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My journey towards Republic Day Camp [RDC] began on 15th August. The day I got rejected in the Thal Sainik Camp, I felt miserable and was shattered deep inside. Major Raghavendra C, or as people love to call him… Raghu sir, the training officer for TSC called me and spoke to me about the results. I can never forget what he told me…’don’t let the rejection stop you from working hard Rohan… You’re meant for something else… something bigger, something better!! JUST DON’T STOP WORKING HARD’ and that was it, I found my mantra.
PRE- [Inter -Group Competition] IGC/RDC 1: Chitrakoota
I was scared of what was coming, I was scared of the competition. How will I get selected among 200 cadets from Bangalore A group? Will I be able to make it to the final team? Will I ever wear the KARNATAKA AND GOA blazer? Thousands of questions and just one answer… WORK HARDER THAN YESTERDAY.
I still remember when Raghu Sir called me during the RDC camp and asked me if I was prepared! The confidence in me screamed ‘YES SIR’. Waking up at 5:00am everyday and sleeping at 2:30 am, my body had given up! But those words kept running in my head… that one day I WILL WEAR THE BLAZER.I managed to pull myself out of my sleeping bag and get ready everyday… wash my face, stand in the queue to go to the loo as there were 100 boys and just 5 toilets. Shave, go out and grind.
I cleared the first camp and got selected for the next one.
PRE-IGC/RDC 2: Sacred Heart Girls High School
The same daily routine! But this time, we presented a new group song, a new group dance every day to show to Raghu Sir. He liked a few ideas and rejected the others. I watched and observed minutely, I was motivated to imitate Raghu sir and develop my behaviour like him.
It was the second day of the second camp and I celebrated my 20th birthday with 35 amazing people and Raghu Sir. From ordering 20 chicken biryanis and dancing to Bollywood music, it was the best birthday I had ever celebrated.
I cleared the second camp and got selected for the next one.
PRE-IGC/RDC 3: ETI Jalahalli Airforce Station
The daily routine had become tougher as we got to sleep just 2 hours a day. The choreographers made us practice day and night. The goal at that time was the Inter Group Competition Banner.
We all practiced every day, skipped a few meals and forgot about sleep! It was a ‘now or never’ moment.
Finally, I made it to the IGC team and was ready to be launched.
IGC-RDC: Christ University, Kengeri
The competition had just got serious, over 600 cadets from 6 different groups had all gathered to compete with each other.
As the days went by, the competitions were over and we were all geared up for deeper selections for the directorate team.
From giving my selections in singing, dancing and MC to getting selected for all … it was just the first step towards the DREAM.
RD-1/2/3: ETI Jalahalli Airforce Station
Out of the 600 cadets who competed in IGC… 180 cadets were short listed and the real challenge had just begun.
Sleeping at 2:30 – 3:00 am after rigorous cultural practice and waking up at 5:00 am for drill was not easy. It was mentally stressful but I had to do it. I had a dream!
Worked harder and harder everyday… could not speak to family… skipped semester exams just for one dream! Getting beaten up by the PI Staff for not lifting my leg till my chest, going to the choreographer’s house to record the song and script, writing Youth Exchange Program (YEP) exams and attending interviews everyday… all of these were my stepping stones towards the dream.
When I received my kitting, the first thing I opened was the RDC track suit… held it tight with tears in my eyes! Wore it with pride, KARNATAKA AND GOA had a new member in their team!
I called up my parents and told them that I made it to the team, sent them photos of self in the track suit. It was a dream come true.
We departed from Bangalore on 28th December 2018 and reached Delhi on 31st January 2018.
RDC: DELHI
We arrived at the railway station in the morning and the weather was normal. Felt like we were in Bangalore, but little did we know about the storm that was coming our way.
January 1st 2019… 4 degree Celsius, I woke up and wore my thermals, then a t-shirt, followed by my uniform and the sweater and I still had to put my hands in my pocket and try not to freeze to death!
The first few days were the most crucial days as the cultural competitions were held at the beginning of the camp. We performed and gave our best with whatever costumes and paraphernalia we had.
I had the opportunity to meet and have tea with Admiral Sunil Lanba, the Chief of the Indian Navy at his residence.
The competitions had gotten over and now, it was time for deep selections for central cultural or also known as The All India Cultural. Out of 595 cultural cadets from all over India, the best 30 got selected and I feel proud to say that I was the flag bearer of the All India Cultural team and got an opportunity to perform at Teen Murti Bhavan, New Delhi in front of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, Défense Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman and senior bureaucrat like Shri Ajit Doval.
It was a chilly evening on 26th of January 2019 when we received a message on the official group from our contingent commander, Col. Bopanna which read ‘The history has been repeated … KarGos… after 15 years -WE HAVE BECOME THE CHAMPIONS and won the Prime Minister’s Banner and are the winners of RDC 2019’.
28th of January 2019, we received the winning trophy from the Prime Minister himself!!!
At that moment… that very moment, I had a flashback of everything that happened in this beautiful journey. From getting up early to sleeping late, from eating off others’ plates to skipping meals, from fighting with each other to hugging each other tightly out of love, from crying to laughing, from eating at the mess to eating at Kalpataru café, from not knowing anything about the drill to teaching the other person, from being nothing to becoming a winner … this journey was everything I had ever wished for.
I’ve made lifelong friends, I’ve met my role models, I’ve achieved whatever I had ever dreamt of.
I feel very proud to say that I WAS A PART OF THE WINNING CONTINGENT OF RDC IN 2019.
I am proud of myself for what I have done. I thank this beautiful organisation for making me a part of it. I thank my family, my friends, my college, the PI staffs who taught me, the officers who contributed in my training- so that I could embark on this wonderful journey, and most importantly, I thank Major Raghavendra C for believing in me, for motivating me, for making me who I am today.
The journey of a boy... from Cadet to Senior Under Officer is nothing but a dream.
A DREAM THAT HAS COME TRUE.
SENIOR UNDER OFFICER
