CHENNAI: As Humidity that hung thick in the morning air gave way to mild drizzles, officer cadets marched in to the call of trumpets and drum beats. It was the Passing Out Parade at Officers Training Academy (OTA). A total of 269 Officer Cadets, including 20 foreign cadets, were to be commissioned.
Proud parents, relatives, and friends sat restlessly listening to the opening speech about the history of the academy as they waited for their loved ones to march in through the fort gates.
Those occupying the front seats with their families were excitedly clicking selfies and pictures of the marching cadets and President Pranab Mukherjee, who, for the third time in the 53-year-old history of the OTA was reviewing the parade.
In the crowd was a humble family from Zamin Kottampatti, a village in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu. Hailing from this village it was not a bed of roses for Karaigandaeaswaran aka K G Easwaran, to enter the OTA.
Passing in his sixth attempt, this BE Mechanical Engineering graduate, who lost both his parents to accidents, says, “Hard work is the only thing that has kept me going, and that’s the only mantra for anyone who wants to achieve something.”
His passion to join the Indian Army is something that goes beyond his memory. “I’ve always wanted to join the Army. I merely browsed the web to find out what needs to be done to get here,” says the newly commissioned Lieutenant. Fulfilling his deceased parents’ dream has been the prime driving force for this 25-year-old.
His family - sister, uncles, aunts, and cousins - watched proudly as Easwaran spoke to the media about his experiences. “He made it big despite his parents’ death,” beamed his uncle from the side as his aunt looked on smiling. But even his unbreakable conviction was tested by all the rigorous physical training that he underwent during his training period in the OTA.
“He used to get punished here during training sessions and we used to feel bad for all that he went through then. Now, we’re not just proud that he made it to the Indian Army, we’re proud he made it despite all the obstacles thrown at him,” says another uncle. And there he stood on the Pipping Lawn with everyone he loved, ready to take his oath to protect and serve the nation, as his family members along with others opened the covered stars on his uniform with tears in their eyes.