The Hindu : National : Kargil martyr remembered by Kupwara girl

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Kargil martyr remembered by Kupwara girl

New Delhi: He may be no more, but for 16-year-old Rukhsana from a remote village in Kashmir, Vir Chakra recipient and Kargil martyr Captain Vijayant Thapar is still alive.

Rukhsana, a student of standard IX in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, fondly remembers this “messiah” as a “tall man with whom she played on the school premises and who gave her handful of chocolates.”

While braving the intruders on the icy heights of Knoll and Three-Pimples in Drass sub-sector in Kargil, 22-year-old Captain Thapar in his last letter to his family, asked them to continue sending Rs. 50 to a girl in Kupwara.

He wrote, “By the time you get this letter I will be observing you all from the sky enjoying the hospitality of apsaras [angels]...donate some money to [an] orphanage, and keep giving Rs. 50 to Rukhsana a month.”

Thapar, who was conferred captain’s rank posthumously, was first posted with 2-Rajputana Rifles. He met thefive-year-old girl, in a school near an Army camp in Kupwara.

“All we want is to keep cherishing “Robin’s” [Captain Thapar’s nickname] memory and see Rukhsana growing up,” his father Colonel (retd) V. N. Thapar said.

“We came to know about her when he [Captain Thapar] asked us to send some girl’s clothes to him. We were surprised with the mention of a girl...but then we got to know she was a little kid,” Mr. Thapar said.

“We met her [Rukhsana] for the first time in 10 years, just two months ago. She is a very pretty girl and [is] studying at a government school. She can read and write and speak English, Kashmiri and Urdu,” he said.

The old parents, saw their 22-year-old son, living in Rukhsana’s eyes, heart and mind. They gave her a mobile phone so that they could “stay in touch with her.”

Withdrawal symptoms

“Her father was killed by unknown assailants and after the incident she developed withdrawal symptoms and always kept mum. She would not mingle with anyone...but now she is quite chirpy,” the retired Colonel said

“We had never seen her as a meeting never materialised.... her life was also said to be under threat as her father was accused of spying.” — PTI

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