INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
CHANDIGARH: Navteshwar Singh of Mohali joined the Army as a lieutenant on Saturday, keeping a promise made in his father's "baby book" 23
Major Harminder Singh, who lost his life in the line of duty in J-K in April 1999, had expressed the desire to see his son follow in his
footsteps.Born merely three months before his father's death, Lieutenant Navteshwar embarked on this path despite his mother's initial
reservations, honouring the legacy of a family dedicated to serving the nation.The story unfolds through three generations
Lieutenant Navteshwar's grandfather, Captain Harpal Singh, served in the artillery regiment, instilling a sense of duty and valour in the
Lieutenant Navteshwar's father, Major Harminder Singh, embodied these virtues during his time in the Army
In recognition of his raw courage in a gunfight with militants in Kashmir, Major Harminder was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra
Lieutenant Navteshwar was commissioned into the 18 Grenadiers, the same regiment where his father had served with distinction, following his
graduation from the Officer Training Academy on Saturday
The piping ceremony, attended by family members, including both paternal and maternal grandmothers, marked a deeply emotional moment for the
His mother Rupinder Pal Kaur recalled that her husband was just 29 years old when he made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation
Naturally, she had reservations about sending her son into the Army.However, Lieutenant Navteshwar was determined and motivated
He lived with the echoes of his father's words, inscribed in his "baby book", where Major Harminder expressed his desire to see his son
become an officer in the 18 Grenadiers.Major Harminder's time with his son was heartbreakingly brief, as he departed for his duty in the
Valley when his son was just a month old
His unit had been deployed in Baramulla and they received information about the presence of militants in Sudarkut Bala village,
approximately 40km north of Srinagar
The firefight in which he laid down his life was marked by valour, as he continued to fight despite taking bullets in his left arm and
