Life in cantonment

The lure of the Army remains strong among children of defence personnel

Those of us who reside on civvy street have flawed notions about life in the country’s cantonments. Once upon a time this was defined by an envy for the “facilities” enjoyed by the defence forces — subsidised canteen services, for instance, and the availability of liquor at rates no bootlegger could match. This counts for less now as hypermarkets have helped the price-sensitive housewife pick out bargains in her neighbourhood, or online, and the availability of alcohol is no longer an issue, unless you live in prohibition-bound Gujarat, Bihar, or Nagaland, in which case “connections” with faujis can help you