A day after the OTT platform Zee5 removed Diljit Dosanjh’s film ‘Satluj’ from its platform in India, the full movie is allegedly being circulated in several WhatsApp groups, according to reports from online users.

Government sources on Monday said that certain portions of the film had the potential to be misused by anti-India forces.

A high-quality digital copy of the film, around 589 MB in size with a runtime of 2 hours, 43 minutes and 59 seconds, is reportedly being shared over WhatsApp groups. However, the authorities have not issued any official statement on the alleged circulation of the movie.

Experts have warned that sharing or downloading banned or pirated content may violate laws and could invite legal action. Cyber safety officials also advised people not to engage with such content and to report suspicious sharing activity on messaging platforms.

On Sunday, Zee5 on Instagram wrote, “The response to Satluj since its release has been truly overwhelming. We are deeply grateful to every viewer who chose to subscribe, watch and champion the film. Your love and support have meant a great deal to us and to everyone who brought this story to life. At Zee5, we stand firmly by Satluj and the creative vision behind it. We believe powerful storytelling has the ability to inspire, endure and leave a lasting impact. We remain committed to championing authentic and meaningful narratives.”

The post further read, “In light of the current developments, Satluj will be unavailable in India until further notice. We remain committed to exploring every appropriate avenue through due process to bring the film back to our audiences at the earliest opportunity. Our commitment to creators and to stories told with conviction, artistic integrity and purpose remains unwavering.”

Despite the removal of Diljit Dosanjh’s film Satluj from streaming platform ZEE5 in India, the film continues to generate widespread attention. A viral video circulating on social media shows residents of a Rajasthan village gathering in large numbers to watch the film together on a giant outdoor screen, turning the screening into an event.

The clip, which has garnered thousands of views and shares, captures men, women and children assembled in an open area as “Satluj” plays on a large LED screen.

While the exact location of the village could not be independently verified, the video has sparked widespread discussion online, with many users describing it as a show of solidarity with Punjabi cinema.

The community screening comes just days after Satluj was quietly released on ZEE5 on Friday before becoming unavailable in India less than 48 hours later. In a statement, ZEE5 said the film would remain unavailable in the country “until further notice” due to “current developments”, without elaborating further.

Reacting to the development during an Instagram Live session from the United States, where he is currently touring, Diljit Dosanjh said he had anticipated the film’s removal from the platform.

“I had a feeling on Friday that something like this would happen. I thought it would happen on Monday when offices opened, but I didn’t expect it to happen on Sunday evening,” he said.

The actor added that the film was released without any promotional campaign because the team expected it could face restrictions. “I am satisfied that people have seen the film. It has reached them,” he said, adding that he had also seen videos of community screenings, including one reportedly held at a gurdwara in Rajasthan.

However, ZEE5 has not encouraged viewers to access the film through unauthorised means. The platform has stated that it is committed to pursuing the appropriate legal process to make the film available again in India.

Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed the alleged illegal cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab between 1984 and 1994. Khalra was abducted in 1995 and never returned.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Daa_wl8hcvz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again

In 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted in his abduction and murder case, with their sentences later enhanced to life imprisonment by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Originally titled Punjab ’95, the film remained in limbo for more than three years after the filmmakers declined to accept 127 cuts reportedly suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification. Although the title was later changed to Satluj, its release has continued to face hurdles.

