“He always wanted to join the Indian Army, I am proud of my son…”, Col Bhuvnesh Kumar Thapa didn’t break down, as calm like always, he greeted people visiting their Siliguri residence on Tuesday to express condolences over the death of his son Captain Brijesh Thapa. Captain Brijresh was one of the four soldiers killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda on Monday night.

“Brijesh was a Btech graduate but let go of his degree for the Indian Army. I was in the forces and he would at times take out my uniform or the army jacket and wear them, act like a soldier. But as he grew up he started saying that one day he will have his own uniform. My son has died while in action, serving the motherland. Yes I have lost my son, but I am proud of my son that he sacrificed his life for the nation”, said the retired Col of 11 Garhwal Rifles, looking at the old family pictures along with Captain Brijesh.

Col Bhuvnesh Thapa, father of late Captain Brijesh

Nilima Thapa, his mother was inconsolable, unlike the father, she stayed silent and seated at one corner of the house, yet to come to terms with the loss and oblivious as who came and who left their home after expressing grief. She barely spoke to anyone. When the news came home, she was in disbelief. “When the Commanding Officer (CO) called us to inform, we didn’t believe him and requested him to recheck. He was supposed to come back home in July. He had told us that he was involved in an operation but we never thought that operation would cost him his life and that our son was indeed coming back home in July but in a coffin”, the father added, his eyes turned moist and he was quick to rub them to look strong, stronger than ever.

The family had no qualms against the government or the forces and didn’t see this as a fallout of a rise in militancy activities in the valley after a lull period. This was the second such encounter in less than a week that had claimed the lives of the jawans. Five jawans were killed in an ambush on July 8 in Kathua district’s remote Machedi forest belt. Since October 2021 at least 49 security personnel have lost their lives in Jammu and Kashmir including 39 Army men and one from Indian Air Force (IAF) in various terrorist activities.

“It is not anyone’s fault. The region is dense forest and no matter how much vigilant you are, terrorists may sneak in and forces have to engage with them to eliminate them. I wanted my son to walk up to the rank of General but God had some other plans and we accepted it. The Nation comes first, we will be fine, will live with the sorrow of life without Brijesh but still we will live every moment of it as proud parents of a martyr”, Bhuvnesh added.