Local lad Kennedy’s brave encounter with 11 heavily armed Pakistan trained terrorists and subsequent martyrdom is a tale that inspires the young and the old of the region.

The young and the old are inspired by the raw courage in the face of extreme adversity shown by Coimbatore’s own son Naick Kannalan Kennedy. It is over two decades since Kennedy held eight heavily armed Pakistan-trained terrorists in a gun battle, killing two of them before falling down in supreme sacrifice.

Kennedy, ill and unfit, was left to recuperate in the tented accommodation by his battalion then posted in Jammu and Kashmir. Our boy from Coimbatore was also battling the elements as it was freezing outside and snow made life even more difficult. It was on the ill-fated April 11, 1993 afternoon, when 11 terrorists slipped across
the border into the Kashmir valley.

What Kennedy did when he sensed the danger posed by the terrorists was to get his two sepoys in position and take on the infiltrators. What ensued then is stuff legends are made of. Heavily outnumbered he was, but that did not bother Kennedy as he bravely began pumping bullets in the general direction of the infiltrators.

But the leader in him sensed that the life of two sepoys was very much in his hands and asked them to pass their weapons and leave him to deal with the invaders from across the border. His brother, V Annadurai recalled Kennedy’s act of courage and valor in the face of extreme adversity, at a function held in their hometown of
Naickenpalayam near Periyanaickenpalayam in Coimbatore city.

It is a matter of pride for the entire family that Kennedy’s battalion recognized his courage, valor and commitment and visits the hometown every year for the anniversary of his death, observed by his family
members at a remembrance meeting.

Kennedy was awarded Keerti Charkra posthumously. It is the peacetime equivalent of Maha Vir Chakra that is awarded for valor, courages action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. His brother’s rendition of the last day in the life of his brother is a gripping tale, a spine chilling account of the brave heart martyr, one that has
made Kennedy into an icon for the youth of Coimbatore and neighboring areas aspire to be.

Kennedy was posted in Jammu and Kashmir in 1991. He had joined the army in 1985 and was a cadet of the 25 Battalion of the Madras Regiment.

“He was ailing on the night of the incident and was left in a tent with two Sepoys after news broke out that 11 anti-national elements had entered into India through the border. Kennedy decided to take on the enemy along with his sepoys and fired ammunition against 11 intruders, killing 3,” Annadurai said.

But soon, Kennedy had to order the sepoys to stop firing and leave the weapons with him and clear the area. It was also snowing heavily at that time.

“He could not continue the chase and sensing that firing from his side had stopped, the remaining eight terrorists surrounded him and began firing. Then too he retaliated by firing back and killed two more,”

Annadurai said. When he died, there were six terrorists still alive and going ahead with their plan. But what the defiant Kennedy did was to engage the terrorists for some time during which the army could reach the spot and kill the remaining six terrorists.

For his immediate family, the loss came as a shock and was something like a bolt out of the blue. But the realization that his brother made supreme sacrifice for the country and died after giving exemplary account of his courage, bravery and valor made the entire family proud. Every year, on April 11, his family and members of the Madras Regiment congregate at the house of Kennedy and remember him and his life.

“We built a memorial in 1996. And since then, men and officers from his battalion in Coonoor come every year and pay their respects to Kennedy. It is a proud moment for us,” Annadurai said. Last year, a biography of Kennedy, written in Tamil by Bhuvaneshwari, a school teacher of Tamil, was released at the meeting.

“We are happy that Kennedy and his life are inspiring the youngsters of the region,” Annadurai said adding that the family was willing to help anyone who wanted to emulate Kennedy.