A battle drill by the Indian Army and an informative presentation on the artillery used by the forces concluded Veershatkti, a three-day exhibition held in Mulund, on Sunday.
More than 5,000 students from 50 schools and 200 children from 20 non-government organisations attended the exhibition, organised by the Maharashtra Seva Sangh, Mulund, during the three days. The children were counselled on the various career opportunities the armed forces provide.
“Our main aim is to bridge the gap between civilians and the armed forces. Three years ago, we focused on the Navy, after which we organised an exhibition to demystify the Air Force,” Jai Prakash Barve, secretary of the Maharashtra Seva Sangh, said.
Colonel (retired) Sudhir Naphad, who served in the Battle of Parbat Ali that had its 48th anniversary on December 13, spoke to enthusiastic children about the intricacies of artillery used by the Army and also addressed queries from those looking at the forces as a career option. “There has always existed an iron curtain between civilians and the military. As retired veterans, we want to break that and allow children to imbibe values like humility and diligence that characterise the profession. We not only want to motivate them to join the forces, but also educate them about how to be good citizens and serve the country,” he said.
The Maharashtra Seva Sangh organises around 100 awareness programmes each year that focus on issues ranging from the functioning of the Indian Coast Guard to the issue of Naxals. According to Mr. Barve, the three-day exhibition was part of Salute India, a movement to bind citizens with the defence forces and allow internalisation of their discipline and spirit of national integrity.
Mulund resident Gayatri Kapoor, who had brought her 10-year-old son to the event, said such opportunities are crucial in the lives of young children. “Even though my son is very young, I felt it was important for him to see that the Army extends beyond his ideas which are based on films,” Ms. Kapoor said.
She said the event was not advertised very well as she found out about it only on the last day. “But it was a very informative exhibition and I commend the effort,” said Ms. Kapoor.
