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This officer from Hyderabad was awarded a medal for gallantry
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SOMEWHERE IN the midst of the madness that engulfs Hyderabad between New Year and Sankranti, Capt. Mupparty Sanjeev's hour of glory passed into oblivion. The only other officer from the city to have been awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry, on Army Day (January 15), Capt. Sanjeev's tryst with the red ribbon with a white stripe escaped the notice of much of the city. This when infinite examples of individual and collective gallantry embellish the annals of the Indian Army.
Twenty five-year-old, Capt. Sanjeev, SM, has fought with distinction wherever his mission has taken him - whether to the freezing slopes of the LoC or the killing fields of the Kupwara sector. The letter recommending him for the medal reads like a scene from a war blockbuster. On September 15, 2003, Capt. Sanjeev (then Lt.) led an ambush and after 36 hours of incessant rain finally spotted infiltrators. When they opened fire, the ambush party retaliated and after an hour the skirmish was up. Lt. Sanjeev who displayed ingenuity, tactical sense and conspicuous bravery by confronting two of the infiltrators single-handedly was recommended for the medal, which was awarded to him by the GOC-in-C, Southern Command, Lt. Gen. B.S. Thakker.
Capt. Sanjeev otherwise is as familiar as the boy next door. A student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Uppal and Picket, he is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasala. On being commissioned into the 21 Jat, he was happy to note that "the infantry was the real Army." An excellent artist he wields the brush as deftly as he wields his side arm. Although his parent unit is now on a peace posting, Capt. Sanjeev has volunteered to opt for active duty with the 5 Rashtriya Rifles. Speaking for him, his father, M.S. Swamy says, "He really enjoys being part of the whole action scenario."
For Capt. Mupparty Sanjeev, SM who is away doing what he does best, patriotism is his final and only geography.
DEEPA ALEXANDER
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