01/10/2023
Mr.Sahota my former colleague who retired as DIG in CRPF , a brave and dashing officer ,passed away yesterday at Chandigarh .
By when I had I joined as DG CRPF in 2010, he had retired but luckily was on brief re- employment .
I was told that even on the last day of his formal service, he went on operations in mine- infested most hazardous Maoist dens of South Bastar in Chattisgarh.Within days of my joining the great Force -CRPF ,I wanted to visit Chintalnar where sometime back 75 CRPF jawans & a state police Jawan had been ambushed , I watched Mr Sahota quickly briefing the teams in a most professional way & by midnight we reached & sat near the very spot in ambush -although a symbolic one ,as to me it was a pilgrimage of sorts, and then we returned.
Sahota’s is a saga of brave and reckless acts that teemed with leadership of the most courageous nature. When a CRPF camp was once heavily attacked by 100s of insurgents ,he reached with a meagre strength in the dead of the night from an expected direction and counter attacked .
He exemplified the adage,’ troops adore a general whose shoes are muddied ‘. He was known to travel in most dangerous zones even alone or with a buddy , in unlikely modes of transport-like vans that carried chicken , with his long hair and beard and the loose feathers on his civilian dress it was a perfect cover for amr Sahota .He was happy as long as there was potential for action.
If only we had a rule like , for the Supreme Court judges in the United States who can be in chair for life , Mr.Sahota would have easily been an apt candidate .
There are many such men in our military , paramilitary and the police forces & I always felt inspired by such men who truly led their men .