On 5th December 1971, in the Chhamb Sector, Point 303 was once again, for the third time, in the hands of Pak. The previous two times A Squadron Deccan Horse led by Major (Brigadier) Iesh Rikhye had counter attacked and recovered the company position. The company commander was Major Devinder Singh ‘Dove’ Pannu of 5 Sikh, a friend and coursemate of Iesh, both of 19th NDA Course. Dove had been killed that morning and so had his dog (Dove was awarded the VrC). In the afternoon of 5 December, Captain Surendra ‘Batsy’ Batra with two troops of A Squadron, Deccan Horse countereattacked at Point 303 and recovered the comapany position. That evening orders were received from HQ 191 Infantry Brigade to withdraw East of the Mannawar Tawi. The order was received with astonishment and anger as this comapany had been recovered three times! A Squadron had one officer killed, one wounded; one JCO killed and several OR including Amar Singh, the reigning pole vault champion of the Regiment; Nanna the washerman, the fearsome left back of the squadron in hockey who followed the simple dictum ‘gitta nan rawwe te banda nan jawe’ had also been killed. The squadron withdrew at night. Lt Col Batsy Batra (SS, 1966) has written a book of Hindi poetry that will soon be released and available on Amazon; I have attached the cover. M

Captain Shiva Chouhan made military history on January 2, 2023, by becoming the first woman officer of the Indian Army to be operationally deployed at the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest and coldest battlefield. She belongs to the Indian Army’s elite Fire and Fury Corps (Corps of Engineers / Bengal Sappers) and was stationed at the forward Kumar Post, situated at a grueling altitude of 15,632 feet.

Hailing from Udaipur, Rajasthan, she lost her father at the young age of 11. Her mother took sole responsibility for her upbringing and education.

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the NJR Institute of Technology in Udaipur in May 2021.

Driven by a childhood dream to join the armed forces, she secured the All India Rank 1 in the SSC-Tech 25 entry. She trained at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai and was commissioned into the Engineer Regiment.

In July 2022, she displayed immense physical grit by leading the 508-km Sura Soi Cycling Expedition from the Siachen War Memorial to the Kargil War Memorial to commemorate Kargil Vijay Diwas.
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30 JUNE 1963- A RED LETTER DAY IN THE ANNALS OF THE INDIAN ARMY,Batch comprising 234 Engineer Officers was commissioned on 30 June 1963.

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The cruellest, taxing month

Batch comprising 234 Engineer Officers was commissioned on 30 June 1963.
At 11 AM on 01 July, 2026, before our 63rd Commissioning Anniversary Luncheon

BY

Veteran IC-15090 Col SS Rajan,The Bombay Sappers,Bangalore, 9449043770

1. Post Chinese aggression in Oct-Nov 1962, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India, gave a ‘clarion call’ asking the youth to join the Army; and in response to which thousands & thousands of young men between the ages 20-35 years joined the Army as Emergency Commissioned (EC) Officers.
2. In order to facilitate speedy induction of EC Officers, two more training establishments, viz. Officers Training School (OTS) at Chennai and OTS at Pune came up; and the training of EC-1 Course at the two OTS’ commenced on 07 Jan 1963.
3. In order to induct Officers speedily into Units of various Arms & Services the training period of Regular Courses at IMA, Dehradun, was cut short; and all Gentleman Cadets (GCs) were allotted various Arms & Services by mid-March 1963. And, same was the case with GCs at OTS Chennai & Pune.
4. In order to accommodate the heavy influx of EC Courses, starting with EC-2 at IMA, EC-3 at OTS Chennai and EC-4 at OTS Pune, in the month of April 1963, only those Gentleman Cadets who were allotted Armoured Corps and Infantry, were retained at IMA, OTS Chennai & OTS Pune; and the rest allotted various Arms & Services were despatched to their respective Colleges/Schools of Instruction in the first week of April 1963, for further pre-commission training, as enumerated below:
5. School of Artillery, Deolali, Maharashtra.
6. College of Military Engineering (CME), Pune, Maharashtra.
7. Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, Mhow, MP.
8. School of Electronics & Mechanical Engineering (EME), Baroda, Gujarat.
9. ASC School, Bareill, UP.
10. AOC School, Jabalpur, MP.
11. AEC School, Pachmarhi, MP.
12. 30 June 1963 was a “Red Letter Day” in the Annals of the Indian Army; for on that day, approximately 1500 Officers comprising ten courses as listed below, passed out from IMA, OTS Chennai & OTS Pune; and various Colleges/Schools of Instruction, as enumerated in Para 4 above:
13. 18 Technical Graduates Course;
14. 32 Direct Entry (DE) Course;
15. 23 NDA Course;
16. 17 NCC Course;
17. 2 Officers Training Unit (OTU) Course;
18. 33 DE Course;
19. 18 NCC Course;
20. 34 DE Course;

(j)       EC-1 Course; and,

(k)      EC-1 Technical Graduates Course.

