Prem Rao

Man Made Tragedy at KSCA Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

As a huge fan of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) I was thrilled when we finally won the Indian Premier League (IPL) on June 3, 2025 after a wait of 18 long years! Like me, millions of fans celebrated- some long into the night and upto the early hours of June 4. It was a momentous victory coming after so many heart breaks. Remember, we had reached the finals on 3 previous occasions( 2009, 2011, and 2016) but failed to cross the line.

Naturally there was an explosion of emotion which was only to be expected. We were told there would be a grand victory parade and crowds in their thousands flocked to the Chinnaswamy Stadium hoping to see the function. Rumours/announcements of free tickets ( even if on a limited basis) added to the crowd frenzy. There was an unprecedented function on the steps of the majestic Vidhan Sudha. Even when the State team of Karnataka won the Ranji Trophy such an honour was not bestowed on the team. We watched the Chief Minister, Dy Chief Minister, and many Government big wigs with their families bask in reflected glory as the RCB players were honoured. The general public were kept far away. Yet they reached there in their thousands based on public invitations given by the CM no less. People perched precariously on lamp posts, tree tops, and even the roof of the High Court nearby. Thankfully, no one was injured.

Sadly, bad news was to follow. Near the KSCA’s Chinnaswamy Stadium there was total chaos. Survivors have described how they were not walking but carried away in the waves of frenzied fans. In the man made tragedy, 11 precious lives were lost. All were young persons. aged less than 30. They had come to celebrate but died without even catching a fleeting glimpse of the RCB players.

The print and visual media have given graphic and gory details so it not for me to repeat all that happened. The question is who is accountable? Who authorised the function in front of the Vidhana Soudha despite the warnings of senior police officials? Who was in a hurry to have the functions on June 4, when the police force were barely recovering from harrowing night of June 3 when Bengaluru celebrated RCB’s victory? Who made the announcement of free passes and the day’s program early on June 4 morning? Who decided that there would be two and not one function that day- adding to the stress of the limited police force? Who allowed the KSCA stadium to have far more people than the capacity warranted? These, and many other questions need to be answered.

The Chief Minister said he was invited by KSCA to the function so he attended. The Dy CM was present in the Chinnaswamy and pictures of him holding the trophy were splashed everywhere. The police say they did not give permission. The Police Commissioner- no less- has been suspended along with a few other senior police officers. The Secretary of the KSCA, Mr A Shankar,( an eminent CA, known to be extremely influential and powerful figure in Karnataka) and the Treasurer, Mr E S Jairam, have submitted their resignations accepting moral responsibility although they claim their roles were very limited. Nikhil Sosale, Head of Marketing for RCB, seen more prominently than even RCB skipper Rajat Patidar in the Vidhana Soudha function, has been arrested. Whether he was fleeing or not, can’t be said, but he was arrested in KIA Airport.

The State CID has been tasked to investigate the case. The High Court of Karnataka has suo moto taken up this matter for hearing on June 10. Compensation for the 11 victims was initially announced as Rs 10 Lakhs by the State Government but has now been increased to Rs 25 Lakhs.

I fear with the passage of time this story will get buried like every other. Fans need to get real. They should understand the real dangers of in being in the midst of mobs. The politicians are thick skinned. They aren’t going to lose sleep over 11 deaths- that too of people who were not celebrities. These deaths will not hurt them politically. If at all, perhaps M/s Shankar, Jairam and Raghuram Bhat ( former Karnataka and India left arm spinner and President of the KSCA) may be haunted by the last plaintive cries of innocent victims who lost contact with their loved ones and were trampled to death.

Yes, there are so many lessons to be learned by this 100% man made tragedy at KSCA’s Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Authors, Book Reviews

“The Rise of the Hitman- The Rohit Sharma Story” by R Kaushik

Being an avid cricket fan for six and a half decades, I love books on cricket and cricketers! I was delighted to read, R Kaushik’s “The Rise of the Hitman- The Rohit Sharma Story“. This was published recently by Rupa Publications.

For those readers of this blog, who don’t follow cricket as much as we do in India, let me say that Rohit G. Sharma is one of India’s superstar cricketers. He has successfully captained India to the T20 World Championship in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2025. These after that huge disappointment of losing to the Aussies in the finals of the 2023 ODI Championships. Rohit announced his retirement from Test cricket a couple of weeks ago.

In the world of franchisee cricket, he has had the distinction of leading Mumbai Indians to 5 victories in the prestigious Indian Premier League (IPL). Years ago, in 2009, he was a member of the victorious Deccan Challengers team- which gives him bragging rights to 6 IPL titles.

