Late last night, the Indian Army thwarted
a dangerous terrorist plot in Baramulla.
The 21 Rashtriya Rifles took down six terrorists,
and captured the Pakistani-origin head
of the notorious terrorist outfit, Abu Bakar aka Surgeon,
a man on the army and police's wanted lists since 2014.
Abu Bakar's capture has seemingly unsettled many terrorist organizations.
This is a huge setback for them.
According to experts, this arrest promises to restore peace and order in the area.
Our correspondent spoke to the battalion's commanding officer,
Colonel Manoj Pandey.
We are really proud of our boys,
especially Captain Kartik.
And not just the Indian Army,
the entire country, his family, everybody's really proud of him.
Sir, anything about…
What's the matter, sir?
Where are you going?
Sir, my wife's pregnant. I'm taking her to the hospital.
To see her doctor.
-It's an emergency. -Check his papers.
Papers.
Dad, will the Indian Army take us with them?
What's wrong, son?
Uncle is a good person.
Son, you're an Indian too.
This is your army.
You like chocolates?
Good boy.
Sir.
Shall we search the vehicle?
Let them go.
Go on.
Let's go.
What's wrong, sir?
Nothing.
Enjoyed your time off?
What do I say, sir?
My wife and sister do not get along.
My father sides with my wife,
and my mother, with my sister.
The house has turned into a wrestling ground.
I wanted to cut the leave short and report for duty.
Why don't you help patch things up between them?
Sir, if a man could make his wife and sister get along,
he would win the Nobel Prize for world peace!
What do I say, sir? This is the story of every fam--
Sir.
Hold, hold.
-Cover fire. -Yes, sir!
Cover fire!
Come on, move, move. Move.
Stay right by me,
not ahead or behind.
-Inform base. -Yes, sir.
Alpha to Charlie. Alpha to Charlie.
We have been attacked. I repeat, we have been attacked.
Send immediate backup.
Stay.
Cover position!
Come on.
Go, go, go.
Move, move, move.
Head down.
Dad!
Colonel, we have to get Kartik back at any cost.
Sir, all our informants have been activated.
Did any militant outfit take responsibility?
No, sir. Not yet.
Set an example.
Show them that we are the Rashtriya Rifles.
Smoke those fuc--
-Vidya! -Yes?
-What is it? -Try this. Do you think it's too spicy?
Kartik doesn't like spicy food.
-It's a little spicy. -It's spicy?
How did that happen?
I was so careful. I used everything carefully.
I'll add some sugar.
No, not sugar. Some yoghurt.
Adding some yoghurt-- I'd read this somewhere,
cuts down the heat.
It might ruin the taste.
You know what? Shell some peas.
I'll head out for some cauliflower.
Okay, alright. No, wait.
It's perfect.
Just as Kartik likes it.
What-- Come on!
You-- You're unbelievable.
Stop kidding with me.
Well, why are you so worked up?
Kartik likes everything you make.
He's coming home to his dad's aloo gobhi after eight months.
That is true. It's not like he can come down every day!
-That's enough. -Cover it.
Why isn't he here yet?
Let's go.
Bless you.
What took you so long?
We've been waiting for you.
Your phone was unreachable.
My phone switched off.
Switched off?
How are you?
My brave boy.
-Come on in. Let's eat. -Come on.
And?
Is that it?
And? What do you mean?
Aren't you forgetting something?
Forget what? I don't understand.
What did you think?
If the tearful reunion is done, come inside already.
Come on.
Is it too spicy?
It's fine, it's great.
-Sure? -As always.
What's wrong, son?
Something bothering you?
No, Dad. Nothing's bothering me.
Actually, I have something to tell you both.
Really? Actually, we also have something to tell you.
Go on, tell us.
You go first.
Well, son,
the thing is,
your mother and I have been thinking.
We are well along in years.
We have decided that…
we will live with you
in California.
We have already applied for the visa.
We'll have the interview dates by next month.
And then all of us will live together.
We will feed you home-cooked meals every day. Fresh!
We've also applied for our VRS.
So, you can now focus at work
-while we look after things at home. -Of course, we will.
We can also hire some help.
Oh, no. Mrs. Negi says you can't communicate well with the help there.
They can't speak Hindi, or English well enough.
But I know some…
What's the matter, son?
You're not happy with our decision?
No, Dad.
I'm happy.
I mean--
But…
-the thing is-- -You had something to tell us.
-Oh, yes. Tell us. -Come on.
I quit my job.
You rascal!
Help me!
Hey!
He's our guest.
Is this how we treat our guests?
Look, sir,
we have nothing against you.
We only have a problem with the leaders of India
who won't grant our Kashmiri brothers their freedom.
That might have sounded
like a clichéd dialogue from an old Hindi movie.
But I can't help it, sir.
It is the truth.
Anyway,
who do we have here
alongside our guest?
Civilian.
He was lost. We gave him a lift.
Civilian.
Are you his assistant?
His son?
Is he your father or something?
I asked him a question,
and you're answering it.
Sir,
tell me, who are you?
I--
I'm--
I work…
in a bank.
I am here for a vacation.
