Vishal Rana, Hamirpur
In a proud moment of familial tradition and national duty, Kartikey Agnihotri took the oath to serve the nation on Saturday, graduating from the Indian Military Academy (IMA) here as a Lieutenant. Walking the path of his father, Brigadier Rajan Agnihotri, the young officer’s commissioning ceremony was an emotional watershed for the family, spanning three generations of commitment to the country.
The pride was palpable as Brigadier Rajan Agnihotri and his wife, Archana Agnihotri, pinned the stars on their son’s shoulders. Hundreds of kilometers away, his grandparents—retired Professor JP Agnihotri and former Principal Lakshmi Agnihotri—watched with tears of joy, their hearts swelling at the sight of their grandson embracing the call of duty.
“What greater happiness could there be?” remarked the emotional grandfather, Prof. JP Agnihotri, a resident of Hiranagar in Hamirpur. “After my son, now my grandson has chosen the path of service to the nation.”
The Agnihotri family, originally from Pansai village in the Naudan subdivision of Hamirpur district, has deep roots in both education and defence. Brigadier Rajan Agnihotri, who was commissioned in June 1995 and currently commands a brigade in Punjab, shared his immense pride. “My son used to tell me as a child, ‘Papa, I will wear the uniform like you one day.’ Today, that dream has come true. More than a father’s pride, it is the pride of a soldier seeing the uniform passed from one generation to the next.”
For his mother, Archana, an MSc graduate and homemaker, the moment transcends personal achievement. “Seeing my son become an officer is not just a personal milestone; it is the satisfaction of presenting a dedicated son to the nation. Years of prayers, worry, and patience have finally turned into this smile.”
Kartikey, born in March 2004, is a distinguished student who completed his senior secondary education from Army Public School, Mhow (Madhya Pradesh), after earlier studying at Sacred Heart School in Sidhwari, Dharamshala. He becomes the fourth officer from his native Pansai village to serve in the armed forces, joining the ranks of his father, his uncle Sunil Agnihotri (brother of former MLA Vijay Agnihotri), and Captain Ankit Sharma, son of retired Subedar Sushil Sharma.
The ceremony was attended by his uncle Sunit Agnihotri and aunt Kavita Agnihotri, who called it a moment of immense pride for the entire family. Kartikey’s younger sister, Shreya Agnihotri, is currently pursuing higher education at a university in Mumbai.
This commissioning is more than a personal success; it is a testament to a family’s unwavering culture of service and a shining example of duty inspiring duty, as a new generation dons the olive green to defend the nation.