Rannvijay Singha: When was living in Army bubble, it was the most secular place

For actor Rannvijay Singha, nothing else makes him more proud, than the fact that he belongs to a family which has served the nation for almost 100 years now. He would have been the sixth generation in his family if we would have joined the Armed forces.

On the occasion of Army Day today, he recalls what the day really means and how it would be celebrated while he was growing up as an Army kid. “When my dad was posted in Delhi, we used to go to this parade, and there all other awards which are not gallantry and presented on January 26, would be given. It wasn’t for the public. The time from December to January made you feel appreciated by the rest of the country, as all these events would happen back to back. It would start from Christmas, Happy New Year and go on till Republic Day,” he recalls fondly.

The service which the Army offers, according to the 37-year-old is very tough, and yet they choose to dedicate their lives to it. “It’s a selfless organization. I can’t imagine how a soldier or Army officer stays away from their families. It’s not like the incentives are very high, it comes from respect, integrity and honor. It’s the way the family feels about anyone who is in the Army, they are very proud. I just wish that other people who don’t have members in Army also respected the Army, Navy, Air Force as much. There are times when the heart breaks, there are tensions, these guys give their life to the country,” says Singh.

He goes on to add that while growing up, the environment was such where there was no gender inequality or bias shown. Singh says the world today is talking about how there should be equality, but he has witnessed that since the day he was born.

“There was no bhed-bhaav, it was the most secular place, until I didn’t get out of the Army bubble. My dad was a Sikh, in the Rajputana Rifles. We would celebrate Christmas, Eid, Holi, Gurpurab, everything. We would be excited and go out with friends to a Christmas lunch here, for kheer. There was no inequality. When we would go out to play in the evenings, it wasn’t as if the girls would play with dolls and the guys football,, everyone would tough it out. We were brought up in a way, with chivalry, honour. It’s not something to be taught,” says a proud Singh.

Follow @htshowbiz for more