Latest news with #RajputanaRifles
NDTV
3 days ago
- General
- NDTV
"Come See Where We Fought": He Honours His Son, A Kargil War Hero, Every Year
Colonel Virender Thapar (Retired) visits the Dras War Memorial in Ladakh every year in May-June to honour his son, Captain Vijayant Thapar, who was killed in action in the 1999 Kargil conflict. Capt Thapar was conferred with Vir Chakra (Posthumously), India's third-highest wartime gallantry award, for his valour. Mr Thapar is fulfilling something his son asked of him in his last letter, written shortly before he was killed on the Knoll Peak in Drass. Vijayant, who was 22 at that time, wrote the letter and asked it to be handed over to his family in case he failed to return. "If you can, please come and see where the Indian army fought for your tomorrow," he wrote in it. It's been 26 years since Mr Thapar has been honouring his son. A 2017 photo in which he is accompanied by several Army officials is going viral on social media, with the caption saying, "A father's pilgrimage to a small temple for his son who fell fighting @22 during Kargil war." a father's pilgrimage to a small temple for his son who fell fight ing @22 during Kargil war. — virender thapar (@Thapar77Thapar) August 3, 2017 Responding to his own tweet a year later, Mr Thapar said: "Shall go on my annual pilgrimage to Drass to pay homage to those who fought and fell in the Battles of Tololing and Knoll Three Pimples 19 years ago. All heroes of the country, including a 22-year-old Capt. Vijayant Thapar, officers, JCOs, men of 2 Rajputana Rifles. We remember." Shall go on my annual pilgrimage to Drass to pay homage to those who fought and fell in the Battles of Tololing and Knoll Three Pimples 19 years heros of the country including 22 year old Capt Vijyant Thapar officers Jcos men of 2 Rajputana remember — virender thapar (@Thapar77Thapar) May 29, 2018 This year, Mr Thapar wrote that the small temple was built exactly where his son had his final gunfight with Pakistani soldiers. "Close by were 3 martyred Pakistani soldiers. Proud he acquitted himself so well. With a pacemaker you can't go to this mandir any longer; hence, love to see this picture," he added. This is a very touching post. A small temple built at the very place where Robin had his last gun fight with the by were 3 martyred Pak he acquitted himself so well With a pacemaker can't go to this mandir any longer hence love to see this picture. — virender thapar (@Thapar77Thapar) May 28, 2025 The heartwarming post quickly grabbed the attention of various social media users. One person wrote, "Sir the temple may be small in size, but it's HUGE in significance and reverence for what it represents." Sir the temple maybe small in size but it's HUGE in significance and reverence for what it represents. — Rohit Agarwal ???????? (@ragarwal) August 4, 2017 Another wrote, "Salute to the Braveheart and also a Salute to his brave parents. Thank you Sir for giving a Gem like him to the country. JAIHIND." Salute to the Brave heart and also a Salute to his brave Sir for giving a Gem like him to the — Rajive Sood ???????? (@SoodRajive) August 3, 2017 "Sir, no words to express your courage & nationalism. I salute you & your son. Can / will never forget the sacrifices made by your family," commented another. Sir, no words to express your courage & nationalism. I salute you & ur son. Can / will never forget the sacrifices made by your family. — pawan kalwani (@pawankalwani) August 3, 2017 In his letter, Captain Vijayant Thapar expressed another heartfelt wish - that if he were to be reborn, he would still join the army and fight for the nation. He also requested that his parents continue contributing some money to an orphanage and keep giving Rs 50 to Ruksana per month, a young girl he met during his posting.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
FOB for Rajputana Rifles to come up near Delhi Cantt metro station
Officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) on Thursday conducted a site visit to decide the location for the foot overbridge (FOB) to be built near the Rajputana Rifles headquarters in Dhaula Kuan. Officials said that the FOB will likely be constructed between Delhi Metro's pillar numbers 64 and 65 of the Delhi Cantonment stationand it will not require any tree felling permission. The FOB, however, will not have any lift, escalator, or ramp, as stated earlier, the officials said. 'The space between pillar number 64 and 65 seems ideal for the FOB as it will not need cutting of trees and basic pruning will do. There is, however, no space for a ramp at the spot and including that in the design may not be possible,' said the official. On Wednesday, the subway committee of PWD gave its in-principle approval to the construction of the long-pending FOB following a May 26 Hindustan Times report. HT highlighted how thousands of soldiers of Rajputana Rifles, the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army, located in Delhi Cantonment, negotiate a smelly culvert that overflows during rains on their way to the parade ground due to the absence of a safe crossing. They do this four times a day – twice before breakfast and twice after dusk even as the Delhi government has failed to build a foot overbridge. However, it is yet to be decided which agency will bear the cost of the FOB's construction, as PWD has asked the army to arrange funds for the same. PWD has estimated that a basic FOB will cost around ₹2.59 crore, and an additional ₹1 crore will be needed if a lift is added to the design. Officials said that a report regarding the site inspection will be submitted soon, and a final design will be prepared after financial approval is received. The FOB is crucial, especially with the monsoon coming, as the situation worsens during rains as the culvert fills up with rainwater runoff and the trainees of the Rajputana Rifles regiment have to either wade through waist deep drain water or walk along the road for over 2.5 kilometres to cross the road from one side of the carriageway to the other. HT also found that the FOB was approved earlier as well in 2010 but could not be constructed despite the approval being granted 15 years ago. The project was eventually scrapped until the demand was raised again recently.
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
A smelly trail from barracks to grounds: Regiment's daily battle in Delhi
Every morning, like clockwork, over 3,000 soldiers of the Rajputana Rifles march out of their barracks and head for the parade ground. But to get there, they must first duck under a narrow, crumbling culvert, entirely covered in garbage, that straddles a foul-smelling drain. Four times a day—twice before breakfast and twice after dusk—this is the path they must cross, navigating muck and stench. This isn't an image from a neglected outpost or a border camp. It's the daily reality inside the headquarters of the Rajputana Rifles, the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army, located in Delhi Cantonment, a short walk from the bustling Delhi Cantonment Metro Station. And with monsoon clouds beginning to gather, their path to the parade ground is about to become even more treacherous. Every year, as the rains swell the nallah, the already-difficult crossing becomes a hazard. Flooded, slick with sludge, and nearly waist-deep in places, it forces soldiers to roll up their fatigues and wade through water. They do this till the water reaches a level when it is hazardous to even try crossing the culvert. Locals said that the culvert was flooded again on Sunday morning after heavy rains in the area, disturbing the morning training session of the soldiers. The water drained out only by early afternoon. 'Today was not an exception. This is the ordeal that the soldiers have to face every single time it rains. The purpose of the culvert actually is to drain out water and to provide passage to the men. They use it as there is no other way,' said Aditya Tanwar, a local activist. 'I was recruited in 1990, and we had to use the same drain crossing for training even back then. It got dangerous at night and during the rains. Now, 35 years later, when I'm posted here again, I find the situation hasn't changed,' said a soldier who asked not to be named. 