From earning 50 rupees a day at a sandwich factory in Odisha, becoming a sepoy in the Indian Army to graduating from the Indian Military Academy, it has been a long and arduous journey for 28-year-old Balbanka Tiwari from the village of Ara. at Sundarpur Barja. city in the Bhojpur district of Bihar. Saturday was a special day for him as he participated in the fainting parade with 325 other Indian knight cadets as he met his daughter for the first time three months after she was born.
Recalling his journey to proudly don the officer’s uniform, Tiwari said he had “fought a lot” to see this day. Coming from an economically disadvantaged family, he had worked in a sandwich factory earning 50 rupees a day while attending school and used his job as a tuition teacher after finishing high school to support his family.
“The financial situation of my family was not so good. My father is a farmer and we used to live in a joint family. The only son of the two brothers (the other is a daughter), I had no choice but to work after passing class X, ”said Tiwari.
He said: “To find work after passing tuition, I went to Rourkela in Odisha in 2008. There, I first worked in a hardware factory for a few months, then in a sandwich factory earning Rs 50 / day until class 12, which passed from Odisha. “
Looking back on his fighting days, Tiwari said that after passing high school, he also started working as a tuition teacher to earn some extra money that he could send to his family in Bihar. He was also admitted to a local university to graduate and was informed one day by his uncle about an army recruitment demonstration in the Danapur area near his home in Bihar.
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“Since my uncle was in the military as a sepoy, I too wanted to join the military to serve the nation and earn a living with a good reputation. I appeared on the test and passed on the second try and joined as a sepoy. My assignment was at the Army EME center in Bhopal in 2012, ”Tiwari said.
While serving in Bhopal, he learned that the Army Cadet College (ACC) had been promoted to the rank of officer from a sepoy. “I solved the test and joined ACC at IMA in January 2017. From there, I finally entered as an army officer today,” he said.
Her achievement gave her double joy as she met her newborn daughter for the first time after three months.
“The day has become more memorable for me as I also met my daughter for the first time since her birth three months ago. Now I will spend some time with her before joining my regiment, ”Tiwari said.
His wife, Ruchi, who had come from Bihar together with her mother to witness his appointment, expressed her happiness at seeing her husband as an army officer.
“He has struggled a lot in his life to see this day. Now I am very happy to see him fulfill his dream. I’m sure he will make us and the country proud by serving as an army officer, ”she said.
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The IMA had allowed only two family members to attend the IMA fainting parade due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the summer parade, no family members were allowed.
Tea Garden Manager’s Son Becomes Army Officer
Also among the newly commissioned officers was Nilotpal Chakraborty, 29, of Silchar, Assam.
The son of a retired manager of a tea garden, Chakroborty also became an officer after being a sepoy after being admitted to the ACC. After being recruited as a sepoy, he worked at the EME center in Bhopal.
“I am very happy to see this day as my father’s dream came true, who always wanted him to see me as an army officer,” said Chakroborty, adding that his father, Nilmoni Chakraborty, had tried for the army after his college but failed the physical exam.
Nilmoni, looking at him with immense pride, said: “After failing to join the army, I always wanted my son to fulfill my dream. Today it has made me proud ”.
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