As you may be aware, NDA will complete 75 years of its existence in January 2024. The NDA Comdt and his staff have planned out an elaborate programme towards celebrating that event.
Our meeting had just one agendum – what all can the Alumni Association do as contribution towards that effort. The highlights of the discussion are as follows: -
1. The events will be spread soon from now till mid Jan. The culminating events will be on 14th to 16th Jan 2024.
2. We suggested that, since NDA is not just a Khadakvasla institution but is one of its kind churning out the best officers in the whole country, perhaps whole of Asia, the events need not be restricted to Khadakvasla. Instead, in addition to the events planned at or ex-Khadakvasla, there should be other events planned at other places in the country and abroad where NDA alumni stay in clusters. (Breaking news: - reportedly, our brethren in Australia have already conveyed to NDA Comdt their willingness to conduct events down under). Places such as Delhi, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Thiruvanatapuram etc., almost all of which fortunately have establishments headed and manned by ex-NDA officers, should be involved. We should obtain their participation – which will come undoubtedly willingly and whole-heartedly. This will give the feeling of participation in the minds of the guys staying at and around those places and work devotedly there itself instead of having to come all the way to NDA. This will also sort out the huge problem of logistics at NDA.
3. Unfortunately, there are no chapters of the Alumni Association at many places where we do have significant number of ex-NDA guys. At such places, ex-NDA guys should take the initiative to form such chapters. 75th Anniversary is an ideal occasion to do so and to continue thereafter.
4. Currently, there are various get-togethers held on course-basis or squadron-basis, but not on 'NDA-alumni' basis. Like, we have 39th Course gtg or Juliet Sqn gtg, but not 'NDA-alumni' gtg. 23rd NDA course has made a beginning towards that by organizing a gtg at Delhi in which, along with their own course-mates, they will invite 10 couples from each course from 18th Course to 28th Course, i.e., 5 courses before theirs and 5 after. Other courses are welcome, nay should, do similar things. At least during their periodic gtgs at respective places of Course chapters.
5. NDA need not engage itself in raising funds for each and every event. Those events that involve cadets can be conducted using public funds. One of our members volunteered to arrange sponsors for Khadakvasla events that require private funding. Volunteers at other chapters could work on similar lines.
6. A suggestion also was made that we should harness the good offices of ex-NDA ministers, serving or ex, to make the events successful and visible to the local population. We could also invite participation of those who are now successful in their respective businesses or are well-placed employees in the corporate world.
7. I suggested conducting charity matches in major games such as cricket, using the good offices of well-placed persons in the sports world. This will increase visibility and also fetch some revenue. The Senior Vice-President accepted this as a good suggestion and has himself volunteered to do the needful with his contacts in BCCI.
8. And, yes, there was a general agreement on the suggestion that the NDA Alumni Association should donate to NDA an amount from the Corpus Fund the amount of which is permissible as per opinions of the CA and legal advisor.
9. There was an agreement also on the suggestion that we should invite participation in all these events of the spouses of those ex-NDA people who are no longer with us.
10. There was also unanimous agreement on the suggestion that voluntary individual contributions should be invited from all ex-NDA people. For that a separate bank account will be designated and its details will be shared shortly.
Disclaimer: - This by no means is an official record of the minutes of the meeting. It is merely a list of some points, NOT ALL, jotted down by me personally as I understood. If there are any errors (though I don't think there are any) they are entirely mine and I apologize right now! Nobody should approach the Association raising objections, if any, on the points mentioned above. Official record of minutes will be circulated in due course amongst the members. This is NOT it. I am merely sending these points for your interest in advance, especially to those guys who are not members of the Association and to trigger the minds of the kattar NDA-spirited guys to take the initiative to form local chapters, where there aren't any, and to start efforts to enable this glorious event the success it deserves.