Biography: The story of Naib Subedar Chunni Lal, the most decorated Indian Army soldier in history

All the recruits were allotted different battalions located in different parts of the country. Chunni’s unit was the closest, located in Khrew, near the JAKLI Training Centre. The next morning, an Army truck arrived to fetch all nineteen recruits assigned to 8 JAKLI. Chunni, Suresh and Narad were part of the group. It was a happy coincidence that all three of them had been recruited together and were now been allotted the same battalion.

Chunni was particularly pleased that Suresh was with him. They were buddies. As per the Indian Army’s buddy system, all soldiers are assigned a buddy. When two soldiers are nominated as buddies, they live and operate together. They help and support each other on the battlefield and off it, tactically as well as logistically. A soldier’s buddy knows him best. This system is a great reassuring factor for the soldiers themselves as well as for the army. Over time, the buddy becomes exactly as he is known, the best buddy for life. The equivalent of the present generation’s BFF – best friends forever.

When they reached their battalion, 8 JAKLI, they were allotted companies. There are four fighting companies in a battalion and two more companies that offer fire...

Read more