Col SK Suri: A soldier Par-excellence, my IDEAL Fauji

What makes our War HEROES so inspiring? Shirley Udaykumar .

India is a young country where the youth (18-29 years) constitutes 22 per cent of India's population, which is more than 261 million people — larger than the population of Pakistan. Now, for these youngsters to be good citizens of the country they need take pride in the post-independent military history of the nation. The effort involved in maintaining independence and sovereignty of the nation is the job of the Indian Armed Forces, entrusted to secure the external borders against aggression from enemies. Since 1947 India has fought several wars with Pakistan and defeated them. The only war that we lost in 1962 was with China due to political reasons. But in May 2020, the Indian Army gave a bloody nose to the Chinese in Galwan Valley skirmishes that happened in Western Ladakh. In all these wars, some soldiers emerge as heroes for their exceptional gallantry displayed in the face of enemy. In the Galwan skirmish emerged a hero, Col B Santosh Babu, who was the commanding officer of the 16 Bihar Regiment. He took on the Chinese in the icy-heights in an offensive stance but was killed with 20 Indian soldiers who were killed in the fierce hand-to-hand combat with Chinese soldiers on June 15, they killed almost 100 Chinese soldiers in the bargain.

In 2019 we learn of our Indian Air Force fighter pilot, Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman, VrC who took on the Pakistanis in an air-raid in POK and stood his ground despite being captured and later released by the Pakis. I am giving these two examples of heroics that happened recently which is fresh in our memories to relate to the war heroes. Apart from these are scores of other War HEROES of the previous wars whose names have been etched in the military history of India. The 1947 intrusion by Pakistan in Kashmir’s Battle of Badgam, 1947 produced a hero - Major Somanth Sharma, PVC. He was the first gallantry awardee of Param Vir Chakra. Names like Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Lt Gen JFR Jacob, Maj Gen Sagat, Maj Gen Ian Cardozo, Brig Kuldip Chandpuri, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon are some well-known names of the 1971 war who have become legends. Some well-known war heroes of the Kargil War of 1999 like: Capt Saurabh Kalia, Capt Vikram Batra, Grenadier Yogendra Yadav, Naik Digendra Kumar, Capt Manoj Pandey, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar and Lieutenant Keishing Clifford Nongrum have become legends by their heroics. What makes a soldier into a War HERO? Well, soldiers are professional fighters who fight the enemy to protect their motherland, they have chosen this as their career. They are trained to fight wars in organised and well-defined fighting units. But in any battle/war/operation when tasked with an objective and mission these soldiers fight in a team with the support of other arms. Though each operation is a planned effort in a hierarchical order. But some soldiers in true spirit of soldiery go that extra-mile to attain the objective in intense face of enemy. Many get victory of the assigned mission but get killed-in-action thus offering supreme sacrifice in line of duty.

Left to Right: Battle of Badgam Kashmir 1947, Major Somnath Sharma MVC; India-Pak War 1971, Field Marshal Sam Maneckshaw VC; Kargil War 1999, Capt Vikram Batra PVC (Ye Dil Mange More) It is the single-minded focus of these War HEROES in face of enemy that, they do not think of their families and are motivated by attaining victory over the enemy that they push themselves to the last drop of blood. By virtue of armed forces’ training and their soldiery traits they get transformed into a different species. The element of ‘Izzat’ and honour for their motherland makes them face the odds. It’s not an ordinary state of mind, one has undergo the training and psychological indoctrination to become a battle-hardened soldier. When asked by these surviving War HEROES, how they achieved this feat and what motivates them - they all have a common answer – It is sheer dedication and devotion to duty to secure the objective and mission. Their minds are so absorbed in the moment that they become unmindful of any distraction. They do not moralise or make judgments in the moments of fighting, just go for the kill. It may sound quite different for an average person to fathom the underlying thought process of a soldier. It is their unflinching sense of duty that would have gone in their minds to act in this manner that makes them different from an average individual. It is these above traits: courage, bravery, single-minded focus to achieve the objective of the mission, love for motherland, training to fight and most importantly ‘Izzat’ to honourably sacrifice themselves for their chosen profession of soldiery that these War HEORES display and become legends in military history of India to inspire a generation of young Indians. It should be out attempt as teachers to apprise and sensitise our students to learn about these War HEROES by commemorating them in co-curricular activities on important dates of military history. I organise such an event called, ‘Kahai Mere Veer Jawano Ki, Mastano Ki’. I get surviving Jawans on the program and talk to them. This gives a first-hand insight to my students of their heroics. I suggest others heads of schools and educational institutes to take a cue from this. We the citizens of India should all respect, honour and remember the sacrifices of our soldiers – “We gave our today for your tomorrow!”