Naveen Uraon
STARTING September 28, 2014, the premises of Kendriya Vidyalaya-III located in Colaba has taken on a vibrant and multi-coloured hue, with presence of close to 600 NCC cadets from every nook and corner of our country. Cadets representing all states of India, except the state of Jammu and Kashmir who could not attend due to floods, have created salubrious environs with their participation in the annual National Integration Camp being held under the aegis of NCC Directorate Maharashtra.
Major General Subodh Kumar, Additional Director General of NCC in Maharashtra visited the camp and interacted with the cadets and Associate NCC Officers accompanying them. He also inspected the camp site and expressed satisfaction at the high standards of living area and work-space being maintained by the cadets and camp staff.
In an inspiring speech Maj Gen Subodh Kumar exhorted all cadets to become model ‘Indian’ citizens and rising above their identities as belonging to their respective states, languages and religions. He asked the cadets to understand and appreciate the diverse culture prevalent in our country and discern the strong, sure and unmistakable thread of ‘unity’ in this amazing ‘diversity’. He urged cadets to mingle and share ideas with cadets from other states so that, when they go home after the camp, they carry with them a refreshingly national outlook and respect for their peers.
The General Officer exhorted cadets to put their best foot forward in all competitive events and participate with a sense of sportsmanship. He proudly pointed out the example of the scintillating performance of NCC Maharashtra Girl Cadets who have been adjudged the Best Contingent in the Thal Sainik Camp recently held in Delhi. He congratulated them for their high standard of participation in camp activities and wished them happiness and success in future.
These enthusiastic and talented cadets, over a period of twelve days, are participating in various physical and cultural activities aimed at instilling a sense of camaraderie, team-work and a spirit of National Integration among them. Cadets will be given an opportunity to imbibe the concepts of co-existence, tolerance and mutual respect for cadets from other states which will help them evolve as truly national citizens, going beyond the confines of their individual states. Motivational lectures and demonstrations are being conducted wherein domain experts from the Int’l Institute of Sleep Sciences, SANKALP Foundation, LIONS Foundation and officers from armed forces will interact with cadets. Cadets are being taken on a conducted tour of the city, whereby they will be able to view the planetarium, museums, art galleries and historic places in Mumbai.
Army and Naval authorities in Mumbai have extended full support to the NCC by organising visits to some of their installations and dockyard so as to expose cadets to the way of life in the services.
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