The CADET Program

अभी तो जाग रहे हैं चराग़ राहों के,
अभी है दूर सहर थोड़ी दूर साथ चलो!
-अहमद फ़राज़
For me, this sher sums up the purpose, mission, and vision of the CADET program. It was 9 am and we all were ready to proceed with the 2-day training schedule in Junagadh, Gujarat. I was a part of the group of trainers who were ‘walking the talk’ for the first time. I would be lying if I say I wasn’t nervous. The trainers were paired up, batches of cadets were divided & assigned to us. Now here’s the big thing, these 30-40 cadets we were going to train, were our responsibility: Responsibility of training 40 young minds and direct them to a path of better learning, ideas, and visions. As easy as it looks, the opportunity is equally challenging & significant.
It all began from knowing the names of cadets & ended with knowing their endless views, beliefs, objectives, imagination, creativity, opinions, reasons, conclusions and new visions. Amidst the beginning & the closure, were endless moments of learning, fun, awareness, understanding, soul searching, and growth. What bridged the gap between the start & the end, the cadets and the trainers, the ignorance and the awareness, was the CADET program. At 7 pm on the second day, bidding a farewell to all the cadets and leaving the training ground of NCC Camp at Junagadh left me with some real motivation, learning, and inspiration.
If asked, I would sum up the CADET program, the experience & opportunity it holds for all in one sher…
जहाँ रहेगा वहीं रौशनी लुटाएगा,
किसी चराग़ का अपना मकाँ नहीं होता!
-वसीम बरैल्वी

Chunauti Sharma
CADET Trainer
NCC Republic Day Camp, 2018