KOCHI: On Republic Day, as millions eagerly wait to watch the parade from India’s capital on their television sets at home, Malayali youth Srinivas S Kamath will be in the middle of all the action. He will be marching alongside his fellow NCC cadre, saluting the President. Srinivas, 20, is on cloud nine. Even on chilly winter mornings, he has been practising for the Republic Day parade at the camp in Delhi. The student from St Albert’s College in Kochi shares his journey to the prestigious parade at the Red Fort.
Amid restrictions on phone usage and a hectic schedule, he speaks to TNIE over the phone. “It is exciting. It has been my dream to attend the camp since I joined the NCC. RDC (republic day camp) is the most prestigious of NCC. So it is a huge moment for me, just being here,” he says. The young cadre is representing the NCC Kerala and Lakshadweep directorate. He says the training and selection procedure for the big day started months ago, in September 2021. “It has been five months of continuous training since then,” says the native of a small village called Karnakode.
The camp in Delhi is very rigorous, says Srinivas. “It is full of excitement and fun, though there is a lot of pressure and hard work while training. It’s very very cold here. The training starts from 3am when the temperature is around five degrees celsius,” adds the BCom final-year student. Every day, many officers and guests visit the camp, like the Union defence minister and officers from the Army/Navy/Airforce etc.
Srinivas joined NCC during his first year of college. His dream of joining the Indian army attracted him to the NCC Army wing.
“The training activities are quite tough. But it’s very interesting for me as I like to do physical activities. The RDC will help me fulfil my ambition to join the military,” says Srinivas. Srinivas has so far attended 10 camps as part of the NCC.
Srinivas’ team will be doing a march past on the momentous occasion and the young student is the placard holder of his team. Srinivas is one of the 15 students from Kerala selected to attend the Republic Day Parade today.