After passing out of NDA, Harshan joined the Indian Military Academy in Dehra Dun.
At the IMA passing out ceremony, Harshan's parents felt proud seeing their son in uniform. "Parents, if alive, have to fix the stars on the officer's shoulder straps. It was a proud moment for both of us when we did that," says Radhakrishnan Nair.
What surprised and worried the father was his son choosing to be a paratrooper, the toughest unit. His mother already knew what he was planning to do.
"For three years, he was telling me he wanted to be a paratrooper," recalls Chitra. "He wanted me to pray for him so that he got into the elite wing. I didn't know how dangerous it was."
Because of his performance at the Sainik School and at the NDA, Harshan was selected for the special paratrooper unit. In 2002, he became a lieutenant in the elite 2 Parachute Regiment. He completed his training in Kashmir in record time and was posted to the regiment base in Agra.
He was one of six young officers sent to Israel for special weapons training.
Image: Harshan, the strapping young officer, with his parents
Also read: The first Param Vir Chakra winner
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