As nation honours Ashoka Chakra awardees, their widows show true grit

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 27

Two women, both widows — one from Bangalore and the other from Bulandshahr in western Uttar Pradesh — stood out at the Republic Day Parade yesterday.

Solemn, sombre and stoic but separated by education levels and economic backgrounds, both exhibited pride and grace as they received the Ashoka Chakra — the highest peace-time gallantry award — which their husbands had been awarded for gallantry in Jammu and Kashmir. Their lives shattered, the two women Indu Mukund Vardarajan and Parmeshwari Devi have almost an identical narrative of their lives and now have the same priority – the future of their children. In their own separate ways, they bank on a time-tested support system of close-knit Army regiments.

The two literally ‘soldier’ on, carrying the memories of their husbands — Major Mukund Vardarajan of 44 Rashtriya Rifles (on deputation from 22 Rajput Regiment)and Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh of 57 Rashtriya Rifles (on deputation from 13 Rajputana Rifles), respectively. “I don’t look at the phone anymore or wait for calls. You discover strength and determination that you never had,” says Indu on being asked how life has changed after the officer’s death on April 25 last year. “Priorities change. Your relations change. There is a gap that is not going to be filled any more. That is the truth,” says the brave woman, the daughter of a Kerala-based doctor.

She was married to the Major for four years and has a three-year-old daughter. “For now, I need her more than she needs me,” says Indu.

Major Varadarajan, along with his colleague Sepoy Vikram, had taken on terrorists up front. It was in the middle of electioneering for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The officer killed one terrorist, but was attacked by his accomplice. Although bleeding profusely, the officer crawled ahead, fired and killed the second terrorist.

“Being an Army wife, you don’t entertain such apprehensions (of adverse occurrences),” says Indu, who now teaches English at the Army Public School at Bangalore.
Her husband's unit rallied behind her. “It is easier to connect with Army wives rather than my best friend from college. They have really helped. Everybody reached out to me,” recollects Indu, who is yet to decide if she will join the Army or not.
For Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh's wife, life has changed in more ways than one. A housewife, Parmeshwari Devi, is ready to relocate closer to her husband's unit with the aim of educating here sons -- one aged eight and the other seven.
“Mere bete officer banege fauj mein (my sons will be officers in the Indian Army). They need education. We have no cantonment near Bulandshahr. The unit is very supportive like a family. I  will get every support there and will educate my kids,” she says. For the moment, she finds it hard to convince the two boys. “I tell them 'papa shaheed ho kaar duty karte hain Jammu Kashmir mein (your father is on duty after martyrdom)," she says.
The death has impacted her sons. “The younger one thinks his elder brother (who performed the last rites)  burnt their father and often fights with him,” she says with tears in her eyes.

Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh had left his home on August 11, after availing leave for his wife’s treatment. Less than two weeks later -- on August 24 --  he was leading a search operation in Kupwara.
Disregarding his personal safety,  Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh crawled and extricated his colleague. A terrorist threw grenades and opened heavy fire on him, but he inched closer to the terrorist and shot him dead.
Simultaneously, he was attacked by another terrorist, resulting in his rifle falling down. He was shot in the chest. Despite grievous injuries, he pounced on the terrorist, snatched his weapon and killed him in hand-to-hand combat.

Braveheart took out 2 terrorists

On April 25, 2014, Major Mukund  Varadarajan had taken on terrorists up front. The officer killed one terrorist, but was attacked by his accomplice. Although bleeding profusely, the officer crawled ahead, fired and killed the second terrorist

The hero of Kupwara

On August 24, 2014, Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh was leading a search operation in Kupwara when a terrorist opened heavy fire, but he shot him dead. The officer was shot in the chest by another terrorist, but killed him in hand-to-hand combat