Ready for the grind, fresh cadets arrive at OTA

CHENNAI: Colourfully dressed candidates walked into the Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) at St Thomas Mount on Thursday, brimming with excitement about handing in muftis for crisp gleaming uniforms and the honour of serving their country. Training for the next batch of cadets is set to begin at the Academy and entrants arrived from across the country aiming for various specialised divisions of the army. Some were aware of what they could expect in the months ahead, in terms of rigorous training and strict army discipline, as they already have a family member in the armed forces. Others had come with an open mind and single-minded ambition.Said a smiling 21-year-old Akash Mor, “My father is a colonel in the army and I am used to the discipline at home, right from waking up on time to table manners. I always wanted to join the army. I don’t think it will be difficult for me to adapt.” Hemant Chawla of Uttarakhand had always been clear about joining the army, but convincing his parents was not that easy. “It was the thought of a good career that brought me here. I am not from an army background - my father works in a bank and my mom is a teacher. Of course, I understand there are pros and cons and I made my parents understand that. I want to be part of the armoured regiment,” he said with a confident grin.Pune-based Rupa Saxena is proud to follow in the footsteps of her father, notwithstanding her long silky hair which she is aware will not see a beauty regimen in her busy schedule ahead. “I dreamed of joining the army since class nine and this is a minor sacrifice. I had not seen any army-kind of discipline at home and my father never forced me into doing anything. A short haircut does bother Kanchan Dharnia, a young lady hailing from an agricultural family in Bikaner in Rajasthan. “Though my grandfather was in the army, I have no idea how it is going to be. It will be quite different for me, given my upbringing. But I am happy,” she said.The new batch of cadets now have ten months of arduous training before they qualify for the Army.