I was lost,
so he gave me a lift.
Okay, sir. Do you have an ID I can see?
ID.
It's in the bag.
The bag…
was in the car.
The car blew up.
Everything's gone…
with the car.
Sir, look,
I can tell for sure that you're either from RAW
or from IB.
And we also know
how well-trained you people are.
But thanks to the Almighty,
and help from our neighbouring friends, we get excellent training too.
Come on then.
Sir, look,
as I said before,
we have nothing against you.
You just follow orders from your higher-ups,
and we also have to follow orders from our higher-ups.
Hurting and killing people is just an occupational hazard for us.
-S-- sir, no-- -No--
Sir, please, please.
No, sir. Please listen.
No! Please, sir.
Sir, don't do that!
No!
You can do-- Sir!
Sir, please! Sir!
Sir!
I don't know how to convince Dad.
I mean, look at what you're doing.
Your dad has made up his mind about moving to California,
but you're in the mood to join the army.
Mood?
Wait, guys,
I quit my job in California.
What?
Yes.
Why did you quit your job?
I mean, you could've left it once you passed the exams.
Exactly.
If you don't clear your exams first,
you'll be left with nothing, a loser.
You rascal,
I bet I'll become an officer before you do.
I cleared the JEE, for God's sake.
Wanna know my rank?
I can pass the CDS exam without prep.
What was that?
You think I can't?
You can pass the CDS exam without prep?
How many people take the JEE exam every year?
Fourteen-- 14 to 15 lakhs.
And how many finally make it into IITs?
Combining every IIT, about 17 to 18,000.
What percent?
One to 1.5 percent.
Now that's a tough exam.
-CDS stands for Combined Defence Services. -I know that.
It's conducted twice a year.
THOUGHT, SPEECH, DEEDS
THOUGHT SPEECH DEEDS
In a year, roughly eight to ten lakh candidates take the exams.
Out of those eight to ten lakh candidates,
only about 13,000 people pass the exam.
And then comes the father of all exams,
SSB interview.
After that, there'll be a medical.
Then comes the merit list.
And after all of this, finally,
army, navy and air force combined,
how many become officers?
How many?
Three hundred.
And that's the upper limit.
Three hundred out of about eight to ten lakhs.
So what's the success rate?
0.03 percent.
You have the answer to what's the world's toughest exam.
Let's suppose for a minute that you'll pass the written exam,
given your background in engineering.
But what comes after that, SSB, Service Selection Board,
is conducted by UPSC.
You might memorize formulas and solve those rotational dynamics problems,
or at least attempt to.
If you can't, someone might and will.
The SSB stage is the only process
where they sometimes reject the whole batch.
Last year in Bhopal, they threw out my whole batch.
And it's not like it gets any easy after you're selected…
because working for the Indian Army is not a job.
It's a responsibility…
towards your nation, your uniform and your regiment.
Have you heard of Col. Ashutosh Sharma?
On the night of 28th April,
he wrote a poem to his 80-year-old mother.
And after four days, on 2nd May, his mother was told…
that her son was killed in action.
The reality always stuns people into silence.
Col. Ashutosh Sharma…
also known as the "Rajwar Tiger",
was born on 3rd July 1975 in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh.
Joining the army was his childhood dream.
But fulfilling it was a battle in itself.
He made 12 attempts in six years and failed every time.
He finally made it in his 13th and final attempt.
Before being killed, he won two Sena Medals.
On 1st May 2020,
the 21 RR, CRPF and the J&K police ran a joint operation
in Handwara, Kupwara.
In the operation, Col. Ashutosh Sharma,
Major Anuj Sood,
Naik Rajesh, Lance Naik Dinesh were killed in action.
Col. Ashutosh Sharma is survived by his wife
and a teenage daughter.
Col. Ashutosh Sharma will miss
some of the most important moments of his daughter's life,
so that rest of the fathers of India don't.
It's been six hours.
Still no intel on Kartik.
If the media finds out that it's not just an army officer,
a civilian has also been kidnapped--
Sir, we have apprehended 12 terrorist sympathizers and informants.
What is it?
Have you lost your mind? What is it?
We've deployed all our companies.
And we're doing constant drone surveillance
to catch even the slightest of movements,
but still no clue.
You know what,
-show me footage of the whole area. -Sure.
I think they must be planning to escape to POK.
All the border villages become your target area now.
Enough. That's enough, Masood.
That's enough.
He is also someone's father, son or husband.
His only fault is that he is serving the wrong master.
Look, Mr. Sharma,
you have two options.
No.
Honestly speaking, you only have one option.
Tell us all about the army bases, army movements
and strength in this area.
And I'll request high command that we release you,
you have my word.
Look, Mr. Sharma.
I cannot hold Masood back anymore.
Abu Bakar is a father figure to him.
If it wasn't for me, he would've beheaded you by now.
If nothing else,
just tell us about your local informants and what jail Surgeon is in.
-Easy there. -I don't know.
After the arrest,
only the government keeps that information.
Well, we have him.
The government official. RAW officer--
Bhaijaan!
Yes.
Good boy.
I'll fix it, Dad.
Everything will be fine.
