19 years after his father was martyred 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 martyred 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.

Interestingly, Lt. Hitesh will be serving in the same battalion as his father, the report added. “For 19 years, I dreamt of joining the Army. It became my mother’s dream too. Now I want to serve my country with pride and honesty,” said Hitesh.

“It has been a difficult life since Bachan was martyred. I dedicated my life to raising my two sons. Today I am proud that Hitesh was commissioned into the Army. His younger brother, Hemant, is also preparing to join the Army. There is nothing more I could ask for,” said a tearful Kamesh Bala, Hitesh’s mother.

“Bachan was a brave soldier. When our battalion was attacked at Tololing, he was shot in the head and died on the battlefield. We lost 17 soldiers that day, including Maj Vivek Gupta from Dehradun. I am glad Bachan’s son has received his commission. His father would have been proud of him,” said Rishipal Singh, who was in Bachan’s battalion.

Born on October 23, 1994, Lt Hitesh has a twin brother Hemant, a minute older than him, who is also preparing to join the Army. Sharing his 19-year-long journey to achieve his dreams, he says soon after his father’s martyrdom his mother put him in Rashtriya Military School at Chail in Himachal Pradesh.

A B.Com (Honours) from Delhi University’s prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce, he had the option of joining the Faculty of Management and a high-flying corporate career.“But for me, life without being in the Army was unthinkable. I had decided that if I fail to do so I will join the paramilitary forces. After school, I cleared the NDA’s written exam but failed to clear the interview,” says Lt Hitesh. A keen sportsperson, he plays basketball and loves reading historical fiction and mythology.