- Sheonan, a para commando, wrote a blazing script of gallantry during the Indian Peace Keeping Force operations in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990. He led the first assault against the LTTE in Jaffna and was awarded a Vir Chakra. But his father Ranbir did not attend the award ceremony.
"My father lived by his own principles. The LTTE cadres fought and died bravely. My father was uncomfortable about me getting recognized for fidhting an enemy whose sacrifice went unnotices," said Sheonan.
(The Major General was "named Sheonan after a Japanese kamikaze pilot who crashed into HMS Prince of Wales, which sank in 1941. 'It was a deadly blow to the British. My father paid tribute to the kamikaze spirit.'")
2 comments:
Well, the LTTE probably have their own gallantry awards or perhaps they should, if they do not, till this point of time. Is that the implication here?
BTW, the official death toll of the IPKF was much higher (probably more than twice as much) than the number of men the Indian army lost during its Kargil operations. The interesting part is that during the Kargil war, the Indian army was fighting enemy forces, whereas in Sri Lanka they were fighting men trained in India and, at least initially, equipped by India and sent to fight the government forces of a neighbouring country (which, incidentally, is exactly the same as what Pakistan is presently doing in Kashmir!). Please see:
http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2006/7/7562.html
http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/mar/24lanka.htm
http://www.indiantelevision.com/release/y2k6/june/junerel58.htm
At Kargil, India faced ex-Indians. So did India faced in Sri Lanka. Rajeev Gandhi was killed by LTTE. So was Indira Gandhi by her own security guards. The famous Battle of Laungewala was fought by Indian troops under Commanding Officer M.K. Hussein. His elder brother was a Maj Gen in the Pakistan Army. Confused????? Everything is fair in war and peace.
Raj Sharma
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