India, Oct. 23 -- Returning to one's roots in soldiering is replete with nostalgia, inspiration and feeling 10 years younger. Revisiting the National Defence Academy ( NDA ), Khadakwasla, Maharashtra, after more than six decades was re-living one's days when well-rounded heads were being fitted on square shoulders. We were the pioneers, who in 1955, moved from the Joint Services Wing (JSW) in Clement Town, Dehradun, to the emerging military township of Khadakwasla near an iconic lake - the spectacular landscape overlooked by Shivaji's impregnable Sinhagad Fort. In the sixth and final term, Sinhagad became the touchstone for long-range patrolling, stamina and survival. Sticking out of the earth was the majestic central cupola, the nerve ce...