Jai Hind

It gives me immense pride and deep emotional satisfaction to welcome you to the official website of Veterans Club Odisha (VCO), inaugurated on 16 December 2025, a day etched in India’s military history as Victory Day of the 1971 War. This date is not merely symbolic; it reflects the very spirit, sacrifice, and unity that Veterans Club Odisha stands for.

The idea of Veterans Club Odisha was born out of a concern that had long disturbed me. In the fast-changing socio-economic and socio-cultural environment, the traditional joint family system has largely given way to nuclear families. After retirement, most of our brothers from the JCO and NCO cadre prefer to settle in state capitals or urban centres to secure education for their children and re-employment for themselves. In this transition from uniformed service to civil life, many veterans and their families gradually lose access to facilities, privileges, and a sense of collective belonging that they once enjoyed during service.

With limited pensions or modest post-retirement employment, veterans often find it difficult to afford decent venues for social, cultural, and family occasions. Even simple family events—birth anniversaries, marriage ceremonies, thread ceremonies, or marriage anniversaries—become financially stressful, as hotels and private venues are often beyond their reach. More importantly, there has been no centrally administered, well-facilitated common platform where veterans and their families could come together to celebrate national, international, social, and family occasions with dignity.

This concern led me to reflect deeply on how such a gap could be bridged. My exposure to different institutions/clubs, with their multi-facility ecosystem—short stays, dining, social gatherings, celebrations, and recreation—reinforced my belief that veterans too deserve such a space of their own, built by veterans, for veterans.

On 16 January 2018, I shared this vision with fellow veterans through various WhatsApp groups. The response was overwhelming and immediate. Within just three days, 50 veterans expressed their willingness to join the founding group. What began as a thought soon transformed into a movement. Today, Veterans Club Odisha proudly has 135 veterans onboard, united by shared values, service ethos, and a common dream.

Our vision goes far beyond bricks and mortar. While we have applied to the State Government for two acres of land on lease, and once allotted, we plan to develop comprehensive infrastructure—including guest rooms, restaurant, training and rehabilitation facilities, sports and wellness centres, war memorial, HAM radio station, and community spaces—the true strength of VCO lies in its activities and social commitment.

Over the years, Veterans Club Odisha has actively contributed to society by:

• Supporting the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund
• Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Government during COVID-19
• Organising blood donation camps, plantation drives, and flood relief
• Providing financial support to families of veterans lost to accidents
• Promoting tourism, aqua sports, and youth inspiration
• Supporting extraordinary talents like Jiya Rai
• Undertaking the historic Nau Yatra on the Prachi River to revive our heritage
• Identifying and honouring Gallantry Awardees before students
• Hosting PVC Yogendra Singh Yadav to inspire patriotism among youth
• Conducting programmes like “Beyond the Battlefield” to motivate young Indians to join the Armed Forces
• Submitting developmental proposals on tourism, culture, agriculture, shipbuilding, coastal security, NASHA-MUKTA Bharat, corruption-free governance, and a clean, green India

Veterans Club Odisha is not merely a club—it is a movement of values, service, and social responsibility. It is a bridge between our glorious past in uniform and our continued duty as responsible citizens. It is a platform where dignity, camaraderie, and nation-building go hand in hand.

I invite all veterans, serving personnel, policymakers, youth, and citizens of Odisha and India to walk with us in this journey. Together, let us honour the past, serve the present, and shape a stronger, more inclusive future.

Jai Hind.