A different kind of reunion

Col HP Singh (retd)

Afew days back, our batch of the Indian Military Academy completed 27 years of glorious service to the nation. Given the current restrictions on social gatherings, there was nothing much that we could have done to commemorate the occasion. But two of our batchmates came up with a novel idea that was shared with others for a consensus. The proposal got a resounding approval and planning for its implementation commenced with fervour.

The plan was to motivate everyone in our batch to carry out some physical activity on our passing-out anniversary and post a photograph of the same on the WhatsApp group. In consonance with soldierly ethics, we dedicated this event to martyrs of our batch. As a grand finale, a commemorative online certificate would be distributed to all participants along with a collage of ‘selfies’.

What would have otherwise passed off quietly as a non-event, with at best a few of us wishing one another, the occasion turned out to be an amazing experience. It infused enthusiasm in everybody, motivating even the laziest of our tribe to join the quest for fitness. The group was flooded with photographs posted from across the country, showing people engaged in serious running, walking, cycling, gym workouts, spot running and yoga, abiding by the protocol of social distance.

More than the physical exercise, it was the sight of old buddies that made the day special. Many of them had been off the radar for years. Metamorphosed by time and age, some of these faces were not easily recognisable, but the glint of excitement in their eyes indicated a strong defiance of age and reaffirming our unique relationship built during the tough days of training. The icing on the cake was participation of our course mates from the Air Force and the Navy, making it a tri-services event. Though their commissioning dates did not coincide with ours, almost a dozen of them volunteered to ‘come ashore’ and get ‘grounded’ in camaraderie of their brothers in olive greens.

Almost a third of our batch showed up along with a sizeable number of wives and children, with the youngest member being just seven years old. Not to be left behind, there were even those who had not been fortunate enough to get commissioned for various reasons, or had taken premature retirement. These enthusiasts actually stole the show, exercising from their places of work spread across different time zones of the world.

This seemingly innocuous activity did break the monotony of the lockdown routine and ushered in a sense of joy and social connect in these times of uncertainty and despondency. The collage of ‘Buddies for Life’, a treasured possession, will be a constant reminder of the bonhomie that has always existed among us.

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