A soldier from every home is a tradition in this Charkhi Dadri village

According to village sarpanch Raj Singh Sangwan, Charkhi Dadri’s Chandeni village at present has 35 commissioned officers, including those retired, and more than 200 youths are protecting the borders as sepoys and on other ranks. The village is known for sending more soldiers to the armed forces

Charkhi Dadri’s Chandeni village from where this year’s NDA topper Anurag Sangwan belongs is known for sending more soldiers to the armed forces than any other village in the state.

Charkhi Dadri’s Chandeni village from where this year’s NDA topper Anurag Sangwan belongs is known for sending more soldiers to the armed forces than any other village in the state. (HT Photo)

According to village sarpanch Raj Singh Sangwan, the village at present has 35 commissioned officers, including those retired, and more than 200 youths are protecting the borders as sepoys and on other ranks. This village has a population of around 3,000 and has around 600 houses. Almost every family has a connection with the defence services, and every generation is following their ancestors’ tradition of joining the armed forces.

Last month, Anurag brought laurels to the state and his village after he topped the NDA exam conducted by the UPSC. He is the only child of his parents. His father Jivak Sangwan works in the automobile sector and mother Sudesh is a mathematics teacher in Gurugram.

Anurag said he wanted to opt for the army after completing his training and he said he gradually tilted towards the army with each passing class.

“I am satisfied that both my grandchildren are commissioned officers, and they are the first siblings in the village to join the armed forces. Both the children have encouraged many others to follow them and don the olive green. They are carrying the tradition of our village to serve the nation,” the former minister added.

Sarpanch Raj Singh Sangwan said more than 20 soldiers from the village have sacrificed their lives for the nation in wars and military operations.

“Havildar Dayanand, who was awarded Vir Chakra in the 1971 war, belongs to our village. Our youths have no option but to continue their practice without any coach. Even no stadium facility is available to them. A majority of our youths have joined the armed services without any government help,” he added.