RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat releases book on war hero Abdul Hamid

Lucknow: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday paid tribute to Param Vir Chakra recipient Veer Abdul Hamid and said that those, who sacrificed their lives for the nation, were 'immortal' in the real sense.

Bhagwat released a book ‘Mere Papa Param Veer’, which was based on the life and valour of Abdul Hamid, who laid down his life while fighting the Pakistani forces in the 1965 India-Pak war in the Khemkaran sector after demolishing several enemy tanks.

Speaking at a function in Abdul Hamid’s native village of Dhamupur in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district, the RSS chief said that Hamid deserved the highest award as he had sacrificed his life for the country. ‘’Abdul Hamid died for the country.....he chose the country over everything else,’’ Bhagwat added.

He said that the biggest difference between humans and the animals was that the former lived for others while the latter lived for themselves only.

Bhagwat’s decision to release the Book comes close on the heels of reports of tension between the BJP and the RSS in the wake of BJP’s dismal performance in Uttar Pradesh in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

Ghazipur, incidentally, was the bastion of Afzal Ansari, the brother of mafia don turned politician Muhtar Ansari, who died in the Banda district jail a few months back. Afzal Ansari, who contested the LS poll from Ghazipur seat on Samajwadi Party ticket, defeated the BJP nominee Paras Nath Rai by  around 124 lakh votes. 

The book, penned by Ramchandran Srinivasan, contained the memories of Abdul Hamid as shared with the author by his (Hamid) son Zainul Hasan. ‘’It has an account of the childhood of Abdul Hamid and his life in the Army,’’ Hasan said.

Hasan said that he wanted to make a film on the life of his father and had also met some producers and directors in this regard. ‘’They advised me to first write a book on Abdul Hamid and then think of making a film,’’ he added.

Hasan said that the book was in English. ‘’Very soon the Hindi version of the Book will be available in the market,’’ he said.

Abdul Hamid was born in Dhamupur village on July 1, 1933. He joined the Indian Army in 1954. In the 1965 India-Pakistan war, Hamid destroyed seven Paton Tanks of the enemy before being martyred in the battle. He was awarded Param Vir Chakra, the highest gallantry award, for his bravery.