It was a very proud moment for the 382 Gentlemen Cadets (GCs) who were commissioned into the Indian Army on Saturday after a Passing out Parade at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun.
Apart from the 382 cadets, 77 others belonging to nine friendly countries of Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Fiji, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Lesotho and Tajikistan also passed out from the IMA.
The Gentlemen Cadets gave salutes to Lieutenant General Cherish Mathson, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Command at the famed Drill Square of the IMA compound. Lieutenant General Cherish Mathson was the Reviewing Officer (RO).
Lieutenant General Mathson, while addressing the newly-commissioned young officers, said that discipline is most important for winning a war. “Successful wars are impossible without discipline,” he said.
Three Army helicopters showered petals on the young officers at the IMA stadium even as the air was filled with euphoric jubilation. The young cadets began doing “josh” push-ups and displayed several other gestures to express their happiness.
Akshat Raj was rewarded with the prestigious sword of honour for his overall performance while Surendra Singh Bisht bagged the gold medal in the order of merit.
It was a proud moment for Colonel Kanwar Pal as his son Bhuvnesh Rawat, 24, was among those commissioned as an officer in the Indian Army. “I am feeling proud as my son is also an officer in the Indian Army now,” said Colonel Pal, who is an engineer in the Army.
The ceremony wasn’t without grim moments as Gurtegh Singh Kanthola from Chandigarh broke down remembering his father who had died just six months ago.
(With agency inputs)