This article is concerned with a book, written by a now lady officer in the Army. This book deals with the training as described by the author, in the Officers Training Academy. Any lady defence aspirant and even the men will find this book interesting. It gives a detailed account from reporting on the station for OTA till getting passed out as officers.
This book named as “Where Girls Dare” is written by Bhavna Chauhan. Its is published by Penguin Books India as a part of their Metro Reads series. Bhavna Chauhan is a former Indian Army Major and an architect and she graduated from OTA Chennai in 2001. It is small book of 248 pages with an attractive cover. It’ll immediately draw you towards it and once you start reading the book you’ll never want to stop.
The book begins with 52 lady cadets reporting on the Chennai railway station for their course commencing in the OTA. This book describes in detail what a lady cadet has to go through mentally, emotionally and physically and yet nothing can come in the way of becoming an officer, because anything that is done to you in training has only one aim, which is to make you a good officer. You’ll get to read about various stuf right from the training exercises, patti parades, front roles, push ups, smart trainers (who are generally mean), dinner nights, figure of eight, camps, inter company competitions to crushes, feeling low, missing family etc. Nobody is spared in the training on any excuse.
It is a fun and inspirational account where 52 lady cadets are trained alongside 400 gentlemen cadets, where they have to prove their mettle on every step. They have to sometimes deal with some chauvinists, and the only way to shut them up is by proving that through performing better. Here is an account from the book
“’So cadets, how’s the morale?’
‘High Sir!’ we boys and girls screamed in unison.
‘Should we tighten your training?’ ‘Yes sir, give us more!’ ‘Good!’ he said. Then whispered to the chief instructor,
‘Tighten their discipline. Toughen their schedule.
I’ve never seen such happy cadets. This is not a party!’ “
The book will definitely inspire you a lot. The lady cadets joined the academy with only one goal and that was to become officers in the Army. It is a hilarious account which will leave your mind thinking and wondering that what it would have been really to be trained like that. You’ll definitely see for yourself the training being conducted and feel the emotions. You’ll laugh a lot while reading and you’ll feel proud when they take the ‘Antim Pag’.
So it is a must read for an interesting insight into OTA training.
Buy Now: Where Girls Dare
