One of the wonderful events of my life.
During this 10days camp I learnt true way how to stay on my own, how to cooperate, manage schedules, unity and discipline. The date span was around 24 Sept to 4th Oct. Probably.
The camp was held in Alipore Takshal Colony Ground, Alipore. Dad accompanied me to the camp. I had to sign in register in the Officer's tent to get accommodation to a room in quarter. Dad bid me good bye. And I am left alone among about 200 other cadets including male and female of Senior Division. There were also about 200 Junior Division cadets. The day before I had came to this place to help Officers to set up tents and transport items from Group HQ, New Alipore.
I dragged my heavy bag past the ground about 5minutes before I reached a green coloured series of 6 quarters. I had my room at the extreme end along with 12 or 14 cadets of 1st and 2nd year (few of them who were there with me throughout were : Aman Singh, Chaturbhuj Yadav, Sagar Das, Prosenjit Yadav, Sk Hasan Imam, etc) . I kept my bag and got fresh quickly. The quarters were haunted, roads were dirty, toilets were not working, or merely one can pee. The back door was broken behind which lied drains. Later on we were informed that condition was made like that to test ability of young defence personnel to turn that haunted poor thing into a place of residence.
I got ready in track pants and came back to the Auditorium area where we were given meals, lined up for register roll calls and accumulated for any objective / task, or before parades. The girls' quarter were adjacent to auditorium, they were lucky, because we had to travel 10minutes to get to our quarters from Auditorium for each meals and exercises with our lunch plates in hand under scorching sun. Thanks, for those hardships paid off as turning point and prominent character developement sequences.
Quickly within 1 day we turned our flat into livable place hard to find simile with what we saw first day. Our daily routine went on like this -
1. Morning 5 am - Wake up
2. 7am - Physical Training classes in abandoned concrete runway
3. 8am - Breakfast
4. 8:30am - Line up for parades
5. 10:30am - Break for drinking tea
6. Then again parades / theory classes
7. 12:30 - 1pm - Lunch (same meal every day)
8. Afternoon was leisure time, when we rehearsed for cultural programs, or One day we were taken to visit Alipore Mint where we saw how coins were made, and One day for shooting (described later on).
9. 4pm- Games (in name only, because in this time we had to work on cleaning roads, placing posters, flags, and clearing off the area in military style and at quadruple speed than common man)
10. After that usually Theory classes, Cultural Program rehearsals.
11. 8pm - Dinner
12. 9pm - Roll Call and assembly
13. 10:30pm - Sleep / or Night Duty
I had one Night duty, in Auditorium area with Chaturbhuj Yadav. While Chaturbhuj slept all the way, I did my duty till morning with a torch in hand and whistle. I enjoyed that beauty of night. Everywhere it was silent and all those days felt like I was so much away from this city life and pace.

One day afternoon some of us were selected for Shooting @ fort Williams. We were so happy to get out of the camp after 6days at last and have test of outside while traveling in military truck. For the first time we were taken to shooting arena. This was far away from place inside Fort Williams where we usually have our training every Sunday. There was a platform little height and then a undulated plane and after which about 75 feet there was 5 targets placed side by side. We were trained for first time to use a 2 mark 2 (.22 caliber rifle), and how to take aim and proper procedures pre and post shooting including Line position take, gun clear command, etc. by Cpl. Neeraj Kumar (the young Officer whom we all loved very much for personality, knowledge and smartness and figure). My turn came up. I shoot 5times hitting 2times only among it. Well though it was highest. Because it was out first time for all. We had great time.

Soon the final day came close when we had our cultural program. ADG (Additional Director General) came as Chief guest along with our Head of Dept  - Wing Commander.
I played Jesus in a choreographed english song "Father God" by Manisha Kanu, Mansi and others. Later on I was often called Jesus by some :D.
We also sang Kandho se milte hai kandhe from film Lakshya, me being the lead vocalist. We got applause from all cadets as it was a rythme dedicated to military.

Forgot to mention 4 things -
1. Dad came twice to see me, once he took some unused and not required clothes and articles back home, and another time he brought boiled egg for me.

2. Once we had tussle with some local people residing in the colony. We were given emergency fall in alarm and we were at the spot within 300 seconds sharp! and took situation under control.

3. Being a Tech. Special Force cadet always got priority over normal cadets.

4. Learnt Hindi, atleast now I can speak little bit and make others understand.

I also got good bond with Bengali Officers there like Sergeant D Bandopadhyay, Srgt. D Roi, Cpl. Neeraj Kumar, etc. The final day we were given certificates and we bid Happy Puja to all and left the camp at last. Tears ran through my eyes for 2 reasons. To be out to normal life again, and for gratitude to IAF for teaching me so much during this 10days.


Image showing our Camp location, Quarters in Centre Top Right
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