Old Army uniforms, new schoolbags: How a retired Major is shaping young lives

As the saying goes, a soldier is always a soldier. That belief is reflected in what Major General (Retd) Ashim Kohli is doing for the country. He is turning old Army uniforms into something valuable for young children who go to school. Once recycled, these uniforms are transformed into school bags, notebooks, and other essentials. This is a story worth hearing.

A veteran of the Indian Army, retired for years, is today shaping the lives of schoolchildren, quietly, patiently, and with the same sense of responsibility that once defined his life in uniform. Far from the duty line and the discipline of daily drills, his commitment to the nation has not faded. Major General Ashim Kohli’s 37-year Army career ended, but his commitment to service did not. It has only taken a different form.

When we think of retirement, we often imagine a slower life, time away from pressure, deadlines, and responsibility.

For Kohli, service did not end with retirement. It simply moved from guarding borders to shaping futures, one schoolbag, one child, and one quiet decision at a time.

After decades of service, the retired officer was left with what many veterans carry with them, stacks of old Army uniforms.

Turning these old uniforms into something meaningful is an achievement in itself, one that Maj Gen Kohli accomplished.

With the support of fellow veterans, the initiative is now giving many children the opportunity to go to school carrying bags made from uniforms once worn by soldiers of the Indian Army.