A nation requires heroes to sustain itself: Col VN Thapar

Team L&M

And one hero among them was Captain Vijyant Thapar who was martyred during the Kargil war, having bravely fought in the crucial battles of Tololing and Knoll. The brave soldier’s father, Col VN Thapar, along with another martyr’s daughter, Neha Dwivedi, has penned his biography — Vijyant At Kargil: The Life Of A Kargil War Hero (Penguin Random House India; 223 pages) with anecdotes from family and friends.

The Kindle edition of the Vijyant At Kargil: The Life Of A Kargil War Hero released today (May 15, 2020). It will give readers an insight into the life of this young and exceptional son of the soil, all of 22 when was martyred. Hard copies will be available post-Covid-19 pandemic chaos settles down.

Speaking about Vijyant and his story, Colonel Thapar says, “Coming generations have a right to such a rich legacy which they can lean on. Vijyant lived and died for the conviction that India is great, an ‘idea’ worth dying for. His life and thoughts must be preserved and passed on to the next generation. This book written by a soldier father on a soldier son, is but a pause for new heroes will emerge from the ashes of Vijyant.”

The co-author, Neha Dwivedi, adds, “Learning about the heroic act of an individual is fascinating. However, learning about the person’s journey can be truly inspirational. At a time, when the need of the hour for us, as a generation, is to be able to look beyond ‘self’ the story of Captain Vijyant Thapar is exactly what we need to read. He who didn’t just grow up with the ingrained ethos of service before self, but went on to put his countrymen, his unit and lastly his friends before his own life. This is for every young individual who goes to bed with the same dream every night — that of making a difference!”