Chhattisgarh: Now known as the ‘Hero’ of Bhilai, Lt. Abhishek Singh used to run in socks, as he couldn’t afford shoes back in his struggling days. His battle to reach his dream to become an army officer started there; and today, he is about to join the armored regiment as a tank commander.
When he began running to prepare himself for his dreams, he became a subject of mockery to the other boys in the field, who used to shout “Moja, Moja” at him (as he used to run wearing only socks). But the taunts never became the thorn on his path to success. “I never let taunts deter me. It only fueled my resolve to become an Army Officer”, remarked Singh.
He lost his mother when he was 5 and his younger brother was just a new-born baby. Since then, life has never been easy for the little ones and their father Umesh Kumar Singh, who has struggled day and night for years for the education of the two sons and ensures the everyday meals.
He was selected as a Sepoy in the Rajput Regiment of the Indian Army in 2013 and got posted in Rajasthan. The government job made his family happy, but Abhishek never gave up on his dreams. “I dreamed of myself as an officer. During a training session in Fatehgarh in 2013, an officer spotted me and told me about an Army Cadet College (where other ranks with leadership potentials are trained to become officers). For that, I had to clear the SSB interview”, revealed Singh.
The Army Cadet College trains the cadets for 3-years and then sends them to Military Academy for a year. To become an officer, one has to stick to the 4-years of hardship and immense grind. At the end of the session Singh was in, only 56 out of 2,200 candidates were successful to endure it till the end. He used to prepare for the SSB interview, which is considered to be one of the toughest interviews in the public sector jobs. He failed in his first attempt in 2015 but got through the second one.
He received a grand welcome in Bhilai when he reached for a visit to his birth-place. “I am the first sepoy of my infantry battalion to become an officer”, said Singh, adding merrily, “Now, my father doesn’t have to drive an auto. He can stay at home. That is my biggest reward”.