`Our son's sacrifice should not go in vain'

`Our son's sacrifice should not go in vain'
NANDA DABHOLE KASABE

PUNE, MARCH 11: When 23-year-old Capt Krishnakant fell to bullets in the Kupwara sector during the height of the Kargil conflict last July, the world crashed for his family several hundred miles away in Latur.

A grateful nation honoured the gallant soldier by lending the family a helping hand and monetary compensation. Chandrakant and Lalita Kulkarni, parents of Capt Krishnakant, however, had other things on their minds besides grieving. The Kulkarnis have decided to use the funds - amounting to around Rs 20 lakh - to serve those in need.

Krishnakant's death has created a void in their lives, which nothing can helpfill. Yet, his proud father feels that the gallantry shown by his son was far greater than the personal loss of the family.

"In his 23 years, young Chandrakant not only repaid the filial debts but also laid down his life for the nation. It is time that we pay tributes to our son in a befitting manner," his father has written to the Sainik Mitra Parivar in Pune.

For the Kulkarnis, it was a proud day when their son was commissioned into 5/1 Gorkha Rifles. His death on July 7, 1999 had Latur plunge into mourning. The town remained closed the day he was cremated. And hundreds turned up at the Kulkarni residence to pay their respects. The overwhelmed family decided to give back something to society.

In what is a fitting homage to the young soldier, his parents have decided to set up a public trust in his memory instead of using the monetary compensation given by the government for their personal use. The funds from the trust will be utilised to establish the Yuvakmitra Mandal which will assist students in competitive examinations.

The idea is to reach out to hundreds of youngsters by holding various essay, sports and cultural competitions. On the more ambitious side, his parents are planning to establish a residential school, a hostel, conduct environment awareness campaigns and work in the areas of rural development.

The effort no doubt will require a lot of hard work and determination to make it succeed. But Chandrakant Kulkarni is a determined man. A man on a mission who hopes that his son's sacrifice for the nation will not go in vain. In fact, it is his way of repaying his filial debt.