It was a bitter pill to swallow and Amir Ahmad Bhat took time to accept that life’s plans were different from the one he envisioned. But he is now at peace talking about the gap between dreams and reality.
Growing up in a sleepy village near Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, Amir saw himself in the cockpit of a state-of-the-art fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The role is all about pinpoint precision, and while Amir has ticked this box, his calling lay away from the blue skies.
That role or what he has accomplished in the work sphere, Amir is a flagbearer for his state, and a role model for choosing a sane and constructive path in the troubled state. It was hitting bulls’ eye at the shooting range in a way that he became the first from his state and Army to represent the country at the Paralympics in Paris last year.
Amir’s list of achievements is long, the latest being silver in 25m sports pistol mixed SH1 at the recent Khelo India Para Games, and with age on his side, the laurels will keep pouring in for one who never stopped dreaming despite economic hardships and the challenge of growing up in tough times.
The initiation
Exposed to the armed forces since the early days by witnessing parades near his village and watching the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi on TV, the aura of the uniform impressed the child in Amir. The fly past at the culmination of the proceedings at Kartavya Path was particularly endearing and donning a G-suit and manning the controls in an IAF fighter began to take shape.
But soon, the dream got conditioned by reality, and the family’s economic condition prevented Amir from pursuing the love for flying. That said, he owes a lot to his father for encouraging him to chase his desire for a career in the forces.
An army recruitment drive near his village was the start of a journey that brought out the latent talent with firearms. Topping in training, his keen eye at the firing range catching the instructors’ attention, and Amir got commissioned into the Jammu Kashmir Light Infantry. Be it at his first posting in Ladakh or thereafter, Amir’s quick reflexes at pulling the trigger for deadly effect impressed his commanding officers (CO), and paved the way for a sniper course in 2017.
The learning worked in a way that Amir was at the helm of operations against militants that required his skills as a sharpshooter. It was during one such combing action on March 8, 2018, that Amir’s life changed forever.
Turning point
A landmine explosion caught him, and severely impacted the right leg. The incident left Amir at a crossroad as he spent two years in the hospital wondering how to pick up the pieces of his life.
Though despondent, Amir got strength from the ethos of the ‘Ghatak platoon’, which he was a part of at the time of the incident. “Patience and will power helped me stay strong,” he said.
Much as he thought that life would change after recovery, Amir was in for a surprise as his talent wrested him out of the drudgery of desk duties to the forefront of action, and his skills impressed the CO of the Special Forces unit during his posting in Sukna, West Bengal.
It was a huge validation for Amir when he was approached to train the men in the unit. It requires a keen eye to spot a special talent, and Amir found a benefactor in the CO. On his recommendation, Amir signed up for the elite Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) in Mhow in 2021.
Only the best of the best makes it to Mhow, and it was the commencement of a chapter that saw a shift in Amir’s canvas. From targeting and taking out militants, the focus is on glory for the country at the shooting range. Rifle or pistol, Amir proved his mettle in both categories before settling for the latter as there was a dearth of quality players in this section.
Destined for glory
Amir had never imagined a role like this, but as a true soldier, he embraced the change. Watching the posters of Olympic medallists Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Vijay Kumar on the walls of AMU lit the fire to excel and the desire to see his photograph up there as well.
Every time Amir mounts the podium at a national or international competition, that fateful day in March 2018 crosses the mind. National Championships, WSPS World Cups, World Championships, Asian Para Games or the Paris Paralympics, Amir has been served numerous reminders that he is special, and the crack shooter has conditioned himself in a way that regret has no place in the thought process.
Instead, getting more laurels for the country is what drives him. “I did not cry after the landmine blast, but watching the Tricolour go up (on the podium) at the World Championship in Lima made me emotional,” said Amir.