Major General J.S. Jamwal (Retd), the father of Rear Admiral S.S. Jamwal who died on Wednesday in a freak accidental firing at INS Dhronacharya in Kochi on the Kerala coast, is a shattered soul.
The city, which has lost one of its illustrious sons of the soil in the death of one of the seniormost and decorated officers of the Indian Navy, too is mourning sombrely.
Major General Jamwal’s house in Sector 1 of the posh Trikuta Nagar locality on the outskirts of Jammu wears a sombre silence as the decorated soldier of the Indian Army is trying hard not to share his irreparable personal grief through any of the perceptible signs.
“Just last night, he called me up and shared his worries about my health and then updated me as how he was doing there as usual. In the morning, my niece called me informing me about this news being shown on the TV channels. I was shell-shocked. It is simply difficult to believe. I cannot believe that it can happen. But now it has happened,” Major General Jamwal, struggling to look composed, said.
When someone asked him about his son’s childhood memories, he broke down and after a pause, he retained his composure and said: “My life will pass away if I’ve to recollect all childhood memories of my son. You cannot find a person like him. Woh bahut farmabardar beta tha (he was a dutiful son).”