Memories of a young martyr

Ranjana Malik

THE brutal killing of the young Lt Ummer Fayaz in Kashmir has deeply touched each one of us. The loss to his family and the Army is immense. 

Over the years, I have accompanied my husband, and sometimes gone on my own, to visit families devastated by the loss of a family member in firing across the border, Kargil war (Operation Vijay), in counter-insurgency actions, and natural disasters like avalanches. It was our endeavour to visit as many families as possible. If not immediately, whenever we were able to visit the station from where the young soldier hailed — Lucknow, Shillong, Palampur, Chennai, Gurgaon, Noida, Secunderabad and Meerut, to name some. 

Without a doubt, these visits left a searing hole in my heart as the laments and cries of anguish of the family reverberated in my ears. The sight of their tears could not be forgotten. Some young widows would come to me in the Army Wives Welfare Association office. We were able to offer some advice on financial matters and personal family issues. I motivated some of them to join the Army as commissioned officers. We have tried to keep in touch with many families over the years.

There was one particular visit which continues to haunt me. The other day, with some difficulty, I was able to get hold of the telephone number of Master Warrant Officer (later Flight Lieutenant) JP Sharma and his wife, Sudesh Sharma. I recalled our visit to their home, a rather small flat in Noida in 1998. Their son, Capt Shashi Kant Sharma, was from 15 Armoured Regiment and had volunteered for a posting at Siachen, on attachment with 12 J& K Light Infantry. When his mother pleaded with him not to volunteer for such a hazardous assignment, he told her, ‘Nobody from the Armoured Corps goes to Siachen. Won’t you be happy when I proudly wear a Siachen Medal which no other unit officer would have?’ The poor, simple mother had no answer.

When we met her, she kept relating to me all that her son had been telling her to assuage her fears. ‘Ma, I have given some money to the juice vendor at the corner of our lane. He will give you a glass of fruit juice at 11 am every day. You are weak for the surgery you have to undergo. I know you will not spend on yourself. I want you to feel stronger.’ She reprimanded  him, ‘Pagle, aisay koi paise deta hai? Woh kuch dino mein gayab ho jayega.’ Shashi Kant responded, ‘Ma, fauji ke paise lekar koi nahin bhagega.’ 

During our visit, Mrs Sharma went to a room and returned with a pile of audio cassettes which she wanted me to hear. Her son had got these for her, saying, ‘Ma, yeh deshbhakti ke gaane hain. Inhe sunte rehna aur tab tak main wapis aa jaounga.’

The young Captain was martyred in a shelling incident at Bana Listening post in the Siachen sector. 

The other day I rang them up. They were overwhelmed when I recalled every word the lady had told me. Memories of their gallant young son are all they have. Their younger son is a dentist at a dental college in Ghaziabad.