About the Book
Book: The Extraordinary Life of Rifleman Aurangzeb
Author: Damini Punia
Publisher: Penguin
Price: Rs 399/-
Stories of bravery and sacrifice shape our understanding of history, revealing the harsh realities of terrorism, says KUMAR CHELLAPPAN
The moment we try to mould a fictitious account from a real-life story, the structure comes crashing down. Recently, authors specialising in chronicling military history from the recent past have attempted this technique, often leading to disappointing results. However, there are exceptions.
In 2023, readers were excited to read the book “Kitne Ghazi Aaye, Kitni Ghazi Gaye”, a first person account by Lt General KJS Dhillon, commander of the elite Chinar Corps, a wing of the Indian Army specialised in fighting terrorism in Kashmir. It was a scintillating work by an intelligent commander of the Corps based on his experiences in Ground Zero. No exaggeration and fiction. General Dhillon, popularly known as Tiny Dhillon, used Sama Dama, Daana, Dand and Bhed, the doctrine prescribed by Chanakya to defeat enemies of all kinds. The book KGA & KGG was proof that General Dhillon has prowess with rifle and pen.
Two more books on terrorism in Kashmir have recently hit the bookshelves: Nagrota Under Siege by Bhaavna Arora and The Extraordinary Life of Rifleman Aurangzeb by Damini Punia. The book on Rifleman Aurangzeb narrates the story of the Rashtriya Rifles soldier who was abducted at gunpoint by terrorists, killed, and his body left in Pulwama. The Rashtriya Rifles, India’s counter-insurgency unit, has been instrumental in neutralising numerous terrorist attacks.The unit of the Rashtriya Rifles that included Aurangzeb played a crucial role in eliminating several threats in the region. His bravery and sacrifice made him a name etched in the history of India’s fight against terrorism.
Damini Punia preferred to write comprehensively about the Kashmir born Aurangzeb who went on to become a soldier in the Rashtriya Rifles. His father Mohammed Hanief was a havildar in the Indian Army and mother Raj Begum a homemaker. Punia has given a detailed account about the birth of Aurangzeb, his childhood and adolescence and his entry into Jammu Kashmir Light Infantry. From where he was deputed to the RR, the counter insurgency experts.
While describing all these accounts in detail, the author has maintained a studied silence about the name Aurangzeb an what prompted Hanief and Raj Begum to choose that name. I am sure the parents would have been aware of the feelings that this name generates in the name of Indians. A ruthless, cruel hearted emperor who was bent on wiping out even the last vestige of the Sanatana Dharma from his empire.
Many Muslim soldiers have fought for India in wars against China and Pakistan. The name Abdul Hamid of the 4 Grenadiers is still etched in the hearts of those who follow military history. Hamid was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his dedication to India during the 1965 war against Pakistan. Similarly, The Brave, a book by Rachna Bisht Rawat, recounts the stories of numerous soldiers decorated with the Param Vir Chakra for their valour.
