LESSONS FROM KHADAKVASLA What NDA has taught me-Brig M K Kushwaha

It was 42 years ago to the day that I joined the National Defence Academy as an Air Force Cadet. The experience that unfolded over the next three years was dotted with what Churchill famously promised the English......... blood, sweat, toil and tears (well, not much of the last). As I look back at those days, I can't help but feel a sense of elation over what they came to mean to this boy from civvy street, who was the first from his family to join the Services. So what does NDA mean to me?? - it means being part of the final 250 who made the cut after a rigorous selection process - it means being part of a melting pot of cultures and languages - where everyone is equal, without exception - where Kipling's immortal poem 'IF' has inspired successive courses - where the Cadet's Prayer is truly uplifting - where 'officer like' conduct is the norm, and anything that is contrary to this norm is simply not acceptable - where the term 'manage' has its own unique connotation! - where the words 'Oh, so you have ideas' is not necessarily encouragement!! - where usually Cadets ride cycles, but the roles are often reversed!! - where to get permission to visit the city of Poona one needs to apply for 'Liberty'!! - where being "hit for a six" is truly bad news, and not in the cricketing sense - where Equitation isn't necessarily equitable.... I succeeded in falling off them horses pretty regularly!! - where one may be rewarded as well as punished by being 'Excused'!! - where 'feeling funny' is NOT a laughing matter - where the NDA Ball each term is the talk of Poona town, because Mothers lock up their daughters for a week before the event, and the male::female ratio is approx 10:1, if you're lucky!! - where Scotch eggs at dinner on Tuesdays were worth dying for - where liveried waiters would feed the entire Academy of 1500 plus hungry Cadets their 3-course breakfast comprising cereal, eggs-and-a-side-dish, and God knows how many toasts in the space of 30 minutes - where you were 'awarded' Sinhgarh hikes like it was some sort of treat - where the Drill Square was an anachronism (read 'misnomer') since it's a rectangle!! It is a revered spot, and being slack on the Drill Square would earn you a sharp reprimand from the SM Sa'ab - where the jump from the 7-metre board had little to do with physical ability, or swimming prowess, it was more a matter of conquering fear and showing moral fibre - where the item called 'course mate' has first call on your loyalties, even after a span of 30 years of not having met - where the bonds that are formed are stronger than even family - where one learns to deal with the ups and downs of life with panache and equanimity - where a young boy enters the hallowed portals, and after three years of tempering leaves as a Man ready to lead men into battle, ready to face all that life has to throw at him and still come up tops!! Truly it's the 'Cradle for Leadership'. I've been asked whether I'd do it all again if I could rewind my life. The answer to that is a resounding and unhesitating Yes!! To All my Course mates and everyone who has been through this great institution........(this is from my heart) Cheers!! Regards (