Pune: Lieutenant Colonel Aditya Ghatage, who was conferred with the Shaurya Chakra on Republic Day, had landed a well-paid IT job in Pune after completing degree in mechanical engineering. For someone, who wanted to pursue his childhood dream of serving in the Indian Army, corporate life never appealed to him, recalled his mother Prashila Ghatage (63).
“He would call me every day and say, ‘I can’t sit in front of a computer and do this job. I want to do something different,'” she told TOI. “Eventually, he left the job and started preparing for the Services Selection Board.”This Satara resident’s journey to the olive green was not easy. He failed to clear the SSB in his initial attempts but remained determined. When he finally succeeded, he was selected for all three services — Army, Navy and Air Force. “He chose the Army without second thoughts,” Prashila said.During his training at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, he excelled in physical fitness, sports and academics. He was adjudged first in the order of merit in the technical graduates course of the IMA and was awarded the silver medal at the passing-out parade, reviewed by the then Governor of Punjab, Gen SF Rodrigues (retd).Although he was a technical graduate, Lt Col Ghatage opted for the elite 21 Para (special forces) battalion, popularly known as “Waghnakhs” within the force. He later specialised in jungle warfare, a skill that proved critical in future operations.According to the Army’s official citation, Lt Col Ghatage displayed “exemplary leadership, exceptional tactical acumen and unwavering courage” during a meticulously planned and flawlessly executed precision strike against a fortified anti-national camp along the Indo-Myanmar border.Tasked with neutralising the senior leadership of a notorious armed group, he led the operation from conception to execution. Army records state he was instrumental in establishing a robust intelligence network, directing mission-specific training for his troops, and personally undertaking multiple high-risk reconnaissance missions in extremely hostile terrain.To ensure complete operational security, Lt Col Ghatage enforced stringent deception protocols and coordinated seamlessly with multiple combat and support elements.During the operation, he personally led the high-risk kinetic assault. His tactical brilliance resulted in the complete destruction of the camp and the elimination of nine armed cadres, including the outfit’s top leadership, while several others were critically injured.“It was a very proud moment for us when we came to know about the award,” his mother said. “He proved why he always wanted to join the Army.”His father, Shrikumar, is a retired deputy engineer from the state govt’s public works department.Prashila said her son’s fearless and adventurous nature had been evident from a very young age. “He was never scared of anything. Once we spotted a snake in the house and Aditya was then a school student. But, instead of running away, he tried to catch it. There are many such incidents from his childhood.”She admitted that being the mother of a special forces officer is emotionally demanding. “The kind of daring operations they carried out often made me stressed out and worried. But Aditya told me to channel my fear into sports and fitness.”Following her son’s advice, Prashila took up regular exercise and running — and today, she is a half-marathon runner. “It is only because of him that I could do this,” she said. “That is the level of his leadership. It comes naturally to him, and that is why it reflects in his operations as well.”
