Nagaur (Rajasthan): Among the brave sons of the soil who sacrificed their lives for the motherland during the 1999 Kargil War, was Nagaur's Prabhuram Chotia, whose indomitable courage played a crucial role in India's victory.
Ahead of Kargil Vijay Diwas, let us take a look back at the events of 1999, where Chotia, who hailed from Indas village in Nagaur, made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
District Military Welfare Officer Colonel Mukesh Kumar Sharma said that Prabhuram Chotia was posted as a Nayak in 18 grenadiers. At the time of the Kargil War, his Delta Company was led by Major Rajesh Singh Adhikari with the responsibility of driving away the enemy sitting on the hills of Tololing.
On June 13, 1999, at around 10 pm, brave soldiers of the Delta Company started climbing the steep hills. The biggest danger in this campaign was that the enemy was sitting at a height. The moment the enemy caught sight of the Indian troops, scaling the hill, they started firing heavily from above.
Nayak Prabhuram Chotia had reached very close to the enemy's bunker, moving cautiously behind his senior officer Major Rajesh Singh. Then suddenly one bullet of the enemy hit his leg and another on the side of chest.
However, both the bullets did not break the spirits of the courageous soldier, who battled forward and hurled a grenade into the enemy's bunker. Many Pakistani army personnel died in the resulting blast.
However, Chotia was not done yet. He moved ahead and began combating the Pakistanis, eliminating multiple enemies. In the meantime however, another bullet hit him in his chest. The braveheart made the supreme sacrifice for India, at the young age of 31.
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At the time of Chotia's martyrdom, his youngest daughter Nirma was merely two years old. His son, Dayal was only four years old and the eldest daughter just six years old.
His wife Ruki Devi displayed courage and brought up her children alone. Today his elder daughter is married. Their son Dayal is preparing for IAS, while the youngest daughter Nirma has also completed post-graduation and lives in Indas with her mother.
I hold my head high with pride: Daughter
While talking about her father's martyrdom, Chotia's youngest daughter Nirma said with a choked throat: "When my father laid down his life for the motherland, I did not even know the meaning of being a martyr. Now I feel proud that my father sacrificed his life for the country. He did not retreat even in such a difficult situation. I am proud that my father made the supreme sacrifice for the country."
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She added that though she never got to experience life with her father, on hearing the tales of his bravery, her head still rises with pride.
Matter of great pride that he served the nation selflessly: Wife
Ruki Devi said that raising her children after the demise of her husband was a big responsibility. However, the family encouraged her and everything started falling in place. The loss of family member is tragic and the pain shall always linger on, but it is a matter of great honour that he laid down his life serving the nation, she said.
"It is a matter of great pride rather than sadness for me. When the whole country is commemorating the martyrs on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, it gives me satisfaction that the countrymen are breathing the air of freedom due to the supreme sacrifice of my husband," she added.
Martyr an inspiration for the youth
The memorial of Shaheed Prabhuram Chotia has been built at the main square of Indas village. His statue stands tall here. There is a higher secondary school nearby, which is named after the martyr. Tales of the martyr's bravery are narrated even today, and the young ones know them by heart.
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