All things Bharat

Most of the time when it comes to gift ideas for teens, I feel lost. After reading this book, I think I've found the ideal present for the inquisitive teenager, especially the kid who is on the cusp of making the career choice. This book by Rachna Bisht Rawat is just perfect. You not only get to read real stories of bravado, adventure, and whatnot but you also get information on the various opportunities one can get if they look in the direction of the Armed Forces. Simple yet engaging language, unputdownable to say the least. This was the short review I wrote as soon as I finished a few chapters in the book. After having read it fully and having digested it, I think I can write a slightly longer review. I wish I could have read this book during my teens and that would have helped me take a different decision about my career. As kids from middle-class families struggling with cash flow, this would have been a great help. Nevertheless, we have our kids to guide now and hope not to r...

This visit of ours deserved a separate post. I had read about Lt Saurabh Kalia's gruesome treatment as PoW at the hands of Paxtani soldiers. May 15, 1999 was the day he and his jawans went missing. His mother suffered a heart attack upon hearing the news. On June 9, Paxtan returned the tortured remains of Lt Kalia and his men. This was from the book Kargil by Rachna Bisht Rawat. In the book she also mentioned that from that day till now, visitors visit the Smriti Kaksh (museum) built in Lt Kalia's memory, meet Vijaya ma'am ( his mother) and spend some time with them.  We visited their home sometime in May end 2022 after we finished our VaishnoDevi darshan in Jammu. We had a plan to go to Dharamshala. A tweet from another fallen soldier's mother Meghna Girish ma'am (mother of Major Akshay Girish) informed me about the events surrounding May 15. I was going to go to Dharamshala and upon checking the map I found Palampur where the Kalia family lived, was only 40 odd km...

After so many months of not reading, I finally finished a book and what a fantastic read it has been. This month we will commemorate yet another anniversary of Vijay Diwas and what a time to read about the raw courage, the exploits, the stomach-churning stories of our braves. I would recommend this book be read by everyone. We all need to remember our soldiers because and I quote, "Soldiers who put their lives at stake in wars and war-like situations expect nothing in return. But what the nation owes to them is recognition and gratitude. Soldiers don’t die on battlefields; they die when an ungrateful nation forgets their sacrifice. May the 527 martyrs of Kargil live in our hearts forever." Read this to find out what type of food and water they had to survive on during those months, during their missions. You will never waste another morsel in your life nor will you take your freedom for granted. We have to read these stories and tell them to our kids, they need to know. Kargi...

This is a rough translation/transcription of the interview between Major Madhan Kumar and Chanakya TV. For the uninitiated, Major Madhan Kumar is a retired Indian army officer and currently an entrepreneur. He also co-founded Armour of Care, an NGO along with several other ex-military and civilians whose prime focus is helping those in need of food and essentials; they did a lot of great work in the lockdown period. Major Madhan is an alumnus of the prestigious Officers' Training Academy in Chennai. He passed out of the Academy in 2003, and subsequently was commissioned into the Indian Army. Thereon he served the Army for six years, with a majority of his posting in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. The officer has also served in the Delta force, part of Rashtriya Rifles deployed in Doda district for counterterrorism operations. This interview has been translated for the viewers/followers of Major Madhan Kumar. Please leave a comment if you have anything to say. Thanks Q:...

                                                       Image from Pixabay  Image by Jai Bhutani Ever since the news about the bloody Galwan Valley clash broke out, I have been restless, sleepless. I began following every bit of news to get the latest update. Thanks to Covid and the current lockdown situation, a lot of plans that I had made have just fallen flat. Plans for travel, religious and leisure, visiting cousins and friends, or even seeing off my dearest bestie before she leaves for the US - everything has come to a halt. I can't stop myself from cursing the neighbour that God has bestowed upon us with.  During such sleepless nights, I scroll my Twitter feed over and over again. I realised I have not done enough, if nothing for my motherland, for my community. I have only b...