Inspired by poverty, 27 kids aim for the olive green

Children aspire to join the armed forces for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s a platform to gain status and prove their mettle. Many are driven by patriotism, family tradition, or a personal interest in military life. However, at Gurdaspur’s Preliminary Education Centre (PEC), where children from underprivileged backgrounds study, the motivation is different.

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Here, 27 students, including 15 boys and 12 girls, dream of joining the Army not primarily out of patriotism, but as a means to escape poverty. They see a career in the armed forces as a path to improve their socio-economic conditions and support their families.

Romesh Mahajan, a devoted patron, runs a free educational programme at PEC for children whose families struggle to afford even two meals a day. In their ramshackle homes, poverty is a constant shadow. Their parents beg and borrow, if not steal, to ensure their children get a few morsels of food and access to education.

“Despite their poverty, these children have shown on innumerable occasions that they too have ambitions, like their counterparts of private schools. They are indeed resilient. They may fall ten times, but they get up eleven. After all, every life deserves a certain amount of dignity. And they have got that,” says Romesh, who ensures he support their dreams.

On May 7, as tensions escalated during Operation Sindoor, Kamal Kochhar, wife of Brigadier Vikramjit Singh Kochhar, Station Commandant at Tibri Cantonment, visited PEC and delivered an emotional speech. She spoke of nationalism and patriotism, striking a deep chord with the students, who listened with unusual attentiveness.

Quoting boxing legend Muhammad Ali, she told them, “The wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars against poverty are fought to map change.” The children were deeply moved when Kamal reminded them that the Army’s foremost duty is to serve the nation, even at the cost of one’s life.

Inspired by her words, all 27 students stood up and declared their intent to join the armed forces after completing school. The Kochhars, who had previously organised drug awareness campaigns, now found themselves motivating young minds to become future Army officers. When they eventually leave Tibri, they will take with them the satisfaction of having made a meaningful contribution to society.

To support this initiative, Romesh Mahajan invited Aditya Gupta, Assistant Commissioner (General), to officially inaugurate the programme. Colonel Amarjit Singh Bhullar, a philanthropist and social worker, was brought in to train the children in the fundamentals of Army life. His training aims to build their confidence and prepare them for entrance into Army and Sainik Schools, the two cradles of the defence forces.

Whether or not these PEC students eventually join the armed forces, initiatives like this are worthy and well-intentioned that it is glorious even to fail! But should they succeed, they won’t just wear the olive green, they will have broken a glass ceiling.