'Uniforms for the first years were always of the thola thola (a little loose) types...'

My First NCC Parade 💜

04 July 1997

memoriesfromdiaries 💕

The main aim of NCC - the National Cadet Corps is to develop a sense of discipline and to promote ideals of selfless service amongst young citizens, said our NCC Officer on our Freshers’ Orientation Day!

So a few of us from our class, including Bhagat Singh, Wesley and myself enrolled ourselves in the NCC Army Wing [2 TN BN] of our College.

Each of us was given a set of NCC Uniforms for our Parades - that usually happened sharp at five in the morning!

Guess what... ! To fall in for your parade at five, you had to be up and about by 4.30 am! 4.30 am also meant the ‘silent night holy night time’ for most of us hostelers, who usually went to bed, late into the nights, a kinda solemn hour when a whole 99% of our hostelers were deep into ‘snore mode!’ 😋

But our Cadet Under Officers had already reiterated and reinforced in us the motto of NCC - ‘Unity & Discipline’!

There was no turning back on that! 

I remember, one Under Officer even telling us that, even if a snake or a scorpion were to slither or crawl anywhere close to you, while you are on your drill or parade routines, you should not budge even by an inch, either to your right or left, unless and until we your seniors give you the command!

Principles that were of utmost primacy in all our parades!

Well, on this particular day, and since this was our first ever rigorous routine in a long long time, as many as eight boys had fainted on the ground, and one had even vomited, while on our drill routine!

But they were mere initial hiccups you see! 

And so it was, that if you were late even by a fraction of minute for your parade, you quick, by default, became that ‘odd man’ out, and you are rest assured of your own sweet quota of punishment, before you even receive your quota of coffee and parottas after the parade is over!

Parades at NCC were always conducted with such grandeur and honour! It was like you were marching your lefts and rights, clad in your NCC uniform, and fully geared up in your black socks on boot ankle leather boots, with your proud beret cap, your cap badge, and all the accompanying paraphernalia with such intense majesty!

Be it your ‘Dheere Chal’s, or ‘Tez Chal’s, or ‘Daudke Chal’s, or your ‘Parade Teeno-teen mein baye chalega’s, or your ‘Visarjan’s, or your ‘Dahine Dekh’s, ‘Bayen Dekh’s or your ‘Saamne Dekh’s, or your ‘Savdhan’s, or your ‘Vishram’s, or your ‘Vishram Aaram se’s, you did your every command as if you were doing it for the pride of your entire Nation! With such commitment and involvement!

Well, I should confess that, our NCC days (although short they were!) taught us such valuable life lessons –

They not only inculcated in us a sense of discipline, but also helped us improve our bearing and our conduct at all times!

And that’s one reason why we say that,

Just in case you happen to spot a guy – from anywhere across India - who appears clean shaven, (er... um... most of the time!) with a neat haircut on them (almost all of the time), well-groomed, and implicitly obeys commands with a cute and gentle smile on them, and such punctuality and discipline, then, dear ladies and gentlemen, you’ve spotted an NCC Cadet, by all means!

Hail NCC!