The best way to live and die...

It is country calling for Dombivali boy Mohith Mohandas Nair 21 who is all set to join the Indian Military Academy IMA Dehradun Mohith is set to leave for the IMA in January 2014 and says ldquoI am unsure about the dates of joining as we have not yet been given them but I should be leaving in Januaryrdquo Mohith will be leaving the comfort of the familiar home and family for a 15year stint in the salubrious environs of Dehradun There will be little time however to smell the flowers Those 18 months carry a packed schedule for Mohith ldquowhere I will undergo hard military training like reading maps and physical trainingrdquo On completion of this Mohith is all set to become a Lieutenant with the Indian Army Mohith with his father Mohandas P Nair centre Gowri Mohandas Nair left and sister Namitha Sajan Nair at his Dombivali home PicsSameer Markande The young man stood 161st in the All India Merit of Combined Defence Services CDS list announced by the UPSC recently He appeared for the CDS written exam held on February 17 2013 He also appeared for an SSB interview in September 2013 A total of 1 85000 students appeared for the CDS Services examination held by the UPSC Out of these 5000 students qualified for the written exams They were then called for the SSB interviews An activist im Mumbai burns a poster representing the map of Pakistan during a protest against the killing of five Indian soldiers in Kashmir The overnight ambush saw five Indian soldiers killed in an attack earlier this year PicAtul Kamble A bright student Mohith had several avenues open to him but it was a chapter on the IndoChinese war that first set him thinking about a possible career in the army While some students may have nodded sleepily in time to the cadence of their history teacherrsquos voice at the Model English School all those years ago Mohith saw his imagination take wing and he says ldquothe real inspiration to join the Army came from a lesson on Subedar Joginder Singh Sahnam and his act of valour at the Bum La axis which I studied some time in VI classrdquo When he was beset by selfdoubt Mohith visited the Shaheed Smarak in Dombivali Srinagar India Indian army soldiers take up position during a search operation after suspected rebels shot dead a police officer and wounded two of his colleagues at Chadoora on December 2 PicAFP This memorial is in memory of Capt Vinay Kumar Sachan also from Dombivali who died in the Kashmir Valley fighting insurgents ldquoIt inspired me at all timesrdquo This music fan ldquoI like everything except rockrsquo he laughs had movies like Prahaar Lakshya and Border as additional motivation to join the army Mohith went on to do his XIXII from Model College in Dombivali E An Indian army Vijayanta Tank displayed at the Capt Vinay Kumar Memorial in Dombivali E Vinay a captain with 27 Rashtriya Rifles was killed in an encounter with militants in the Valley in 2003 Still holding fast to his army dream he completed his BSc in Physics from D G Ruparel College where he got 7553 per cent Through his graduation he was an active NCC cadet of 3 Mah Bn NCC Churchgate with the rank of Senior Under Officer SUO His aim though never wavered whether it was about the army or literally the bullrsquos eye Mohith represented his college in the team rifleshooting event at the University Championships taking the bronze in the event The Capt Vinay Kumar Memorial in Dombivali He was with the 27 Rashtriya Rifles A guest post by one Rahul Nimbargi on a site sums up the mood of the suburb when it says We salute our brave Captain Vinay Kumar Sachan for his extraordinary deeds Dombivali is always proud of the Sachan family to have given such a son to this motherland who has served the country more than any other Dombivalite mdash Words of respect amp appreciation from Rahul Nimbargi All the way from Norway JAI HINDu00a0 Yet even medalwinning marksmen falter in their aim at times Mohith says ldquoI failed my SSB thrice because of my impatience and anxiety Lt Col Retd Pradeep Brahmankar spotted my weakness and brought in changes in my personality That helped me greatlyrdquo After each failure Mohith was a little shaken and his selfbelief eroded to an extent but it was his family and friends who stood by him Then there was Col Pradeep Brahmankar who is director of an institute called Apex Careers in Pune grooming young people eyeing a career in defence He says ldquoMohith was groomed for the SSB Interviews at Apex Lt Col retd Brahmankar talks to students at the institute There was also Cdr Retd PK Banerjee and Hrishikesh Apte for guidancerdquo Asked specifically about the young manrsquos setbacks Brahmankar says ldquoI knew he is an extremely intelligent boy with passion and dynamism I could spot his problem areas very easily and tried to improve on themrdquo that was the key to cracking the exam Now Brahmankar says that he has little doubt that Mohith will be the consummate ldquoofficer and a gentlemanrdquo He adds with the laugh of a proud teacher ldquoGentleman he already is now on his way to becoming a good army officerrdquo Nobody however could be prouder than Mohithrsquos father Mohandas who used to work as a marketing executive in Kala Kaumudi a Malayalam daily newspaper and mother Gowri who is a homemaker Older sister Namitha works as an Asst DA officer in the Bernhard Schulte company in Powai Asked what his family thinks about his career choice Mohith says ldquoI and they too do know of course all that comes with a career in the Army I may be posted in conflict areas like Kashmir or even Naxalinfested pockets but I am prepared for everything including death One can die at any time not just in the services I may sound brave saying all this but behind a brave soldier is also a brave family who is willing to let their son go to the armyrdquo In these times when cynicism rules and youth experience what we call the lsquoloss of innocencersquo very early Mohith says ldquoIn the end I believe the best way to live and yes die too is for your countryrdquo About Bum La axis Subedar Joginder Singh Sahnan 26 September 1921 to October 23 1962 was born in Moga Punjab British India He was a Subedar in the Indian army who won the Param Vir Chakra During the 1962 SinoIndian War Subedar Joginder Singh commanded a platoon in the Tawang sector of NEFA North East Frontier Agency While holding a defensive position on a ridge in Tongpeng La area on Bum La axis the platoon noticed heavy Chinese concentration opposite Bum La across the McMahon Line on October 20 This was a preparatory to the Chinese advance on Bum La axis on October 23 At 0530 hours on October 23 the Chinese launched a heavy attack on the Bum La axis The intention was to achieve a breakthrough to Tawang The Chinese attacked the ridge in three waves each about 200 strong The attack was supported by artillery and mortar fire besides other weapons The fierce resistance of the Sikh platoon compelled the Chinese to fall back with heavy losses They regrouped quickly and launched a fresh attack under the cover of an artillery barrage Subedar Joginder Singh and his platoon stood firm The platoon lost half its men but not the will to fight Subedar Joginder Singh despite a thigh wound refused evacuation His platoon also refused to yield any ground to the Chinese The last wave of the Chinese attack which was more determined and more forceful followed Now the platoon had very few men left to fight Subedar Joginder Singh manned a light machine gun and killed a large number of enemies about 52 men But he could not stem the tide of the Chinese advance singlehandedly Ammo was exhausted When the situation became desperate Subedar Joginder Singh and his men emerged from their position with fixed bayonets falling upon the advancing Chinese and bayoneted many to death Finally the Chinese prevailed and Subedar Singh was captured after this epic battle He died from his wounds and frostbite as a PoW in Chinese custody For his inspiring leadership steadfast courage and devotion to duty beyond all odds Subedar Joginder Singh was awarded the highest wartime gallantry medal the Param Vir Chakra posthumously Source Wikipediau00a0