At 23, Devinder Singh Jass had the World at his feet. Armed with an Engineering degree and three months away from his MBA, Jass had already landed a Job in one of the World's top accounting firms, Deloitte.
But fate, as they call it, had other ideas.
Ever since childhood, Jass had wanted to join the Army. Having completed his schooling from Guru Har Kishan Public School near India Gate, he enrolled for a degree in Computer Engineering at IIIT, Allahabad.
While pursuing Engineering, He applied for the Army but could not clear the test.
He then enrolled for MBA at GLA, Mathura.
He tried once again to get into the Army and a few months before getting his MBA degree, he joined the Indian Military Academy (IMA).
From there on he Volunteered for the Special Forces and after three months of Gruelling training, he was inducted into the 1 Parachute Regiment. He was posted in Kupwara.
On 23th of February 2010 , 26-year-old Captain Jass along with Naik Selva Kumar and Paratrooper Imtiyaz Ahmad Thokar died fighting terrorists in Sopore's Chinkipora area, 54 kilometres from Srinagar.
The only son of Dalbir Kaur and Bhupinder Singh, Captain Jass was supposed to be home for holi at their Mahagun Mansion in Indirapuram.
"Very few people get to do what they want in life. That way, he was lucky to have achieved what he wanted," Devender's Father.
A soft-spoken man, Captain Devender singh Jass was full of courage. He was never afraid of taking risks. He Opted to become a Para-Commando and went for training with 1 Para in Jammu and Kashmir. Kirti Chakra, the second highest peacetime gallantry award, given to Captain Davinder Singh Jass (posthumously) on 15th of August 2010.
The day when we ONE BILLION Indians will learn to thank and appriciate many other captain will come forward to sacrifice but as the situation is today , we are discouraging the youth to even join the armed forces. Why majority of us forget that we are living peacefully in India only because Devender singh jass kind of Patriots are are sacrificing their lives for us.
Having laid down his life while fighting bravely to eliminate militants in Kupwara forest belt in the Kashmir Valley, Army officer Lt Sushil Khajuria was today (September 29) cremated with full military honours in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir. The mortal remains of Lt Sushil arrived from Srinagar and were received at Jammu Airport by Deputy GOC Tiger Division, Brig Pankaj Saxena and Air Commodore, Jammu IAF Station, Nitin Sathe today.
Several officers laid wreaths on the mortal remains of the Army officer which were later taken to his native place in Gagwal village and cremated there with full military honours. Lt Sushil of 18 Grenadiers laid down his life while fighting a big group of militants in Shamsabari forests in Kupwara district.
Lt. Sushil Khajuria died while fighting against militants in Kupwara on September 27, 2011.
A total of nine persons including five militants, an army officer, a jawan and two policemen have been killed in the gunfight which entered the fourth day today. The mortal remains of CRPF Jawan Ram Singh, who was killed in the encounter with naxalites in Ranchi area, were also cremated today with full military honours at Goru Mandu in the district.
During The Attack on Akshardham temple on 24th September 2002 this Brave Man fought the greatest battle of his life. Yes he was the N.S.G. Commando Late Mr. Surjan Singh , who sacrificed his life for the Nation. Sadly On 19th May 2004 he lost the Toughest and Longest battle against life exactly after 600 Days being in Coma, he lost this life.
The Bullet which hit him in the head made him Unconscious for almost 600 days. His family members were hoping that one day their Hero will open his eyes but he didn't.
It was the Longest Wait for the family members of this Brave Man. When the whole India was busy in Guessing Who will be the Next PM of the country - Will it be Sonia or will it be Manmohan Singh, This man was fighting his Last battle. But it's so sad that in the hype of all the Political Drama, the News about his Death was Lost like a needle in a hay stack! Even the leading News Papers & So Called Best News Channels of India which Works on 24 X 7 basis, failed to highlight this story of the Brave Man. Unfortunately it was mentioned somewhere on the middle page of some newspaper.....This was the Reward for the Brave task for which he lost his life.
Besides his Family members, only one thing was there with him during those toughest 600 days. It was there near his bed till the last Moment. Can you guess what it was?............... It was the "Tiranga", yes! Our National Flag, which was saluting him for his Great cause. Absolutely No words can suffice our Gratitude towards him...
Salute !
Jai Hind
Lieutenant Singh was awarded the Ashok Chakra, the highest gallantry award in peacetime, by President Pratibha Patil , at the Republic Day parade.
