Much before he fulfilled his duty at the border and died a martyr during the skirmish with the Chinese Army, Colonel Bikumalla Santosh Babu fulfilled his father’s biggest wish.
The Bikumalla family and their extended relatives did not have a family member in the Army. Hailing from Suryapet town in Telangana, most of the family members of Santosh are into business or government jobs. Upender, Santosh’s father, nurtured the dream of joining the Army and serving the country. However, he could not make the cut and settled for a Central government job and retired from State Bank of India. He shared his wish with his son at an early age and the latter set out to make it a reality.
He joined Korukunda Sainik School in Andhra Pradesh and went on to pass out as an NDA cadet. The commanding officer of 16 Bihar Regiment was an inspirational figure for the members of his community.
B. Nageshwara Rao, who runs a stationery shop in Suryapet, is heartbroken. He is the uncle of Santosh and was fond of him. “He was a kind-hearted person. Whenever he took a vacation, he would make it a point to visit every relative and spend time with them. He was easy to mingle. He personally encouraged me to be positive as I was not making great profits in my business. Just last year, he came to my house. I asked him if he was thinking of an early retirement since it is a risky job. He told me he loved his work and cannot think of leaving it.”
Nageshwar also remembers “his boy” as a courageous person who would always instill confidence among the youngsters of the family. “He wanted my son to join the Army and told him that one should never get scared of anything in life.”
The 37-year-old leaves behind a wife and two children. Relatives of Santosh are proud of the way he had conducted his life right from his childhood. There are no dearth of stories of how he would effortlessly score more than 90 per cent in most subjects or win medals as the captain of the house in his school.
As news broke out about his death, friends, relatives and media reached his parents' house in Vidyanagar in Suryapet.
Fighting back tears, his mother Manjula and Upender spoke to the media. “I am proud of my son and what he did for the country,” Upender said.
His father described the death as a “great sacrifice” and listed out his professional achievements in the Army. He said that he always dreamt of seeing his son holding more responsible positions in the Army. “Whenever he called, he would not disclose much about his work conditions. He would just ask us not to worry.”
His mother said she was very proud of him for what he did for the country . “But as a mother, it is a painful loss. I am feeling sad.”
According to an Army officer who knew Santosh personally, the late colonel was known as a “braveheart” among his colleagues. He was transferred to Secunderabad recently and was to shift to the city.
The mortal remains of Santosh will be flown to Hyderabad on Wednesday, after which it will be taken to Suryapet by road. A large number of locals are expected to attend the cremation.