Kin feel Victoria Cross winner WWII hero's legend not preserved

Subhash Rajta

Shimla, January 28

Not enough is being done to preserve the memories and legend of Captain Bhandari Ram, a recipient of Victoria Cross, for his gallantry during the World War II. “The entire focus and talk is about post-Independence India now. Stories of the brave should be preserved, regardless of the time they fought in. If we forget General Zorawar Singh, Victoria Cross winners Lala Ram and Captain Bhandari Ram, it will be akin to forgetting our history,” said Suresh Nadda, the eldest son of the late soldier.

Born on July 24, 1919, in Serva Geharwin village of Bilaspur district, Capt Bhandari joined the British army as a sepoy in 1941. As part of the Baluch battalion, he showed extraordinary bravery while fighting the Japanese troops in Burma in 1944, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. After Independence, he was absorbed in the Dogra Regiment. He fought the 1947-48 war against Pakistan, the 1962 war against China and the 1965 war against Pakistan. He retired as an Honorary Captain in 1969.

Despite his long and illustrious association with the Army, Nadda feels the country is gradually forgetting him and his family. To substantiate his allegations, he cites the complete lack of communication with the family from the government and the Army after the soldier’s death in 2002. “Until his death, he would receive invitation from the state and Central government for Republic Day and Independence Day functions. However, after his death, the family has been forgotten. There are no invites for any functions, neither from the government, nor from the Army,” he rued.

British agencies, on the contrary, continue to be in touch with the family. “He received a lot of respect and honour in England. They invited him every third year with two guests until he was alive. During these visits, he would be called to the Buckingham Palace and various embassies. Even I travelled with him several times on these all-expenses covered visits,” said Nadda, who retired as a manager from the State Bank of India. “Even today, we continue to get courtesy mails and phone calls from England,” he said.

Asserting that the family seeks no monetary or other benefits from the government, Nadda said all he wanted was for the identity of his father to be preserved. “There’s not even a statue of my father in the state. There was a link road diverting from the Bilaspur-Hamirpur highway into our village named after him, but that too is gone now due to the fourlaning of the road,” he said.

Nadda suggested that war memorials should be built at the district level, where statues of war heroes should be built and their legends should be written down. “Our coming generations should know about these heroes and their valour,” he added.