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The narrative starts with an insight into an overview of the war
in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947-48 followed by the Battle of
Badgam, where the courageous Major Somnath Sharma of the Kumaon
Regiment defended the approach to Srinagar. This brave officer
single-handedly stopped a major attack on his position and saved
the day, sacrificing his life while performing his duty. This
informal account is followed by the formal citation, somewhat
cold and matter-of-fact, as all official documents are, but
nonetheless covering the essentials of the brave acts of this
spirited officer of the Indian Army. The author then takes us a
step further and gives us vignettes from the life and times of
this officer, and how his family traditions and his character
shaped him into the brave man that he was—the first recipient
of lndia’s Param Vir Chakra.
This methodology
is followed by the author as he relates the gallant actions of
later recipients, 21 in all, but sadly 14 of them posthumously,
of this greatest of honours that the country confers for
exceptional courage. It is essentially this methodology that has
transformed this book from a cold clinical presentation of facts
to a warm and moving personal account of each of these warriors.
The book also acts
as a mini compilation of the wars that our nation has been
compelled to fight. But essentially this book is not about
military history. It is about exceptional bravery, courage,
character and sacrifice of individuals, who have etched for
themselves a place of honour in the history of our nation. Their
astounding deeds of valour will undoubtedly inspire future
generations of officers, JCOs and jawans, and will propel them
to replicate what these doughty warriors did. But should
extraordinary valour be confined only to the armed forces?
Certainly not! It is also a must-read for the young men and
women of our great nation. They need to read and absorb the
exploits of these brave sons of India, so that they too are
inspired to do the impossible, in whatever vocation they have
chosen for themselves. The book, therefore, is not just for the
existing and future generations of soldiers, sailors and airmen,
but also for all our countrymen, in whose breast burns the flame
of patriotism.
The book is in
hardcover and has a striking dust jacket showing the coveted
Param Vir Chakra and its resplendent purple ribbon. I will be
amiss if I don’t point out some other features of this
remarkable book, which have been so thoughtfully included, so
that no aspect of the subject is left out. In the introduction,
the author has given a brief history of how gallantry awards
evolved in India, and the fascinating story of Savitri
Khanolkar, whom I had the pleasure of knowing, who had designed
the Param Vir Chakra for the nation. The author has also
included some thoughts on courage, and rounded off the book with
seven annexures, all relevant to the subject, and a fairly
comprehensive bibliography.
If the book lacks
in anything, it is in the non-inclusion of sketches or maps
where our brave warriors fought with such ferocity. These would
have helped the lay reader in grasping the essentials of the
ground, where our warriors covered themselves with glory. The
book, however, does have the portraits of all the heroes, as
well as some other photographs, which add value to the book. It
is also liberally filled with quotes, which enhance the text.
The author has dedicated this book of our modern day heroes to
‘The Unknown Soldier,’ and he rightly laments that even
after 55 years of independence, we still do not have a National
War Memorial, where we can honour our soldiers, sailors and
airmen who have sacrificed their lives for the nation.
This book will
appeal not just to the officers and men of the armed forces, or
the near and dear ones of the heroes, but to all citizens who
care for the brave men and women of armed forces.
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PARAM
VIR means "bravest of the brave." This book is a compact
and highly readable book written by a person who himself is not a
stranger to bravery in battle. The author, Major General Ian
Cardozo, a Sena Medal awardee and war-disabled, has covered
practically every facet of the highest gallantry award the nation
bestows on its bravest sons and daughters, who perform deeds of such
courage that it makes the reader wonder how such bravery manifests
in a person in battle, and consumes him so overwhelmingly that
nothing is allowed to come in the way of the accomplishment of the
assigned task. These then are the narratives, spanning over 50
years, of heroic warriors of our country, who did the impossible,
with utter disregard to their lives.
