Patiala: Among those mourning veteran actor Dharmendra’s death would be the family of the Late Lieutenant Kuldip Singh Ahluwalia, who laid down his life for the country in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War.
The 23-year-old Lt Ahluwalia was apparently inspired by Dharmendra’s appearance in the 1964 movie “Haqeeqat”, in which he played the role of Captain Bahadur Singh, a platoon commander who led his unit during the Sino-Indian war of 1962.
A year after the movie was released, Lt Ahluwalia of the 7th Punjab Regiment (now 8 Mech), a hero of the 1965 Indo-Pak War, wrote a letter to his family where he desired to die like a martyr on the lines of soldiers in the movie “Haqeeqat”. A few months later, he died of bullet injuries in Lahore, living his dream to lay down his life for the country.
The country celebrated the diamond jubilee of the 1965 War in September this year. This was when family members of the young hero gathered in Patiala to recall his supreme sacrifice. Lt Ahluwalia was awarded the Sena Medal posthumously.
The family organised a prayer meet, where all relatives and friends of the young officer were present.
“My elder brother was only 23-years-old and all I recall is his sheer bravery. His fellow soldiers told us how he was on an Observing Officer duty during which he had to keep an eye on enemy soldiers from merely 100 yards and inform the Indian Army about their actual movement,” Paramjit Singh Ahluwalia said.
“My brother’s diary dated January 24, 1965, mentioned that he was inspired “Haqeeqat” movie and wanted to die a brave soldier’s death. On September 18, he fulfilled his dream and even after he was shot he told his fellow soldiers to tell his family that he died in the battlefield with bullets in his chest,” Paramjit said.
Lt Ahluwalia’s statue was unveiled at the NIS Chowk in Patiala earlier this year.
The family still holds on to a handwritten letter by the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, appreciating the role played by Lt Ahluwalia in the 1965 War.
