Parwinder SandhuNew Delhi, Jan. 23 -- As the nation prepares to rise in applause along Kartavya Path, Captain Samira Buttar of the Indian Army will march at the head of her contingent carrying more than just command -- she will carry memory, loss and an unbreakable sense of duty.
The contingent commander of the Integrated Operations Centre tableau at the 77th Republic Day Parade, Captain Buttar stands as a living reflection of the Army's highest ideal, Service Before Self.
A fourth-generation officer, she steps into this moment of national pride in the shadow of a personal tragedy, the recent loss of her father, Col Sarabjeet Singh Buttar (retd).
Yet, even in grief, she chose to lead. "Being a contingent commander during this Republic Da...