A martyr’s family battles for human rights

Capt Saurabh Kalia, commissioned in December 1998, was killed by the Pakistanis after his patrol was captured by them in May 1999. Barely 23 years old at the time, he and his men were tortured by the enemy and their mutilated bodies were later returned.

Today, Saurabh’s parents, Dr N K Kalia and Vijaya Kalia, are sitting amidst eight lakh signatures and numerous petitions to make sure that this inhuman treatment is not repeated.

“We have collected eight lakh signatures and 15,000 on the internet where we have put up a website (indiaworld.co/home/skalia/index.html) ,”says Vaibhav.“We have received thousands of letters and phone calls from people and their support has helped us get over the loss of Saurabh.”

However, he has one query. “How many Saurabhs do we have to sacrifice before we are a united nation?” Most of the time, he says, it is only in a crisis like Kargil that the nation comes together.

Vaibhav, who is presently doing his Masters in Computer Applications from Amritsar, has been helping his father in petitioning. “The government has assured us that the day they resume bilateral dialogue with Pakistan, they will take up this matter with them.” In fact even the Army chief, Gen Ved Prakash Malik had also assured them of all cooperation when he had come to visit them.