I would like to share a response from Mr. Neerav, who responded after reading my blog. Mr. Neerav is the grandson of Col HKS Babbar about whom i had made a mention in the comment window of my earlier post "So Far SO Good"
Mr. Neerav's response :-
Dear Sir,
I am very grateful to you for holding my grandfather in such high regard. I feel that he belonged more to his regiment than to us. Thanks so much for your kind words for my grandad. He has been my role model since childhood, but to my misfortune just when I was a grown up boy and wanted to learn and take a lot from him, we lost him. He left for heavenly abode in 2002. I have heard a lot about him from various people. It was an honour for our family when General NC Vij along with other senior officers flew from Delhi to attend his funeral at Meerut.The fact that the Chief of the Army Staff came to an officer's funeral who had retired almost 25 years back as a Colonel made me realise how much he is/was respected in the army. All funeral arrangements were made by a Dogra TA Battalion stationed at Meerut. It was somewhat like a state honour. We owe a lot to the Dogra Regiment which gave him so much of respect and honour during his last rites. My grandmother often told me as a child of my grandfather's experiences in Nagaland, and also about the true story of an award on his head by the naga chief. My grandad was full of humility and was such a humble man that he never made me or anyone in the family feel of his greatness that he had earned. We always heard of him from others acquainted to him. He was a man of principles and belonged to a breed that is rare to find today. There is a small article published in The Tribune by an officer who was known to my granddad. The title is 'Soldierly Spirit', here's the link to this article http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071120/edit.htm.
I once again thank you sir from the bottom of my heart for your kind words about my granddad on your blog. I look forward to a correspondence with you.
Warm Regards,
Neerav
I was so much impressed by his response that i wanted to share the same with my blogger friends and therefore asked for his permission to do so. I once again received the following reply from him :-
Dear Sir,
My granddad once said to me that the biggest daan(in hindi) is Gupt Daan. If you do some thing good never boast about it. Keeping in view his principles, I am, as his grandson a little hesitant to boast about him on your blog. I'm comfortable talking about him to people who knew him. As far as you are concerned, you were known to him professionally, and u are completely free to write about him as you shared a strong regimental relationship with him.
Warm Regards
Neerav
I was so much touched by his responses that i decided to publish them here. Reading the replies of Mr. Neerav, one can certainly conclude that this young man has truly inherited the "Soldierly Spirit" of his Grand Pa and is sure to emulate Col Babbar's principles in his own life.
Mr. Neerav's response :-
Dear Sir,
I am very grateful to you for holding my grandfather in such high regard. I feel that he belonged more to his regiment than to us. Thanks so much for your kind words for my grandad. He has been my role model since childhood, but to my misfortune just when I was a grown up boy and wanted to learn and take a lot from him, we lost him. He left for heavenly abode in 2002. I have heard a lot about him from various people. It was an honour for our family when General NC Vij along with other senior officers flew from Delhi to attend his funeral at Meerut.The fact that the Chief of the Army Staff came to an officer's funeral who had retired almost 25 years back as a Colonel made me realise how much he is/was respected in the army. All funeral arrangements were made by a Dogra TA Battalion stationed at Meerut. It was somewhat like a state honour. We owe a lot to the Dogra Regiment which gave him so much of respect and honour during his last rites. My grandmother often told me as a child of my grandfather's experiences in Nagaland, and also about the true story of an award on his head by the naga chief. My grandad was full of humility and was such a humble man that he never made me or anyone in the family feel of his greatness that he had earned. We always heard of him from others acquainted to him. He was a man of principles and belonged to a breed that is rare to find today. There is a small article published in The Tribune by an officer who was known to my granddad. The title is 'Soldierly Spirit', here's the link to this article http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071120/edit.htm.
I once again thank you sir from the bottom of my heart for your kind words about my granddad on your blog. I look forward to a correspondence with you.
Warm Regards,
Neerav
I was so much impressed by his response that i wanted to share the same with my blogger friends and therefore asked for his permission to do so. I once again received the following reply from him :-
Dear Sir,
My granddad once said to me that the biggest daan(in hindi) is Gupt Daan. If you do some thing good never boast about it. Keeping in view his principles, I am, as his grandson a little hesitant to boast about him on your blog. I'm comfortable talking about him to people who knew him. As far as you are concerned, you were known to him professionally, and u are completely free to write about him as you shared a strong regimental relationship with him.
Warm Regards
Neerav
I was so much touched by his responses that i decided to publish them here. Reading the replies of Mr. Neerav, one can certainly conclude that this young man has truly inherited the "Soldierly Spirit" of his Grand Pa and is sure to emulate Col Babbar's principles in his own life.
