Know your army: Maj Gen TK Kaul calls upon the youth of India

1. Know your army: Maj Gen TK Kaul calls upon the youth of India The Battle of Longewala was fought in 1971 December. It came to be known as one of the most admirable and efficient battle in which just 120 Indian soldiers, led by Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, fought 2000 Pakistani soldiers. They did not just hold the ground for an entire night till they got help from the air force, but also completely defeated the enemy. Despite such odd circumstances, the Indian side had only two casualties. Later, a famous movie named ‘Border’ was based on this battle. (Quoted from ‘Join the Indian armed forces, there’s nothing like it’). How many of us know this? So many things have taken precedence over the most important aspect of our country’s existence! The hearts of war veterans like Maj Gen TK Kaul ache with the visible ignorance about the Indian Army. There are several other interesting facts listed in the article that gives me the above paragraph, such as: -The Indian Army is the world’s largest voluntary army, which means the government has never force-recruited any of the personnel in the army. Every candidate has opted for it and has joined the army willingly. -The Indian military controls the world’s highest battlefield, Siachen, which is 5000 m above sea level. -The world knows Indian soldiers as peerless mountain warfare experts. -That caste reservations were never followed in the Indian Armed Forces’ recruitments. And so on…

2. Gen TejKaul, who served the Indian Army for 40 long years, has continued to work hard in his civil life post retirement. And his only focus was to make people – especially the youth -- aware of the importance of joining the defence forces. In one of his articles, he even suggests that youths should be encouraged to take military service as the top career option, instead of the last resort. “It keeps you fit and jovial. Makes you disciplined. Gives you an identity. Teaches you true sacrifice. And, above all, it makes you a real patriot. It is high time more and more youths joined the defence forces,” says Gen TK Kaul. An article, that talks about the need for inspiring the youths to turn to army in large numbers, even lists all the “benefits” that makes the Indian Armed Forces a lucrative career. Needless to say, the writer is tempted to mention the name of Major Gen TK Kaul as a leader who has been working to motivate their school and college students to understand how the Indian Armed Forces work. His major work is the Know Your Army program, which exhibits the real might of the Indian Army, for the benefit of the civilians and aspirants of defence forces. “The aim was to offer civilians a peep into the armed forces’ lives. People go about their lives happily, oblivious to the tough situations that our soldiers are facing day-in and day out while safeguarding the frontiers and territories of the nation from the enemy,” elaborates Gen TejKaul. He is still working. His official retirement could not stop Maj Gen TK Kaul’s continued commitment to his nationas a soldier.