6.       We, the Sappers of June 1963 Batch, did the Combat Engineering leg of the YO’s Course as pre-commission training as GCs; and, 234 Officers were commissioned in the Corps of Engineers at mid-night 29/30 June in the Hall housing the Library of the Combat Engineering Wing at CME, Pune. It was a momentous occasion.

7.       Having been commissioned in CME, Dhapodi, Pune, the Sappers June 1963 Batch celebrated the Golden Jubilee of our Commissioning Anniversary at CME, Pune, on 29-30 June 2013; and, the Diamond Jubilee of our Commissioning Anniversary at CME, Pune, on 29-30 June 2023; and, we now look forward to celebrating our 65^th Commissioning Anniversary at CME, Pune, on 29-30 June 2028.

 Au revoir till then.

COL SS RAJAN ,BOMBAY SAPPERS Veteran at the age of 82 years wearing a Uniform on Ceremonial functions.

PAYING HOMAGE TO BRAVE IC-15055 MAJOR SURINDER VATSA, VrC, WHO LAID DOWN HIS LIFE IN THE LINE OF DUTY ON 13 DECEMBER 1971

Major Surinder Vatsa VrC

The citation of Vir Chakra awarded to him reads:

On 13 December 1971, Major Surinder Vatsa of an engineer regiment accompanied a column of Maratha Light Infantry assigned the task of raiding an enemy locality on the Kamalpur-Bskashiganj axis in the Eastern Sector. The raid was successful and four enemy 130mm mortars were captured. Apprehending enemy reinforcements, Major Vatsa was ordered to destroy the mortars before the raiding column returned to base. He destroyed two mortars with explosives but while preparing the charge for the third mortar he was shot by an enemy sniper. Though seriously wounded, realizing the importance of the task he held on and managed to damage the remaining mortars by exploding grenades in their barrels before he died. In this action, Major Vatsa displayed gallantry, determination and devotion to duty of a high order.

• Major Surinder Vatsa hailed from Ferozepur district in Punjab and was born on 01 Jan 1942. Son of Shri S L Vatsa, he got commissioned into 59 Engr Regt of the Bengal Engineers Group (BEG) of the Corps of Engineers, one of the oldest arms of the Army manned by combat engineers. By the year 1971, he had been promoted to the rank of Major and developed into a committed soldier and fine officer who commanded respect of his juniors and seniors as well. 

Battle of Jamalpur (Indo-Pak War)-  Dec 1971

During Indo- Pak 1971 war Maj Surinder Vatsa’s unit 59 Engr Regt was deployed on the eastern border. The unit was providing engineering support to infantry units functioning under the operational control of 95 Mountain Brigade. As part of operational plan, 95 Mountain Brigade was tasked to advance along axis Kamalpur – Bakshiganj – Jamalpur – Tangail –
Dacca. IB was crossed on 03 December 1971 and after a brief artillery action at Bakshiganj, Pak garrison withdrew to Jamalpur. The Brigade forces resumed advance on 06 December, Brahmaputra River was crossed 8 kms West of Jamalpur and road blocks established South & South – East of Jamalpur on 7/8 December 1971.  By 10 December 1971, 95 Mountain Brigade concentrated around Jamalpur with 1 MLI in the South, 13 Guards in the South East and across the river was the Brigade HQ along with 59 Engr Regt & a battery of 120mm Mortars. It was planned to launch an attack on Jamalpur on the night of 10/11 December from the South using 1 MLI to get a foothold in the built up area & then 13 Guards to attack from South – East. 

