New Delhi, Apr 9 (PTI) A new book on Naib Subedar Chunni Lal's life and legacy offers a heartfelt, first hand portrayal of the emotional and moral strength that drove one of the most decorated soldiers in the history of the Indian Army.

"Bravest of the Brave", written by Lal's commanding officer Lt Gen. Satish Dua (Retd), is published by HarperCollins India.

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Lal, resident of Bhara village in Bhaderwah, South Kashmir, is the only soldier who received Sena Medal, Veer Chakra and Ashok Chakra (Posthumous). He was with the 8th Battalion of the Jammu & Kashmir light Infantry.

"All Indian Army soldiers are brave, but Chunni Lal stood out as one of the bravest... This humble son of a modest farmer grew up to be the bravest of the brave soldiers, a legendary figure, a dutiful son, a loving husband, a doting father and a dedicated son of Mother India. This is his story. I feel his story will inspire the future generations of youth and soldiers alike to serve their motherland," the author, who retired as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff in 2018, said describing Lal.

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At 19, Lal emerged as a hero during the assault on the Siachen Glacier in 1987, being the first to reach the enemy's position, which earned him the Sena Medal (Gallantry). A decade later, when the author served as his commanding officer at the Line of Control (LoC), Lal had grown into a battle-hardened Havildar and a source of inspiration for his comrades. During counter-insurgency operations, he was honored with the Vir Chakra.

Then, on June 24, 2007, while deployed again at the LoC in North Kashmir during a counter-infiltration operation, Lal got killed while fighting with infiltrators in the Kupwara sector.

According to the publisher, India's military history is filled with remarkable tales of personal courage, featuring soldiers who have sacrificed everything, even their lives, to protect the nation. The story of Lal, a genuine military hero, is one of these extraordinary accounts.

"We at HarperCollins are proud to be able to bring Chunni Lal's captivating life story, told by his Commanding Officer Lt Gen. Satish Dua, to readers -- with the hope that many will find the book to be an inspiration,” Udayan Mitra, executive publisher of HarperCollins India, said in a statement.

The book, priced at Rs 399, is available for purchase on online and offline stores.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)