'Disha' shows the way to underprivileged children
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 09 2011: 'Disha' Boys Hostel run by Army's Red Shield Division has become a home for fulfilling aspirations for underprivileged children of the State.

The Division serves 'Disha' as a 'home of hope, love, care and growth for the bright but underprivileged children of Manipur.

It provides facilities like boarding, lodging, messing, education, clothes, uniform, book, health check-up etc free of cost till they complete Class XII .

Altogether 24 boys belonging to economically deprived families drawn from across the State are staying free of cost at Disha.

"I'm reading in standard VI .I'll study hard to become an army officer.

I'll serve my country and on the other hand I'll make my mother and my only younger brother happy," said Gurumayum Chittaranjan, an inmate who hails from Bishnupur district.

Besides Chittaranjan, most of the inmates expressed their desire to become Army officers after appearing NDA and other competitive examinations.

Andrew Panmei, a Zeliangrong Naga boy from the remote Tamenglong district, who reads in standard VII quipped "my only aim in life is to become a military officer." All Disha hostellers are pursuing their studies at the centre-run Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) at the military headquarters where the GOC of the division, Major General DS Hooda holds his office.

Saturday was a happy day for Disha boys as some of their parents and guardians met them at the hostel complex where they exchanged their views of their future prospects each other.

They also enjoyed a splendid breakfast accorded by the army.

Hooda, who commands troops deployed half of Manipur and parts of neighboring Assam, said the idea of launching the Disha was conceived by Chief of Army Staff ( Coas) General VK Singh, then GOC-in-chief , Eastern Command on June 10, 2008 .

Disha was inaugurated on September 29, 2008 by Lt Gen RK Loomba , GOC 3 Corps with ten boys.

The project under the military civic action programme was expanded to strength of twenty five children from the academic session 2009-10 .

One boy has already joined Sainik School.

The boys hostel is a unique endeavour of the Red Shied division to reach out to all districts of Manipur and to provide excellent facilities free of cost to bright young children of the state, the Maj Gen said.

"The focus is on providing good education in a good ambience of the children so that they excel and become responsible citizens.

This project has generated overwhelming goodwill for the army and has brought to fore the genuine interest of army in welfare and development of the State and its people" .

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