As part of the ongoing operations, on 13 Dec 1971 Maj Vatsa commanding a Company of 59 Engr Regt was accompanying a column of a battalion of 1 MLI. They were assigned the task of raiding on enemy locality on the Kamalpur- Bakshiganj axis. Having set up an ambush, the enemy force walked in and started deploying its mortars and when trapped, opened heavy retaliatory fire. Rising to the occasion, Maj Vatsa improvised a charge using anti-tank mine and charged at the enemy guns along with a section of his men. Maj Vatsa and his comrades were successful in destroying two enemy mortars. Maj Vatsa then targeted the third enemy gun and while doing so came under enemy fire. He got seriously wounded but undeterred he held on and managed to damage the remaining mortars by exploding grenades in their barrels. Eventually he succumbed to his serous injuries and was martyred. Maj Surinder Vatsa was a valiant soldier and gritty officer who led from the front and laid down his life in the line of his duty. 

Maj Surinder Vatsa was given the nation’s third highest gallantry award, “Vir Chakra” for his outstanding courage, unyielding fighting spirit and supreme sacrifice during the operation. Major Surinder Vatsa is survived by his wife Smt Prabha Vatsa.

Respected Veterans Sanjha Morcha,

Our Batch comprising 234 Engineer Officers was commissioned on 30 June 1963. At 11 AM on 01 July, 2026, before our 63rd Commissioning Anniversary Luncheon Get-together at RSI Bangalore, Brig Yogender Parimu laid a Wreath at the National Military Memorial, Bangalore, in memory and as a mark of respect to our Batchmate, IC-15055 Major Surinder Vatsa, VrC, Bengal Sappers ,ex 59 Engr Regt who laid down his life in the line of duty during the 1971 War, in the Eastern Theatre on 13 Dec 1971.

Below are a few photographs taken on the occasion of Wreath Laying.

70 feet tall monolithic granite Veeragallu (stupa) symbolising the Aatma of 22,000 Soldiers who laid down their lives in the Line of Duty in Wars, CI Ops & Low intensity Conflicts (LIC) along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, starting from 27 Oct 1947.   

Wreath laid in memory and as a mark of respect to our Batchmate, Brave IC-15055 Major Surinder Vatsa, VrC, A Bengal Sapper, who laid down his life in the line of duty during the 1971 War, in the Eastern Theatre on 13 Dec 1971.  

IC-15005 Brig Y Parimu of the Spr June 1963 Batch laying a Wreath at the National Military Memorial, Bengaluru, in memory & as a mark of respect to our Batchmate, Brave IC-15055 Major Surinder Vatsa, VrC, A Bengal Sapper, who laid down his life in the line of duty during the 1971 War, in the Eastern Theatre on 13 Dec 1971.

CHENNAI: The 16-km Velachery–Tambaram High Road is set to be renamed after Major Mukund Varadharajan, the Indian Army officer who was killed in action and posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, the country’s highest peacetime gallantry honour.The Tambaram Corporation Council on Thursday approved a resolution to name the arterial road “Major Mukund Varadharajan Road” in recognition of his sacrifice. The proposal was taken up following the approval from the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department.

The Army Uniforms 2026 regulations are not just about uniforms, badges and distinctions, but about memory, identity and the stories soldiers carry

The Indian Army’s recently released Uniforms 2026 regulations have generated considerable discussion, largely because they are being viewed as another step in shedding the colonial inheritance that has accompanied the Army since Independence. That interpretation is not entirely misplaced. Yet it is also incomplete.

Uniforms have never merely been about the cloth, badges, ceremonial distinctions or the arrangement of accoutrements. They are repositories of institutional memory, carrying within them the accumulated experiences of generations of soldiers, the victories and defeats of campaigns long forgotten by the public, and the values an army seeks to transmit from one generation to the next. Seen in that context, the new regulations deserve to be viewed not as an exercise in tailoring, but as part of a larger conversation about identity, history and the future direction of one of India’s most respected institutions.

