JKPS Kunjwani pays tribute to Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, PVC under CBSE Project Veer Gatha

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Under the CBSE-led Veer Gatha Project 4.0, JK Public School Kunjwani paid heartfelt tribute to Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, a brave officer of the Indian Army, who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest military honor, for his exceptional valor during the Kargil War of 1999. His indomitable courage and leadership while leading his men to reclaim crucial positions from well-entrenched enemies have become legendary, symbolizing the finest traditions of the Indian Army.
Principal JKPS Kunjwani Rajesh Rathore, who enjoys the privilege of starting his teaching career from the Alma mater of Captain Pandey PVC, namely, UP Sainik School Lucknow highlighted the life history and milestones of the braveheart.
He stated, “Born on June 25, 1975, in Rudha village of Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh), Captain Pandey showed signs of bravery and leadership from an early age. He joined the National Defence Academy and later the Indian Military Academy, where he was commissioned into the 1/11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1997”.
“During the Kargil conflict, Captain Pandey played a critical role in recapturing strategic enemy positions in the Batalik sector. He was assigned to lead his troops in the assault on Jubar Top, a mission fraught with extreme danger as the enemy held commanding positions on the mountain ridges”, he added. On the night of July 3, 1999, Captain Pandey fearlessly led his men through heavy artillery and gunfire, personally eliminating many enemy soldiers in close combat. Even after being seriously wounded by an MMG burst in his forehead, he pressed on with his mission, motivating his men to continue the assault. His last words before succumbing to his injuries were, “Na chhodna” (“Don’t leave them”), he further added.
Principal Rathore made special mention to two of the immortal statements, scribbled by Capt Manoj Kumar Pandey PVC in his diary, which go as follows: “If death strikes me before I prove my blood. I swear, I will kill death”. The other one says: “Some goals are so worthy, it’s glorious even to fail”. Giving a vent to his overwhelming emotions and nostalgia, he stated further, “How vividly I can recollect the day, while I escorted the contingent of Grade XI & XII cadets of UPSS to the cremation ground via our martyr’s residence to join the procession walking along with his mortal remains on 9th July, 1999. The banks of river Gomti witnessed multitudes of mourners thronging the place along with countless blue & red beacon light official vehicles parked in the beginning of the cremation ground, packed to its capacity”. “When Gopi Chand Pandey, the father of our brave heart, lit the funeral pyre, every mourner standing there cried profusely with streaming eyes. It was heart-rending”.
“Such emotional farewell is accorded to a chosen few only, the great souls, the gallant soldiers, who never think about their parents, members of the family or the family conditions while facing their enemies but make the supreme sacrifice to safeguard the honour of our Motherland. They are indeed reckless, determined, committed, dedicated, passionate & daring to the core. Hats off to dear Capt Manoj Kumar Pandey PVC”, he summed up.
Shahidon ki chitaon pe,
lagenge har baras mele.
Watan pe mitne walon ka,
baaki yahi nisha hoga.