Rohit scored over 4300 runs in 67 Tests with an average of 40.58 and 12 centuries with a highest score of 212. He played 275 ODIs scoring over 11100 runs for India, with an average of 48.77 and a strike rate of 92. He hit 32 centuries including 3 double centuries. His highest score of 264 made in 2014 still remains the world record. In the more modern and currently everyone’s favourite format – the T 20, he has played 159 matches for India scoring 4231 runs averaging 32.05 with a strike rate of 140.89. He has scored 5 T20I centuries as well.

With this in context, let’s get back to the book. I found the book to be largely made up of impressions of Rohit, as a player, as a captain, and as a friend and human being from many eminent cricketers. The author has gleaned their thoughts and impressions over the years as they saw Rohit in different capacities. They include the likes of Rahul Dravid, V V S Laxman, Anil Kumble, and W V Raman, who need no introduction to the cricket fan. Dinesh Lad, Rohit’s first coach recalls his childhood days and how he saw the latent talent in the boy from Borivali, a suburb of Mumbai.

“The Hitman” as Rohit is affectionately called by his world wide legion of Tests fans, went through many ups and downs. There were several deep disappointments, especially in the early years. His missing his first Test in 2010 due to an unfortunate injury on the morning of the Test readily comes to mind. Such was the competition for places in the Indian Test team that he had to wait for 3 years before he finally made his Test debut. Another big disappointment was his missing out on the T20 Team for the 2011 Championship which India won.

We read about his journey as a cricketer from the young days when he was seen as a boy with great talent till he became the icon he now is. The book highlights his skills as a player and more importantly as a skipper. It describes his memorable performances and what he brought to the table as he led from the front. As a captain of India, he won 12/ 24 Tests, 45/56 ODIs and 49/62 T20I. A very commendable record, indeed!

Ritika Sajdeh, his wife, has contributed immensely to Rohit’s successes. She deserves every credit for standing by him through thick and thin. I wish we had heard more from Rohit’s parents- their perspectives and challenges.

Books on crickets are devoured by cricket lovers. We just love our statistics! So, to set The Hitman’s cricketing achievements in context, I wish the book had a page on his career statistics, to make it more complete.

Thank you, Kaushik, for yet another well-written cricketing book! Your simple and elegant language makes for easy reading. We look forward to many more.

Authors, Book Reviews

“Meet The Kellys” by Chris Enss

When you hear there was a gangster in the 1930s in the US called George “Machine Gun” Kelly, what kind of guy would you think he was? Like me, you may have imagined a killer who shot people using a machine gun. In reality, George Kelly Barnes was a criminal who specialised in boot legging, bank robberies and kidnapping. He never killed anybody, leave alone with a machine gun!!

I came to know this and other interesting facts on reading ” Meet The Kellys” by Chris Enss. Thanks to #NetGalley I got a review copy of #MeettheKellys. This book – described as- The True Story of Machine Gun Kelly And His Moll Kathryn Thorne- is scheduled to be published by Kensington Publishing later this month.

Following the years of the Great Depression and Prohibition, the 1930s saw many criminals gain notoriety in the United States. “Machine Gun” Kelly was one of them, and his name was as well known as others like Al Capone, Ma Barker, John Dillinger, and the couple : Bonny and Clyde. Basing her story on newspaper articles and recollections of those who lived in those times, the author describes the lives of George Kelly and his wife Kathryn Thorne.

As you read this well-researched book, you will understand the personalities of this couple and the dynamics that were at play between them. George Kelly Barnes was from Memphis, Tennessee, and had an unhappy childhood. He wanted the good life and wanted money without working for it at all. Kathryn Thorne was already divorced twice when she first met him. She was street smart, good looking, willing to take risks and loved a life of luxury. She felt that Kelly would be the one to provide her with all that she wanted. All in all, she was the gangster’s moll.

The book describes in detail how the Kellys kidnapped Charles Urschel, the oil tycoon and the trial that followed. This was the biggest crime they committed. The case caught the attention of the media all over the country. Kidnappings were happening in plenty at that time and Urschel was kidnapped shortly after the Lindbergh case. This was the first big case of this type assigned to the FBI as kidnapping had been made a Federal offence.

The book paints a realistic picture of life in the United States in the 1930s. Poverty, greed, ambition, desperation and even little or no fear of the law made many take to crime. Some cases were more infamous than others. George “Machine Gun” Kelly and Kathryn Thorne were one amongst them.

