7 Things To Learn From The Indian Army

Aug 14, 20204 min read

|By Janvi Merchant|

The Indian Army, these three words are just priceless. Nothing is impossible for these heroes of our Nation. The hard work, dedication, effort and energy that they put in to protect us and our motherland is beyond comparison. The Indian Army became operational after gaining independence from British Colonialism; originated from the armies of East India Company which initially became the British Indian army. It was merged into the national army after independence.

Founded in the year 1895(125 years back), the headquarters are in New Delhi. The Indian armed forces comprise of three divisions – Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The Indian army (Bharatiya Thal Sena) is the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. Ram Nath Kovind being the president of India is also the supreme commander of the Indian army. Army day is celebrated on 15 January every year, in recognition of Lieutenant General K. M. Cariappa taking over as the first commander-in-chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British commander-in-chief of India. We admire and inspire from our national heroes, so why just admire? Why not learn? Here are some life learning lessons we can learn from our nation’s finest fighters.

Sacrifice isn’t just some fancy word– To gain something, something must be lost. Sacrifices for some of us simply includes giving up on certain food items, skipping dinner, waking up early, but for our soldiers, sacrifice is a heavy word as it means being far away from their loved ones for months maybe years and laying down their lives just to protect our country. This is the true meaning of sacrifice. If you're going to try something, go all the way around. Otherwise, don't even start and remember that the road to success comes through hard work, determination and sacrifice. Sacrifice today for a better tomorrow.

Value of discipline – For our soldiers, discipline is the foundation that keeps their structure standing at all times, especially at wars. The armed forces place high importance on discipline. Planning things in and out in a structured manner helps them to be on track and makes them quite efficient at what they do. Discipline is highly important on both levels, individually and collectively for the society. Discipline brings stability and structure in a person’s life, the ability of an individual to be self-restraint allows them to behave in a consistent and controlled manner. A lack of this ability can have disastrous results. Motivation gets you going but discipline helps you grow.

Being optimistic – Our young jawans who protect our borders day and night have this gift of never giving up, they tend to see the best in the worst situations, see a ray of hope that guides them to success. You won’t always go on the right track but optimism can help us see new things, learn from our mistakes and helps us to move forward. Once we get the basics of an ideal future, we learn to become more optimistic and positive in the present. Choose to be optimistic, it feels better that way.

Achieving a high level of professionalism – Our Sepoys are known for their diligence and dedication towards their duties. If a certain job has to be done, it should be done perfectly. Professional behaviour is an important key for success in any criteria, I personally believe these tools can help us organise a great strategy at work, school, and any other respected field.

Teamwork - Your success as a leader depends on how well you co-operate with your team. Soldiers work together because their lives are at stake which also gives them the advantage to learn and rely on each other and taking advantage of every single opportunity that passes by which will help them to grow as a team. Basics of teamwork include listening which is the first step to effective communication followed by learning and lastly leading.

Practising unity in diversity – This simply means oneness in the varieties. Bravery has no religion, caste or colour. The Indian Armed Forces are shining examples of equal opportunity and brotherhood. In fact, among the ranks of the legendary soldiers who received a Param Vir Chakra, we proudly count Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and even Parsis. Recognizing and appreciating each other’s differences not only creates an environment that is inclusive to everyone, but it is one of the best ways for groups to think creatively and generate ideas for impactful living. “Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and test of our civilisation”– Mahatma Gandhi.

Dedication is a must – Dedication simply refers to the willingness, hard work, energy that one puts in to achieve their targets. The primary factor for the success of an individual is purely based on dedication. If you work hard on the path of dedication, you can conquer any obstacles that get in your way. And what if you fail? No great success could ever be achieved without dedication, Einstein, Edison all have been examples of failures who strived on the path of dedication making a successful life for themselves. If you ever fail to reignite your desire, keep the energy going, search for support and inspiration and lastly keep moving forward. Don’t get stuck in mulling the situation over for too long. Nothing in the world can hinder the spirit of a dedicated individual.