Sr Noelle Rose to become first nun to lead NSS contingent at R-day parade

Every year on January 26, Sr Noelle Rose, a nun of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC) under the Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala, would huddle around with other nuns at the convent with their eyes glued to the television to watch the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. She always hoped she would be able to watch it in person someday.

Cut to January 26 this year, Sr Noelle will watch the Republic Day parade from the stand in the cold winter air of Delhi beaming with pride as she will create history as the first nun to lead a contingent of volunteers of National Service Scheme (NSS) from Kerala.

Sr Noelle, a professor of Malayalam at the Newman College in Thodupuzha, has been active in the NSS for the past five years and considers her work in it a part of her “patriotic zeal”. She was picked by the regional directorate of the NSS from over 3,000 officers to lead the contingent of 12 volunteers from Kerala and Lakshadweep.

Speaking to HT over phone from Delhi where the rehearsals for the R-day parade are taking place, Sr Noelle said, “I was very happy when I got the news in December. I have always been passionate towards the NSS and its activities. It also feels good to be part of history when someone says that I am the first nun to lead a troop at the parade.”

“Doing something for my country has always been part of my priorities in life. Even though I have been to Delhi a couple of times, I have never been able to catch the R-day parade. This time, I will watch from the stands and it will be special to see the students I trained march in front of me. They say your mind’s deepest desires will come true if you really work hard. God has granted mine,” chuckled Sr Noelle.

For past couple of weeks, Sr Noelle and the NSS cadets have been hard at training inside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and on the Kartavya Path, perfecting their marching steps and making sure to stick to the rhythm.

“It is not easy at all. We wake up at 3 am everyday. Breakfast is served at 4 am. And then we head to the Kartavya Path. Since all contingents taking part in the parade are here, it takes at least two-three hours for the security checks. And then we march on the three-km long Kartavya Path. If we are allowed time, we do at least two rounds. We then head back to the stadium to do more training,” she said.

People were amused, she said, to watch a nun in her habit with the rosary in her hand training for the parade. “They have never seen before,” she laughed.

The NSS contingent, drawing cadets from across India, at the parade will likely be composed of at least 148 participants. Sr Noelle and leaders of other contingents of the NSS play key roles in taking care of all needs of the cadets, fine-tuning their marching steps, correcting postures and overseeing their uniforms.

She will also take part in the reception accorded by the President and Prime Minister in Delhi before leaving for Kerala on February 1.

Apart from teaching, Sr Noelle is also an author and has published 17 books, mainly on themes of feminist spirituality. She has also directed two short films and docu-fiction projects.