DEHRADUN: Their paths – unusually running parallel for years – had been intertwined since 2013, when they first met in Class 6 at Sainik School in Imphal. On a hot, humid Saturday morning, inside the sandstone confines of Indian Military Academy’s Khetrapal Auditorium, six young men from Manipur were commissioned as Army officers.After clearing NDA entrance exam in 2021 and training together at both NDA & IMA, Lieutenants Thokchom Shiggarth, M Denish Singh, Naoton Maetei, Naoba, Meghnat Soibam & Ronendro Angom arrived – side by side – at the same destination: officers in Army. The pack that once shared classrooms and quiet ambition now stood shoulder to shoulder in uniform, carrying into service a bond forged in brotherhood.
Each is the first in his family to join the armed forces. Their fathers are farmers, grocers, small business owners.Drawn together by childhood rhythms – morning drills, hostel dorms, schoolyard rivalries – they navigated adolescence and exams always as a group. In 2021, all six had cleared the NDA exam, in a rare alignment of fate each one making the cut.Inside the auditorium, Lt Angom stood near the plaque commemorating the Battle of Basantar and reflected on where it all began. The auditorium is named after Second Lt Arun Khetarpal, a 21-year-old officer who was posthumously awarded Param Vir Chakra after he refused to abandon his burning tank during 1971 Indo-Pak battle, destroying several enemy tanks before being fatally hit. His story – engrained in IMA’s tradition – is one every cadet knows. “We learnt life together-not just sports or academics,” Angom said. “Now, for the first time in years, we part ways as we join different regiments and are posted to different corners of the country.”Manipur has seen its share of turbulence. Two years ago, widespread ethnic unrest fractured communities and brought everyday life to a halt. But when asked about it, the newly commissioned officers offered no anger – only clarity. “Good and bad times are part of life,” said Lt M Denish.“We must learn from both and focus on building our careers. That’s how we can help our society and our state.” Among those watching in silence was A Ingocha, a farmer. His son, Lt Naoton, now stood in uniform beside the five boys who had grown up with him — friends bound not just by memory, but by a promise kept.
