Climbing lofty heights
S.S. KAVITHA
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The trekking camp highlighted the thrill involved in serving the country in the Defence Forces.
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ADVENTUROUS EXPEDITION: Taking upon challenges.
The board examinations are round the corner. Parents want their wards to score marks enough to make them a doctor or an engineer. Don't they have other choices?
Patriotism
To inculcate patriotic fervour and encourage children to join the defence forces, TopKids, a city-based holistic personality development and counselling centre, joined hands with army personnel and organised "Malaiyetram-2006" a unique kind of trekking camp at Alagar Koil hills.
As many as 42 children in the age group of 10 to 20 from in and around Madurai learnt what would be a real combat-gear, equipment carried by jawans during battle, use of compass, map reading, camouflage and jungle survival tactics.
"We joined hands with army personnel to give a real feel of war fought in active combat to students during the trekking event," said Dr. Dheep founder-director of TopKids.
A team of army instructors and NCC cadets headed by Col. BP Chandra of 4 (TN) Engr Coy NCC, made the event more exciting with real-life stories of war and counter insurgency operations in Kashmir and the North-East.
The Army team was included to make trekking more adventurous and thrilling, said Col. Chandra and added that the children were taught to negotiate obstacles and rivulets, which came along the difficult mountainous route.
He said that children were also trained in navigation using maps and other navigational aids such as compass and binoculars when they are lost in jungles.
"The basic aim of incorporating the army team into trekking was to make students aware of the challenges and adventures of army life, and highlight career in army as a noble profession," said Col. Chandra.
Interaction
As part of the camp, interesting game and interactive sessions were conducted to make the children relax and regain their energy after an arduous climbing.
Manoeuvring at altitudes was surely an exciting experience.
Besides, what was important was the exposure that made us confident and provided an opportunity to get closer to nature, said trekkers.
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