Bharat Darshan Experience - Training days
Sitting down to write the travelogue , I recall my preparation days when I used to browse through the Youtube videos of Bharat Darshan done by officer trainees and feel motivated. I feel a deep sense of gratitude that I have lived the dream of touring the lengths and breadths of India and been able to write my very first travelogue on the same.
Excitement shot up when the route and group list was out . I was surprised to find 10 names with whom I haven’t spoken much in the academy.And finally on 14th December , the journey began.
Attachment with Indian Army
We reached the Bagdogra airport from Delhi and halted at the transit camp. We were bored but the army Major refused to allow us outside citing security reasons. This perhaps helped us break the ice by playing cards and dancing for bollywood numbers. That night I was happy that the group is indeed cool and fun part can be assured.
At Bagodra Army Transit Camp
The following day we reached the transit camp 235 at Chaten which is at an elevation of 10000 ft where temperature dropped down below 0 degrees at night.
The next two days were spent attending lectures , visiting the army service corps, ordinance and engineering groups , infantry and artillery. The official dinner with the Brigadier gave us an overview of security situations in the north east and threats from china. He was a very learned man and the way he answered our questions in a polite yet firm ways reflected the quality of leadership which army possess.
At Chaten,Sikkim
On our way to the Army bumper at 18000 ft ,the temperatures were dropping below minus 10.Never before I have worn seven layers of clothing and still felt cold. The view from 18000 ft was mesmerizing and all I could feel was a sense of accomplishment. At a place where we could not stay for even an hour the jawans for months together, stay and guard our borders.
The army attachment left a deep sense of respect for the jawans and I promised myself that I will give priority to issues faced by family members of serving jawans where ever I work. Also it gave a patriotic feeling that all the sacrifices done by Army jawans at borders should be supplemented by fruitful development works from inside.
Aspirational district - West Sikkim
Sikkim all together seemed to be a different world - peaceful ,serene and welcoming. Our visit to the Gram Panchayat units was inspiring. Women occupied top positions and we could see young people taking active participation in administration. We had a first hand information about GPDP and gram sabhas.
Gram Panchayat Unit, West sikkim
The panchayat presidents explained to us how they accomplish targets by motivating even the average workers. Mr.Prem Subba, the BDO who escorted us for three days made sure we enjoyed as much as we learned. We were taken to a hill top where Gurung festival was on. Tasting local wine and sheep meat , we enjoyed watching gurung music and dance. That was the day which made me realise how diverse each region of India is.
Gurung Dance of Sikkim
Public Sector Companies
We visited three PSU’s - 1) IOCL,Guwahati, 2) Gujarat Fertilizers Chemicals Ltd and 3)TIDEL park,Chennai. The first two were setup in the year 1962 and third one in 2000. Though all the three were making considerable profits , the ethos and the work culture showcased by the leadership of each were markedly different.
At TIDEL Park, Chennai
I found the employees in TIDEL park to be highly motivated and business focused in comparison with the other two. We learnt that with dedication and vision, the Government has the potential to run projects like TIDEL park which generates 30% dividend to shareholders consistently for a decade.
NGO Attachment
A separate building to take care of children, volunteers who would turn up of weekends to do service - this was my mental picture of an NGO. Contrary to all my imaginations, TULIR- a NGO working on child sexual abuse awareness and rehabilitation. was opearting from a small room in 1st floor of an individual house in Chennai.
Ms.Vidya Reddy, co founder of the NGO explained what we could do in our capacities to create awareness about child sex abuse. She also warned us not to always believe in official figures and encouraged to probe on the veracity of data presented to us before taking a decision. It was shocking to know that every year approximately 20000 pregnancies happen before age 18 , but the child marriages that get reported were only 1700.
At TULIR NGO, chennai
She enlightened us about child safety audit which could be performed through District Child Protection Unit(DCPU) in addition to the victim compensation fund , that is at the disposal of district magistrate. The 6 hours I spent in Tulir was an eye opener to one of the silent dangers that 90 percent of children undergo. I came out thinking that I was blessed enough not to be a victim of CSB.
Island attachment
There cannot be a better way to start a new year than being in Andaman. The ferry ride from port blair to havelock turned to be absolute fun as we danced for tamil songs on board . Beaches, coconut water , fish and prawn provided solace to mind and body.
Havelock isolated us from the internet and mobile network ,and gave us a lot of time to talk and get to know each other well. Coming back to Port Blair , we visited the historic cellular jail and tribal museum.
At Kapathar Beach, Havelock
The visit’s high point was the Cruise dinner organised by the district administration with DM and SP , which once again added to ‘the first experiences’ of my life.
Private sector attachments
All three private companies we visited - TISCO,Google and Amul gave us a lot of learnings on best practices in private sector. Hospitality was at its best in TISCO,Jamshedpur. The steel plant gave us an awe about the magnitude of industrial infrastructure that India can proudly boast of. The visit to TATA museum showed how Mr.JRD lived an ethical life without compromising the values for business.
In Google, a senior HR gave an overview of talent acquisition and retention methods that has helped the internet giant reach exponential growths in few decades.
Visit to the Amul made me realise how an organisation is a true reflection of its leadership. It was admirable to witness how top leadership still adheres to the impeccable standards of quality and professionalism which was set out by Dr.Verghese Kurien.
At AMUL, Anand (Gujarat)
National Park attachment
It was in October last year I visited Bandhavgarh for the first time. We did not get to see tigers then as it happened to be a short visit. This time I believed firmly that I would get the sight of tiger in wild as we were about to spend 3 whole days in Bandhavgarh.
First day. We did safari for 4 hours, but with vain. The next day we set out early in the morning. All of sudden the driver stopped the vehicle and asked us to be quiet. Just then I turned left to find a tigress and four cubs standing hardly at a distance of 20 metres from our jeep.
At Bhandavgarh National Park, Umaria
I was shell shocked as it would hardly take the tiger 2 or 3 seconds to come pounce on our jeep. Nothing like that happened as the cubs kept their mom engaged by jumping and playing around. My joy knew no bounds and I kept watching the video I had taken with shaky hands till the time we left bandhavgarh.
Land of forts , camels and colors
The camel ride , desert safari and kalbeliya dance reflected that Rajasthan indeed was the most incredible state of India. Visit to the forts of jaisalmer and Jodhpur exhibited the rich architectural splendour of Rajputs.
Kalbelia Dance , Rajasthan
Attachment with team members
My bonding with the team grew so strong that I did not want the tour to end. On a lighter note , when I realised that all 10 groups would stay together in Delhi, it gave an uncomfortable feeling that we will miss out on all the fun we had been having for past 8 weeks.
The way the team members took care of me when I fell ill during last 2 days at Delhi gave me a realisation that I have made friends for life.
The Realisation
The tour of 45 days have given me great memories and learning which I will cherish for the lifetime. After the tour , I am extremely proud that I am a citizen of a nation that is so diverse in culture and geography. To see and learn from all the institutions and individuals working towards a common goal of One India, Bharat Darshan was indeed a once in a life time journey to rejoice the diversity and realise the opportunity that lies ahead of me in contributing to the development of India.