The temptation, of course, is to interpret every such change through the prism of decolonisation. There is a certain political attractiveness in doing so, for it allows complex historical processes to be reduced to a simple narrative of casting off the vestiges of foreign rule. The reality is considerably more nuanced.

By the time the British Indian Army emerged as one of the most effective military institutions in Asia, it had itself undergone a profound transformation at Indian hands.

The Sikh Wars of the 1840s demonstrated to the British that military effectiveness in the subcontinent could not be achieved through rigid adherence to European practice alone. The armies of Maharaja Ranjit Singh represented a formidable fusion of indigenous martial traditions and modern military organisation. Many of the adaptations that followed in dress, fieldcraft and military culture owed as much to lessons learned in India as they did to ideas imported from Britain. Even khaki, now universally associated with soldiering, emerged from the dust and heat of the subcontinent rather than from the parade grounds of Europe.

A Madras Regiment soldier. Photo by the writer

The story of military uniforms in India has, therefore, never been one of simple inheritance. It has been a continuous process of adaptation, borrowing and evolution. Independent India inherited this complex legacy in 1947. At the time, the preservation of military cohesion mattered far more than symbolic change. The nation faced Partition, war in Jammu and Kashmir and enormous uncertainty. The Army retained its regimental system, traditions and much of its institutional structure because continuity was essential. It proved to be a wise decision. The institution that emerged from those turbulent years would go on to fight every major conflict in Independent India’s history, earning new honours and creating traditions entirely its own.

Today, however, India is no longer a newly Independent nation searching for its footing. The defining battles of the modern Indian soldier were fought not under imperial colours, but under the Tricolour. From the mountains of Kashmir to the icy heights of Siachen, from the deserts of Rajasthan to the ridgelines of Kargil, successive generations have built a military legacy that belongs exclusively to Independent India. It is, therefore, natural that the Army should periodically reassess how it presents itself.

Yet there is another aspect of this discussion that deserves equal attention.

Over the years, not only within the military but also across several paramilitary organisations, uniforms have gradually acquired a tendency towards excess. Decorative cords, flashes, badges, aiguillettes and assorted accoutrements have multiplied. The intention is invariably honourable. Every insignia tells a story. Every distinction seeks to recognise achievement, heritage or service. But there comes a point where ornamentation begins to distract from the very qualities it is intended to celebrate.

The finest military uniforms possess an elegance rooted in restraint. Their purpose is not to draw attention to themselves but to the soldiers wearing them. When too many embellishments compete for attention, uniforms risk becoming caricatures rather than symbols of professional confidence. An army secure in its identity does not require excessive adornment to command respect. It earns that respect through discipline, competence and performance.

The same principle applies to military ceremony. A Passing Out Parade remains among the most moving occasions in a soldier’s life. It marks the transition from cadet to commissioned officer and draws its power from solemnity rather than spectacle. The measured cadence of marching boots, the bark of commands, the anticipation visible on the faces of the cadets and the pride of their families require little embellishment.

British Colours stored at IMA. Photo by the writer

Increasingly, however, one encounters attempts to make such ceremonies more theatrical, with elaborate running commentaries intended to explain every movement on the parade ground. The intention is undoubtedly to make proceedings more accessible to guests, but there is a danger that constant explanation diminishes rather than enhances the dignity of the occasion. Military ceremonies derive their authority from understatement.

