Martyr Col Vasanth Venugopal, died a hero’s death trying to protect his men who had just returned from an arduous hunt for those very militants.
“Shubha, why are you angry? Separation is part and parcel of army life", read one of Col Vasanth Venugopal’s over 400 letters written back home to his wife, Subhashini Vasanth. It was one of a long series of letters that told a story of a lion-hearted soldier, who led the 9th Maratha Light Infantry, and who laid down his life fighting armed militants who were trying to enter Indian territory in Uri Sector of Kashmir on July 31, 2007.
Martyr Col Vasanth Venugopal, died a hero’s death trying to protect his men who had just returned from an arduous hunt for those very militants.
But on Sunday, a humane side of this diehard soldier emerged, and was released in the form of a book, Col Vasanth: Forever Forty, written by his wife Shubhashini and co-authored by his cousin Veena Prasad. The title of the book was suggested by his daughters Rukmini and Yeshodha, considering Col Vasanth was 40 when he achieved martyrdom and be the only Indian Army officer from Bangalore to be awarded the Ashok Chakra, the highest gallantry award for defence personnel during peace time.
The book was released by General (Retd) JJ Singh, the present governor of Arunachal Pradesh who was Chief of Army Staff when Col Vasanth was martyred.
“I can’t wait to be back home in Bangalore. I want to spend time with you, Rukmini and Yeshodha (his daughters), order pizzas and hot chocolate fudge, drive my own car and go to a restaurant,” reads another letter from Col Vasanth. “I want to walk without a weapon in my hands (and in civilian clothes) and not have to keep eyes wide open while moving, searching for likely ambush positions.”
The letters spoke volumes of the secret cravings of an army man; it brought out a human being from the drudges of war, albeit posthumously.
When Subhashini and Veena arranged the letters in a chronological order, it began to tell a story – a story that is told in the form of Col Vasanth: Forever Forty.
“The book contains letters that Vasanth and I exchanged. His letters were a treat to read, and they still are, bringing to life the mountains and valleys peppered with his trademark illustrations and caricatures, and juxtaposed with advice on how to cope with the pangs of separation, expressing the despair of loving someone desperately and not being able to hold them close” said Subhashini.
“As I set about recreating events in Vasanth’s life…by talking to people close to him and reading letters he wrote home, I realised there was much more to him than his inimitable style – I got to know the man, not just the hero,” said Veena.
Karnataka Lok Ayukta, Justice Santosh Hegde, was gifted the first copy of the book. “I'm sure the book is going to be a very interesting read,” he said, and added on a lighter note: “I’m afraid I’ll be able to read the book only after I retire on August 4. Right now, I'm working on another book (the mining report), which I hope will be as interesting as this one.”
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