I liked the book which was informative and interesting .

In The News, My Take

Operation Sindoor: A Turning Point in India’s Military Strategy

As I write this, my mind goes to the powerful address to the nation made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday evening. I think he has been the greatest Prime Minister India has ever had. It was forceful, direct, and there was no beating about the bush. Operation Sindoor was a new highpoint in Indian military history. It was triggered by the cold blooded killing of 26 Indian men who were holidaying with their families in Pahalgam in Kashmir on April 22, 2025. About seven terrorists -most likely based in Pakistan- entered the beautiful meadows. They accosted innocent men, established that they were Hindus and shot them dead in cold blood, in front of their wives and children. Seldom has the world seen such targeted gruesome killings where innocents were murdered only and only based on their religion. This was reminiscent of the Second World War when Jews were shot dead in cold blood by the SS stormtroopers of the Nazis.

India retaliated with Operation Sindoor on May 6-7, 2025. In this swift operation, which lasted just 25 minutes, 9 terror camps and establishments used by Islamist terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the Hizbul Mujhahideen were attacked with pin point precision. The terror establishments were hit hard. It is estimated that over 100 terrorists were killed in these raids. It was the first time that India had attacked terror camps so deep in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and indeed well within Pakistan itself. With this India had avenged the deaths of the innocents killed on April 22, 2025.

However, on May 8-9 , Pakistan escalated by sending in waves of drones to target Indian air stations and other military establishments. All these attacks were effectively thwarted by the Indian Air Defence System. Full credit should go to those who planned and executed this defensive network. It brought to mind Israel’s famed Iron Dome. This feat is all the more admirable as many of the components/subsystems used in this intricate defence system were indigenously developed and manufactured.

India then went on the offensive. India attacked carefully chosen airfields of the Pakistan Air Force such as Nur Khan near Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Rafiqi to name a few. Extensive damage was caused by the missiles fired by the Indian Air Force.

An uneasy calm came into effect on the evening of May 10, after the Director General of Military Operations of Pakistan called his Indian counterpart and asked for a cease fire.

The key take aways for me as a a keen student of military history are:-

The shape of war as we knew it in the Indian subcontinent has changed for ever. No longer will India hesitate to attack Pakistan in their backyard. Past Governments had hesitated because Pakistan had nuclear weapons and always bragged about being ready to use them, unfettered by a No First Use policy.
The use of electronic warfare, drones, etc etc have changed the contours of battle. We are unlikely to see hand to hand combat and , tank warfare on a scale that characterised past wars. The attack of airfields deep in Pakistan without Indian Air Force aircraft leaving Indian skies is a major pointer in this direction.
The use of economic pressure like shelving the Indus Water Treaty and banning trade etc were aligned with the military objectives making a comprehensive unbeatable strategy.
India’s resolve as enunciated by the Prime Minister of treating acts of terror as attacks upon India is a major change from the past. In earlier decades, sheltering under the story of ” Non State Actors” Pakistan used to harbour, train, and fund known terror groups. This was in line with their strategy of inflicting a thousand cuts on India. Going forward, these cuts will now come at a far heavier price than in the past.
We witnessed the benefits of close co-ordination between the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force with the Ministry of External Affairs. We saw extensive briefings by the Foreign Secretary accompanied by representatives of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. Later, we had media briefings by the DGMOs of the three Services. These went a long way in keeping people informed of the factual position. This helped immensely at a time when there was so much of misinformation especially on social media platforms.

The next few days and weeks will continue to be tense. More skirmishes could flare up. However, the families of the 26 innocent tourists who saw their menfolk hot in front of their eyes will have a sense of closure through Operation Sindoor.

Authors, Book Reviews

“Wolf Six” by Alex Shaw

If you are a top rated assassin available for hire, you are bound to deal with violence- and lots of it. “Wolf Six” is the code name of Ruslan Akulov, a top rated assassin. He is a master in his field of work, his services are sought by many and his work takes him to different parts of the world. Naturally, “Wolf Six” by Alex Shaw has violence, more violence and still more violence splashed all over its pages.

Alex Shaw is an active member and contributor to the International Thriller Writers Organisation and the Crime Writers Association. He was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize in 2021.

The fast-paced thriller sees action in the United States, Cuba, and Ukraine as Akulov carries out his latest assignment for a client in the United States. He is no stranger to the Ukraine being from that country though he spent most of his formative years in Russia. As a young man he was selected for “The Werewolves” then Russia’s most coveted Special Forces, serving there with distinction for many years. He honed his skills as a sharpshooter and learnt much about the field craft of a sniper during this phase of his life.

