On November 20, 1954, the Territorial Army Day was
celebrated throughout India with pomp and ceremony to commemorate the
inauguration of the citizens' army.
Sri Mahavir Tyagi, the Minister of Defence Organisation,
speaking from the Delhi Station of All India Radio on the Territorial Army
Day said that the Territorial Army "has an important role to play in
India's defence".
"As a nation", he said, "we are wedded
to peace and our policy is one of friendship and goodwill to all.
Nevertheless, we must remain prepared to defend our hearths and homes,
should necessity arise. It is, therefore, the duty of every Indian to do
his bit for the defence of India, for this is no longer the exclusive
concern of the Government or the armed forces; it is also the concern of
all citizens who are vulnerable in modern wars to numerous perils.
"We must, therefore, build, as soon as possible an
adequate manpower reserve of trained personnel who, in peace, should carry
on their normal avocations, but during an emergency should be available
for the service of the nation. The Territorial Army is intended to be such
a reserve.
"The Territorial Army", Sri Tyagi said,
"gives military training to those citizens who are eligible and are
desirous of getting it. The Territorial Army also helps to keep down our
defence expenditure. For a country of the size of India, it is neither
possible nor prudent to maintain a large regular Army specially as it will
be at the expense of national progress in other vital spheres. The
existence of a well-trained and efficient Territorial Army will enable us
to keep the strenght of the regular forces at the barest minimum.
"Those who join this force are not likely to be
called up for military service except in times of emergency. I say this to
reassure all prospective candidates that enrolment in this force will not
interface with their normal civil avocations.
"I have been very happy to see the good response
in the recruitment to the Territorial Army during the last few months. It
is heartening to be able to say that, both in the rural and the urban
units, we have reached 96 per cent of our targets and it is necessary,
however, to keep up this enthusiasm.
"In future the Auxiliary Territorial Force will be
known as the National Volunteer Force. Five lakh men will be given
elementary military training under its auspices at the rate of one lakh
per year. The training will be given in camps and will last about one
month. The training camps will be located throughout India. This scheme
will begin to operate early next year.
"Here, then, is an opportunity for you to serve
the country. The training you receive will fit you better for your various
pursuits in life and will enable you to shoulder responsibilities, in
whatever sphere they may lie, more efficiently and with greater vigour.
The Territorial Army is the people's army, in the true sense of the word
and is the citizens' own force. Before concluding his speech Sri Tyagi
exhorted the people "to swell its (Territorial Army) ranks and have
the privilege of belonging to it and the country would be justly proud of
you."
The citizens of Delhi gave a
reception to officers and men of the Territorial Army at the Red Fort in
observance of the Territorial Army Day. Sri Mahavir Tyagi, the Minister of
Defence Organization; Sri A D Pandit, Chief Commissioner; Brigadier B M
Kaul, Director of the Territorial Army; Brigadier Harbhajan Singh, the GOC
of the Delhi Area; and Colonel Limaye, Military Station Commander of Delhi
Cantonment; were present at the reception.
Earlier in the morning, nearly 600 men of the Territorial Army drawn
from twelve Territorial Army units in Delhi paraded through important
streets of the city. They marched in two columns. The first column
consisted of infantry troops, the second column comprised a variety of
army vehicles including 25-pounder and heavy anti-aircraft guns, signals
equipment, the recovery vehicles and tanks. Similar parades were held
throughout the important towns in the country.
