EOI, 16 July 2024: Ten days before Kargil Vijay Diwas Darjeeling lad Captain Brijesh Thapa will be returning home wrapped in tricolor.
His father, a retired Army colonel Bhuwenesh Thapa, and mother Nilima were stunned after hearing their son’s martyrdom on Monday night at their Siliguri’s Sashtri Nagar residence around 11 pm. An unknown phone number rang and informed them that their son died while fighting with militants Mother Nilima could not stop crying since she heard the death of her only son who was about to come on leave this July or else in November and take her for holiday to Tura in Meghalaya.
Brijesh spoke to his parents last on Sunday stating that he was speaking from his basecamp down after trekking five hours journey from the field area where he is deployed with 50 other soldiers. Brijesh was a company commander and leading the troops in one of the toughest peaks of the war zone where no vehicles passed.
Brijesh joined the Indian Army in 2019with his own efforts despite of parent’s suggestion to join in Navy and Airforce.“He wanted to join Indian Army and when we were holidaying in Laddakh, he had worn a jacket with sticker of Indian Army and then he uploaded his pictures in social media stating this will be his real image after one year.
After completing his B.Tech from a college in Mumbai, Brijesh appeared for the Combined Defence Service (CDS) examination. In 2018, he passed the Short Service Commission (SSC) examination of the defense service and joined the Army in2019. He was a music lover and use to play guitar and drum, he had bought two guitars at home and used to play during his leave. His father Bhuwenesh said, “My son had come for 12 days leave in March last year to celebrate my birthday and extended one more week and since then we did not meetup. He was brave and talented and never used to complain about any hurdles he faced in life. Namita Sakya, an aunt of the martyred soldier, said that she still can’t believe that Brijesh is no more.
The chronology of terror attackson army in J&K in July 2024:
JULY 15: Four army personnel, including an officer,killed in a gunfight with terrorists in Doda district.
JULY 8: Five army personnel killed and as manyinjured in a terrorist ambush in Kathua district.
JULY 7: An army personnel injured in a terroristattack on a security post in Rajouri district