REGIMENTAL DINNERS AND LUNCHES

REGIMENTAL DINNERS AND LUNCHES

1.      The Indian Defence Forces are known for their strong sense of camaraderie and brotherhood. This unbreakable bond is forged through tough and prolonged training, shared hardships and experiences. Members of the forces and even their families are expected to help each other unconditionally both during peace and war. This unity and sense of belongingness enhances team work and operational effectiveness. It also provides a crucial emotional support network for the soldiers. Soldiers and their family members take pride in this brotherhood as it signifies trust, loyalty and an unbreakable connection that transcends individual background and differences.

2.      The forces celebrate and renew this bond by organising lunches / dinners and get togethers frequently. These get togethers provide an opportunity to the members of the defence forces and their families to interact with each other and revive their old friendships. Attending members make financial contributions towards the successful organisation of these social events. These social events cause no additional financial burden on the government or the defence forces. However, these events did create some additional work for the serving persons. That is also slowly changing now.

3.      The social events are now being invariably organised by Event Management professionals and all the work-related activities are outsourced.  In fact, off late a trend to organise these events at a large scale with a lot of pomp and show has come become fashionable and the attendees are happy to contribute thousands of rupees for making the get together memorable. Some groups have organised the get togethers in five-star hotels or have hired renowned caterers and interior decorators to provide lavish table spread and do up the decor.

4.       These get-togethers, which were initially meant to foster social bonds and create memorable experiences, now often devolve into events focused around binge drinking and overeating. The casual setting and relaxed atmosphere make it easy to indulge in alcohol and food excessively. People find themselves reaching for another drink or plate, not out of hunger or necessity, but because it’s there, everyone else is doing it and that they have paid large sum of money for the same. This environment leads to a cycle of overconsumption where the focus shifts from meaningful interaction to indulgence. The emphasis on alcohol and food detracts from the quality of interactions. Conversations become more superficial, with people more focused on their next drink than on engaging meaningfully with those around them.

5.       Ultimately, while these events can be enjoyable, it’s essential to strike a balance. Ensuring that social gatherings promote genuine connections and healthy habits can lead to more fulfilling and meaningful interactions. It’s about making mindful choices that benefit both our social lives and our overall well-being.

6.       To make social get-togethers more meaningful and interactive, we should shift the focus from passive activities like binge eating and drinking to engaging and participatory experiences. One approach is to plan activities that encourage interaction and collaboration. Group games, whether board games or interactive games, can break the ice and get everyone involved. These activities foster teamwork and create shared memories.

7.       The social get togethers should be made simple affairs with the number of drinks being served are restricted and even the food served should be simple and healthy. This will also bring down the cost of organising such get togethers. In fact, a social event should not at any time charge more than Rs 500/- per person for a meal. This will also encourage the people to organise more of such get togethers.

8.       Another key to success of these social events is creating an environment conducive to meaningful conversation. This can be achieved by setting up small, comfortable seating arrangements that facilitate face-to-face interactions. Encouraging people to share stories, discuss ideas, or even engage in debates on topics of interest which can lead to deeper connections and more memorable interactions.

9.       The concept of outsourcing the organisation of the events is also flawed as it takes away an important learning opportunity from the persons responsible for conducting these events. The unit /sub units that are made responsible to organise these social events have to work extra hard but they also get a high after successful completion of the task. The units /sub units are deprived of this sense of achievement if the events are outsourced. It is through shared hardships and hard work that the bonds of friendship and camaraderie are forged. By shielding the troops from extra hard work, we deprive them of this opportunity to forge long lasting bonds. We also deprive the guests of the feeling of gratitude towards the organisation and the soldiers who go out of their way to make the social events a success. This in turn also leads to decrease in interaction between the serving soldiers and the veterans.

10.   Lastly, the whole military character of the social event is compromised if the event is outsourced. Then these social events appear just like any wedding function and not like a military event. A time has come to do some serious thinking about the conduct of such events.