Nuah Village (Jhunjhunu District), RAJASHTAN :
Jaipur :
Eighty five-year-old Muraad Ali Khan, a native of Nuan village in Jhunjhunu district of the state, gets all animated whenever trouble starts brewing on the border.
His family, popularly known as ‘Cavalry Khandan’ (Cavalry family), and his six cousins had participated in India-Pakistan wars in 1965 and 1971. Though all his cousins died over the past three years following old-age problems, Ali is an active participant in the ongoing discussions and debates on deteriorating Indo-Pak relations.
Some hours after the Indian Army carried out the surgical strikes in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), 10 days after the Uri outrage, TOI spoke to Ali for his reactions to the conflict.
Not surprisingly, Ali, who has been following developments through television and newspapers like the rest of the country, was happy and congratulated the government of India and Army. “I must congratulate our forces for the act. I think our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tactics to isolate Pakistan is yielding results and the cancellation of the SAARC summit is proof fir it,” Ali said on Thursday.
His cousins — Captain Mohammed Ayub Khan, Captain Gaus Mohammed Khan, Captain Mohammed Sadiq Khan, Captain Yusuf Khan and Captain Gulaam Sarvar — had served the Indian Army in the 1965 and 1971 wars against Pakistan in various capacities.
He is the only surviving member of the ‘Cavalary Khandan’ who had served the Indian Army as a subedaar.
Captain Ayub was a Union minister who died on September 16 following a massive cardiac arrest. He was 85 and a recipient of Vir Chakra for his acts of valour during the 1965 India-Pakistan war. Ali’s village Nuan has at least one member from every family serving in the Army in various capacities.
“My opinion of the ongoing scenario is that India should isolate Pakistan financially, diplomatically and should continue with these surgical operations. They don’t deserve any mercy,” he added. In between, he wanted to know the number of casualties in surgical operations carried out by India. “Humari fauj Pakistan ki harqaton ka maqool jawab de sakti hai (Our Army can give appropriate answer to Pakistan). Humare sabr ka imtihaan na le Pakistan (Pakistan should avoid testing our patience),” he added.
Mohammed Shariq Khan, son of late Captain Sadiq Khan, who works as a teacher, said, “Whenever he (Ali) gets news of an army man being martyred, he gets pumped up. His blood pressure goes up. All his brothers had done a lot for the country. Our village has a good number of Qayamkhani muslims and from other communities who had fought in battles with Pakistan.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City News> Jaipur / by Ashish Mehta / TNN / September 30th, 2016