About Selfless Courage that Translates to a Beacon Light for Many

ALL FOR VALOR

27th March 2007 will remain indelibly etched in the memory of Colonel Kaushal Kashyap. On this date (27th March), exactly 15 years ago he was a strapping young Captain in the Indian Army.

As per a Gazette of India Notification, Captain Kaushal Kashyap of 21 Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) was instrumental in establishing an effective clandestine intelligence network in a very short span of time. He used language, behaviour and cultural skills to successfully merge with the populace inorder to obtain credible intelligence on terror movements in an extremely inhospitable area. On 27th March 2007 Captain Kashyap through his relentless intelligence gathering came upon a valuable input. This input was about a meeting of senior terrorists (specifically the leadership) that was to be held deep inside a forest. The objective of the meeting was to plan and finalise sabotage activities. Captain Kashyap quickly made a plan to negate the nefarious designs of the terrorists. After two days of moving through unfamiliar rugged terrain with stealth he along with his comrades/troops established surveillance over the area. Early morning the next day they observed three terrorists approaching. After seeing them the terrorists fired indiscriminately. Captain Kashyap and his troop retaliated and in the ensuing firefight killed two terrorists from a very close quarter. These terrorists were incidentally also instrumental in masterminding killings of Bihari labourers in Assam in January 2007.

Captain Kashyap displayed selfless dedication to duty and tenacity in intelligence collection, exemplary leadership, conspicuous bravery and presence of mind in an intense close quarter battle that killed two top terrorists. And it was this feat that fetched him the very prestigious Shaurya Chakra.

Colonel Kaushal Kashyap is the youngest of three brothers. His father Dr Pradeep Kumar Sarma served in Arunachal Pradesh as a District Officer in Veterinary Department and his mother Jyotsna Sarma was a teacher in various government schools in the state. "Since his father had a transferrable job the family grew up in different towns in the state. Kaushal was born in Miao in Arunachal Pradesh. He and his elder brother Kapil Kashyap, who is also serving in the Indian Army in the Assam Regiment, did their primary schooling from KV Tezu and then were sent to Hilton's School in Dehradun. They also studied at St Peters School and Assam Rifles Public School in Shillong and completed Higher Secondary from Manava Bharati India International School in Delhi. Kaushal then joined the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasala and the Army and Special Forces thereafter," says Irina Kashyap, Colonel Kaushal Kashyap's wife.

Talking about the most memorable experiences that she and Colonel Kashyap shared while serving in the forces, the lady says, "The entire journey in the Army has been extremely nice and memorable. However, the best and most memorable memory for me remains (and shall remain) the time when Kaushal's Shaurya Chakra was announced and his investiture ceremony was held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. It was like a dream for a newly-wed girl to suddenly find herself being invited to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. I remember all the events so vividly."

So why did Colonel Kaushal Kashyap enrol for military training and why did he choose this very noble profession?

"Of course I wasn't there when he joined NDA but after 15 years of marriage I can boast that I am one of the few who know him best," proudly states Irina. In her words, "Kaushal likes to do uncommon things, things that others around him are not doing. After his twelfth, apart from NDA, he was also selected to join the Merchant Navy and National Institute of Fashion Technology. But here I think his parents had a major influence on him as well as his brother Kapil. His parents are staunch patriots and idealists. Infact I don't think, I have ever seen another couple with such nationalistic passion. Even today, inspite of being in their late seventies and early eighties, (and his mother suffering from rheumatic arthritis for the last 30 years) every Republic day or Independence day, no matter how hard it rains or how hot or cold the weather is they wouldn't miss the flag hoisting and are usually the first ones to arrive at the function. His father himself was selected in the SSB but was not permitted by his mother to join the Army, so it was through both his children that he lived his passion and dreams."

And why did he opt for the Special Forces?

Incidentally Special Forces training and selection is very hard. "Yes Special Forces training is extremely tough and especially the Indian Army's Special Forces are known to have one of the most difficult training and selection regimes," answers Irina and continues, "Kaushal has a very interesting and passionate view on why he joined the Special Forces. Infact he is pretty vocal about it and keeps trying to motivate our children. Kaushal was initially apprehensive about joining the fighting arms of the Army as the Army was embroiled in anti-insurgency operations in Kashmir and North East and it is difficult to imagine getting into battles with an unseen enemy trying to kill you. He enjoyed reading books and when in NDA, he read a book on genocides across the world and that changed his life."

Irina explains further, "What struck him most was the genocide at Baramullah in 1947 when the Kabaliwallas led by Pakistani Officers had attacked Kashmir. Kashmir would have been lost forever to Pakistan, had the tribesmen not wasted a day at Baramullah killing, raping and plundering everyone that they could find. 11000 people were massacred in a day. The convent where there were a few European nurses bore the brunt. Similarly in Dhaka the Pakistani Army killed 30 lakh people and violated 4 lakh women from March to November 1971. This is what happens when the Army of a nation is not strong enough. If everyone fears to join the fighting arms, the country would end up with people who are neither of the best calibre nor driven by passion and they would be fighting our wars. And in that case the Army would not be at its strongest. With this passion and understanding he ended up volunteering for the Special Forces."

Here, Melange asks Irina if and whether the government has done enough for war veterans and the families of war martyrs?

"Yes, government and departments have done pretty much but if I speak on behalf of the all the War widows and families, where majority are from a rural background, there is a huge scope of improvement," she answers matter of factly. In her words, "Monetarily the Central and state governments do provide considerable compensation to Gallantry Award winners and battle casualties. But the physical casualties get left out. Indian society has a long way to go in recognizing and encouraging single women and mothers. The various privileges of war widows are still unknown to most of them. This has brought about a situation where the provisions exist but the benefits are not delivered to the needful. The government could initiate targeted awareness campaigns for the war widows to educate regarding specific provisions. Also the government must encourage NGOs and civil entities to launch initiatives to support war widows and NOKs (Next of Kins)."

According to Irina, the Next of Kins (NOK) in most cases are wholly dependent on the job and salary of their son/husband. The sudden loss causes a severe financial crisis to the entire family owing to the uncertainty. "If the government could provide government jobs to the NOKs it would be very helpful. The government could also have an agreement with MNCs and corporates to absorb NOKs at various posts. Recognition is also an important aspect. It is the family that pays the highest price for the sacrifice by the brave heart. And unfortunately the sacrifice is soon forgotten. If we had state government initiatives to give recognition to these families at the lowest level of village, district and Taluk it would be extremely helpful and would also work towards motivating the youth," she concludes.

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