Lend a Helping Hand

Maj. Gen. J.S. Kataria (retd)

Before the 1971 war started, those under training at the National Defence Academy/ Indian Military Academy (NDA/IMA) were hoping that their training would be cut short and they would be sent to join the war. None of those fancy ideas fructified and the training continued uninterrupted. When the cadets were proceeding home in the military specials following the term break, they were swarmed by the public and given a hero’s reception that encompassed many young ladies who ended up marrying army officers, much sought after in the Eighties! Same was the case with the soldier from villages across India. Getting into the armed forces was no less than scaling Mount Everest.

With economic