Son joins his martyr father's regiment today
Kusum Arora/TNS
Ravail Singh and his son (R) Bakhtawar
Jalandhar, November 7
Taking the family tradition of joining armed forces ahead, this second-generation braveheart son of a Kargil martyr is all set to follow in the footsteps of his father. The young boy will don the olive green and join the Sikh Regimental Centre, Ramgarh Cantt, Jharkhand, tomorrow.
Bakhtawar Singh (21), son of Kargil martyr Naib Subedar Ravail Singh, will join the prestigious 8 Sikh Regiment as a sepoy. His father served in this regiment when he died during Operation Vijay in Kargil. He was awarded the Sena Medal posthumously.
Talking to TNS, Bakhtawar said November 8 would be one of the most memorable days of his life. "Nothing can be as honourable as joining armed forces. And for me, it is all the more special as I am joining the Sikh Regimental Centre where my father took his first lessons in the Army. It is a real tribute to him," he added.
The family celebrated their son's recruitment in the Army as a grand affair along with the Divali celebrations in Jammu. Second among the three brothers, Bakhtawar nurtured the dream of joining the Army since he was a child. "I was studying in Class II at Pathankot when my father was killed during the Kargil war. The memories of that day still make me feel cry. But my father's regiment stood with us in our thick and thin and ensured that we don't face any difficulty ever", he added.
Surinder Kaur, mother of Bakhtawar, said: "My joys knew no bounds when my son got selected in the Army. He will be a part of the same regiment where father spent his life as a soldier. We share a strange bond with this regiment and I am happy that the legacy has passed ahead", she added.
While many martyrs' families prefer to stay away from joining the forces, this woman, however, said, "I faced the worst fear of my life when my husband died in the Kargil war. After that I developed a sense of belonging to the Army. Probably nothing can match the joy of see-ing a son as a 'fauji'." The Sikh Regimental Centre authorities have decided to impart free training and coaching to Bakhtawar to join the Army as a commissioned officer.
