E-Paper
Born to take sword of honour, Lt from Ludhiana says dream come true
It is for the third time this year that a cadet from Punjab has bagged the Sword of Honour
Born when India and Pakistan were fighting the 1999 Kargil war, local lad Lt Watandeep Singh Sidhu, hailing from Threeke area, has done the state proud.
The Sword of Honour for Autumn Term, 2020, was awarded to Lt Watandeep during the Passing out Parade (PoP) held at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun.
Lt Watandeep said, “It is a dream come true and I worked hard. I cannot explain how elated I was upon receiving the award.” He has dedicated the award to his parents and alma mater at Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Dehradun.
His father, Baljinder Singh Sidhu, who works with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, said, “We decided to dedicate our son to the nation and named him Watandeep, as he was born during the 1999 Kargil War. After Class 8, he appeared for RIMC entrance exam and was selected. I am overjoyed,” said Watandeep’s father.
His mother, Harbans Kaur, is principal of Mata Sahib Kaur Girls College at Talwandi Bhai in Ferozepur. “My son Watandeep is a first-generation army officer and this is a proud and emotional moment. As a mother, it was difficult to stay away from him. Now, the suffering and sacrifice seem worth it,” he said.
The silver medal for standing first from Technical Graduate Course (TGC) went to Lt Jasminder Pal Singh Sidhu from Bathinda. A B-Tech from Thapar University of Engineering and Technology (TIET), a deemed university, in Patiala, Jasminder let go his Canadian dream to join the armed forces. He has no army background.
His father Narinderjit Singh works with the horticulture department, while his mother Amarjeet Kaur is a government school teacher. He himself has worked in the IT industry in Bengaluru. “Like every year Punjabi youth, I wanted to settle in Canada. My elder brother, who is in Canada, motivated me to join the armed forces.”
It is for the third time this year that a cadet from Punjab has bagged the Sword of Honour. Previously, the honour was bestowed upon Lt Akashdeep Singh Dhillon of Tarn Taran in June and Lt Harpreet Singh of Rupnagar at the OTA, Chennai, in March.
