Rai, himself a gallantry award winner for repulsing a fidayeen attack on the Raghunath temple in Jammu and Kashmir in 2002, said "uniform" for his brother, him and the eldest Lt Col D N Rai was a passion that ran in the blood.
"Our father N P Rai was the Principal of the Government High School in Kalimpong sub-division of Darjeeling when we were growing up. He was also the senior-most coordinator for NCC activities in the area and hence, I think, all three of us have a passion for the uniform since then," Rai told PTI.
Col Munindra Nath Rai, 39, Commanding Officer of 42 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), who had only on Monday won a military medal, was killed yesterday in a fierce encounter with Hizbul terrorists whom he was battling in Tral in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
"Lt Col D N Rai is the eldest amongst us and Col Rai who was martyred yesterday was the youngest. As we both always had a respectful fear for our elder brother we both were very close. The elder brother always had much love for both of us but yes I was fond of him (Col Rai) the most," he said.
He added that Col Rai was a go-getter with a daring personality.
"He was a passionate Gorkha soldier, always ready for the paltan (unit)," he said.
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