In the National Defence Academy (NDA) a cadet has to undergo training of three years split into six terms. After each term there is a term break when cadets go home for a few weeks.
The curriculum was so tight and so tough; close to a never-ending gruelling grind that everyone wanted a break ASAP or AQAP – as quickly as possible. Right from the six termers to first termers there was always a need of a sense of liberty smouldering in all the cadets – numbers hovering around 3000 plus cadets. Now the strength will be a bit more as new battalions have been added.
Last two terms were not that bad as the cadets by then had been toughened enough to bear it. And a few privileges of becoming super senior in the scheme of things.
Yet the longing for a release was in everyone. Each day weighed heavily on the cadets and there was a mental countdown to go home. This was a mental counter called DLTGH. Outside each class room there was a small board next to the door where parade state was written in chalk by the class senior as to how many present and how many absent with reasons for each absentee. Below that in capital letters was written DLTGH with a prominent number which was depressingly high on the first day of the term; around 150 plus. Every day this reduced as if at a crawling speed of one number a day. This was also written on the left-hand top corner of the black board for every cadet to see during the entire period- possibly to keep the sanity in place and moral high.
There was a sense of relief when it hit the two-digit mark and after that it mattered very little!
The DLTGH at the Geopolitical level today
With Donald Trump taking over as the President of United States on the 20th of January 2025, for the second term, there were expectations of a big change in America and of course the rest of the world with around 200 countries big and small.
His first term was also different in style and substance.
Trump’s first term as the 45th President of the United States (January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021) can be briefly defined as a period of intense partisan division and a departure from traditional political norms, marked by an “America First” agenda, significant deregulation, and numerous controversies and investigations. It was a period of substantial policy change, driven by an anti-establishment, “America First” ideology, and was characterized by unprecedented political polarization and a series of high-profile controversies and legal challenges. He promised terror free world and peace all over. It was only a promise.
Second term
The second term was supposed to bring in more maturity and semblance of progress and cooperation.
With his talking and walking- partly dancing style- he kept the world amused. People around him and the world at large laughed along. He had a SC special coterie. When boss smiles, they laugh stupidly.
The victory of Donald Trump, surprised the whole world- left, right, or centre. Kamala Harris thought she was winning but there was something different in store for her and the world. People waited with baited breath for the D-day 20th Jan 2025 when he was sworn as the POTUS, consequences of which were going to be as unpredictable as the 6th June 1944 the day when Allied forces launched operation Overlord across English Channel to defeat Hitlers army- millions landing on the beaches of Normandy- popularly known as ‘Normandy Landing’. No one could predict where the war would go.
This was ‘Washington Landing’. The eagle had landed for sure? Where it would fly too- no one knew. Unfortunately, in America the POTUS can do whatever he likes- so he thinks.
Donald Trump has got the world excited as no other President elect of United States had ever been able to do in recent history. As the term kicked off as gruelling as the National Défense Academy thing started rolling out differently in fact very differently.
He started off with a very different team. He had picked up a very hawkish team and had learnt from the mistakes of his past four-year stint in the oval office – so people thought, but you cannot learn what goes on someone’s head even with EEG. Each one of his team players was fiercer than the other- people were sh*t scared of these guys- all the president’s men and formidable women including the press secretary.
But the president looked naive, which meant, simple, innocent, or lacking experience, sometimes implying being easily fooled or lacking worldly wisdom, which can be similar to being “dumb” in judgment, but not necessarily low in intelligence. He started with being very unpredictable from the beginning of the beginning of his stint which for God’s sake is four years. He was a shrewd and a successful business man, that we were sure of. Nothing more nothing less. He shot a salvo of becoming POTUS for the third time? And people bought it.
Whatever it may be, the world was going to see a sea change in Geopolitics and International Relations where heads of states were getting ready as a chess player does before a grand master match; aka FIDE World Championship.
‘God does not play dice,’ said Albert Einstein. Which refers to one of the most important theories in modern physics: quantum mechanics. It describes the weird behaviour of tiny subatomic particles.
Rolling the dice
But trump did play the dice. He was rolling the dice every day from different side of his bed every morning. One day Elon Musk was his sworn brother, the next day he was out. The two danced along the iconic song “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees is from the legendary 1977 film Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta- now starring Trump and Musk.
He started trotting on the tariff horse as if it was a new international economic mantra- a magic flying carpet – more a witch on the broom stick. Weird rates at the drop of the hat- by the time he flung his hat into the air and it fell on the ground the tariff rates changed three times! Fastest gunman in the wild west.
People were asking in unison ‘yeh kya ho raha hai’. He was disrupting everything and claiming to stop seven wars in the first few months in office. He said something and others said something else. He called a president to his office-Zelensky- and there was a shouting match- as a three striped sergeant bullshits a new recruit.
Trump looked like Sarge (Sergeant Circle) and general Rockjaw rolled into one and zeh- linsky- not ehm-Lewinsky like Sad sack- in Sad sack comics.
He was signing orders with his foot long trademark signature and throwing his pen to the audience to catch. But he was the boss- and boss is always right. A commander in chief of the strongest military on earth a large inflated economy. Technology under his broad black belt and dollars to flout was a Godzilla with his Gang going gung ho. He was pulling the rug from under the feet of NATO, dancing at the mike, calling ‘oh he is beautiful, he is handsome, she is very good…. Nice guys’ while meaning nothing? The whole world was beautiful- lovely for POTUS the great. Calling Pakistani failed marshal for lunch (Oh I love him) – God knows what he discussed with him.
We had a boss who we called ‘calm cool and clueless’ and many world leaders put him in this box.
One morning he would foul mouth China, next day he will shout at someone else- he would threaten Greenland and then say ‘Canada will be another state of America’. Of course he is serious about Greenland- people joked that it was green only in name and you cannot have a golf course ready to Tee off.
It is said in Indian Mythology that when Ravan put Hanuman’s tail on fire, he burnt the entire Lanka.
But who put fire to trumps tail that he is acting weird by the day? Ready to burn everything down. Some say there is madness in his method for sure, 10% say method in the madness.
At the time of writing this piece, He has KIDNAPPED not a kid but a sitting president (standing 6’ 3” tall) of a sovereign state- Venezuela along with his wife and is putting them on trial in US courts!
In addition, he is threatening Columbia and Cuba too. ‘Rok sako to Rok lo’- is his style. No one dare- NATO like a puppy has tucked its tail inwards. EU is dead long live the king. His actions carry omnicidal risks.
His tenure is for years 20 January 2025 – 20 January 2029; almost a year gone. DLTGH for him today 8th January 2026 is 1107 days left. The whole world wants him to go home ASAPO- they are as miserable as a first termer in the NDA.
Go trump go
Huge crowds took part in “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump’s policies in cities across the US on Saturday/Sunday, including New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles.
What is the most unfair thing about the U.S. presidential election?
We get 50 choices for Miss America but only two for president.
Thank God DLTGH is just hovering around 1100.
