Country’s first memorial for Military Intelligence personnel comes up in Pune

PUNE: They have been the anonymous, unsung heroes of India, but a memorial now honours the valour and sacrifices of Military Intelligence (MI) personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

Located at Wanowrie in Pune cantonment, and named Satark Park — inspired by MI's motto, "Sada Satark" (always alert) — it is the country's first memorial dedicated to MI personnel. The park features busts of MI bravehearts, with brief details of their contributions to operations executed on the borders and outside the country.

Among the busts of the heroes are Kirti Chakra awardees Naik Pratap Singh (June 12, 1977) and Brigadier Ravi Datt Mehta (July 7, 2008), Shaurya Chakra awardees Sepoy Om Shiv Sharma (September 5, 1994), Naik Jangbir Singh (August 20, 1996), and Havildar S Samy Kannan (April 2, 2004).

It has been constructed by Military Intelligence Training School and Depot (MITSD), with the help of Roadway Solutions India Infra Ltd. An island strip outside MITSD, the alma mater of MI personnel, has been converted into a park-cum- memorial.

Since 1962, 40 brave personnel belonging to the Corps of MI of the Indian Army, including 11 officers, have laid down their lives in various operations. However, stories of their war heroes have not been told or discussed openly/publicly owing to the "core character" of the services. But for the first time, their sagas will be briefly shared with the public.

War Widow Sunita Mehta, the wife of Kirti Chakra awardee Brigadier Mehta, told TOI from New Delhi, "It will be a big honour for the families. The people will appreciate their rich contributions. They have been unsung heroes of the country."

BK Singh, the director of RSIIL, who has monitored the work at the site for the last few months, said, "When you look at the walls of valour, you see the greatness of MI personnel. Each of those 40 busts represents an unwavering commitment to their tasks. Each represents a life that refused to be cowed down by enemies. Through this structure, we will always honour and remember them."

Majority of these personnel laid down their lives in Jammu and Kashmir and North Eastern borders over the years. Lt Gen LN Singh (retd), the former commandant of MITSD, expressed satisfaction over the memorial dedicated to Military Intelligence personnel. "There is not a single public memorial of MI in the country," he said over phone from Manipur.

"Pune is a temple for intelligence corps officers. The memorial will help the general public to know about the unsung heroes of MI, whose contributions are known only within our fraternity," Singh said, adding, "I could not get the memorial constructed when I was a commandant of the MITSD due to bureaucratic hassles. But finally, it has happened."

"In Israel, there is a dedicated tank museum captured by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) in various wars. It is beautifully maintained. It serves as an inspiration for people there. It will inspire our generations in a similar fashion," he said.

Inside the memorial, a separate platform, in cement concrete on which the pledge of the MI Corps will be written, faces a map of India. Two vertical lines of busts (36 inches made up of a mix of resin and fibreglass, all weatherproof) grab attention. At one end of the memorial is a symbol of the Corps, while the side has a tank depicting its presence in various formations.

Some intelligence officers believe that their work will inspire future aspirants. "A single quote, sentence, or a brief description of someone's bravery is enough to inspire one in setting life's goals. This memorial will work in that direction," they said. ‘

A section of veterans and family members feel that the stories of the heroes should have been made public long ago. "Keeping the names of those who fought four decades ago made no sense. What did we achieve? Our inspiring stories have remained limited to a small circuit of the intelligence community," said a veteran who did not wish to be named.