Of course, it will be fine.
You have your dad with you.
And why would I be mad at you?
Look, son,
we just want to be with you,
whether it's in California or Jhumri Telaiya.
Dad, I have a friend…
who had taken a trip to Kashmir with a few friends in his fourth year.
One day, when they were resting in their hotel room,
some local unrest ensued, followed by a violent protest
and stone pelting.
The ones pelting the stones knew there were tourists in the hotel.
They burst into the hotel
and started shouting, "Stone the rascals to death!"
My friends were shook. They quickly hid.
There was no escape.
That day, Dad, they all felt death looming closer.
If someone could save them then,
it was God.
INDIAN ARMY
And ever since, Dad,
something shifted inside one of the boys.
He fell in love…
with the army uniform.
Day in and day out, he would only think
about how to join the army.
And finally, one day, he walked into his office,
opened his laptop and sent a mail to the HR.
He resigned.
Then he threw himself into preparations to join the army.
Dad, do you think he did the right thing?
He did the right thing, son.
Son…
the army is just something else.
That uniform…
has a divine aura.
They make the supreme sacrifice for their country.
Really.
Dad, that boy is me.
What?
Son…
if you're bored of doing a job, create a start-up.
-Look, civil services can-- -Dad, wait.
You just said,
"The army is just something else."
"They make the supreme sacrifice for their country."
I'm not denying it, I said that.
But I became emotional.
You told me a story,
and I was showing support for it.
I wasn't supporting you.
You cannot be emotional, son.
You have to be practical.
Do you know how tough army life is?
They don't have a stable lifestyle.
-They don't even sleep. -Some men don't sleep
so the rest of us can sleep.
That's great, son,
but these lofty words are for movies and books.
-Not for a normal life. -No, Dad.
When there are explosions and bombs going off around you,
you don't care for these platitudes.
You're scared for your life.
Col. Ashutosh Sharma wasn't scared. He dove in.
Alright, just tell me this.
Has anyone who studied in an IIT ever joined the army?
Yes, late Maj. Anuj Sood,
Lt. Gaurav Yadav,
-Lt. Amar Sinha-- -That was foolish of them.
No, Dad. Please.
Don't say that joining the army is foolish.
It is foolish!
You left a good job and a stable life
to go into an uncertain territory. Isn't that foolish?
Come on!
Okay, Dad. But this is my life.
If I want to make some mistakes in my life,
please let me, Dad. Please.
What did you say?
Your life?
This misguided and misinformed generation of yours
is mistaken that this is your life!
I have as much say in this life of yours
as you do.
And I won't let you put your life in danger.
I have only one son, not 40!
Dad, many who join the army come from single-child families.
Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, the hero of 26/11,
he was his parents' only child.
They sure are great souls!
I am not them!
They are great people for sending their only children to the army.
I am a simple man. I'm a normal human being.
A middle-class man, who wants to enjoy life
with his wife, son-- his family!
I want to live the small joys.
I cannot send my only son to the army.
I cannot let you do an army job!
Dad,
working for the army is not just a job.
It's-- It's a way of life.
It's an opportunity to serve the country.
It's a responsibility.
What about your responsibility towards your father?
I'll fulfill them when the time comes.
This is the time to fulfill them. And you're not!
You're not joining the army, and that is final.
Dad, I am joining the army.
-And that's final. -Why!
Why is that final?!
And who are you to decide that?
I gave you my life, my time,
so I have the right to decide!
And if you want to take away that right,
you can forget that you ever had a father.
Kartik…
you have to choose
between your responsibility towards your father
and your responsibility towards your personal dreams.
Dad…
I'm choosing my responsibility towards my country.
More rice?
Have your dinner.
7-8-6-8-6.
-I passed. -Ka--
-Thank You, God! -I did it, Mom!
Brother, now start preparing for SSB.
This was easy for you since you're an IIT engineer.
SSB is not the same.
So this was the easy part?
Both of you are so clever.
You'll get through SSB too.
Just keep working hard.
-You're happy? -Are you?
-I'm so happy! Are you? -That's it.
You were teaching him how to ride a bike that day, remember?
You left the bike then.
He fell and hurt himself.
He kept crying.
Then you recited "Rashmirathi" to him.
That's when he finally calmed down and drifted to sleep.
He has grown up now.
He can make his own decisions.
Let him at least try once.
His decision isn't right, Vidya.
I am willing to be a bad father by not supporting this mistake of his.
I don't want to be the unfortunate father who has to see him on a bier
wrapped in the Indian tricolor.
I--
Sir, you need to check the mail.
This is our message to the Indian Army and the leaders of India.
We have detained two of your people,
Capt. Kartik Sharma and a RAW agent.
You have 24 hours to free our leader, Abu Bakar.
If Surgeon is not released in the next 24 hours,
we will parcel pieces of their body one-by-one to every Indian regiment.
-Praise the Lord! -The Almighty is the greatest!
Praise the--
Capt. Kartik Sharma has been abducted by the terrorist group.
What information do we have on Kartik, sir?
Nothing much yet.
-What's your name? -Kartik Sharma.
-Louder! -Kartik Sharma!