Families of Indian Army martyrs Major Edward Fernandez and Lieutenant Narendra Mayekar share the pain of losing their loved ones early
SHASHWAT GUPTA RAY
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PANJIM: As India celebrates its 80th Independence Day today, the familiar spectacle of flags, parades and patriotic speeches can obscure a harder truth — the freedom and security enjoyed by the country have come at a cost, often paid in the lives of soldiers.
For two Goan families, that cost was deeply personal. Major Edward Diego Fernandez of Anjuna and Lieutenant Narendra Atmaram Mayekar of Mormugao died while serving the nation, leaving behind young children who grew up with only fragments of memories of their fathers. Decades later, their families continue to carry both the grief of that loss and the pride associated with their sacrifice.
Their stories offer a reminder that remembering Independence Day is not only about celebrating freedom, but also about remembering those who gave their lives to protect it.
Major Edward Fernandez killed in chopper crash
In November 1963, soon after the 1962 Indo-China war, Major Edward Diego Fernandez from Anjuna, of the Corps of Engineers, was killed in a helicopter crash near the Chinese border at the age of 35, leaving behind his wife, Norma, and three young children — Franco, 4, Agnello, 3, and daughter Rita, 11 months old. The incident took place during the construction of an airfield for the Air Force in the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), now Arunachal Pradesh. Franco, a civil engineer who retired as a PWD executive engineer in Goa in 2019, recalls growing up without his father.
“When I was four years old, my family received the news that my father’s helicopter had gone missing near the Chinese border in Arunachal Pradesh.
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Lt Narendra Atmaram Mayekar died fighting ultras in Assam
On February 26, 2000, Lieutenant Narendra Atmaram Mayekar, a native of Headland Sada, Mormugao, Goa, who was attached to the 11th Sikh Regiment, received specific information that hardcore United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) militants were hiding in a village in Assam and led a search operation there.
While approaching a house, he came under fire and was hit in the abdomen. Disregarding his personal safety, he charged into the house with his regiment, engaging the militants in hand-to-hand combat and killing two.
He exhorted his regiment to take on the remaining militants.
Following a 10-day search, he was located in critical condition and transported to the Air Force hospital in Jorhat, Assam. Unfortunately, by the time my mother reached Calcutta (now Kolkata) to meet him, he had passed away. His body was subsequently brought back to Belgaum, where my family was residing,” Franco Fernandez said.
Being very young at the time, Franco’s memories of his father were limited, while his siblings had no recollection of him at all.
“The last time I saw him was at the Nagpur airport when he was leaving for Arunachal Pradesh. Following his unfortunate passing, our family navigated several challenging years during our upbringing. In the wake of my father’s death, my mother learned shorthand to support us. She initially worked as a typist at a convent school. As my siblings and I grew older, she attended college to complete her teacher’s training,” he said.
She subsequently built a career as a teacher at a partner school in Hyderabad, where she taught until her retirement. By then, her children had grown up and married.
“I completed my engineering degree in Hubli and moved to Goa, eventually retiring as an Executive Engineer with the PWD. My siblings have also built their lives abroad. My brother completed his MBA and established his business in the Philippines, while my sister worked as an air hostess with Air India and is now settled in Australia,” he said.
His mother passed away in 2018.
Nearly 60 years after his father’s death, Franco had an emotional reunion with his family’s past. The Indian Army had constructed a memorial in his honour and a shade photograph with his mother. However, the exact location of the memorial remained unknown to the family for decades.
“I recently visited this memorial after 60 years, and it was a profoundly emotional experience. I had tears in my eyes. In fact, my uncle, my father’s youngest brother, Major General Eustace Fernandez, was also martyred. He was killed in Kashmir in 1994, just three days before he was set to be promoted to Lieutenant General and take over as the Director General of Military Intelligence,” he said.
Franco said these losses of life serve as a stark reminder of the heavy price paid by servicemen to protect the nation, often under the most challenging conditions.
“My only message and request to our fellow citizens is to always remember these sacrifices and strive to be citizens worth fighting for,” he said.
LT NARENDRA ATMARAM MAYEKAR DIED FIGHTING ULTRAS IN ASSAM
His gallant and spontaneous action inspired his men, leading to the elimination of three hardcore ULFA militants. He later succumbed to his injuries.
Lieutenant Narendra Atmaram Mayekar displayed exceptional courage, conspicuous bravery and an indomitable spirit, making the supreme sacrifice in the finest traditions of the Indian Army. He was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, the country’s second-highest gallantry award. He is survived by his mother, Bhagirathi, wife Neha and daughter Nidhi.
Reminiscing about her childhood, Nidhi Mayekar said she has only faint memories of her father and associates him largely with photographs of them together.
“To be very honest, I don’t have many memories of my father because I was just two years old when he passed away. I know about him only through my birthday pictures. So, it was just me and my mother,” Nidhi said.
Speaking about growing up without her father, Nidhi said, “When I started school, my friends and teachers spoke about my father, and I always wondered why they were talking about him in the past tense. I always thought that my father was on duty and would come back to spend time with me.”
It was only as she grew older that she realised her father would never return.
“It was very difficult to cope with my feelings. But I did not let my mother know how I would have made her emotionally weak,” she said.
Nidhi said she often felt sad seeing her friends accompanied by both their parents. But having understood the reality, she now feels immense pride in her father.
“As a martyr’s daughter, I carry immense pride in my heart for the sacrifice my father made for our nation. I want to keep his memory alive by sharing his stories of valour with everyone. Let us honour our freedom by being responsible, united and proud citizens,” said Nidhi, who has completed her MCom.