'There have been multiple requests for a foot overbridge, but the Delhi government has done nothing.' It is a cruel irony. Even as the nation celebrates its military strength with symbolic marches and political speeches lauding the success of Operation Sindoor, the soldiers at its heart are left to wrestle with crumbling infrastructure in the very Capital. What deepens the irony is the Delhi government's aggressive push to build foot overbridges (FOBs) across the city since coming to power in February. The Public Works Department (PWD) has sanctioned multiple new FOBs over arterial roads and busy markets. Several lie underutilized or locked up, while one of the city's oldest military institutions continues to be denied a bridge that has been requested for years. 'The proposal has been acknowledged several times. But nothing moves beyond the files. This isn't just about convenience—it's about safety and respect,' said a senior official from the regiment who asked not to be named. 'Even Olympian Neeraj Chopra used this culvert during his training. The new batch of Agniveers will do the same. We are soldiers—we don't complain. But this is not how it should be.' When the culvert floods over during monsoon, which it invariably does, soldiers are forced to walk nearly 2.5km to a traffic light to cross the six-lane Ring Road. The road above is pristine—well-paved, painted, flanked by wide walking paths and six-foot-high iron grills to deter jaywalking. Below it, however, the soldiers inch through filth. Nearby residents have long witnessed this daily indignity. Civil society activists have raised the issue repeatedly. 'We've written to the Public Works Department (PWD), to the lieutenant governor, to the defence ministry. Everyone agrees that an FOB is needed here. But there's been no action. We even moved the court, which asked the government to look into it. We met the chief minister—she gave a positive response, but that was a month ago,' said Paras Tyagi, founder of the Centre for Youth, Culture, Law and Environment, who has led the campaign. PWD officials maintain they are 'considering the matter' and are assessing financial feasibility. But people familiar with the matter admit the file has moved little in two years — despite a strongly worded recommendation from the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), which is part of Delhi's subway committee and oversees feasibility assessments. Velmurugan S, chief scientist, CCRI, said in the letter: 'It is understood that a minimum of 1,500 commuters must be using this informal pathway with the peak flow of 400 to 500 RRR commuters/soldiers at any instant of time during each of the morning drills, afternoon lunch and evening dinner timings... Considering the prevailing inhuman condition at the site and inadequate facilities for the saviours of our nation, the feasibility of the construction of an FOB is fully justified without having the need to conduct any traffic study. This is because of the fact that the above quantum of commuters is fixed considering the regimented schedule of training every day. The approach of the FOB landing at the RRR Centre side can be oriented to have two landings one on the Ring Road and the other within the premises of the RRR having a gated facility manned by Army.' PWD did not respond to a request for comment. Aditya Tanwar, the activist, recalled how the initial CRRI inspection happened at 11am—long after soldiers had crossed the culvert. 'The team reported that no one used the route. But we requested a second visit at a more relevant time, and they were shocked to see the volume of daily movement,' he said. That second visit changed everything. 'I sent a revised letter to the PWD, stressing the urgency,' said Dr S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head of the traffic engineering and safety division at CRRI. 'What I saw was inhumane. Soldiers, who are supposed to be our protectors, being made to crawl through a drain to train. How has no government thought to build a footbridge here in all these years?' As monsoon approaches again, the need for a decision grows more urgent. Everyone—from local officials and urban planners to military officers and civil society—agrees that a bridge is needed. Yet the papers continue to languish in offices. Until then, soldiers trained to cross mountains, rivers, and deserts will continue to use their skills to duck beneath a broken culvert in the nation's Capital.
