The passing out parades of all military academies are held in June. So, we often heard and saw the josh on parade. In my interaction with young people in colleges and universities, I often hear them yearning to serve in the armed forces. Some tried but failed, others could not qualify.
To these people I always say, “You don’t have to join the Army to serve the country. The growth story of India needs the skill sets of each one of you. You can serve the country by doing what you do to the best of your ability. So just do your bit and if you want to show your respect for a soldier, be a good citizen, a citizen worth dying for.”
Do the harder right
It is not easy to be a good citizen. We see it especially during the pandemic. Observing the Covid norms, even while they are for your own safety, seems to prove too much for most citizens to follow. A good citizen is the one who abides by societal norms with utmost civic sense to responsibly be a part of the community and society. (S)he is willing to not only play his/her role as a part of the society, but also ensure the well-being of others. When you do not throw garbage in the open, you leave a clean space for others you do not know. When you park your vehicle in the designated place, you leave space for unknown strangers. These are good community values.
It’s not always easy to do the right thing. You may have to walk a long distance to park in the designated place, or carry garbage with you rather than junk it on the roadside. But to do the harder right than the easier wrong is the hallmark of a good citizen. If all of us had a well-developed civic sense, the world would be a great place.
{{/usCountry}}It’s not always easy to do the right thing. You may have to walk a long distance to park in the designated place, or carry garbage with you rather than junk it on the roadside. But to do the harder right than the easier wrong is the hallmark of a good citizen. If all of us had a well-developed civic sense, the world would be a great place.
{{/usCountry}}Why don’t we do it? Because it’s easier to take shortcuts. To do the extra bit calls for good values at home and school, a well-developed conscience, and discipline and training beyond the curriculum of education.
Programmes for the youth
This pandemic has produced many scoundrels who do not hesitate to feed off the misery of others. On the other hand, it has also thrown up countless unlikely heroes. These good Samaritans put their heart and soul into whatever they do, but imagine the difference they could make if they were even partially skilled to help. We need good citizens skilled in different walks of life to build good societal structures. Therefore, we must think beyond just military training for the youth.
There are several programmes or disciplines the youth can explore. Those with a military bent of mind can enrol in the National Cadet Corps (NCC), found in schools and colleges, which imparts basic military training in weapons and parades. It is a disciplined and organised resource that can be mobilised in times of need to spread the correct messaging, or to physically assist in relief activities. During the Indo-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, NCC cadets were the second line of defence. As the largest volunteer uniformed force in the world, it nearly equals the armed forces in numbers. Its reach can be diversified to include other skill sets like first aid, paramedic training, fire fighting, ecology and environment, traffic control, educational awareness, societal issues, disaster relief and more.
The Civil Defence and Home Guards are twin voluntary organisations that were raised to provide protection to citizens in any untoward situation. The personnel are recruited from 18-50 year old citizens from varied walks of life. During the 1965 and 1971 wars, the Civil Defence volunteers got us to carry out lights-out practices and more. In the days when there was no social media, these volunteers acted as society’s medium for messaging.
The National Service Scheme (NSS) is a public service programme conducted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, aimed at developing student-campus-community linkage.
More Territorial Army reserves should be created to meet different needs or crises. Territorial Army soldiers assist in ecological ventures and combat terrorism. During the railways strike in the 1970s, it even ran the Indian Railways.
A new scheme called National Youth Corps (NYC) has been formed to tap the potential of the youth and channelise their energies towards nation building.
The country could have a ready pool of youth volunteers, trained for different contingencies. Participation in nation building will give the youth a sense of ownership, or at least a sense of belonging. But first they must start by being good citizens, citizens worth dying for.
Lt General Satish Dua is a former corps commander in Kashmir, who retired as chief of integrated defence staff
From HT Brunch, June 27, 2021
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