Karambir Kang: The Stoic

FORBES INDIA ^ | Dec 29, 2009 | Elizabeth Flock

[cold start]

Karambir wasn’t supposed to be his name. At 22, Kanwaljit Kang was married and pregnant. One night, she had a dream. A saint opened the Sikh holy book and said, “Name your baby, a son, Dusht Daman.” Kanwaljit only laughed. Such a hard name for a child, she thought. The name meant “Destroyer of demons”.

The saint was right. A boy was born. For eight months, he went without a name. Finally, Kanwaljit and her husband Jagtar went to a nearby saint to ask for another name. But the saint said the name should stay. Still, Kanwaljit resisted it. No, we must give him something more modern, she thought. They settled on Karambir. It meant, “A person who does brave deeds”.

Now, Kanwaljit, 61, cries when she talks about her son’s name. If I had given him the name I was supposed to, maybe he could have killed those terrorists that day,” she says. She cries harder.

On November 26, 2008, her son did not kill terrorists. But, true to his name, Karambir Kang did brave deeds.

On that day, he was extraordinary. Through a 60-hour siege on the hotel whose company he’d served for 19 years, he worked. On and on, without tiring. Helping to save a thousand guests. But he couldn’t save his wife. He couldn’t save his children.

Karambir called his parents at midnight that night. “I don’t think they’ve made it,” he said, his voice splitting.

“Be a brave Sikh,” his father, a retired Major General told him sternly over the phone from Bahrain. You are an army general’s son. Stay afloat with your ship or go down with it.”

There was silence, and then, “How can you think I can leave?” Karambir asked his father. “If it goes down, I will be the last man

[valkyry1]

Poignant story

[SoftwareEngineer]

“Be a brave Sikh,” his father, a retired Major General told him sternly over the phone from Bahrain

Very sad story. And also a story I have heard many times about the Sikhs. Something in their religion makes them very willing to give their lives to protect absolute strangers. It was once told to me that each Sikh has to give his life to protect any stranger who requests his/her help regardless of race, religion or creed of the stranger who requests it. The Sikh cannot ask for anything in return. It is the Sikh's duty to God and Humanity..

Sad story about Kang. Hope his kids and wife are with God in Heaven

[threepercenter]

Sad, sad story. I have no idea how a man could continue to work in a place where his family was killed. He is a credit to mankind for his behaviour before, during and after the attack. I hope we keep him and as many like him as our friends and allies. God knows I wouldn’t want him or anyone like him as an enemy.