Kargil Vijay Diwas: Capt Amol Kalia, first soldier in the family, but not the last one

Amol Kalia was an expert in mountain warfare and had been given the task of recapturing Point 5203 at a height of 17,000 feet in the Kargil-Yaldor region, from soldiers of the Pakistani Army’s Northern Light Infantry. He was martyred along with 13 other soldiers.

Capt Amol Kalia’s father S P Sharma and mother Usha Sharma at their residence. (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)

“You will get the maximum opportunity for service and minimum opportunities for corruption in defence services.” That, says 73-year-old Sat Pal Sharma, was the only career advice he gave his son Amol Kalia in 1994. Amol took the advice. Five years later, Sharma would receive the Tricolour-wrapped coffin of his son, who was martyred while recapturing a peak in the Kargil heights from Pakistani intruders during the 1999 Kargil war.

“My family had no relation with the Indian Army before Amol joined the defence services. It was my wish that one of my sons should join the Indian Army. And Amol fulfilled that wish. Later, my elder son, Aman Kalia, joined the Indian Air Force,” said Sharma.

Captain Amol Kalia of J & K Light Infantry was killed on June 8, 1999. He was an expert in mountain warfare and had been given the task of recapturing Point 5203, at a height of 17,000 feet in the Kargil-Yaldor region, from soldiers of the Pakistani Army’s Northern Light Infantry. He was martyred along with 13 other soldiers.

Capt Amol Kalia was posthumously awarded Veer Chakra for his bravery.

Remembering his son ahead of the 19th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas which falls on July 26, Sat Pal Sharma says, “All the memories of Amol are still fresh in my mind. I still remember how he had visited me just a month before the Kargil war broke out. It was a surprise for me. My wife and I were in Delhi when Amol made a sudden appearance only to wish me my birthday on May 29 in 1999. The very next day, he left for the Siachin-Kargil sector.”

Amol’s parents live in Nangal’s Shivalik Enclave. His 70-year-old mother Usha retired as a senior auditor from the department of Punjab Auditor General. “We have dedicated the first room of our house to the memories of Amol and stored all his belongings in this room. Be it his last handwritten letter to us from Kargil asking us to go ahead and fix his engagement with a woman who we had chosen for him, or a handmade nameplate using the waste material, we have preserved each and everything related to our son. Once Amol had told us how they used to spend free time in Siachen engaging themselves in constructive activities. He told us that he learnt how to make different things using wooden packaging boxes and materials of a used parachute from a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), “ Usha says.

“He was a brilliant student in his school days. But since joining the army, Amol had developed an interest in adventurous activities, especially mountaineering. Whenever he visited us during his training period, he would tell us his mountaineering experiences,” says the martyr’s mother.

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Captain Amol Kalia was born on 26 February 1974, in Nangal. He passed his 12th class from Fertilizer Model School Nangal, which later named Capt Amol Kalia Fertilizer Model School, Nangal. He cleared the entrance exam of National Defence Academy in April 1994.

A park called ‘Capt Amol Kalia Park’ has been constructed in his memory in Nangal. It is close to where his parents live.

Saurabh Parashar

Saurabh Parashar is a journalist with The Indian Express, where he primarily covers developments in Himachal Pradesh. He has been associated with The Indian Express since 2017 and has earlier worked with The Times of India. He has 17 year + experience in the field of print journalism. An alumnus of Government College for Men, Sector 11, (Panjab University), Chandigarh, Saurabh holds a Diploma in Journalism from Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, Chandigarh. He pursued his Master’s in Mass Communication from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar. In addition, he completed his law degree from Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla. ... Read More

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