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‘Fight war only to protect people’

Lt Col disheartened to speak on present situation
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Vir Chakra awardee Lt Col HS Kahlon with a picture, showing him receiving the Vir Chakra. ASHWANI DHIMAn
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“Deh shiva bar mohe eh hai, Subh karman te kabh na taron. Na daro aar so jab jaye laro, Nischay kar apni jeet karon” (O Akaal Purakh, give me this boon, may I never ever shirk from doing good deeds. That I shall not fear when I go into combat. And with determination, I will be victorious), is how Lt Col H.S. Kahlon (retd), who was decorated with Vir Chakra for his courage and valour in the 1971 war, starts the conversation with The Tribune today.

It took a little effort to persuade Col Kahlon to speak about the current situation as he was disheartened. “War is no solution and should be fought only if the welfare of the people is involved, like in the case of 1971 war. One should never step back from laying down his/her life for the sake of the country. Nation comes first and everything else after and this is what the Army and my religion has taught me,” he says.

Commenting on the current escalating situation between India and Pakistan, Kahlon said that after the Pahalgam attack, the strike by India was justified, but it should be stopped now as none of the countries can afford war at present. War should be fought only if people of the country are in danger and not to settle political scores, he says. “The Indian armed forces are very powerful and can deal with any situation,” he says.

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He recalled that he was also posted at the J&K border during his service. “We often use to gun down terrorists trying to infiltrate, but that was only on the border. Such situations should be handled at the border and not involve the entire nation into it. Years have passed, but the sad reality is that the situation still remain the same, especially in PoK,” he said.

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