Dehradun, Feb. 24 -- Born in Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan, we grew up hearing his tales of survival struggles during the partition mayhem. Separation of the family with whereabouts of father unknown.. mother with five children surviving the train to India.. refuge in a Jalandhar Gurudwara.. selling bananas for survival.. sleeping under a tarpaulin during monsoon and so many others. These were ordeals the enormity of which is difficult to comprehend in the comfort zones we live in today.

When he came of age, he joined the Army, and opted to be a pilot in the 'Air OP', the predecessor of Indian Army Aviation Corps. His war stories were even more engrossing. When the 1971 war broke out, he was commanding a flight. His flight was tasked for a...