A retired army officer, who fought in the 1999 Kargil War, has been inspiring hundreds of youths for the past 11 years to join the defence, police and paramilitary forces under his free-ofcost guidance.
Naresh Chandra Das, 62, who retired in 2013, proudly says that around 600 students under his mentorship are now serving the nation in various defence sectors, including the army, the CISF and the BSF. Many of his students are also currently working with Bengal police.
“After retiring from the Indian army, I felt I should do something for society and decided to inspire the next generation to join the Indian army and other defence wings to protect the country from enemies,” said Das.
The door of Das’s house in Koyaldanga village of East Burdwan’s Kalna is always open to students interested in joining the forces.
In the wake of Operation Sindoor, Das recalled his memories of previous conflicts.
Das joined the Indian army in 1983.
Before the Kargil War, Das fought in Operation Blue Star in Amritsar in 1984 as well as in the Sri Lankan civil war in 1988.
“I can’t forget the day I lost nine of my colleagues during shelling by Pakistani forces on our camp in the Kargil War. There were 12 of us, and nine were killed right in front of my eyes. I also remember carrying an injured soldier to a shelter to save his life,” said the soldier, who claims to be physically fit to fight in a war even at this age.
According to Das, Kargil and the current situation are completely different, as the 1999 war was between two countries, whereas Operation Sindoor was a drive against terrorism.
“I saw first-hand how much we need brave soldiers on the ground, and that’s why I never miss a chance to encourage youths to join the Indian army,” said Das.
In 2014, Das’s friend Firoz Sheikh opened a coaching centre in Kalna for defence aspirants and invited Das to mentor the students.
Das agreed on the condition that he would not accept any pay and that the institution would not charge students from humble backgrounds.
“To this day, the institution follows this principle. It does not accept fees from poor students till they get a government job. I’m also happy to see girls showing interest nowadays — last year, 40 girls joined different sectors, including the Bengal Police, with my guidance,” said Das, whose 32-yearold daughter Dixsha is a scientist in Bangalore.
Many youths from his village and nearby areas are now employed in various defence sectors and fondly remember how Das helped them achieve their goals.
Pradip Biswas, a resident of Barasat village in Kalna who now works with the intelligence department of the Bengal police, was one of his students.
“I’m here today because of his guidance. If Naresh Sir hadn’t helped me, I wouldn’t be here. It’s not just me— many village youths could join various defence and police forces because of him,” said Biswas, who joined the police forces in 2017.
Das is not just a mentor; he is also a problem-solver in his small village of Koyaldanga. When he returned to his village after retirement, Koyaldanga faced a scarcity of drinking water. He took the initiative to set up a reservoir.
The state government has now taken up a project to provide door-to-door water supply, but villagers say it all began with Das, whose contribution has also been acknowledged by the public health engineering department.
The retired army officer also travels across the district and beyond regularly to raise awareness about thalassaemia.
Because of his social work, Das has become so popular that villagers have erected a bust in his honour — an unusual tribute for someone still alive — in Koyaldanga. “It was the villagers who installed it, it is their love,” smiled Das.