Born at the stroke of India's freedom, her life became a story of service to nation

For most people, a birthday is a personal milestone. For Lucknow-based Vijay Kumari, wife of decorated retired Army veteran Major Dhirendra Nath Singh, it is also a date shared with the country she has spent her life serving alongside her family.“ My age is the same as that of my country,” Kumari says with a giggle, even readily sharing her Aadhaar ID as proof of her birthday.Born in Varanasi at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, Kumari says her birth coincided with the moment India emerged from British colonial rule.

It was also the moment when India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru delivered his famous “tryst with destiny” speech as the country celebrated independence.“ I was born at the stroke of the midnight hour in Varanasi, when India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the Indian tricolour, signalling the end of the British colonial rule, and made his famous 'tryst with destiny' speech,” she told PTI.A BIRTHDAY THAT INDIA CELEBRATESGrowing up, Kumari's unusual birthday made her something of a celebrity among her school friends.“

When I was in primary school, my friends would always talk about my birth date. School functions, rallies and prabhaat pheries were a regular affair. My parents would tell me that my birthday is celebrated across the country,” she recalled.Her father named her Vijay, meaning victory, because she was born on Independence Day.After she married Major Dhirendra Nath Singh of the Kumaon Regiment, the date acquired an even deeper meaning.“

After marriage, my husband would often say that my destiny is inseparable from my country's, as my birthdate and time are similar to India,” she said.Her husband was a recipient of the Vir Chakra, the country's third-highest wartime gallantry award, for his role in the 1965 India-Pakistan war.A FAMILY IN UNIFORMThe military connection did not end with Major Singh.Kumari's two sons were commissioned into the Army as officers in 1988 and 1989.

One of her grandsons was commissioned into the Army in 2016, while another is currently undergoing training at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh.Her third son is a dentist and she also has a daughter.“ All my family has spent their life in the service of the nation,” she says with a hint of pride.For Kumari, however, her husband's Vir Chakra remains among the most cherished memories of her life.“ My husband being awarded the Vir Chakra.

I am so proud of him for, back in 1965, at the age of 25, he silenced enemies' guns despite having lost a leg in an enemy mine explosion,” she said.Major Dhirendra Nath Singh was commanding a company of a battalion of the Kumaon Regiment when it was ordered to capture Keri during the 1965 war.Among Kumari's prized possessions are her husband's medals and a telegram informing him of the award.“ My husband's medals and a telegram addressed to him read: The President is pleased to award Vir Chakra to you for gallantry' are among my prized possessions,” she said.Major (retd) Singh died at the Army's Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi on April 4, 2025.

WHEN A YOUNG NATION FACED FOOD CRISISKumari also remembers the difficult years that followed India's independence.Recalling the foodgrain crisis during the early years of the young nation, she said her family responded to then prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's appeal by giving up one meal every day.“ Those were difficult days in the life of the young nation. There was a foodgrain crisis, and like most, we too decided to make a small contribution,” she said.Looking back, Kumari sees parallels between her own journey and that of the country.“

I feel that my story is similar, as everything was not rosy. One of the biggest setbacks was my husband losing his leg during the 1965 war,” she said.FROM WAR INJURY TO A FAMILY OF ARMY OFFICERSMajor Singh received a prosthetic leg in 1966, but his injuries eventually affected his military career. Posted in Lucknow, he was declared medically unfit in 1971. That, however, did not stop him from encouraging his sons to join the Army.“

Yet, he ensured that our sons joined the Army and was enormously pleased when he attended their passing out parade,” Kumari recalled.For a woman whose birth coincided with India's first moments as an independent nation, the story of her family has remained closely intertwined with the country's own journey.As the conversation comes to an end, Kumari signs off with a simple “Jai Hind.”- EndsPublished By: Sonali VermaPublished On: Aug 15, 2026 17:14 IST