A group of twenty Manipuri students paid a two-day visit to Chandigarh recently. The students, aged 14 to 20 years, representing a cross section of population in the Valley and hill districts of Manipur were on an Army sponsored 15-day excursion to Delhi, Chandigarh and Jaipur.

The school children including 14 boys and 6 girls were accompanied by three lady teachers. They belonged to various tribes such as Meiteis, Pangals, Kukis and Nagas from the districts of Chandel, Senapati, Bishanpur, Thoubal and Imphal.

At Jaipur the children called on Maj Gen J B S Yadav, Major General Staff, Western Command in Chandimandir. Maj Gen Yadav wished them a happy excursion. They were also presented with gifts.

At Chandigarh, the children visited famous Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake, Rose Garden, Punjab University and the Sector-17 Market. The students were excited to get such an opportunity to explore India. Of the 20 students, only two had travelled by train before and for the rest, it was a maiden visit. For Alet Haokip from the border town of Moreh, "It's an altogether different world". Miss Farida Begum from Pangei sees it as "Once-in-a-life-time chance and a dream come true."

The group, while in Delhi, met the Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi and the Adjutant General, Lt Gen S S Grewal.

The students witnessed the Republic Day Parade at Rajpath. They were highly impressed with the march-past and the display of the military might of the nation. The cultural programme presented by each state provided the students with an insight into the cultural heritage of India. They visited India Gate, Parliament House, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple, Jantar Mantar, Appu Ghar and Indira Gandhi Smriti. They also witnessed a sound-and-light programme at the Purana Quila.

The excursion was flagged off by Maj Gen Iqbal Singh, General Officer Commanding, 57 Mountain Division from the historic Kangla Fort at Imphal. The excursion organised by the Army forms part of its `Military Civic Action Programme' and is aimed at providing exposure to the students to the rich cultural heritage of the nation.