The book has many twists and turns. It brings out the incredible amount of intrigue that goes on behind the scenes in international gang warfare. Shaw has a crisp, direct and hard-hitting style of writing. I am sure you will enjoy the book if, like me, you look forward to fast-paced action thrillers.

I was happy to hear that “Wolf Six” is the first in a series of books being published by Alex Shaw. My best wishes go out to him! Cheers to you, Alex!

Authors, Book Reviews

“Kitne Ghazi Aaye Kitne Ghazi Gaye”: Lt Gen. KJS Dhillon (Retd)

Of course, I had heard of General Dhillon, especially when he commanded the Indian Army’s 15 Corps in Kashmir. I was thrilled to hear that he had published his memoirs having heard so much about this illustrious soldier. I had the pleasure of reading, “Kitne Ghazi Aaye, Kitne Ghazi Gaye” recently. This book was published by Penguin Veer in January 2023. I know he has since written another book but we will come to that in due course of time.

As an avid reader of contemporary military history, I have read the biographies of many Generals/ Admirals/Air Chief Marshals from the days of World War 2. Unfortunately, I don’t think there are many about Indian military leaders. Yes, there have been books on Field Marshal Cariappa and General K S Thimayya but not on many others, as far as I know. It was refreshing therefore to read a more contemporary account of a General of great repute who retired from active service but recently.

In his well-written book which is full of interesting anecdotes, General Dhillon takes us back to his childhood in Punjab. From a young age, he and his friends wanted to be in the Indian Army. Not surprising considering that many of their family had served the paltan. The book takes us on General Dhillon’s journey from being a young cadet at the National Defence Academy to rising to the high position of Director General, Defence Intelligence Agency. In the course of 35 years in uniform, General Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon had to deal with many challenges, some of which he has described in considerable detail in the book.

Perhaps because ours was, is and always probably will be a volunteer force, sadly most civilians in India have little or no idea of what life in the Indian Army entails. Conscription and compulsory military service in many countries give their citizens insights into life in the Services as many have served in them themselves. Apart from his own professional challenges, it was great to see General Dhillon write at length about the lives of the families of Army personnel. We cannot find adequate words to describe the role they play in helping our soldiers defend our borders. He writes about the challenges and hardships they frequently face and the courage with which they face these challenges.

The terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir have taken a toll since Independence. General Dhillon has served several tours of duty in this region since 1988 and writes authoritatively about his experiences here in different capacities over the decades.

As General Dhillon exhorted his troops, ” Wear your uniform with honour and pride, which is bestowed on only the select few, and ensure you make a difference in whatever you do in the service of the nation. Your nation, army, regiment and platen is the pride that you will live and die for.”

I would strongly recommend this book – with its arresting book cover picture- to every Indian. I follow General Dhillon on X.com and suggest you do the same. After all, each and every Indian can and should do all we can to defend our country against its enemies. Jai Hind!

Authors, Book Reviews

“Aavarana: The Veil” by Dr S L Bhyrappa

I recently read a book written by the noted Kannada writer Dr S L Bhyrappa. He needs no introduction having been a best selling novelist for over 25 years, apart from being a profound scholar. The book is titled, ”Aavarana: The Veil” . I read the book translated into English by Sandeep Balakrishna.

To start with, the story is extremely well written for a complex subject. It covers so much ground without becoming dry and boring in any way or at any time. It’s about the life of Lakshmi -from a small town in Karnataka -who meets, falls in love and gets married to Amir her classmate at the FTII much against the wishes of her conservative parents. As is to be expected, the couple have to face the hardships one would most commonly come across in an inter faith marriage. Her father virtually cuts off relations with her because she married a Muslim much against his advice.

When she lives in Amir’s house with his parents and other relatives, Lakshmi now known as Razia, realises that the differences in their faiths was much more than she imagined. The atmosphere becomes claustrophobic for her. She feels her every move is watched with intense scrutiny waiting for her to make- one more mistake. The story then captures her travails and disappointments till eventually the fateful day comes when Amir utters those three dreaded words: Talaq Talaq Talaq to divorce her. (Please remember this book was first written in 2014, before Triple Talaq became outlawed in India in 2017) .

Razia, now Lakshmi once again, has no choice but to return to her village. Her parents have died. Older and wiser now, she reflects on how they must have felt when she remained adamant that she would marry Amir. Her biggest regret is that she could not meet her parents before their deaths. To her surprise, she finds her father has left behind a treasure trove of material assiduously collected over the years. This leads her to write a book.

