May Day Parade Entry: Fill & Download for Free

We had several ACC entry GCs in our batch. Most famous ACC entry cadet who comes to mind is Col Avtar Singh Cheema, the Everster. He was also in Kohima Company with us in the IMA.ACC entry cadets in earlier times used to be selected differently. All the same he had served in the ranks before joining the IMA. He was commissioned in the Parachute Regiment.In the 26 Jan 1960 Republic Day Parade he was the right marker, and I was immediately to his left.He climbed the Everest as a captain in May 1965. Later he was promoted to Colonel. He was awarded the Padma Shri and Arjuna Award.He passed away in 1989 at the age of 56 yrs.

Major Deepika Rathore is the only woman from Rajasthan and also from Indian armed forces to climb Mount Everest twice once in 2012 and then in 2016.Maj Deepika is an ex-NCC cadet from Rajasthan. She had been a part of Republic Day Parade in 2002 and had represented India in Singapore in the Youth Exchange Programme. Apart from this, she had won a national level silver medal in guess what? Dancing! So yeah, the word ‘multi-talented’ will surely define her best.But wait, that’s not it. She had developed mountaineering as her hobby since her NCC days when she was first rejected for the Basic Mountaineering Course at Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarkashi for being underweight. But she, however, convinced the doctor and signed an undertaking to overrule her medical hurdles, clearing her basic and later, advanced mountaineering course with flying colours.Deepika later joined the army in 2011 in the Army Ordnance Corps through then WES (Women Entry Scheme). When she was posted in the Leh-Ladakh sector, she went on an All Army Everest Expedition, climbing Everest with pride.The then Captain, Deepika Rathore (Standing, first from right) with the Everest summit team. Their climb was documented by Discovery channel.After this, as her luck and will would have it, she was approached to lead an NCC girls expedition to Mt Everest in May 2016. She accepted the offer under the command of Col Gaurav Karki with pride and they created a world record of ‘Largest number of women climbing Everest from a single organisation’.Maj Rathore with May 2016 NCC Girls Everest Expedition.

Do you know what this picture is about?Sunil Gavaskar said that Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman should have worn the Pakistan cap properly during their match against India at the Asia Cup on Wednesday.Somebody, maybe the captain should tell him that it's the national cap. He should wear it properly. You can do this in PSL (Pakistan Super League) may be but this is the national team," Gavaskar said on air for the host broadcasters Star SportsYou and I migh not find anything unusual about wearing a cap backwards, but for Sunil Gavaskar who takes cricket as his life and soul, this was extremely annoying[1]. For him, wearing the cap backwards was tantamount to disrespecting the game.2. And you remember when Kejriwal showed up for the Republic Day parade wearing sandals?It was not a big deal for Kejriwal, but for the police, who observe the parade with all its seriousness, it was frustrating.3. And then many Brits were offended when they felt that Donald Trump was slighting the queen.[2]The US president was condemned on social media for walking in front of the Queen as they inspected a guard of honour of the Coldstream Guards.Earlier, Mr Trump and Melania, the first lady, defied protocol when they greeted the Queen: Mr Trump failed to bow and Ms Trump did not curtsy, instead simply shaking hands.For the US president, it was no big deal, but then the Brits who value their institution of royalty, it was a big deal.4. And then we have the Nobel Prize ceremony. [3]The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm and the Nobel Banquet that follows is a strictly formal affair. Gentlemen are required to wear white tie and tails, while ladies should be dressed in an evening gown5. Do you remember the scene from the Scent of a WomanWhen Charlie, offers a flippant salute, Lt Col Frank Slade chastises him and gives him a lesson on the correct way of salutingSo what is common in all the above?From sports to royalty, to army, to scientific conventions, to national gatherings - people follow the protocol of their respective fields. If you do not follow the protocol or the tradition of the institution, you do not respect the institution. As simple as that.Can you imagine a soldier greeting his superior with a hi-five? Or you showing up to meet the queen in pyjamas? Or you moving around when the national anthem is being played?When material things, have such a strict tradition around it, why would anyone not extend this courtesy to God and the temple he/she is visiting.Sabarimala has a protocol as well. People who value Ayyappa will never break the protocol, as evidenced by lakhs of women who are spearheading the #readyToWait movementIf you do not respect the protocol, you have no business to be there.Of course, there are perverted forms of traditions, like forcible sati, untouchability, etc which were clearly oppressive and caused pain and suffering.However, it's stupid to equate Sabarimala tradition of not allowing women of a particular age to oppression. You have to be living in an idiot’s paradise if you believe that these activists are trying to enter the shrine because of their devotion. They are trying to enter the temple, just to flout Hindu tradition and to show the middle finger to Hindus. This is a problem.Let me conclude with two examples of how true devotees really carry themselvesThe below picture is of Sidha BakulIts just 1.5 km from the famous Jagannath temple of Puri.In this temple, non-hindus are not allowed. And the temple has its reasons - Muslim invaders tried to break this multiple times and the priests are fiercely protective about the Deities insideSo 500 years ago, there was this great devotee of Jagannath who was born in a Muslim family. His name is Haridas Thakur. Though he was so close to the temple, he never made an attempt to enter the temple. He respected the protocol and peacefully chanted the Hare Krishna Mantra 22 hours a day at Sidha Bakul. And moved by his devotion, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited him every day. And to this day, devotees from the world over visit this place - Sidha Bakul to get inspiration from him2. Many Iskcon devotees are born in white Caucasian Catholic families and as such the temple administration does not let them in. Do they sign The world’s platform for change petitions to get into the temple? No. They respect the protocol. They travel all the way from Canada/US to visit Puri every year, to just stand near the pillar in the picture below, way outside the temple and crane their necks to get a peek into the patita pavana Jagannatha deity (marked in the picture)These Iskcon devotees are more Hindu than many of the people born in Hindu families. Yet, they do not carry hatred for being denied entry. Rather they respect the tradition of the place. They do not make attempts to force themselves in. Just to get a slight darshan of the Lord, from outside the temple showed above, they travel 1000s of miles all the way from the west, every year. And they do a nice Harinam sankirtan (group chanting) just outside the temple.[4]Now that is devotion. They are devotees because they respect the protocol/tradition of the shrine they are visiting.Also, check out Vittal Setty's answer to Why does Sabarimala not allow women from the age 10-50 to enter the premises?You cannot even meet the chief minister of the state without the correct intentions, the necessary background checks, the qualifications, and the protocol. And some jokers want to meet God, throwing all tradition to winds.<edit1>There is this famous quote from a great philosopher Rupa Goswami that I am reminded ofśruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vināaikāntikī harer bhaktirutpātāyaiva kalpateTranslation: Devotional service that ignores the vedic literature and the processes, is simply a disturbance to the society</edit>pic source: Google imagesFootnotes[1] Fakhar Zaman wears Pakistan cap backwards: He should wear it properly, says Gavaskar[2] Trump defied royal protocol while meeting the Queen - twice[3] The Dress Code at the Nobel Banquet[4] Harinam Sankirtan in Jagannath Puri