Chapter on fallen hero: Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan ignites spark in heart of software consultant’s son to join Indian Army

DEHRADUN: Software consultant Lakshmi Varagan never imagined that the Indian Army would find a place in his family. Entry into the armed forces had neither been attempted nor even spoken of before — until a lesson in his son's Class 8 English textbook quietly changed that.

"There was a chapter on Major Unnikrishnan, and it shook my son completely. After that, he only wanted to join the Army," Varagan said on Saturday, his voice thick with emotion as he watched his son pass out of the Indian Military Academy (IMA).That chapter on the National Security Guard (NSG) officer who laid down his life while rescuing hostages and shielding his fellow commandos during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack struck deep for Varagan's son.

On Saturday, that spark turned into a uniform as Lieutenant Sreeram LV got commissioned into the Rocket Regiment of the Indian Army's Artillery.Sreeram cleared the National Defence Academy (NDA) examination in his very first attempt, his mother Bhavana Varagan said, recalling the determination that followed that early inspiration. "He was so passionate about joining the Army that the only thing we could do was encourage him and we did, to the fullest.

Now, at 22, he is an officer, living his dream," she said. Standing beside her son and pointing to the stars on his uniform, Bhavana struggled to hold back her emotions. She said she had complete faith in his conviction, even as he prepared to step into one of the country's most demanding professions. The parents had travelled from Chennai to Dehradun to witness the moment. For Lt Sreeram, Major Unnikrishnan remains more than an early influence — he is a constant reminder of what the uniform stands for.

"The supreme sacrifice made by Major Unnikrishnan is at the core of the Indian Army's ethos. His life embodied service before self — putting the nation above personal safety," said the newly-commissioned officer. Those values, he said, were reinforced through training. At the NDA, cadets live by the motto ‘Service Before Self.

' At the IMA, they are guided by the Chetwode credo, which places the safety, honour and welfare of the country, and that of the men they command above their own ease, comfort and safety. "Unnikrishnan lived by these ideals and fulfilled them completely. That keeps me motivated," added the young officer.