New Delhi:
Raj Kumar Thapa, a 54-year-old Jammu and Kashmir Administration Services officer, stood tall as a symbol of unwavering dedication, even as Pakistani shells rained down in Rajouri. He wore no uniform, carried no weapon, but his commitment to duty remained unshaken.
As the District Development Commissioner, he refused to leave his post, choosing to stay with the people who needed him most.
On the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, his story is a poignant reminder of his quiet courage. Thapa was killed in the line of duty in a brutal artillery shell attack on his residential quarters, leaving behind a family and a community in mourning.
His wife, Dr Meenakshi Kundan, still grapples with the pain of their last conversation. “He chose duty over his safety, despite the heavy shelling,” she said, her voice trembling. “He didn’t leave his station, even when he could have.”
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Thapa’s dedication was not new. During the Kashmir floods, he stayed on duty, earning the respect and admiration of his community. “I’m proud of him,” Dr Meenakshi said, her eyes welling up. “He never showed his back in tough times. Duty was his family, next to his loved ones.”
Even now, his voice from that last call on May 9 won’t leave her. According to Dr Kundan, he told her: “If I leave my post, people will lose faith. I’m staying till my last breath. If I am gone, take care of the kids. Death finds us all. Don’t be scared”.
Dr Menakshi Kundan lives with those words every day – the final gift of a man who gave his life so others could keep.
The pain lingers, unhealed. “Duty didn’t leave him, but he left us,” Dr Meenakshi said, tears streaming down her face.
That fateful morning, she called him; he didn’t respond. A stranger picked up, saying, “I will call back.” The same day, his body wrapped in the Indian flag reached home, surrounded by the very people he had sworn to serve.
As thousands gathered to bid him adieu, the nation came to a standstill. With full military honour, they said goodbye to a hero who had given his all.
“Wish he had got all this honour while he was alive,” his wife said. “But people remember him for his dedication towards duty, and that’s what keeps him alive in our hearts,” she said with a feeling of pride visible in her eyes.