In a stirring session designed to ignite ambition and perseverance, the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute (AFPI) welcomed Ms. Amarjeet Kaur, daughter of the late Jemadar Nand Singh, VC, MVC, to address its young cadets. Drawing upon her father’s extraordinary legacy of valor, she urged students to aim high and uphold the values of sacrifice and service.
Ms. Kaur transported her audience back to the battlefields of World War II, recounting her father’s pivotal role as Acting Naik in the 1 Sikh Battalion. Born on September 24, 1914, in Bahadurpur, Mansa district, Jemadar Nand Singh earned the Victoria Cross after leading a daring assault on the Japanese stronghold at India Hill in the Arakan campaign, personally dismantling enemy positions to secure his platoon’s advance.
Transitioning to the 1947–48 Kashmir conflict, Ms. Kaur recounted the fateful ambush in which her father, despite facing overwhelming odds, shielded his men at the cost of his own life. His posthumous award of the Maha Vir Chakra—the nation’s second-highest military decoration—attests to his selfless courage.
“Discipline and determination were the cornerstones of my father’s character,” Ms. Kaur told the cadets. “He believed that no challenge was insurmountable if one remained steadfast in purpose.” She encouraged the aspirants to channel that same grit in their studies and physical training, reminding them that excellence in uniform begins with resolve off the parade ground.
Major General (Retd.) Ajay H. Chauhan, Director of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh AFPI, praised Ms. Kaur’s address as a “powerful reminder” of the institute’s mission to forge leaders grounded in honor. “Jemadar Nand Singh’s story exemplifies the highest ideals of our armed forces,” he said. “We are privileged to have his daughter here, passing on his torch of inspiration.”
The interactive format allowed cadets to ask Ms. Kaur about her father’s tactics, his approach to leadership, and how he coped with the hardships of frontline duty. Her candid reflections on his unwavering commitment to his men left many cadets visibly moved—and resolved to carry forward his legacy of courage.
As the session concluded, the halls of the AFPI resonated with renewed purpose. In the words of one young cadet, “Hearing about such extraordinary bravery makes me want to push my own limits and serve my country with the same dedication.” With memories of Jemadar Nand Singh’s gallantry rekindled, the next generation of officers appears poised to uphold India’s proud martial tradition.
