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I Want to be a Foot Soldier (standard:non fiction, 1166 words) | |||
Author: Juggernaut | Added: Aug 11 2013 | Views/Reads: 4615/1810 | Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes) |
Juggernaut's day camp experience with his school civic's teacher turns into a memorable event in his life. | |||
I want to be a Foot Soldier Subba Rao Mr. Raju taught civics and social studies at the school. He was a tall lanky person with faint pock marks on his face from small pox attack in the years past. He conducted Sunday camps for students interested in outing and self defense skills. Juggernaut along with several others students signed up a for the Sunday camp. Mr. Raju developed his own philosophy on equal justice and morality along with self defense techniques. On one Sunday, members of the camp gathered outside the school yard in khaki shorts, white shirts and canvas shoes to march to the camp site, a nearby vacant government land. Mr. Raju wearing the same uniform marched in front taking long strides followed by the members. On reaching the camp site, the students were lined up in a large circle with Mr. Raju standing in the center. He developed a salute look more like a oath taking ceremony with left hand folded behind the back and right hand stretched forward with palm facing upward towards the sky as if begging for forgiveness. Then everybody chanted in chorus “We believe in equal justice irrespective of religion and caste. Jai Hind, Jai Hind; Jai Hind means praise India.” Then the members were allowed to squat on the ground around the circle for deep breathing and stretching exercises. Mr. Raju spoke eloquently on civic duties to become a better citizen and borrowed several stories from Hindu mythology to emphasize the need for truthfulness and righteousness. After mid afternoon break, Mr. Raju announced that the members would reenact the battle of Mahabharata from Hindu mythology an epic war between good and evil. “Who want to be an elephant and a horse raise your hands,” instructed Mr. Raju. Some students raised their hand. “Those want to be foot soldiers raise hands.” Juggernaut was one of the members raised hands. “You Juggernaut will be a either a horse or an elephant not a foot soldier,” shouted Mr. Raju. “Sir, I love elephants, I could be an elephant, what an elephant doin the battle?” Juggernaut was curious. “Well, on a battle field, elephants were the first line of defense carrying the warriors on their back followed by horses and Click here to read the rest of this story (145 more lines)
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