NCC cadets at a camp

Kohima, Oct. 1: From tomorrow, the kaleidoscopic whirl of colours from all cultures across the country would fuse into a scintillating mosaic in the hills around Chakhabama in Nagaland.

There will be 12 days of music and dancing, lit by the glow of bonfires that are expected to spread cheer, laughter and joy unalloyed among 800 boys and girls of the National Cadet Corps (NCC).

These cadets will gather for the all-India national camp, being held for the first time in Nagaland. The keynote of the meet is, naturally, national integration.

?Yes, it?s all about national integration,? an officer said. ?The camp will be a mosaic of the multiple facets of India. The cadets will certainly be richer by the experience.?

The officer emphasised that all efforts were being made to acquaint the visitors with life in the Northeast, its people and its culture. ?Many wrong notions need to be dispelled about the region. These cadets from outside the state can be ambassadors for the cause.?

The guest list includes Pranab Mukherjee, who will be making his maiden trip to the Northeast as defence minister. He is expected to be in Chakhabama on October 7. He will address the cadets at the camp.

The NCC comes under the purview of the defence ministry. For the United Progressive Alliance, Mukherjee may well be the first Union minister to visit the state.

The inaugural address will be delivered by governor Shyamal Datta. Chief minister Neiphiu Rio will preside over the closing ceremony. ?We are excited about this first-ever camp. Work is on at a frenetic pace,? said the officer.

Dozens of officers and soldiers are engaged in the preparations for 560 senior boy and 240 senior girl cadets. Some enthusiastic cadets from Tezpur have arrived two days before the camp begins. The girls will also visit Kohima to interact with the wife of the commander of the army?s 3 Corps in Dimapur.

NCC activity has always been low-key in Nagaland. The first certificate examinations were held only last year; no annual training camps have been held at all.