By Dinesh Soni on his blog at http://www.dineshsoni.com/2009/09/sacrifice-the-cant-forget/

Kafar Bhanda, Maran Ramro (It is better to die in Valour than to live like a Coward) says 3rd Gorkha Rifles. And they truly live to it. The armed forces. May it be Army, Navy or Air Force. They all live with the possibility of death any time. It can come in any form. A bullet, a grenade or natural calamity. And still they never hesitate to take another foot ahead and kill the enemy. They spend sleepless nights so that we countrymen can sleep peacefully at our home. They sacrifice their family, their luxuries, their wives and children, their peace. And their life too. Just to see the countrymen smiling. And the smile of countrymen is the only thing that makes them die with a smile at their face.

Lt Nawang Kapadia was one such great soldier who sacrificed his life at a very young age. The age where a normal kid is busy dreaming about his to be wife, his soon to start family and his newly starting career. Nawang had much higher dreams though. He dreamed of making his countrymen sleep peacefully. He dreamed of guarding the country from enemy. He dreamed of keeping the Tricolour high always.

Being a mountaineer’s son, the love for mountains was in his blood. And he sacrificed his life while saving Himalayas from the enemy. 11th November, 2000 was the day when Nawang sacrificed his life in the notorious jungles of Rajwar near Kupwara. 24 was his age when he died. An age when a normal kid like me has no understanding of life, Nawang had made his life worthwhile. When people say life is graceful, I look at the faces of the armymen. They accept death so that we can call our life graceful. And they accept it with spread arms and broad smile. And the only words they offer to their family are

If I die in combat zone

Box me up and send me home

Pin my medals to my chest

Tell my mom I did my best

I know that me writing on this blog is not going to bring back Nawang or not going to help anyone in any ways. All I want to say in this article is

“They have sacrificed their life to make our life graceful. Let’s prove that their sacrifice isn’t waste. Let’s keep ourselves away from any activity that will make them shameul when they look at us. Let’s be the True Indian and make the sacrifice worth it.”