A life worth living

Last year, when 21-year old Ivan Rodrigues from Margao was one of the only two candidates and the only Goan to be inducted into the Indian Air Force to train for the IAF fighter course, there was much to celebrate about. The achievement was even more commendable given the fact that not many Goans aspire to a career in the armed forces. To encapsulate the reasons in the words of 23-yearold Management Consultant Scheuffele Rodrigues, “A career in the defence forces is too risky. One never knows whether one will come back alive. The training is too rigorous and it also takes one away from one’s family.” “Blame it on their love for the good life,” points out Sr

Pushpica Coutinho, Coordinator for Counsellors, Nirmala Institute of Education, Altinho. “A career in the armed forces is such a beautiful aspect of life where one can learn much in terms of personality and outlook. Yet our children shy away for a lack of a spirit of commitment. What is really intriguing is that Std 10, students evince an interest in defence in their aptitude tests, but by the time they reach

the higher secondary, their focus is elsewhere,” observes Sr Coutinho, while citing parents’ unwillingness and lack of awareness other than NCC in college as other reasons. One such parent of an only son, Joe Mascarenhas of

OnM Creative Consultants, unabashedly admits that he

would not encourage his child to join the armed forces.

“The remuneration is not much, although the 6th pay

commission has changed things. Today’s generation wants

to earn and spend big. Army life is a disciplined one and

unfortunately, our Goan youth want the easy way out.

Secondly, as parents, most of us are not keen from the

safety point of view,” states Joe.

One of Goa’s most stellar stars in the armed forces is

General Sunith Francis Rodrigues, (PVSM, VSM) and former

Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army, who devoted

a commendable 41 years of service to the army, 14 of

which were in operational areas. He maintains that, “If

one accepts this as a vocation rather than a job, then one

realises its value.”

“I started at a time when salaries were inadequate, but

the point is if you want to serve, it should be ingrained in

you to the extent that you say, ‘I want to do something for

my country’. No one ever really talks about this aspect. It is

a responsibility which most people do not seem to realise.

The whole family gets involved. My three children studied

in 12/13 schools. It was a broad based education which

gave them tremendous insight into what India was about,”

he shares, while lamenting at resident Goan’s lackadaisical

attitude. “In Goa, living is so easy. It’s difficult to focus.

Youngsters apparently suffer from the ‘maka kitem?’

syndrome. But many Goans staying out of Goa have made

a success of this career.”

Patriotism and the thrill of flying and adventure set

navy fighter pilot Cdr Shiraz Azad stationed in Vizag on this

path. Describing it as a demanding job which calls for a lot

of discipline, fitness and organisation, he believes that “the

challenge is nevertheless a worthy one!”