A rare chance to dine at the Defence Minister’s house

For the students of Farook College, this Republic Day was very special. Salmanul Faris, a second-year computer science student at the college received the Best NCC Cadet Award from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. And while the entire country sat rooted to watch the Republic Day parade, his friends put up projectors to watch Salmanul’s big moment at the event.“It was the same sort of excitement as watching a cricket match,” his friends told him.
His training for the programme started six months ago. Looking back at the hurdles he has crossed, he says, “I was selected from out of 25 cadets in Kozhikode, and from among five such groups in Kerala. There were competitions held for us in October. I was given training at four more camps, following which I made it to Delhi. The competition from other cadets was tough at every level. Despite all the efforts I put in, I had no inkling I would make it to the end.”
Salmanul says that he was given training in firing, which includes 25 metre three-positioning fire, drills, and in addition to it, there were examinations, group discussions, workshops on personality and communication skills and interviews, which further helped groom him.
“In total, there were three categories each from the Navy, Army and Air Force wings and competitions for boys, girls and juniors. From among the nine contestants, who had taken part in the competitions from Kerala, three of us managed to bag the first, second and third prizes in various categories.”
Getting an honour from the Prime Minister was the most memorable moment of his life, he says, and he was beaming with pride, when Modi handed him the baton and medal. He adds, “We had drill rehearsals for three days before the event, mainly for getting the honours from the PM. I was happy when things went as well as I had practised.”
What makes his achievement different is the kind of training he was given from experts and officers, he says. “We had interactions with many eminent personalities such as Shashi Tharoor, who gave insights on how to go about with things. The toppers from the previous years also gave us tips on various aspects. I think that made all the difference.”
That said, he says that his passion towards this grew with time, since he joined the NCC last year. “I joined the NCC only because of peer pressure. However, with each task and exercise, I gradually fell in love with it.” With his focus turned completely to the NCC, he has no qualms about missing out on the fun parts of college life.
“I find there was so much more fun in this. All the cadets stay together and do things together through the day. I never felt alienated during the entire process. Around 111 students participated from Kerala and Lakshadweep in various events held on Republic Day and we were all part of the same camp. We were also part of the in-house functions held at the residence of the Prime Minister, President and other officers, and had dinner at the Defence Minister’s home. The experiences I had there were completely different from the routine. When a group of students work towards the same goal, there is a sense of association you develop.”
Salmanul says that a few cadets will next be representing India in a few upcoming youth exchange programmes, with the itinerary including Russia, Vietnam and Kazakhstan. He says he is looking forward to imparting whatever he has learnt to his junior cadets. “That said, my ambition has always been to become a professor, and just because I emerged the best cadet, I need not necessarily become a Navy or an Army officer. However, I would like to retain this momentum by becoming an associate NCC officer, which teachers can opt for.”