Lieutenant Navdeep Singh was the bravest of the brave, a young 25-year-old who single-handedly eliminated four terrorists while trying to infiltrate the Line of Control in the Gurez sector in Kashmir. Lt Navdeep Singh paid with his life. Today, the nation honoured him with the highest peacetime bravery award, the Ashok Chakra which was received by a very proud father himself an ex-soldier of the Indian Army.
I learnt about your demise from the ticker tape on one of the news channels. It was a big encounter and a very fierce one at that. A feeling of deep sadness enveloped me as I reflected on your youth which had been sacrificed in the Gurez sector in the line of duty.
What does your death mean?
You were too young to die, far too young! For whom and for what did you die then? This question haunted me last night and I will attempt to answer you.
You were probably from a village or a small town of India. You were perhaps the son of an army officer or JCO, or from an urban or rural civilian background. You could not be from one of the big cities where iron has entered the soul of our youth and where the only driving motivator is quest for money in the surreal environment of the corporate world.
Why did you join the army? Of course to get a job. But then that is over simplifying the question. You were possibly motivated by the traditions in your family and clan, you were probably enthused by the sight of your elder brothers, uncles or other men from your community in uniform, you were perhaps enchanted by the cantonment life where you may have spent your growing years.
On your last journey, you would not have got the adulation from the government that a martyred soldier gets in the US. Your name will not be read out in any obituary reference in Parliament, as is done in the UK for all soldiers who fall in combat in the line of duty. Your name will not be etched on any national memorial because we do not have one!
Symbolically you will become the Unknown Soldier for the nation, for whom the flame burns at India Gate, but your name will not be etched there. The names engraved on that monument are of the soldiers who died fighting for the British Indian Army [ Images ] and not those who have made the supreme sacrifice for Independent India! Can it get more ironic?
But do not despair, Lieutenant. Your comrades will do you proud! The senior-most officer would have led the homage that your brother officers will pay you before you left the Valley of Kashmir one last time. Your unit representatives must have escorted your body home. You would have been carried to the funeral pyre draped in the flag for which you died fighting.
The darkened and tearful eyes of your grief-stricken mother and the stoic figure of your father, benumbed by the enormity of this tragedy, will move even the most cynical.
I do not know Lieutenant at what stage of the encounter you fell, mortally wounded. But the fact that you were there on the lonely vigil across the Line of Control [ Images ] in Gurez, is enough to vouch for your valour. Your unit and formation commanders will see to it that you get the gallantry award which you so richly deserve. In due time your father or your mother will be presented the medal and parchment of your gallantry, which will be framed and find pride of place in your home.
Time will dull the bitterness of this tragic parting, which right now is the only feeling that engulfs your parents and siblings in its enormity.
Lieutenant you were lucky. You did not live long enough to get married and leave behind a grieving widow. You did not live long enough to have children. For when they would have come of age you would have seen in them a cynicism towards the army for which you died.
You will not see a young son who thinks his father is a hero and wants to follow his footsteps in joining the army only to be harshly dissuaded by his mother (or father) from following a profession which ranks so low for the youth of our country.
You were lucky not to serve long enough to see the army getting belittled. You did not live long enough to see the utter indifference and disdain for the army. Like you, a large number of valiant soldiers laid down their lives on the rocky heights of Kargil [ Images ], fighting against self-imposed odds. Today it is not even felt fit to publicly commemorate the anniversary of that stupendous military victory in a befitting manner, a war won by the blood of young men.
But do not despair Lieutenant. Your name will be etched for posterity in the annals of your Unit and your Regiment. A silver trophy with your name inscribed on it, will grace the centre table of the Unit mess. You will also find your name in the unit Quarter Guard, where annual homage will also be paid to you. The war memorials at the Formation HQ where you served and your Regimental Centre will proudly display your name for eternity.
If you joined the Army through the NDA, your name will be written in the Hut of Remembrance through which each cadet will pass, paying homage before his Passing Out Parade.
There will be an obituary reference to you from your comrades in the papers, which will be flipped over by most but which will be read in detail by people who have a connect with those who wear or wore the uniform.
As your parents head into the evening of their life, memories of your valour will be their most precious possession. When ever your mother will think of you her eyes will mist over but there will be more stars in them than you ever wore on your shoulders.
Your father may speak quietly about you but no one will miss the swell of pride in his chest. For your siblings you will always remain the real hero, and for that matter even for your community and village. A school or a road may well be named after you and you will become a part of the local folklore.
You died Lieutenant, because when the test came, you decided that you could not let down your family, your clan and your comrades, who always expected, without ever saying so, to do your duty. You, Lieutenant, have done more than your duty and made your memory their hallowed possession.