I was reminded of this while filming Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw as Reviewing Officer at the Indian Military Academy’s Passing Out Parade in 2002. The ceremony itself possessed a solemnity that required no embellishment. When Manekshaw finally addressed the young officers, he did so with characteristic economy. “If you fail, don’t come back. No one will look at you. Even your gharwali will not look at you.” Beneath the humour lay a timeless military truth. Soldiers are ultimately judged not by the complexity of their uniforms, the number of badges they wear or the splendour of ceremonial display, but by professional competence, leadership and performance in the field. If there is one note of caution that should accompany the current enthusiasm for reform, it is the danger of assuming that everything inherited from the past is somehow tainted by its origins. Institutions such as the Indian Army endure not because they periodically reinvent themselves, but because they possess the wisdom to distinguish between traditions that merely reflect historical circumstance and those that continue to serve an enduring purpose.

The architects of the old British Indian Army, whatever their political motivations, possessed a deep understanding of Indian society and of what motivates men in combat. Military theorists may speak of national objectives, strategic interests and political aims, but soldiers rarely fight for abstractions. They fight for the men beside them. They fight because loyalty to comrades, platoons, companies and regiments creates bonds stronger than fear itself. The regimental system evolved because generations of military leaders understood this simple truth.

Perhaps this is where discussions of military reform occasionally lose sight of what gives military institutions their strength. Uniforms, badges and distinctions matter not because of their appearance but because of the stories attached to them. Every regiment possesses its own folklore, battle cries, customs and symbols. These are the threads that bind generations together. An officer commissioned today inherits not merely a uniform but a narrative stretching back through decades, and sometimes centuries, of service.

The Rajput Regiment’s red and blue hackle provides a good example. To generations of Rajputs, the sight of that distinctive plume evokes an immediate emotional response. Its origins, however, lie not in some committee room but in the field. Battalions of the old 7 Rajput Group operating through the rhododendron forests of the Naga Patkai are said to have plucked the bright flowers and placed them in their blue pagris. Over time, a battlefield habit evolved into a regimental distinction.

Similar stories accompany the hackles of the Grenadiers, the Kumaon Regiment, the Brigade of the Guards and the Naga Regiment, to name just a few. To the uninitiated, they are merely adornments. To those who wear them, they are repositories of memory.

This is why the debate over military symbols is rarely as straightforward as it appears. Soldiers do not become attached to traditions because of who first designed them. They become attached because those traditions become intertwined with regimental memory. Generations of officers and soldiers have lived and died beneath these symbols. Many who first wore them have long since passed away. Others remain, carrying memories of campaigns fought under circumstances very different from those faced by the Army today. Their emotional response to change deserves neither dismissal nor ridicule. Institutions that endure understand that symbols are powerful precisely because they connect the living with those who came before.

The same applies to Battle Honours. Every regiment carries its history upon its Colours and insignia. Behind every honour lies sacrifice. Real blood was shed to earn those distinctions. Some were won under the Union Jack, many under the Tricolour, but all were purchased at a cost measured in human lives. The young soldier who fell at Flanders, Gallipoli or El Alamein had no more control over the politics of his age than the soldier who fell in Kashmir, 1965, 1971 or Kargil. To erase one from institutional memory while celebrating the other would be to misunderstand the very nature of military history. Regiments do not remember governments. They remember sacrifice.

The Army Uniforms 2026 regulations therefore raise questions that go well beyond tailoring. The issue is not whether a badge, a lanyard or a ceremonial distinction originated during the colonial era. The more important question is whether it continues to contribute to the identity, cohesion and effectiveness of the institution that inherited it. Where the answer is no, change becomes both necessary and desirable. Where the answer is yes, caution is warranted, for traditions once discarded are seldom recovered.

The Indian Army’s greatest strength has always been its ability to evolve without severing its connection to the past. That balance remains as important today as it was in 1947. For, an army is not defined by the cloth it wears, but by the stories, sacrifices and memories that the cloth represents. An army that forgets its history risks losing its soul. An army that refuses to evolve risks becoming a museum. The art lies in avoiding both extremes, preserving what gives meaning while discarding what no longer serves a purpose.

One hopes the latest changes continue that tradition, for it is that delicate balance, rather than any particular uniform, that has sustained the Indian Army through generations of war and peace.

