She stood there, tears rolling down her cheeks, an 11-year-old girl seeing her father for the last time. Alka Rai rose above her grief to shriek an old Gorkha war cry; then she saluted her father Colonel MN Rai, an officer of the 2/9 Gurkha Rifles who was commanding the 42 Rashtriya Rifles. The 39-year-old was killed by terrorists in Tral in Kashmir on Tuesday. A day earlier, he had been honoured for his bravery and awarded a Yudh Seva Medal on Republic Day, recognition for his immense capability and success as a Commanding Officer involved in anti-terror operations.
