By: Sheela Narayanan

FOR most local boys, serving national service (NS) is a rite of passage drilled into their psyche from a tender age.

Indian twins Corporals Raman and Lakshmanan Ayyakkunna did not have that kind of mental preparation. They jumped right into their NS not knowing what it was all about.

On top of that, they had never seen a National Day Parade (NDP)... even on television.

The twins, who turn 21 in October, got their PR with their father in 2006, but grew up mostly in India with their mother.

Their father is a chef in a local Indian restaurant and has been here for more than 28 years.

Said older twin Raman: "Dad told us that we had to do national service as the family was given an opportunity to become Singapore permanent residents."

And now three years later, the shy young men will be marching in their first NDP as part of the Singapore Civil Defence Force's contingent. They are representing the 1st CD Division Headquarters at Alexandra Fire Station.

Cpl Lakshmanan recalled that the first day at Basic Military Training (BMT) was daunting and they were "a little scared" too. He said: "When we started, as we didn't know what we were getting into, we explained to our officers that we didn't know that much English. They were very understanding."

Added Cpl Raman: "They told us what we had to do and the officers made sure we were in the same company and slept in the same room."

And they enjoyed BMT, having learnt how to be "disciplined and neat".

The two are currently serving as provosts (security personnel) at the fire station - a posting not everyone gets, according to the SCDF spokesman, as the NSmen have to pass their Individual Physical Proficiency Test, another proficiency test conducted by the department and must have a very good attitude towards the job.

So being chosen by their regimental sergeant major to march in this year's NDP feels like they have been accepted into the fold since not everyone in their division was picked to be part of the 96-man contingent. During last year's NDP, the twins were on patrol duty.

They have been practising for the parade for the past four months at least twice a week and described the atmosphere during the NDP previews at the Floating Platform in Marina Bay as electric.

Said Cpl Raman: "I don't think we would ever be involved in something like this if we were back in India. I have never experienced anything like this before. This is such a golden opportunity for us."

While the twins admitted that they preferred to speak in Tamil rather than in English, they seemed very popular among their fellow NSmen who stopped by to chat with them during the photoshoot for tabla!.

Cpl Lakshmanan said everyone in their camp makes the effort to get to know them and is extremely patient when they speak.

"If they really don't understand us, then our friends translate for us but they always try to understand us," he said.

While the boys miss their native Pudukottai and their friends, they see their future in Singapore. They plan to pursue their studies here at one of the Institutes of Technical Education and may consider taking up Singapore citizenship eventually.

Said Cpl Raman: "There is so much we have to learn about Singapore. We will take it one step at a time."

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