19 years after his father was gunned down in Kargil, Hitesh Kumar has been commissioned as a lieutenant in the Indian Army after passing out of the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun.
Hitesh was only six years old when his father, a lance naik in the 2nd Battalion of Rajputana Rifles, was killed at Tololing, in Kargil, on the night of June 12, 1999. On hearing the news of his father’s death, Hitesh vowed to join the Army, the Times of India reported.
Interestingly, Hitesh will be serving in the same battalion as his father, the report added.
The story has garnered a lot of traction on social media, and a number of Indians have shared sentimental tweets about the story. Actor and businesswoman Preity Zinta tweeted, "The greatest love stories are the ones with your motherland. No one knows that better than an Army kid & an army family. So proud & so inspired by this family (sic).”
Major Surendra Poonia, also tweeted how 'proud' he was of Hitesh. "In Kargil war,on 12Jun99 L/Nk Bachan laid his life for nation in battle of Tololing fighting Pakis. 19 yrs later son Hitesh Joined his regiment 2 Raj Rif. After commissioning,he went to his father’s memorial to pay tribute. Hitesh,We are proud of U (sic)," he tweeted.
