A General Reminisces

The son of a modest famer, Nazir tried his hand at carpet weaving, a traditional Kashmiri craft, as a young boy. Teenagers those days heard strident voices, fiery speeches, and more than occasional gunfire. Some were scared, some swayed. Nazir strayed on the wrong side as a teenager, starting with running errands for terrorist groups to more. Fortunately for him, Ikhwan, a rehabilitation programme that allowed young Kashmiri men to convert from militancy and work with the Indian Army, was started just then. Nazir joined up as a bright young lad and proved himself as a cool and confident operative in the field. As an Ikhwan and later as a soldier of Territorial Army (TA) Battalion of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI), Nazir earned his spurs in several operations. His peers described him as an enthusiastic Braveheart, who was a natural leader and a reassuring mentor. These could not have been sympathetic exaggerations, as Nazir had to his credit two Sena Medals, and was the only TA soldier to have been selected to serve in South Sudan under the aegis of UN Force. Thus, he was no accidental Braveheart when he was awarded Ashok Chakra for his ultimate sacrifice in a daring operation. An inspiring tale of Nazir' s operations and valour, this book also goes to the man behind the hero and shows the humble aspirations of a father.