— The writer is a military historian

Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service

With the four-year term of the first batch of Agniveers scheduled to conclude by the end of this year, the Punjab Government has drafted a policy for the post-tenure rehabilitation of soldiers belonging to the state, earmarking reservations in select government departments.

Sources in the government said the policy envisioned 20 per cent reservation in posts of guards in the Department of Mines and 10 per cent for constables in the Punjab Police, Home Guards and forest guards in the Department of Forests and Wildlife.

While Punjab is still in the process of finalising its rehabilitation policy for Agniveers, several other states have already announced such measures. Haryana has fixed 20 per cent horizontal reservation in direct recruitment for uniformed state organisations, including the police, forest guards, mining guards and jail warders.

Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh have also announced similar 20 per cent quotas. Various Central Government ministries have created quotas for Agniveers in the Central Armed Police Forces and other establishments, besides introducing skill development programmes and qualification certification.

Under the Agnipath scheme, implemented in 2022, Agniveers are recruited for a four-year period, including basic training. Out of these, 25 per cent are absorbed into the permanent cadre, while the rest are released from service. The Indian Air Force initiated training of the first batch on December 30, 2022, followed by the Indian Army and Navy in January 2023.

Punjab is the second-largest contributor of manpower to the armed forces after Uttar Pradesh and recruitment from the state often exceeds its prescribed quota. Vacancies allotted to other states that remain unutilised are frequently filled by candidates from Punjab.

Speaking at the Defence Skills Conclave organised by the Punjab Government in Chandigarh recently, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said Punjab, with its strong military tradition, could take the lead in tapping the skills of Agniveers by offering them institutional pathways to transition into the defence manufacturing ecosystem as supervisors, equipment maintainers or entrepreneurs.

He remained deeply committed to the welfare and dignity of India’s war-disabled soldiers

No one prepares you for the grand finale, the last goodbye. Watching a loved one fade is devastating, to say the least. While I did my best to prepare myself for this, when the time came, I was completely unprepared. There’s unbearable grief, a void.

He was no ordinary man, my father; he was our warrior hero. A soldier who set infinite bars in soldiering, leadership, strategy, and acumen — displaying grit and everyday resilience in navigating personal adversity.

My father lost his right leg on the battlefield in 1965. He was only 24. What could have broken the spirit of any young man, Dad took it as a challenge. What a challenge it was!

He stuck it out for 40 years as an Infantryman and retired as the Vice Chief. It wasn’t easy but with his sense of humour, perseverance and an uncommon zest for life, he did it. And brilliantly at that.

He was a General who held no place in his life for political or religious bigotry, or jingoism. He called a spade a spade, unbothered by the consequences. For him, what mattered above all was that one had to be a good person — in head and heart.

He did nothing for personal gain, and refused to surrender his values.

He was the founder-president of the War Wounded Foundation and the founder-director of the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS). He remained deeply committed to the welfare and dignity of India’s war-disabled soldiers, working tirelessly, day after day, including fighting for their rights in courts, reminding the nation to not falter in giving them their due and the dignity and respect they deserved.

His legacy lives on through the people with whom he crossed paths. People who knew him speak of his military and strategic depth, his integrity and unwavering commitment to truth and loyalty to the Constitution, and the armed forces.

Now, when cynicism and selfishness are fashionable, he leaves behind an enduring legacy of sacrifice, courage, compassion, and love for the country and his family.

At times, life just sets things in motion — my moving back home to Panchkula in time instead of accompanying my husband on his last posting just when my parents’ health started to decline. My father’s cancer returned with a vengeance and each day I saw him fight it with all that he had… smiling fiercely and defiantly. But, in the end, he was tired and in pain and told me that it was time for him to go.

He slipped away gently like a brave soldier, with his loved ones surrounding him after a hard-fought battle. And yet, I was not ready. How can one be for the hardest goodbye?

Here’s a final salute to an exceptional husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, foe, relative and a legendary soldier! Some warriors live forevermore.