Following late husband's footsteps, martyr’s widow set to join OTA

DEHRADUN: A tragedy can break an individual or a family. It can also steel their resolve to fight back. Jyoti Nainwal belongs to the second category.

Widow of a soldier in the Indian Army, she is set to follow in the footsteps of her late husband by joining the Officer’s Training Academy in Chennai.

Things were very different about three years ago, when Nayak Deepak Nainwal succumbed to injuries suffered during action in Kulgam of J&K. It was May, 2018.

Deepak’s death almost broke the family and left Jyoti distraught. After grieving for a while, she decided to take up the mantle of her late husband for the sake of her children.

“I told myself Deepak would not want me to be like this. He would like me to face the world bravely. I decided to join the army,” said Jyoti, who has a Masters degree in economics.

Crediting the Indian Army, her family and in-laws, Jyoti wants the youth of Uttarakhand to chase their dreams.

“Indian Army supported me throughout. I was allowed to take care of my husband for 40 days when he was in hospital. I learnt during this period that Indian Army not only takes care of its brave soldiers but also their families. Deepak told me I had potential to be in the army. My mentors, in-laws and brothers worked with me at every step,” said Jyoti, who will join the academy on January 29.

Deepak had taken three bullets while fighting terrorists in Kulgam on April 10, 2018 and died on May 20. Deepak’s grandfather Sureshanand Nainwal was a freedom fighter.

His father Chakradhar P Nainwal was in the army and fought the 1971 war.