Life took an untoward turn for 24-year-old Devender Pal Singh when he lost his right leg while serving the country.
Posted in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor region in 1999 during the Kargil War, Singh was grievously injured when engaged in firing with the enemy just 80 metres away, a mortar exploded only 1.5 m away from him. He was rescued by his team of 7 Dogra and taken to the doctor, but his injuries were serious enough to make his doctors think he was dead.
Major Singh had suffered grievous injuries and heavy bleeding, with partial hearing loss, a severely impacted nervous system, a broken elbow, several broken ribs and 73 shrapnels lodged in his body.
Now 49, the retired war veteran recalls that while he was revived by the doctors, his right leg had to be amputated, as it was affected by gangrene. Additionally, due to significant injuries, he had to undergo two stomach operations, as well as a surgery on his urinary bladder.
“I learned to look at things…