Memories
Saturday, June 09, 2001
Dear friends
For
one moment, let us take a step back in time and travel to a monsoon day of
1979, when a motley crowd of guys was waiting at the steps of KREC to be
admitted inside the portals of the institute. There they were, young and
callow, in the hushed ambience of the college, with anxious thoughts roaming
their minds about the future.
It
was a dark and wet day, darkened by gray clouds and drenched by monsoon sprays
wind blowing and the palm fronds in front of the college swaying to the wind.
From a distance came the regular and rhythmic sounds of the sea waves cresting
and falling in their incessant fury.
In
a dark corridor outside a room huddled boys, some alone, some accompanied.
Names were called out aloud; one by one boys went in, certificates were
submitted, admission granted.. complete the formalities, search for room
partners, search for a room (which does not leak)…buy buckets and mugs..
There,
along with the others was a tall, taciturn and lean guy…. Mohan Gangadharan.
It
took little time for the boys to adjust to each other… new friendships took
root. Soon the pain of leaving homes was forgotten.
Mohan
became Capo…Kundoori, Kuntz…Uchil, Booty
Years
rolled by.
Finally
a day came in 1984 when goodbyes were to be exchanged.. with each other and
with the Alma Mater. Hands were shaken…old memories recalled…promises were made
to keep in touch.
Today
we have traveled several years down the road. But one of us has stopped
marching.
Capo
is not there with us.
After
leaving college, Capo, true to his family tradition, joined the Army, on 18th
December. Soon, he climbed the ladder and rose to the rank of Major. On the
fateful day of 23rd February, he was Post Commander at Shankarbasti
Post in Nagon District, Assam, operating under 311 Mountain Brigade, under
Operation Rhino. In the evening he received intelligence that a group of
militants was holed up at Jainkhan village. He immediately rushed to the
village with the Quick Reaction Team and placed a cordon around the village.
A
group of three armed militants on a motorbike tried to flee the cordon in the
cover of darkness. Using their arms, they laid down a curtain of bullets to
facilitate their escape. Unmindful of the deadly barrage, Mohan charged through
with his gun blazing and brought down one Pratap, who was the self styled Area
Commander of the Action Group of Karbi National Volunteers, with a bullet in
his leg. In the process, he received bullet injuries in the right arm and chest
and fell down. Blood was pouring out of his wounds but Mohan rose undeterred
and led the charge, the gun now in his left hand.
His
bullets found their mark and Pratap was killed. Now, he switched attention to
the other two militants.
Mohan
was still firing when he finally succumbed due to loss of blood.
Due
to the exemplary courage and leadership displayed by him, the other two
militants were captured and a veritable cache of arms was seized.
For the gallantry displayed on the battlefield, Mohan was awarded the
Shaurya Chakra posthumously on 15th August 1999.
Friends,
Mohan is no more but his wife Renjini and a four-year-old daughter Nayanthara
survive him. He also leaves behind a large family of his KREC friends……us.
It
is our bounden duty to this son of the soil who made the supreme sacrifice by
laying down his life at his country’s service that we KRECians unite and get
behind the bereaved family.
In
this regard, we have set up a fund in his memory such that money accrues on a regular basis to his daughter as she grows
up, continually expressing our care, concern and solidarity. We are also
planning a befitting memorial to him at the college so that future generations
of KRECians shall remember this great son of the Alma Mater and be proud to
have graduated from the same institute as he.
In
this regard a Mohan Gangadharan Memorial action plan has been prepared which is
appended. The plan outlines the mode of payment, the modus operandi for the
funds collected and the actions envisaged. Kindly go through the same and send
in your contribution as per the plan. You can enhance your contribution much
further if you are able to connect to other KRECians known to you and pass this
mail on to them.
With
best regards,
SATISH CHANDRA
Electronics
& Communication,
Batch
of 1984
Bangalore
E-mail : madhurisatish@netkracker.com
Late Major Mohan Gangadharan (Shaurya Chakra Posthumous)
- A profile.
