Classmates of slain Army officer send Diwali sweets for unit

Classmates of an Army officer killed while battling terrorists near Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir's Kura district in 2015, have sent 300 kg sweets to soldiers in his unit ahe of Diwali. Colonel Santosh Mahik, Commanding Officer of 41 Rashtriya Rifles, was critically injured during operation in Haji Naka forest area of Kura near LoC in Kashmir in vember 2015 and succumbed at a hospital later.

" mithai boxes, weighing around 300 kg, landed at Srinagar airport and reached 41 Rashtriya Rifles unit on Tuesday, and were distributed yesterday among soldiers Col Mahik commanded," a classmate involved in initiative told PTI.

Col Mahik, awarded Shaurya Chakra and Sena Medal, was a student of Sainik School Satara in Maharashtra during 1987-94. "Since his supreme sacrifice for morland, we have been sending Diwali sweets to his comres-in-arms, who suffer harsh climes and valiantly face enemy from across border. This is our small gesture for soldiers who spend Diwali away from ir families," he said.

An officer from elite 21 Para-Special Forces unit, Col Mahik was awarded a Sena Medal for gallantry during Operation Rhi in rth-East in 2003. Col Mahik was an ace football goalkeeper, a skilled horse-rider and a passionate boxer while at Sainik School, his friends recall. Despite inhospitable terrain that me Kura operation immensely challenging, Colonel chose to le his battalion and operation, his classmate said.

For Mahik's classmates from batch which passed out of Sainik School 26 years ago, this is fifth year of 'sweet gesture' y like to call Operation Diwali. braveheart's wife Capt Swati Mahik was commissioned in Army in 2017. "This is my husband's dream. I h or dreams - like being with my children Karthikee and Swaraj - but I took up his dream. "My husband liked being in Army. He fought against terrorism, so after he died, I decided to wear this olive green uniform," she says.