Ujjain: 'State should give facilities at par with other states'  

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): An 83-year-old retired teacher Lalita Shankar Dwivedi, who has travelled an unforgettable journey from being a teacher to serving the Territorial Army, is of the opinion that the facilities that Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments are giving to retired persons of Territorial Army (TA) should also be available in Madhya Pradesh. 

It seems unbelievable but what 83-year-old retired teacher Lalita Shankar Dwivedi has achieved in his lifetime is true and for all to see and emulate. He was born in 1940. He presented a unique example by working as a teacher as well as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in Home Guard and later in TA for 18 years. During this, he served in Sri Lanka from September 1988 to September 1989 with the Indian Peace Keeping Force called Shanti Sena and during the migration of Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir from 1990 to 1992 under Operation Rakshak in Kashmir, risking his life at various places.

It will be known to very few people that under a scheme of the government, government employees including school teachers could serve the TA by taking two months of training every year and the Union government had the right to send them to the country or abroad for an indefinite period. Such persons are still honoured on Army Day, January 15, which is the birth anniversary of the first chief of the Army Staff, General KC Cariappa ( (later Field Marshal). 

Dwivedi was also honoured four times during his tenure. He first started his work at Government Maharajwada Vidyalaya and along with teaching at Nutan Vidyalaya, Naipeth, Jharnavada and Jaithal. In the first year, he provided services as an instructor for Auxiliary Cadet Corps 1961-66 and later National Cadet Corps. He retired from the post of Havaldar with self-respect and resides in Shikari Gali here with his son.