His peers refer to Harshan as a very dedicated and a very fit officer. He had excelled in the high altitude warfare course and was selected to do a training course in Israel.
"He was very loved by his unit and there are very few officers who can achieve the kind of fitness he had that made him so suitable for the operations he undertook," says a Special Forces officer.
Captain Harshan relentlessly conducted operations in north Kashmir. Just two weeks before his death, in a single operation, the officer single-handedly killed two Harkat-ul-Mujahideen terrorists.
"Harshan was a complete, upcoming officer. He was not the sort to wilt under pressure," says another friend, a squadron leader in the Indian Air Force.
"I think we should also realise that fighting insurgency is worse than fighting a war. The people of this nation should know that our freedom of speech is because of the men fighting on the glaciers. You cannot even imagine what it takes for our men and officers on those icy heights."
Images: Top: Harshan training with his collegues; left, bottom: Winning a boxing match at the NDA; right, bottom: At the NDA with his parents. Photographs: Courtesy, Captain Harshan's family.
Must read: This soldier died for us
Advertisement
