Proud moment for parents as sons don stars

Parwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 13

For the family of Lt Deepankar Tyagi, it was a day filled with pride as their son became the first officer from their small village Pubaina in Bijnour district. Commissioned in the Corps of Engineers, Tyagi is son of a railway employee.

Tears welled up in the eyes of parents as they put stars on the shoulders of their son during the pipping ceremony. “I always wanted to join the Army as I was fascinated by the lives of officers. Hailing from a small town, I had to work very hard for getting into the academy. My family and friends supported me and helped me realise the dream of donning the olive green,” said Tyagi, a technical graduate.

“We are proud of our son as he has started a new tradition of joining forces in our family. Lots of youngsters in our village now look up to him for inspiration,” said VK Tyagi, his father.

Studying in Army School and having a close look at the Army way of life inspired Prasanjit Dutta, son of a driver, to join the Army. “During school, I used to see Army officer parents of my classmates coming to the school in their uniform. The entire demeanour motivated me so much that I knew this was the only profession I wanted to opt for,” said the silver medal winner.

“My parents have worked very hard to ensure that I get the best of education and facilities. Whatever I am today is because of their hard work and dedication,” he added.

Following his father Brig KS Nijjar’s footsteps, the young Lt Kamran Nijjar chose the Corps of Artillery. “Being in the same unit as my father is a great opportunity. It’s like a second home to me. The Army was my first choice and fortunately, I got the same unit as my father’s,” said the officer from Jalandhar.