Dehradun: Gopal Singh Bisht, a cook in the Indian army, toiled for years with a dream of his son becoming an Army officer one day. On Saturday, Gopal Singh could not control the tears of joy that flowed from his eyes as he witnessed his dreams turn into reality at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun.
His son, Rajendra Singh Bisht, was not just graduating from the academy along with 609 other cadets but was also being conferred with the prestigious ‘Sword of Honour’ award for the best all-round Gentleman Cadet.
“I knew that he had the potential to do something great so I tried my best so that he can become an officer in the Army,” father Gopal Bisht told The Times of India while expressing his joy.
Belonging to the remote Pachisi Kapaddi village in Almora district, Gopal serves as a civilian staff at the Kumaon Regimental Centre in Ranikhet.
Kamal Singh Bisht, the elder brother of Rajendra, who is a mechanical engineer by profession, was also present on the occasion.
“He was great in all the streams, be it physical fitness, studies, weapons training and other activities. The Sword of Honour is given to the cadet who outperforms everyone consistently,” a senior IMA official said.
Rajendra did his schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya of Bareily in UP and Ranikhet in Uttarakhand. Earlier, he was also adjudged the best cadet at the National Defence Academy (NDA), Kharakwasla.
“It requires persistence and hard work to achieve any goal. I am so happy to receive the honour,” said Rajendra, the recipient of the Sword of Honour.
