Ambala (Haryana): On the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, ETV Bharat remembers Martyr Manjit Singh, who was the youngest Indian troop to lay down his life for the motherland in the war of 1999.
Manjit Singh, who sacrificed his life for the nation when he was just 18 years old, hailed from Kansapur village in Haryana's Ambala district, and was a part of the Indian Army's 8 Sikh Regiment.
'Joined service at 17, martyred at 18'
Surjit Kaur, the mother of the martyr, said that Manjit joined the army to lift his family out of poverty, and always spoke about building his own house.
Kaur said that after passing his class 10 exams, Manjit was going to enroll for class 11 in school, when his recruitment letter arrived. Though his teachers wanted him to study, Manjit went ahead and joined the army.
"He was a very smart kid. Ever since his childhood, he wanted to join the army. He joined service at the age of 17, but got martyred when he was just 18 and a half," said Gurcharan Singh, Manjit's father.
Manjit's parents recalled that the last time they met him was when he had come back home after his father had met with an accident.
"But after that, instead of him, his belongings (returned)" recalled an emotional Kaur, who broke down into tears with the memories of her son.
'Countless people had gathered'
Gurcharan Singh said that Manjit was his second son out of a total three. The eldest son, who also served in the army, was unfortunately killed in an accident, while the youngest son currently lives in Dubai.
Read: Operation Vijay: All you need to know
He recalled that when the martyr's mortal remains had reached the village, crowds beyond count had gathered to pay their respects to his brave son. Then Haryana Chief Minister Chaudhary Bansi Lal had also visited the village. He got a road made to the martyr's home, and even named the village school in the martyr's honour.
School in martyr's name today stands abandoned
Though Gurcharan Singh said that the then Bansi Lal government and even the sucessive governments provided all possible support to the family, a twinge still remains as the school in which Manjit had studied and which was later named in his honour, today stands abandoned.
"The martyr's name was supposed to live on through the school, but it is not happening. The board with his name has rusted, the school has shut down, nobody is caring for it. It is sad," rued Gurcharan Singh.
'Manjit was extremely hardworking'
Manjit's uncle, retired Subedar Daljit Singh, recalled that the martyr was very hardworking right from the beginning. His mind was always inclined towards working in the fields and playing.
As families remember all their brave soldier sons who fought gallantly for the pride of the nation, India salutes the supreme sacrifice made by every martyr.
Read: 21 years to the martyrdom of Capt Vikram Batra in Kargil War
