belagavi, Karnataka.
The families had come from the far corners of India to watch their sons graduate at the grand passing out parade. It was a landmark event in each family's story and they were all living the glorious moment -- one that would remain with them for the rest of their lives.
They had come from far off places... Vijaynagram, Andhra Pradesh, Rewari, Haryana, Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Jhargram, West Bengal... Mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, cousins had boarded trains, sometimes changing two trains, then getting into a bus to reach Belagavi on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border.
Most had travelled to this part of the country for the first time.
Parvez Ali's parents and uncle had arrived at 3 am in the morning from Shamli after a three day train and bus journey. The farm labourers who made jaggery from sugarcane were dressed neatly in cotton garments to beat the summer heat, carrying a gamcha -- a large cotton handkerchief, the multi-purpose cloth that serves as a shield from the sun and wipes the sweat off the brow.
"I had always wanted to wear the uniform in the service of the country," says Parvez Ali with a gentle smile. His family stands around him, listening intently to every word he says.
"The biggest change in him is his language. His Hindi is so refined now. In our village, we speak in a rustic manner," says his uncle, patting his nephew's back.
"He looks very smart, disciplined and refined."
The Alis have lived in Shamli for generations. Parvez had applied for the Agniveer scheme, a four year entry programme into the armed forces launched by the Government of India last year. 25% of the enrolled Agniveers will be retained as permanent cadre at the end of four years.
Parvez had appeared for the selection test in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, and then travelled to Bengaluru for the medical test. "I want to do my best and be among the 25% that will be retained in the IAF," says Parvez as his mother looks on lovingly.
His brother is an engineer in Gurugram, his father whispers to Parvez asking him to share the important information about the family. The hard working labourer reveling in pride about the achievements of his sons and the distance they had travelled from their humble beginnings.
Standing behind them was the Yadav extended family. Mayank Yadav from Aligarh, UP, son of a farmer introduced us smartly -- one by one -- to his parents, uncle, aunt and cousin sister. The uncle, who retired from the Indian Navy, had travelled by car from Goa with his family, three hours away.
"I have learnt so many things in these five months that have changed my life. The biggest change in me is 'time management', I used to while away so much time before, but now I utilise every second of the day," says Mayank confidently, standing upright with his chest out.
Mayank Yadav was leaving for Assam the next day to begin specialised training on servicing the Mi-17 helicopter.
That morning of the passing out parade was as much about family celebration as it was a military event. Alongside the pomp, pageantry and discipline of the parade and drill were the human stories of families, and of emotions that tugged at the chords of the heart.
Avinash Singh was discussing the spectacular drill performance with his mates. "We gave it our best today and it was near perfect," he says with easy confidence.
The boys speak politely, confidently, shoulders pulled back, just tipping their heads gently to converse.
Unlike, the others we spoke to, Avinash did not have anyone from his family watching him from the visitor's enclosure. Sadly, his parents are no more.
The son of an IAF sergeant who passed away in 2010, Avinash and his 18-year-old brother lived in Chandigarh where his father was posted at the time of his passing.
His mother got a job there and the three continued to live in the city. Then tragedy struck again when COVID-19 cruelly took away his mother in 2021.
"In the beginning it was tough, but we understood that some things were not in our hand, we learnt to cook, look after the home and ourselves. As time passed, we thought the blessings of our parents were always with us, so why not go ahead and make them proud," says Avinash in admirable control of his emotions belying someone so young of age.
Avinash secured 95% in Class 10 and 84% in 12 and will apply for the officer cadre when the IAF announces entry for IAF officers. "I will keep trying hard till I reach my goal. It is a matter of pride to wear this blue uniform," he says.
Talking about the transformation he has seen in himself, he says, "The rigorous training here has broken many myths like you cannot run after a meal or that a parade can be done only at a particular time."
"It has also revealed my endurance level -- I could never imagine that I could run 5 km in 20 minutes with a load on my back, but our skilled trainers helped us get there."
"Training in military academies is not supposed to be easy and the end product is there to see for the parents who have come," he says.
If he misses not having his parents or family to watch him on his big day, Avinash does not show it. On the first day of his journey as an Agniveer, he already shows soldierly fortitude in the face of personal loss.
One cannot help rooting for Avinash -- and for the others as they walked around the grounds, saying their final goodbyes before going on to their respective specialised training institutes across the country.
"There were several 'up and down' moments for me in the first month of training, but our instructors were very good and I was able to learn quickly," says Deep Giri, the son of a fruit shop owner from Jhragram district of West Bengal.
His father had travelled from his village, which is located 150 km from Kolkata, to see his son graduate top of the course.
In the few days he was going to be away, he had left his shop in the care of a helper.
Looking back at their training, many cadets had wondered how they would be able to cope with the rigorous training -- the first month had been particularly difficult. "We came from diverse backgrounds, but learnt to work as a team just the way the services expects us to," says Srinivas Pawan from Vijaynagram district, Andhra Pradesh.
The son of a Naik from the Army Postal Service, he too is looking forward to applying to the IAF in the officer category.
"I have learnt leadership skills and commanded 58 trainees of my class. I will try my best to continue in the IAF and if I am released after four years, I will try in the civil sector," says Mohit Yadav, a farmer's son from Rewari, Haryana, whose grandfather served in the Kumaon Regiment.
Mohit had been trying for the fauj since 2019 and feels he was selected for the Agniveer programme because he was better prepared this time.
Hoshiyar Singh, son of a retired nursing assistant from the Army Medical Corps, came to becoming an Agniveer after being rejected at the Service Selection Board interview in the Air Force Officer entry category. The SSB is the second level of evaluation after the written examination and comprises a week-long grueling test conducted at different centres across the country.
"I thought I wouldn't get a better opportunity to develop my skills, become bold and learn new skills," says Hoshiyar, a Physics graduate from Hyderabad and the only child of his parents who reside in Agra.
The newly inducted Agniveers are oblivious to the heat on the parade ground. They raise military war cries, do one-handed push ups and laugh with their mates.
Their enthusiasm seeps into the atmosphere as they prepare to go forth in the service of the nation. It is a moment of pride not only for them, but for the rest of us too.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
