India’s True Heroes- Part 1
This post comes out as an outrage. I am a bit too outraged that for too long monsters like Burhan Wani and Ajmal Kasab have been glorified, and pathetic fools like Yakub Memon and Afzal Guru are being hailed as heroes. The biggest problem I have had with this is that the media paid too much attention to them and not enough to those who have sacrificed so much for us, in fact so much that some of us have even started abusing the freedom of our democracy and started questioning them. A darn shame to the sacrifice they’ve made.
It is high time we pay the long due respect to these who have done so much for us yet their contribution goes unknown or forgotten so easily. In the first of my four part post, I want every reader to know about some of those whom we owe our safety and freedom to.
- Captain Vikram Batra
Capt. Vikram Batra was selected to join the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun in 1996 in Jessore company of Manekshaw Battalion, and was commissioned in the Indian Army as a Lieutenant of the 13 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles at Sopore, in Jammu and Kashmir. He rose to the rank of Captain. He was nicknamed Sher Shah for his courage. Captain Batra was instrumental in capturing point 5140, which was key in starting a series of successes. During the rescue attempt while capturing point 4875, he pushed aside his Subedar, saying “Tu baal-bacchedar hai, hat ja peeche.”(You have children, step aside) and was killed in action while clearing enemy positions. His last words were, “Jai Mata Di.” He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his bravery.
2. Inspector Vijay Salaskar
One of the most feared names in the underworld, Vijay Salaskar joined the Mumbai Police in 1983 as a sub inspector, he shot to fame in the first year of his service when he shot dead Raja Shahabuddin a noted Criminal of that time. He relentlessly pursued Mafia Don and now politician Arun Gawli, who was so scared of him that he asked for government protection from Salaskar. He has killed nearly 80 criminals in encounter and captured Ajmal Kasaab before dying during the operation of 26/11. He was awarded with the Ashok Chakra for his bravery.
3. Major General Ian Cardozo
Major General Ian Cardozo, who has many achievements to his name, will always be known for his immense courage in the 1971 war with Pakistan. He was, at the time, a young major with 5 Gorkha Rifles. During the war, he stepped on a landmine and severely injured his leg. When even the doctor could not cut his leg, Cardozo asked for a khukri (the Gorkha knife) and cut his own leg off, saying, “Now go and bury it!”
The incident did not deter Cardozo from going on to serve his country. Through sheer willpower and determination, he continued to perform his duties as a soldier and became the first disabled officer in the Indian Army to command an infantry battalion and a brigade. In spite of not being physically at par with other officers, he defeated many ‘two-legged’ soldiers to come first in many fitness tests during his stint in the army.
4. Naik Jadu Nath Singh
In 1947 War Naik Jadu Nath Singh did something which was extraordinary. His small troop was outnumbered by enemy but his leadership and bravery was such that enemy got confused on how many Indian soldiers are actually there. He and his company saved the post as Enemy took their steps backward.
They attacked with increased force again, Naik Jadu Nath Singh and his men were already injured. Jadu Nath attacked with full force as he knew that enemy are nearing to their post. This courage motivated his men who attacked with full force and a certain defeat turned into a victory, and they saved post for second time. By now all of his men were down and he was alone. Enemy attacked for third time thinking that this time they can capture post. But out of nowhere Naik jadu Nath Singh, a one man army attacked so fiercely that enemy thought there are more Indians and flew away. But Naik Jadu Nath singh was hit by two bullet in his head and died bravely, making sure that his post is safe. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra.
5. Col. Santosh Y Mahadik
Colonel Santosh Mahadik was the Commanding Officer of 41 Rashtriya Rifles, Maratha Light Infantry. He was earlier awarded the Sena Medal for bravery in counter terrorist operations. He was taking part in an operation that started on November 13, 2015 to flush out terrorists — suspected to be from Lashkar-e-Taiba — hiding in the dense forest of Haji Naka in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district. The militants had fled deep into the forests and the security forces continued to chase them. The encounter against the four terrorists had been on for a week in the Manigah forest area of border district of Kupwara in north Kashmir,when he was shot and grievously wounded on November 17, 2015 and later died in hospital. His wife not letting his sacrifice go in vain later joined the army.
The point is, if you want to know what true heroes of India are like, it is these brave people and many more like them, not someone like Kanahiya Kumar, Burhan Wani or Afzal Guru. I’ll be back with some more tomorrow
To be contd.
#TVI
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