The Timid Warrior
Why does a soldier opt to die for his country instead of saving his own skin? Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD, remembers some ordinary people, with an extraordinary sense of honour. Welcome to a world where country, comradeship and raw courage are not just empty words. Welcome to the Indian army.
Mani was recruited into the Army in 1999. During training, he repeatedly failed the mandatory test of diving into water from a 10-meter-high board. He would climb up to the board with confidence, but could never pick up enough courage to take the plunge.
Coaxing and cajoling were of no use. His batchmates considered Mani a timid, gutless and cowardly person. Trainers felt he lacked soldierly qualities and should be discharged from the Army. Mani was called in and given a final warning. He was distraught. He dreaded the thought of having to bear the disgrace of expulsion from the Army. He asked for one more chance.
On the appointed day and time, Mani climbed up the steps to the diving board hastily. Even before the testing officer could issue instructions, he closed his eyes, lunged forward and came down, flailing his arms. Everyone was happy for him, but the testing officer wanted him to repeat the jump so that his fear would disappear. Mani made two more jumps and was declared successful.
After his training, he was posted to a unit engaged in anti-terrorist operations in the Poonch Sector of Jammu region.
A few months later, Mani was on night sentry duty with another soldier when four heavily armed terrorists attacked his unit camp. Mani's colleague got killed in the first hail of grenades thrown by the terrorists.
Keeping his cool, Mani fought with the terrorists and shot dead one of them. Firing indiscriminately, the terrorists ran towards the sleeping troops. With total disregard to his personal safety, Mani charged after them and killed one more intruder. Surprised by the resistance put up, the other two terrorists decided to abandon the mission and withdrew into the nearby forest.
Mani's extra-ordinary fearlessness and bravery ensured that the unit escaped carnage. No one had expected Mani to display such nerve and audacity. "They would have killed so many sleeping soldiers of my unit. How could I let them in? I cannot let my unit down," says Mani.
A timid recruit who was scared of jumping from the diving board had transformed into a fearless warrior capable of killing terrorists in a close encounter.
Image: Indian soldiers assemble near the body of a militant killed in a gunfight in Srinagar, India, Thursday, October 5, 2006. Picture Copyright Associated Press. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
Also read: The Danger | The Murder Before Kargil | Pay Tribute
Why does a soldier opt to die for his country instead of saving his own skin? Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD, remembers some ordinary people, with an extraordinary sense of honour. Welcome to a world where country, comradeship and raw courage are not just empty words. Welcome to the Indian army.
Mani was recruited into the Army in 1999. During training, he repeatedly failed the mandatory test of diving into water from a 10-meter-high board. He would climb up to the board with confidence, but could never pick up enough courage to take the plunge.
Coaxing and cajoling were of no use. His batchmates considered Mani a timid, gutless and cowardly person. Trainers felt he lacked soldierly qualities and should be discharged from the Army. Mani was called in and given a final warning. He was distraught. He dreaded the thought of having to bear the disgrace of expulsion from the Army. He asked for one more chance.
On the appointed day and time, Mani climbed up the steps to the diving board hastily. Even before the testing officer could issue instructions, he closed his eyes, lunged forward and came down, flailing his arms. Everyone was happy for him, but the testing officer wanted him to repeat the jump so that his fear would disappear. Mani made two more jumps and was declared successful.
After his training, he was posted to a unit engaged in anti-terrorist operations in the Poonch Sector of Jammu region.
A few months later, Mani was on night sentry duty with another soldier when four heavily armed terrorists attacked his unit camp. Mani's colleague got killed in the first hail of grenades thrown by the terrorists.
Keeping his cool, Mani fought with the terrorists and shot dead one of them. Firing indiscriminately, the terrorists ran towards the sleeping troops. With total disregard to his personal safety, Mani charged after them and killed one more intruder. Surprised by the resistance put up, the other two terrorists decided to abandon the mission and withdrew into the nearby forest.
Mani's extra-ordinary fearlessness and bravery ensured that the unit escaped carnage. No one had expected Mani to display such nerve and audacity. "They would have killed so many sleeping soldiers of my unit. How could I let them in? I cannot let my unit down," says Mani.
A timid recruit who was scared of jumping from the diving board had transformed into a fearless warrior capable of killing terrorists in a close encounter.
Image: Indian soldiers assemble near the body of a militant killed in a gunfight in Srinagar, India, Thursday, October 5, 2006. Picture Copyright Associated Press. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
Also read: The Danger | The Murder Before Kargil | Pay Tribute
blog comments powered by Disqus