Interestingly, the difficult technique of writing a story within another is brilliantly and deftly handled by Dr Bhyrappa. Within Razia/Lakshmi’s story, in parallel is a story she is writing about the Mughal period. She writes of rulers like Aurangzeb who wantonly destroyed thousands of Hindu temples.

Through this book, Dr Bhyrappa raises the issue of how many post Independence writers in India have downplayed many vile aspects of Mughal rule.

I think this book deserves to be widely read. I would recommend this strongly to all, especially the youth of India who for too long have heard only one side of the story.

In The News, My Take

RCB- Romanticising The Loser

As a die-hard fan of this cricket franchise, I feel the think tank of Royal Challengers Bengaluru have had it all too easy for far too long! Year after year we have flattered to deceive. I can’t ever forget the first match of the inaugural IPL in 2008. Brendon McCullum of KKR took us to the cleaners scoring 158, we scored 82 – and we haven’t fully recovered yet! I have watched virtually every match of RCB- both men and women- over the years so I write this with considerable anguish.

The men’s team haven’t won even once in 18 years. This makes me believe RCB has made a class act of romanticising the loser! A powerful PR ecosystem and social media presence have almost indoctrinated fans in their millions to believe it is perfectly ok to lose -as long as you try!!! Instead of a strong killer instinct with little or no patience for failures, we seemingly have a bland acceptance of fate.

I hope and pray 2025 will be a different outcome but based on recent events in the ongoing Women’s IPL, I have my grave doubts. Which leads me to the question: who is responsible for decisions ? The coach, captain, owners or none of them?? Who is the think tank for RCB? Are they in any way accountable for results?

In the Women’s IPL, RCB finished a disappointing 4th in the first edition but did really well to win the championship last year. This means we are the defending champions in 2025.

Most teams do well in their home grounds- there are many reasons for this most of which are quite obvious. We somehow don’t. The fact that RCB have lost both home games played so far is shocking to say the least. Yes, of course, they tried their best; there were injuries which prevented other good players from playing etc, but why did we make some elementary blunders???

Here are two, according to me: 1. In the first match at Bengaluru versus a strong Mumbai Indians team, knowing the size of the ground, the tendency of batters to try to hit sixes, how come we had a slow over rate that penalised us in the end. With one fielder less in the outfield, was it smart cricket? 2. In the same match, wasn’t someone keeping an eye on who’s bowling? We know the 19th and 20 th overs are the most crucial. Leaving the 19th over to Kanika Ahuja, a well-meaning but not the leading spinner of the team was asking for trouble. We could have perhaps won but we lost this game in the last ball!!!

And more blunders came up in the very next match versus less fancied UP Warriorz. 1. Renuka Singh giving away 17 runs in that one over virtually gave away the match. She may have the Purple Cap but is not the best bowler at the death. 2. Worse was to follow. In the Super Over, Kim Garth was excellent to restrict UP Warriorz to just 8 runs. We needed 9 to win. Instead of sending in one in red hot form- Elyse Perry ( holder of the Orange Cap with 235 runs and an average of 117 and a strike rate of 160 including 90 not out in 56 balls in this very match), we sent Richa Ghosh – and worst of all Smriti Mandhana went in herself when she has not been a great player of spin bowling. Sophie Eccelstone added to her batting performance of 33 which got MI to the super over, by defending 8 runs. She gave away only 4!! How can you win matches if you can’t score 5 runs in the crucial make or break over????

Still we will rationalise and say it was only a game, they did their best, we are sorry to disappoint our fans, we will come back stronger next time etc etc. Another example of romanticising the loser!

I sometimes wonder based on what I have seen in the IPL over the years, whether it is the owner’s ego that propels the team’s urge to win! Looks like the Ambanis, the Goenkas, the Marans, and SRK don’t take kindly to defeat- though I am sure they accept they can’t win every game every year. RCB has no owner in that sense. We started off with a single owner, Dr Vijay Mallya. Love him or hate him he was there in your face. Today RCB is owned by United Spirits Limited, part of the Dieago Group. It is a corporate entity. Winning or losing a IPL title may not matter much to the company executives- as it does to us fans. They are more interested in revenues from advertising, publicity campaigns, brand, marketing, and social media presence. We are more interested in winning matches!

