Schoolteacher meets Coimbatore collector in Army outfit, says he wants to join forces if a war breaks out between India and China

COIMBATORE: Clad in an Army outfit, C Arasu, a science teacher at a panchayat union middle school in Kalampalayam, on Monday approached Coimbatore district collector K Rajamani with an unusual petition.
“In the event of a war between India and China, I would like to go to Ladakh and join our forces in the fight against the Chinese,” he said in the petition.
Arasu, 52, said he had been watching and reading news on the standoff between India and China and had been inspired to take up the cause.“Today, the younger generation doesn’t think about such things as the nation’s sovereignty. So I wanted to send a message to them,” he said.
Arasu said he had been a member of the National Cadet Corps in school and college and had undergone training in shooting and handling rifles.
“I got an Army outfit made for me before submitting the petition to the collector, as I wanted the message to reach people, especially younger people,” he told TOI.
“I have been following the issue since the tensions escalated between India and China. I never go to bed without updating myself on it. I want to be the first Indian citizen from the region to fight for the country,” he said.
In his petition, he sought the district collector to help him go to the battlefield when such a situation arises.
“Even if I don’t get a chance to fight alongside our soldiers, I hope my gesture would send a strong message to students and youngsters,” he said.
The teacher said the collector had congratulated him.