It would not be wrong to say that the Indian Army’s jawans are forged of iron will and grit. Their will and grit have not only brought victories in theatre of war by accomplishing unimaginable feats, but has also given motivation to the people of the country. This never say die attitude is displayed even when the jawans are not serving the country in the capacity of an army man, but still want to serve the country and bring laurels in various capacities.

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Meet Suresh Kumar Karki, a retired Lance Naik who suffered an unfathomable shock when he met with an accident that physically could break him – making him a paraplegic – but failed to break the jawan’s spirit. Although, a paraplegic for years now, the retired jawan has represented the country in various international sporting events winning medals for the country which, Suresh says, is another way of servicing the country.

Posted in the Gorkha Rifles, Suresh was a part of the platoon that was operating during an insurgency in Assam in July 2004. “Another jawan sustained a bullet wound and was being rescued to hospital located at Guwahati.

However, while on the way, our vehicle met with an accident with a passenger bus. When I woke up in the hospital I could not feel my body below my chest and learnt that my spinal cord had been damaged. There was a lot of pain after the surgeries and there were times when I requested the doctors to remove the rod inserted to support me. I could not even sit on the wheel chair for a minute and I remember thinking I will not survive another six months,” Karki narrated his life.

He was shifted to Kolkata and then to Lucknow where the treatment continued. “I was given a choice of leave or be shifted to Pune. Since I come from a remote area in Nepal, there would be no medical facilities there and my condition wasn’t good, so I opted for Pune. I started learning computers here to make a living once I recovered. It was then that I saw the paraplegic rehabilitation center. Hesitantly, I checked out the place and found that people with similar problems as mine were living with great enthusiasm while taking to various sports like basketball, badminton etc. This motivated me to move ahead past my pain,” he said. 

Karki struck Gold in various national badminton tournaments and has been part of the invincible Maharashtra basketball team that has lifted the national championship every year since 2014.

Karki tried his hands at a few sports and focussed himself on Badminton and basketball. “It was a tough journey. There were times when I was laughed at by people claiming that my dream of playing for country were too high. I am setting a higher target - the 2020 Para Olympics,” he said with a smile.