VTK Raju, best known as Raju, was born and brought up at Parlakhemundi in Gajapati District (erstwhile Ganjam District). During the reign of Maharaj Shri Krishna Chandra Gajapati, Raju’s grandfather Shri V Appala Narasimham Raju was the Dewaan of erstwhile Parlakhemundi princely state. Krishna Chandra was the same noble king of Odisha who has accomplished so many social projects during his life time notably construction of the Girls High School, Boys High School and Degree College at Parlakhemundi. MKCG Medical College of Berhampur is a true acknowledgement to his legacy. The king built two large ponds, Ram Sagar and Sita Sagar, to harvest the rainwater for using the same by farmers for farming throughout the year.
Raju had a good upbringing by his father, Shri V Subramanyam Raju, who is an authoritative and disciplined person. His father was a landlord and was looking after the estates that he had inherited from his father. From childhood days, Raju was good at studies and extracurricular activities like sports, debates, essay writing, painting etc.
Raju started his primary education from Gandhi Memorial School, a School which is run by Parlakhemundi Municipality, later upgraded to Upper Primary School. While in 6th and 7th Class, Raju used to sneak on the playground while his senior school mates doing parade wearing Khaki uniform.
On entering Maharaja Boys’ High (MRBH) School, Raju as well joined National Cadet Corps (NCC) as a Junior Division. The motive was to get the free share of breakfast i.e. Allo Bondas and Vadas that were distributed at the end of the drill session.
But on attending the physical calisthenics Raju realised NCC is not a place to do any merrymaking. He learnt how to lead life under strict discipline. Every day, after school, he used to play hard in the college grounds of Parlakhemundi and excelled himself in Athletics. While in High School, he participated in state level sports events and got many prizes to his credit.
Every morning as early as at 5:00 A.M. his father used to wake up Raju and his elder brother and was taking both the kids on his scooter to college ground. He himself was imparting physical training to both the kids. As on this date Raju bequeaths all the achievements of his life to his father, who groomed him by paying utmost attention to his personal and career growth right from the beginning.
In 1983, Raju passed High School Certificate (HSC) Examination with First Division. He enrolled his name in Intermediate Science (I.Sc) at Shri Krishna Chandra Gajapati(SKCG) College at Parlakhemundi. In college he joined NCC as a Senior Division Cadet. During 1984 summer vacation Raju attended an Annual Training Camp of NCC at Parlakhemundi. In that camp, he was mesmerized while looking at the persona of their Group Commander Colonel R C Patra. Raju observed very keenly every movement of Colonel R C Patra, the way he was standing, his style of walking and the way he was commanding the cadets. There, in that camp itself, Raju set the clear goal of his life to become an Army Officer and serve his nation India.
On returning from that NCC camp Raju never looked back. In 1985, he had an opportunity to attend Military Attachment Camp at Meerut, where he was taught how to live life as a Soldier. In the same year, he represented Odisha State in Republic Day Banner Championship (All India Level NCC Competition). In that Championship, Raju and his colleague won silver medal in Bayonet Fighting. When a Soldier runs out of ammunition all he has to do is Dog Fight with his enemy. The soldier fights just with his Bayonet which is fixed at the tip of the Rifle. More so a Rifle is of no use when the enemy is at the arm’s distance.
On returning to Odisha, Raju met Colonel RC Patra at Berhampur. It was he who motivated VTK Raju to compete for Republic Day Camp (RDC). A chosen few out of lakhs of cadets from across India could only get such honour to participate in RDC. Colonel Patra deputed a special trainer for Raju for preparing him for RDC. Raju had to undergo a rigorous training of three long months followed by a series of selections at Bhubaneswar. In January 1986 Raju reached New Delhi. He was one out of approximately 1,700 NCC cadets who have been recruited from different states across India. In the NCC Camp at New Delhi Raju was further shortlisted. He was one out of 75 NCC Cadetd among 1,700 cadets who were selected for Republic Day parade at the Raj Path at New Delhi.
Finally, on 26th January of 1986 Raju marched on the Rajpath or the Grand Road of New Delhi which was live telecast by Door Darshan the national television of India. Then, in India, the television broadcast was at a nascent stage. Until the year 1986, in the history of hundred years of SKCG College, Parliakhemundi none had the privilege of participating in the RDC. But while marching on Rajpath that young man Raju was recollecting his childhood, the day he had worn NCC uniform for the first time(just for fun) and the efforts to reach the very Rajpath.
After the Republic Day event, Raju was further shortlisted to participate in Guard of Honour for the President, Prime Minister and the Defence Minister of India. Raju returned to his hometown Parlakhemundi after achieving such a feat which none of his family members, school, college, town or the entire district has ever accomplished. On returning to Odisha his State Government felicitated him with Defence Minister Gold Medal for the overall performance in NCC.
More to it Raju was recruited to participate in an International Youth Exchange Programme, but due to some unforeseen event, he could not go. Unlike today there were no smartphones to click the images of him reaching New Delhi doing march past at the Rajpath nor he had the privilege to share the news with his well-wishers and the distance relatives living in different states of India.
But on returning to his SKCG College instead of getting any accolades he had to face all the agonies. Due to shortage of attendance for just by few periods he was not permitted to sit in B.Sc examinations. He ran from pillar to post to get justice. Raju even went to the Chief Minister's Office at Bhubaneswar with Deputy Director General of NCC. Shri Janaki Balabha Pattnaik was holding the office of CM, then, who directed Raju to meet the Education Minister of Odisha. Raju tried defending his position by saying that he did not go to the Republic Day Camp for acquiring any personal glory, but to represent Odisha state for the grand celebration of the country. Somehow, he was given a special permission letter from the office of the Education Minister to sit in examination, but on reaching college he was told that Odisha State Govt. has no authority to accord permission since Berhampur University governed by the rules and regulations of University Grant Commission(UGC). It would be improper to say the heart of Raju was broken, since he was chasing the dream of being an Army Officer. His conscience told educational qualification is merely an addendum to his name whereas the ambition of his life is to be an Army Officer.
In January 1988 out of agony Raju packed his bags and bid goodbye to his home state Odisha and the Berhampur University which had shown him a step motherly attitude. With a renewed vigour Tirumal boarded Howrah-Madras Mail from Palasa for Chennai. He joined Degree in Mechanical Engineering at Institution of Engineers (India). That youngman was managing his own self with a budgeted expenses of 700 INR a month. You could work out he was surviving with as little as 23 INR a day without any extravaganza. He was knowing his father was just a bank employee and he is rearing his family with a marginal income. In the year 1992 on acquiring the engineering degree, he appeared for Service Selection Board(SSB) examination and qualified in it too.
In January 1993 he joined prestigious Indian Military Academy(IMA) at Dehradun. After going through rigorous military training for one year in a high disciplined environment, he passed out as a Commissioned Officer. In a grand ceremony, along with his colleagues, he took an oath to protect the safety and honour of his motherland and stepped in to the final plaque called "Antim Pag" which literally means the final step.
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