Cost of War
by Simran Randhawa
She was only eighteen months old when her father laid down his life in Kashmir. Years later, she tells the story of the family left behind, and the cost of a victory that is never counted on the battlefield.
Major Sukhwinder Jeet Singh Randhawa, KC
2 Rashtriya Rifles · Regiment of Artillery
Balidan Diwas · 17 June 1997
Honour his sacrificeAbout the Book
Cost of War is a poignant narrative that moves through selfless bravery, valour, pain and loss. It looks beyond the battlefield to the aftermath that war leaves upon the families who remain.
At its heart is Lt Col R.J. Randhawa, once known as Romi, the first war widow to be commissioned into the Indian Army. The book follows her transformation from a contented wife to a grieving widow, and finally into a soldier in her own right.
Her husband, Major S.J.S. Randhawa, was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra. In a single moment a once happy life was torn apart, and from that grief Romi rose to wear the same uniform he wore, going on to inspire other Veer Naris to follow her path.
Written by their daughter Simran, the story is both emotive and evocative. It is a child's clear eyed account of what it costs a family when a soldier does not come home, and a reminder that every victory carries a price.
War does not just end with fallen soldiers. It also leaves behind the tattered lives of their families.
I remember using a toy phone to make imaginary calls to Papa.
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