Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 14: In a solemn ceremony here, Army today paid homage to two soldiers who were killed in a fierce gunfight yesterday at Chowkibal area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district that also saw the killing of five militants.
The Army’s 15 Chinar Corps Commander, Lt General Satish Dua and other senior Army officers paid floral tributes to the two slain soldiers, Late Naik Shinde Shankar Chandrabhan and Gunner Sahadev Maruti Shinde, at Badami Bagh cantonment this morning.
The Corps Commander while saluting the slain soldiers said: “In their sacrifice, they have inspired an entire generation of soldiers and will continue to inspire generations of ‘soldiers to be’.”
“Standing and eventually falling for and by one’s comrade, Naik Shinde Shankar Chandrabhan and Gunner Sahadev have redefined camaraderie and the entire nation salutes them,” said the Army Commander. He further said that their families will forever remain the Army’s responsibility and that it will ensure they are looked after and lead a life of dignity and pride.
A defence spokesman said that the though coming from two different parent Units (of Infantry and Artillery) with almost ten years separating them in age and service, the slain began their tenures in the 41 Rashtriya Rifles unit together in June 2015.
“Being the scouts Naik Shinde Shankar and Gunner Sahadev bore the brunt but true to their reputation for selfless bravado and grit, they, despite being grievously wounded, immediately retaliated with fire and prevented the terrorists from firing with impunity. Despite
being mortally wounded, they continued fighting the terrorists leading eventually to their elimination,” he said.
He said the 34 year old Naik Shinde had joined 11 Maratha LI Battalion in September 2000. “Right from his days of initial training in Army Recruitment Centre he was known for his determination and resilience.
With an elder brother also in the Army who is now a JCO in 5 PARA battalion, soldiering came naturally to him. It was his passion for adventure and challenges that made him volunteer for RR again after an earlier stint in the same unit in 2006-07”, he added.
The Late Naik Shinde is survived by his wife Suvarna and two young children – 6 year old daughter, Vaishnavi, and a year and a half old son Om – besides aging parents.
The young 26 year old Gunner Sahadev was the youngest of three brothers who also came from a humble family of farmers in Bijapur of Karnataka. “Good at academics with a first division in tenth standard, he was also a keen and proficient sportsman having represented his district in Kabaddi and Volleyball. His passion for adventure saw him getting enrolled in the army at Belgaum in 2011 and joined 158 Medium Regiment,” the defence spokesman said.
“Endowed with leadership qualities he would naturally assume responsibility even during the rigorous endurance runs and other competitions during his recruitment training. Sharp in intellect and highly professional, he had already passed the potential NCO cadre within five years of service.
“The martyr is survived by his old parents and in fact, was about to turn a new leaf in life in a week’s time when he was to proceed on leave for his marriage to a girl he had seen only last year. The progressive man that he was, he had insisted on delaying the marriage so that his prospective bride could complete her education,” he added.
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