Army bids farewell to 'buddies' who 'inspired an entire generation of soldiers'
Srinagar: Senior Army officials on Sunday joined a wreath laying ceremony held in Srinagar for two jawans who laid down their lives while fighting a group of heavily armed militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s frontier district of Kupwara on Saturday.
Five militants were also killed and three Army personnel including a Major were injured in the 22-hour-long gun battle. Army on Sunday said that all the slain militants belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit.
The ceremony took place at Srinagar's picturesque Badami Bagh cantonment where the headquarters of Army’s Chinar Corps are located. Among those who paid homage and laid wreaths to salute the final journey of Naik Shinde Shankar Chandrabhan and Gunner Sahadev Maruti More was Chinar Corps Commander, Lt Gen Satish Dua. He was joined by all ranks of the Corps at the solemn ceremony. A wreath was also laid on behalf of the Northern Army Commander, Lt. Gen. DS Hooda.
Lt. Gen. Dua said exemplary acts of “brave soldiers” witnessed during Saturday’s encounter serve as an inspiration to the present and future generations of soldiers. “In their sacrifice, they have inspired an entire generation of soldiers and will continue to inspire generations of ‘soldiers to be’”, he said adding “Standing and eventually falling for and by one’s comrade, they have redefined camaraderie and the entire nation salutes them.” Lt. Gen. Dua also said that their families will forever remain the Army’s responsibility and that it will ensure they are looked after and lead a life of dignity and pride.
The encounter followed a search operation launched by the Army’s 41 Rashtriya Rifles, 16 Grenadiers and 19 Maratha Regiment along with local police’s counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) and CRPF after receiving information about presence of militants in a private house in Marsari-Zunreshi village of Chowkibal area of Kupwara on Thursday evening.
Defence spokesman Lt.Col. N.N. Joshi said the slain soldiers “lived as buddies, they served as buddies and as buddies they embraced martyrdom in the highest traditions of the organisation and nation they served and died for. And in this sacrifice, they redefined camaraderie.”
He said Naik Shinde and Gunner Sahadev were the leading scouts of the team of Army and J&K police that had launched the search operation. “As is often the case in such counter terrorist operations where the security forces take the first hit because terrorists invariably take shield of the civilians, the soldiers came under an intense volley of fire,” a statement issued by Army said. It added that being the scouts Naik Shinde and Gunner Sahadev bore the brunt “but true to their reputation for selfless bravado and grit, they, despite being grievously wounded, immediately retaliated with fire and prevented the terrorists from firing with impunity”.
It further said, “Despite being mortally wounded, they continued fighting the terrorists leading eventually to their elimination”.
The Army said that the duo seemed to have been meant for each other. Though coming from two different parent Units (of Infantry and Artillery) with almost ten years separating them in age and service, they began their tenures in the 41 Rashtriya Rifles unit together in Jun 2015 and in this short span of time, this potent mix of experience and youthful vigor had not only become inseparable buddies but had also carved a niche for themselves as ‘sharp scouts’ and had been part of numerous operations.
“Ever ready to volunteer for one challenging mission after another, the two embodied the true spirit of the ‘buddy system’ in the Army that encourages true comradeship between soldiers. They lived by this spirit and they breathed their last, lending more to that spirit”, it added.
The Army statement reads “The 34 year old Naik Shinde had joined 11 Maratha Light Infantry Battalion in September 2000. Right from his days of initial training in Army recruitment centre he was known for his determination and resilience. With an elder brother also in the Army who is now a JCO in 5 PARA battalion, soldiering came naturally to him. It was his passion for adventure and challenges that made him volunteer for RR again after an earlier stint in the same unit in 2006-07.
He had also been deployed as a UN peacekeeper in South Sudan during a very restive period in 2012 where again he had discharged his duties with aplomb. His exceptional instructional capabilities and tactical acumen had earned him the nickname 'Master' by which he was fondly called by his fellow soldiers. His humble agricultural family background always reflected in his humility and his caring and giving nature. Late Naik Shinde is survived by his wife Smt Suvarna and two young children - a 6 year old daughter, Vaishnavi, and a year and a half old son Om besides his aging parents.
“Fondly called Maurya by peers for his indomitable spirit, the young 26 years old Gunner Sahadev was the youngest of three brothers who also came from a humble family of farmers in Bijapur, Karnataka. Good at academics with a first division in tenth standard, he was also a keen and proficient sportsman having represented his district in Kabaddi and Volleyball.
His passion for adventure saw him getting enrolled in the army at Belgaum in 2011 and joined 158 Medium Regt. Endowed with leadership qualities he would naturally assume responsibility even during the rigorous endurance runs and other competitions during his recruitment training. Sharp in intellect and highly professional, he had already passed the potential NCO cadre within five years of service.
“The martyr is survived by his old parents and in fact, was about to turn a new leaf in life in a week's time when he was to proceed on leave for his marriage to a girl he had seen only last year. The progressive man that he was, he had insisted on delaying the marriage so that his prospective bride could complete her education”.