NDTV
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Celina Jaitly Says Her Father Vikram Kumar Was "Critically Wounded" During The 1971 War: "He Lost Complete Hearing"
New Delhi: Actress Celina Jaitly opened up about the emotional toll the current India-Pakistan situation is taking on her. Celina is the daughter of late Colonel Vikram Kumar Jaitly and granddaughter of late Colonel Eric Francis of the Rajputana Rifles. Reacting to recent developments, she told News18, "Hearing that Army Public School in Udhampur, a place full of my childhood memories, was attacked this weekend moved me to tears. For us, this isn't just news. It's personal, and the pain runs deep." A few days ago, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi confirmed that Pakistan had attacked schools and medical facilities in Srinagar, Avantipura and Udhampur. The sacrifices of soldiers at the border have reminded Celina of her father's bravery during the 1971 war. "He was just 21 when he fought in the 1971 war. He was critically wounded during the Battle of Bhaduria, sustaining severe bullet and shrapnel injuries. Despite lifelong wounds, he continued to serve the nation with unmatched pride and honour, eventually commanding the prestigious 16 Kumaon Regiment. He was awarded two Wound Medals and the Sena Medal for his bravery," she said. Celina, who was born in the 1980s, said her upbringing was shaped by her father and grandfather's military service. "I was born in the 1980s, but as the daughter and granddaughter of frontline infantrymen, I grew up knowing that every goodbye could be the last. I saw the toll that life in uniform took on my father and grandfather - physically, emotionally, and mentally. My father lost complete hearing in one ear after an IED explosion at the age of 41, yet his loyalty to the nation never faltered. Despite hardships, we were raised with the strength and resilience of a soldier's family." She also recently shared an old photograph on social media featuring her grandfather with General Ayub Khan, the second President of Pakistan. Recalling that post, she said, "My grandfather was a highly decorated officer, who fought valiantly in the 1962 Sino-Indian War and the 1965 Indo-Pak War. In my family, respect for the armed forces was not something taught through words; it was lived every single day." Celina also revealed her own aspirations of joining the armed forces. "I was preparing for the Combined Defence Services Examination and AFMC even while pursuing modelling. When I won Miss India, my father and I still hoped I would eventually join the armed forces. Many women in my family have proudly served, including my aunt, who was a Navy doctor," she shared. She added, "My desire to wear the uniform and serve remains one of my greatest unfulfilled dreams."
India.com
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Anushka Sharma to Priyanka Chopra, 8 Bollywood actresses who come from army background, 5th on the list is...
Priyanka Chopra to Anushka Sharma, 8 Bollywood actresses who are proud Fauji kids Coming from an army background is a proud feeling on its own. Many Bollywood actresses posses a deep military connection, being daughter of brave Indian soldiers and officers. These Fauji Kids are brought up in a disciplinary background and their personal stories speaks volumes of courage, sacrifice and adaptability. Let's have a look at these 8 Bollywood actresses who hail from proud Indian Army families, with journeys full of pride and resilience. Anushka Sharma Anushka Sharma's father, Colonel Ajay Kumar Sharma, served in the Indian Army and fought the Kargil War. She grew up in different cities, living the life of a typical army kid. She once told, 'I take pride in saying that I am an army officer's daughter even more than being an actor.' Rakul Preet Singh Rakul Preet Singh is the daughter of Army officer Rajender Singh. She like many army kids, had experiences of moving from one place to another, and adapting to different surroundings. Moreover, she also revealed how her mother was often anxious about her father's safety. Preity Zinta Preity Zinta was the daughter of Army officer, Durganand Zinta. When she was 13, her father passed away in a tragic car accident. She once revealed that how her father taught her to be a strong and independent woman. Her brother, Deepankar Zinta, too serves in the Indian army. Nimrat Kaur Nimrat Kaur's father, Major Bhupinder Singh, was an army officer. In 1994, his father made an ultimate sacrifice, when he was kidnapped and killed by terrorists in Kashmir. Nimrat was just 11 at the time. His father's bravery left a deep impact on her life. Celina Jaitly Celina Jaitly's father was late Colonel Vikram Kumar Jaitly, who fought the Battle of Bhaduria in 1971. Her Grandfather was late Colonel Eric Francis of the Rajputana Rifles. Sushmita Sen Sushmita Sen is the daughter of Wing Commander Shubeer Sen, who served in the Indian Air Force. While growing up, she attended various Air Force schools, and credits her upbringing for the courage to follow her dreams, including wining the Miss Universe title. Lara Dutta Lara Dutta's father, Wing Commander L.K. Dutta, was in Indian Airforce and was also Ex-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's personal pilot. She once revealed that she had grown up listening to all his father's stories. 'He had flown her many times and knew her personally. I grew up as a kid hearing stories about her. So, in a way, I felt an indirect personal connection with her, ' Lara Dutta was quoted while speaking to Pinkvilla. Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra is born and bought up in a military household. Both her parents were doctors in the Indian Army. The actress revealed that her father, Dr. Ashok Chopra, will always be her hero and continues to inspire her everyday.
