Do your bit for the country, say heroes

KOLKATA: "It was -35 degrees Celsius, snowing heavily and extremely hazardous, but we still went ahead because it was our responsibility to protect our nation," Param Veer Chakra Honorary Captain Bana Singh recalled about the Siachen Conflict at Vidya Mandir on Thursday where he was felicitated by the Birla High School Alumni Association along with Naib Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav and Havildar Sanjay Kumar to instill patriotism in the students.
In 1987, when Bana Singh volunteered to join the special task force that was constituted to infiltrate the Pakistani intruders in the Siachen glacier, he was unsure about the outcome.
"Nobody likes to fight but when your country needs you, you go ahead," Bana said. "It is only because of the blessings of my countrymen that I have been able to safeguard the honour of my country and stand before you today, alive."
The voice of Sanjay Kumar didn't waver one bit as he recounted his experience of fighting in Kargil in 1999. "The terrain was very tough, it was extremely cold yet we forged ahead. Two of my teammates died. Without bothering about my injuries, I went on and killed the enemy with their own weapons," Singh said. "Jo sachchai ke liye larte hain, woh hamesha jeette hain (He who fights for truth, will always win). We have worn this uniform to protect our country but each of us has the responsibility of doing something for the nation."
Yogender Singh Yadav feels it is the will of God that pulled him back from the jaws of death and, more importantly, helped him achieve his objective under overwhelming odds. "We faced so many obstacles yet we were successful, because god was with us," he said.
Deputy general officer commanding (Bengal Area) Brigadier A K Sharma was the chief guest of the occasion. Hearing the students sing patriotic numbers, he said: "The way they sung from their hearts, nothing can be greater proof that many of them will follow the path taken by these three brave men who are here with us today."