Authors, Book Reviews

“Nine Minutes Eleven Seconds” : L V Pederson

Firstly, hearty congratulations to L.V. Pederson for writing such a blockbuster of a debut thriller. “Nine Minutes Eleven Seconds” is the title of Pederson’s fast- paced novel published in January 2025. Guess what? Pederson worked as a film censor in Canada and a script writer in Hollywood, apart from being an entrepreneur and innovator! He brings all these experiences to bear in this thriller which I enjoyed reading!

The story begins with a young, attractive lady called Madison Maxwell joining Know Inc, one of the most renowned tech firms in the world. This, of course, is situated in the Silicon Valley. Madison wants to put her past life at Boston behind her- to make a fresh start in a place which seems so promising. She feels this firm and her position as Executive Assistant to the Vice President would fulfil her career dreams. The plot of the story that unravels is crisply woven together with apt back stories. This makes for very exciting reading.

Shortly into the job, Madison comes across people who are totally different from who they at first appear to be. She comes across several mysteries in that firm which folks don’t talk about. Circumstances force her into situations which test her endurance to the limits. To complicate matters further, there is a deeply personal angle from her past which resurfaces to haunt her.

The story brings back to the reader memories of that unforgettable tragedy- the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States. It is a gripping story which you must read for yourself! Highly recommended.

Uncategorized

“The Brave :Param Vir Chakra Stories” by Rachna Bisht Rawat

Over the last few decades, I stay glued to the television on India’s Republic Day -January 26- to see the parade. This year too I look forward to the parade. Most of all I am waiting to see and pay homage to the three surviving winners of the Param Vir Chakra. This honour is India’s highest military honour and is like the Victoria Cross in the UK or the Medal of Honour in the United States. The memory of the Param Vir Chakra winners was triggered by a book I read recently. It is called, “The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories” by Rachna Bisht Rawat. She is a journalist and writer with a family background steeped in military history.

This book was one of the early books about the Param Vir Chakra winners. It was first published by Penguin in 2014. Since then there have been many more books on these national heroes. Since I am fascinated by these stories this book was of considerable interest to me. Thanks to the internet and the media, in recent years many of them have become household names, like Capt Vikram Batra of Kargil War fame. However, to be honest, I am ashamed to say that some of the early winners of the Param Vir Chakra were unknown to many in my generation. One of them was Major Rama Raghoba Rane of the Bombay Sappers who got his PVC in the Indo-Pak Kashmir War in 1947. He was one of the rare braves who lived to receive his award. Most of the Param Vir Chakras were awarded posthumously. This means the winners of the nation’s highest gallantry award made the supreme sacrifice while carrying out their acts of bravery.

All the winners were worthy of the high honour bestowed upon them by a grateful nation. It would be unfair to single out one or the other from amongst them. However, we are humans and cannot resist having our favourites. Mine have been Major Shaitan Singh of 13 Kumaon of Rezang La fame during the Indo-China War of 1962 and 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal of 17 Horse, who won his award in the Indo-Pak war of 1971. Mention must be made of Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, 18 Squadron, IAF, who won his PVC during the Indo-Pak War of 1965. Till date, he remains the only Param Vir Chakra awardee who was not from the Indian Army.

Ms Rawat has written about the battles in which the heroes won their awards and about these men themselves. Their stories have been pieced together following interviews with family, colleagues, superior officers and others who could speak authoritatively about their feats and about themselves as persons. Overall, it was well written as it focussed as much on the human element of the awardee as it did on their feats of incredible bravery facing all odds.

These errors may have been corrected in subsequent editions but the Kindle version of the book I read had two which were unexpected. It is stated that “Nehru appointed Lt Gen B M Kaul as Chief of Army Staff in 1961”. Gen. Kaul was undoubtedly his favourite and perhaps informally overshadowed the then Chief of Army Staff, General P N Thapar but he was never the Chief of Army Staff. It also refers to the late Capt Saurabh Kalia of 4 th Battalion, Jat Regiment , as Major Kalia. Capt Kalia, you may recall, was perhaps the first casualty of the Kargil War. He was cruelly tortured by the enemy. I am not aware of his promotion to Major nor could I find this substantiated anywhere. These are minor glitches in what’s otherwise a good read. I wish more of our youth read this book to be inspired by these heroes.

And yes, please do watch the Republic Day Parade on January 26 to salute the surviving three Param Vir Chakra winners: Sub Major (Hon. Capt) Bana Singh, 8 J & K Light Infantry; Subedar Major(Hon. Capt) Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers; and Subedar Major (Hon. Capt) Sanjay Kumar., 13 JAK Rifles. Jai Hind!