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CAPT SUNIL KUMAR CHOUDHARY,KC(Posthumous),SM


1. We in Infantry have to visit our respective Regimental Centers before we move to our units. It was my first day at Regimental Centre. I was looking for adjutant's office. At that point of time, I was guided by a senior officer. Through brief interaction with him, I came to know that he was Col Choudhary and that I was going to join his son's unit. I was overwhelmed and was looking forward to meet Captain Sunil Choudhary. When I moved to join my unit in Assam, I saw a frustrated soul sitting in Adjutant Chair. "I am not the real adjutant, I am being held back to stick to the chair. CI mein aa gaye ho ab goliya chalao" were his first words to a youngster like me.


2. He never worked to please someone; he always worked to please himself. That is why he was a class apart. I only got one year to serve under him, in which I enjoyed talking to him, enjoyed operating with him in late night hours. I got to learn the most important things from him. His way of operating was different from others. He believed in his operation party, and his operation party believed in him.


3. He never used to hesitate in spending money from his pocket. He always planned to spend money but never thought of saving it. The youngsters, any time we needed help we always approached him. . Anything new in the market always excited him; plans would erupt in his mind to manage money and to make it his own. That is why his living room was full of electronic gadgets. When he is near by, there would always be discussions regarding unit moving on UN mission. He would always dream of earning so much of money that he would spend it in a go.


4. He always wanted to be a man of action and he was. Finally when he got the green signal to be a Coy Cdr, he was one of the happiest persons in the world. When he took over as Coy Cdr, 'A' Coy had not done that well. 'A' Coy was on a run, within a very short span of time. He built such an int network that the insurgent group feared him. Can you imagine an officer launching two to three operations within a span of three days, that too based on definite int. Every month there used to be an officers conference, where in 2IC and Adjutant were afraid of what Capt Choudhary would ask for? Capt Choudhary would sit in Adjutants office and prepare his long check list even before the conference started. When you asked him why do you require so many things his usual answer would be, "CI hai pata nahi kab zaroorat pad jaaye" Every one of us knew when ever he asked something, he would ask it keeping something in his mind. No one to raised any objection against him.


5. He used to always fight for what he thought was right. His usual dress code would be a T-shirt, Bermuda and chappals. There were many instances, when he landed in wrong uniform in Bn HQ and then we youngsters had to look for his particular size of dress and shoes. When ever any discussion used to take place, it would be only about insurgents, who are where? What he is doing? Every time he used to come with new ideas to counter insurgents. He nailed down two important cadres, for which he was awarded Sena Medal. If someone wanted to learn something from an authority, that would be handling of sources. He knew how to handle sources. That is why he was so successful. After he nailed down two important cadres, every one thought he would slow down. But his frequency of operations took a big leap. That shows how much determined was he in discharging his duties, how fearless, how energetic and how committed.


6. During our Regimental orientation we three youngsters had nothing to plan on New years day as we were new to that place. There was a party at the club, but only members were allowed. At that pt of time Col Choudhary asked us to impersonate his three sons. I happenned to impersonate Captain Sunil Choudhary. I might have impersonated him, at that point of time, but no one can replace his position in our unit. His loss has been the greatest loss to our unit. We salute Capt Sunil Choudhary, SM and his parents who gave birth to such a brave soldier.


Lt PU Hiremath
7/11 Gorkha Rifles