“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela.
“All is fair in Love and War” -William Shakespaere.
Contemporary Indian authors has generate a general proclivity towards dramatic love, true love, lost love, love thrillers and erotic love. India’s most fearless ‘True Stories of Modern Military Heroes ‘ written by Shiv Aroor, Rahul Singh emerges as a delicate intruder in this imperative ‘love series’, thus invoking an evocative perception to the Shakespaeran adage.
Both the authors have proved their credentials as being prominent editors in newspaper industry, tried to make a striving effort in deciphering the bravery and martyrdom served by a few countrymen towards their motherland. One must pay gratitude to their self-less service towards the nation and her inhabitants.
The 1st instance of the book speaks of Sept 2016 surgical attack in PoK under the patronage of Maj. Tango. The article reminds me of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s escape from the Moghals. To meet the essence of the story one has to visualize the under-cover operation as led by the 35 age brave Major whose one and only childhood ambition was to serve his motherland whole-heartedly. The sensation of the incident can be perceived through the speeches of ministers and manoeuvre of the bold Major who gets the penultimate solace from subjunctive stress with a peg of Black Level as offered by his superior to his team after the operation. Maj. Tango was awarded with Kirti Chakra for his gallantry by the President of India on 20th March 2017.
The 2nd article speaks of Lt Colonel Oscar Delta’s surgical attack on some Burmese militants overcoming the interim hardships as faced by Lt Col Delta and his team in and around the Indian border. How a person can keep his mind cool surpassing all the emotional dilemma and can succeed in his operation ?
A soldier has to fulfill his entrusted duty towards his nation overcoming all the adjoining tensions. Lt Co, Delta’s mother was suffering from colonial cancer, and he could have easily applied for leave. But he chooses to stay and serve for his nation. The article speaks of the tenacity , perseverance, patience required for smooth execution of an under-cover operation by the soldiers. How does Lt Col Delta and his men remains starved for several hours before being served with wild lizard? Col. Delta’s indignant posture while receiving Kirti Chakra, and his empathy towards Burmese natives, the article displays.
5th article is “Two bullets can’t kill a Commando “speaks of Capt Dangi’s Buchhoo operation in the midst of Kashmir valley. This article sights the sweet encounter between Capt Dangi and his fiancée Ritu at one instance whereas on the other hand it also speaks of his tough encounter with terrorist Adil Ahmed Mir. Capt. Dangi was heavily injured with two bullets hitting lower portion of his body. But he did not leave his post and responsibility . The mission was successfully accomplished and the adroit captain was awarded with Kirti Chakra for his gallant performance.
8th and the most tragic one speaks of Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Kopad whose body was rescued after 144 hours of landslide in Siachen glacier. Some call it miracle, some call it luck and some call it inevitable answer of prayer. His body was taken to the hospital for survival in chopper. Many hours of tedious attempt by the doctors and Koppad’s own battle with his destiny came to an end when his two lungs were affected by pneumonia. His daughter was asked about her ambition in future, to which her mother replied “She can do what she likes, but I hope she will grow up to be an Army officer and be posted in Siachen.”
Indian navy has received valor and gallantry for it’s involuntary performance towards his countrymen. 11th article says about Cdr. Mokashi’s desperate attempt to save the life of 350 odd personnel from Yemen is noteworthy in the history of naval propaganda. After 9/11 attack, certain unwanted tension was prevailing in middle-east, which tantamount to civil war and as a consequence of which Indian natives in Yemen felt uneasy and insecure. This story speaks of Cdr. Mokashi’s manoeuvre of rescuing those Indian natives from the vulnerable atmosphere and then assist them in reaching their desired destination.
The last article speaks of bravery as showed by Indian aircrafts, with “Could taste the blood on my face” giving the final touch. The site of the article is Pokhran. Cdr Chauhan’s bravery and fearless expedition in Thar will have a shivering impact on the nerve of the readers. Among the three types of expedition, aircraft and squadron leader has always attained the top priority. Thus, the gallant movement showed by the squadron leader will definitely win any adventurous heart.
Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh’s India’s Most Fearless tries to decipher every bit of uncanniness as faced by soldiers at various instances. One can visualize the nitty-gritty of hardships and challenges as experienced by army, marine and airforce. One must read this book to cherish it’s vulnerability.
It sounds quite strange how defense personnel dedicate their heart towards nation. Ordinary citizen gets paranoid due to many trivial issues of life. But defense personnel remains unattached from all the nitty-gritty of life.
Give this book a try And I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
Book Details:-
| Author: | Shiv Aroor & Rahul Singh | ||
| Publisher: | Penguin Random House India | Publishing Year: | 2017 |
| ISBN-13: | 9780143440444 | ISBN-10: | 0143440446 |
| Cover: | Paperback | No. Of Pages: | 256 |
| MRP: | Rs 250 | Buy From: | Flipkart.com Amazon.in  |
My Verdict
My Ratings
4
A journey through the pages of this book will definitely leave a deep heart-touching impact on the readers.
