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Sepoy Vijaya Kumar K was born to be a soldier right from the very outset. Hailing from Tirunelvelli District of Tamil Nadu, which boasts of substantive strength of serving soldiers, in the Indian Armed Forces, this ‘Gallant Thambi’ had made up his mind quite early to serve the country. Firm in his resolve, Vijaya enrolled himself into the Madras Regiment at a young age of twenty one years and displayed active involvement in all activities during recruit training. He was simply outstanding in his overall performance, thereby becoming cynosure of all eyes during recruit training at the Madras Regimental Centre. The individual joined his Battalion on 06 September 2015. With the Battalion moving for a tough field assignment in the icy & snow clad area of Kargil Sector, Sepoy Vijaya, calmly and stoically went about preparing himself physically and mentally for the challenges ahead.

Cheerful and witty, Sepoy Vijaya was extremely fond of his parents, specially his mother Smt Muttukutty, evident from the fact that when his mortal remains were retrieved, he still had her photograph alongside. Posted to a Rifle Company, Sep Vijaya ventured to serve on a difficult post located at approx 17500 feet that remains isolated and inaccessible to the rest of the world for as long as six months every year during winters due to ten to fifteen feet of snow. He inducted onto the post in December 2015 and gave an exceedingly superlative account of his soldierly attributes. As sentinel of the nation, Sepoy Vijaya stood steadfast, braving all odds and adversities thrown at him by nature as well as the adversary. His unflinching commitment was a testimony to his upbringing, personal values and professional grooming. On the night of 17 March 2016, he was washed away in an avalanche for almost one kilometer and ultimately was retrieved from under twelve feet of snow on 20 March 2016.

Son of Shri Karuthapandian P, a farmer by profession, Sep Vijaya along with his father jointly epitomised the famous quote “Jai Jawan – Jai Kisan” Survived by his parents and two younger sisters, Vijaya was fully conscious of his responsibilities towards his family and hence contributed every penny of his hard earned money for the education of his sisters and care of his parents. His sad and untimely demise leaves a huge void and irreparable loss for the entire Indian Army fraternity. An indebted nation salutes this brave soul and pays its homage to the proud parents and stands with them in their hour of grief. In both life & death, he has epitomised the Madras Regiment’s motto – “It is Glory to Die Doing One’s Duty”.

Col Rohan Anand, SM PRO (Army)