Young Army officer Lt Ummer Fayaz, who was abducted and killed by terrorists nearly two years ago, in his NDA days had once ran a cross-country race with an injured leg in the searing heat of July while observing fast during Ramzan, according to a new book.
After the launch of 'Undaunted: Lt Ummer Fayaz of Kashmir', author Bhaavna Arora announced that royalty earned from the book will be used for an annual scholarship named after Fayaz, which will benefit students of the high school he attended.
"We all lost a soldier... Ummer was loved by his fellow cadets, and now as officers they still recall him, and the time spent with him in the NDA. They still remember the time when Ummer had run a cross-country race while observing 'roza' (fast) during the month of Ramzan," she said.
Arora said not only he finished the race in the scorching summer, but he did that nursing a "stress fracture" in his leg.
"In the NDA (National Defence Academy), his instructor, batchmates and seniors encouraged and supported him and boosted his morale. He also go to see the secular face that NDA truly has," she said.
In the thirteenth chapter of the book, the author, who belongs to family of Army officers, quotes one of his seniors, "...People talk of secularism in India, but the NDA truly practices it."
Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat, in a foreword in the book, says, "Ummer epitomises 'Kashmiriyat' in its truest sense and will go down in history as a hero who chose to serve the nation, against all odds."
Lt Gen (retd) Hasnain, former general officer commanding for the 15 and the 21 Corps, said, "During my posting in Kashmir, we tried to engage with the youth."