The Fourth Type Of Army - Reveda Bhatt

We’ve all heard about the three forces - Air Force, guarding via sky. Navy, protecting through waters and Army, defending our land.

But did you know there’s a fourth?

Yeah, there is! It’s the COASTGUARD which makes up the fourth force, though you may think that as it is related to waters, it might come under Navy; no, it’s different.

I had no idea until this summer when we visited South India. On the internet, we were going through the places we could visit when my father told us that we’d visit the Indian Coastguard cruise; I, having no damn clue about what Coastguard is, just jumped, excited, hearing the word ‘cruise.’ The day soon arrived, and at noon, we were on the ship with its captain; well, the ship was docked, so it didn’t sail, but being on board a vessel itself is different, so I didn’t mind about the sailing part. The ship was ICGS RANI ABBAKKA, a patrolling ship of the Indian Coastguard.

We entered the ship with its captain, saw all its interior mechanisms, and came to know its functions and how it goes for patrolling all around India’s coastline, we had a conversation with its captain in their meeting room, and that’s when he told and explained to us that they make up the fourth force of our country, though not quite well known. Still, they play an essential role in our security too!

India has a coastline of about 7500 kilometres, which is mainly guarded by them, the ship we went on sets out to check all’s fine and that nobody’s trying to attack our coastline.

So, basically, people, whatever might happen, and whatever we may do, we need four of them to keep us safe, they risk their lives for us, but there’s one thing they demand: your belief in them!

Reveda Bhatt 
Grade 9
The Aryan School

Always on Card Trips - Yashraj Sharma

My 15-day road trip to Leh-Ladakh was terrific. It felt like the best time of my life. I loved the whole trip so much.

We all had the time of our lives, and when I grow up, I want to take my family there again to revisit the fantastic experience and see them smile. 

      

Now let me share my experience; till that day, I had only heard that Ladakh was a beautiful and mesmerizing place, but now I got to experience it in person.

Ladakh is most famous for breathtaking landscapes, crystal clear skies, the highest mountain passes, the highest motorable pass, and Buddhist monasteries.

We saw local monasteries and apricot fields in Ladakh and took two days to acclimatize to the weather.

Our next destination was Nubra valley, followed by Pangong lake.

This was my favourite experience on our trip to Ladakh. 

The drive to Nubra Valley via Khardungla, the highest motorable road in the world, was all about the beautiful landscapes of Ladakh and adventure. With the zig-zag trail continuing till Hundar village... this drive was an unforgettable experience.

The descent from mighty Khardung La towards Hunder leaves us spellbound as the snowy surroundings drastically transform into the desert. Before we sense it, the double-humped camels at Hunder village offered us an exciting ride through the desert.

From Nubra valley, we visited the majestic Pangong lake...which is as big as the sea. We share its boundaries with the neighbouring country. Its crystal clear water is salty and changes its colour seven times a day due to the sun's position throughout the day. It is the world's highest saltwater lake in the world.

Our next destination was Kargil. We visited the war memorial. The sight of Tiger Hill and Tololing hill gave us a sense of pride and patriotism as the air was filled with selflessness and honour of the sacrifices of our Jawans who laid their lives in war.

From Kargil, we set off to Srinagar via Drass and Sonmarg. Drass, which is the second coldest inhabited place in the world.

In Sonmarg, we were mesmerized by the tall pine trees and beautiful 'Sind' river playing hide and seek with us.

The next day we reach the summer capital city of Jammu and Kashmir... Srinagar. 

As we reached there, mesmerizing view of Dal lake welcomed us with open arms. A Shikara was ready to give us a ride to our royal houseboat. It was my first experience of staying on a houseboat.

This stay proved that the beauty of an old-world setup is unparallel. The sight of moving shops of basic amenities in Shikaras is a memorable and unforgettable experience. We bought seeds and flower bulbs from there, and I also tried my hand at the Shikara ride.

We saw the Nishat garden there. It was a myriad of flowers, fountains and lush green grass.

The next day we explored Pahalgam...where we saw Aru valley, Betaab valley and Chandanbari. All were so majestic that they couldn't be summarised in words.

From Pahalgam, we came back to our home.

However, it's not my first time to the mountains for a vacation. But, this trip was so different in the way that we came across snow-capped mountains, clear skies full of stars, colourful rocky mountains (red, green and brown), majestic lakes, deserts, sand dunes and what not?! It was only possible as we took a road trip to Ladakh.

We came across 9 passes during our trip, making it a memorable trip.

On completing 3200 km of the magnificent journey by car, I realized the true meaning of Incredible India!!

Yashraj Sharma

Grade: VIII

Gyanshree school

Happiness - Avni Karmarkar

There was a boy whose family was very wealthy. One day his father took him on a trip to the country, where he aimed to show his son how poor people live. So, they arrived at a farm of an impoverished family, which his father considered poor. There they spent several days.

"Did you notice how poor people live?" Yeah, I did- said the boy.

The father asked his son to tell his impressions of their trip in more detail. 

Well, we have only one dog, and they have four of them. In our garden, there is a pool, while the poor have a river that has no end. We have got expensive lanterns, but they have stars above their heads at night. We have the patio, and they have the whole horizon. We have only a small piece of land, while the poor have endless fields. We buy food, but they grow it. We have a high fence for protection of our property, and they don't need it, as their friends protect them."

The father was stunned. He could not say a word.

Then the boy added: "Thank you, Dad, for letting me see how poor we are."

This story shows that wealth and happiness are not measured by material things. The father asked his son if he liked their trip on return. "It was great, dad!" the boy replied.

Name: Avni Karmarkar

Grade: 5C

Billabong High International School, Thane