Nurungukal...contd...

     The next day at the SSB camp it was very interesting and adventurous.After an initial briefing we were asked to perform many tasks, to test our physical abilities. Some of them were individual and others as a team. In some we were asked to lead a team to carryout some events similar to a military operation. Those who had some coaching or previous experience managed well. In my case I had to purely depend on the games and frolics during my school days. For example the swinging during thiruvathira festival along with the children helped me to climb on a rope or pass through a rubber tyre hung from the branch of a tall tree. Similarly to climb a wall was easier to me as it was a regular fun as a boy to jump a wall to pick up mangoes from others compound !. But my performance to carryout a task as a team leader in many cases were not up to the mark.  In one case I remember I was asked to use the team to take a big barrel from one position to a far off post without touching some areas marked as out of bonds, with in a specified time.I failed to finish in time. Such events actually tested how best we use man power and our ability to plan,to accomplish a given job in an emergent situation.

    Next day it was to assess your public speaking qualities. We had to address a group extempore on a subject. Another was to express your opinion on a given subject in a group discussion.. A few dominated the discussion with out allowing others to speak. But the question was how effectively we drove the points. Here I found many were silent. Most interesting in this category was how you established your point of view on an issue. I remember the issue  before our group was who should be punished whether the person accepting a bribe or the one who offered it. My argument was that the one who accepted the bribe was the guilty, because he is supposed to be the guardian of justice. We passed through many such tests and on the final day it was announced who were selected for the medical test. From our batch only two were lucky and one was an NCC officer and the other was a boy from Delhi who had under gone some coaching camps.

          Although I was not successful, the things I managed to learn from the camp were very valuable. It gave me chance to understand my plus and minus points. It was an eve opener. To live as an officer in a camp like that was blissful. I enjoyed the whole episode and bid good bye to it carrying with me a message ,....to reach excellence in what ever job we are in it needs hard work and an organised mind set......contd