Mhow: In an age when digital screens often eclipse the power of personal connection, the Combat Library at the Army War College (AWC) in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, offered a refreshing counter-narrative. On a Monday afternoon, the storied institution, renowned for grooming some of the Indian Army’s finest strategic minds, transformed into a living anthology of resilience, courage, and quiet conviction. A Human Library event, a global movement that turns real people into “books” whose life stories challenge prejudices and ignite empathy, brought together over 80 children of officers from the AWC, the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, the Infantry School, and Army Public School.
Steered by four remarkable individuals who doubled as both organisers and narrators, the gathering was far more than a storytelling session. It was a deliberate act of mentorship, designed to instil in the next generation a positive outlook forged not in theory but in the crucible of lived experience. Priya Kartikeya, wife of Maj Gen SS Kartikeya, graced the occasion as chief guest, her presence underscoring the Army family’s shared commitment to holistic development beyond the parade ground.
The four “human books” each represented a distinct chapter in the human capacity to overcome, serve, and uplift. Their narratives—delivered with candour and followed by an animated question-and-answer session from the young audience—left an indelible impression on children who will one day inherit the mantle of leadership, whether in uniform or civilian life.
Dr Janak Palta McGilligan: Architect of Sustainable Change
The first human book, Padma Shri Dr Janak Palta McGilligan, is a living testament to the quiet power of persistence. A pioneering social worker and sustainability advocate, Dr McGilligan has spent decades championing the empowerment of marginalised communities while redefining what it means to live in harmony with the planet. Born into an era when open-heart surgery at the age of 16 was little short of miraculous, she turned personal adversity into a lifelong mission. Alongside her late husband Jimmy McGilligan, a fellow Baha’i pioneer, she founded the Barli Development Institute for Rural Women in Indore in the 1980s. Over nearly three decades as its director, the institute trained more than 6,000 tribal girls and young women in skills ranging from literacy and health to vocational crafts and environmental stewardship.
Today, as founder-director of the Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development, Dr McGilligan lives a zero-waste life in her Indore home, powered by solar energy and windmills. An internationally recognised proponent of solar cooking and ecological living, she has conceptualised models of sustainability that have influenced policy and practice far beyond India’s borders. To the children gathered in Mhow, her story was a masterclass in purpose: societal development is not an abstract ideal but a daily practice of dignity, resourcefulness, and unwavering optimism. “True strength,” she seemed to convey, “lies in lifting others while walking lightly on the earth.”
Major Bhargav Kalita: The Guardian of the Frontlines
If Dr McGilligan embodied compassionate service, Major Bhargav Kalita, of the Kumaon Regiment and a recipient of the Shaurya Chakra, personified valour under fire. Awarded India’s gallantry decoration in 2025 for his extraordinary leadership in counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Maj Kalita has operated in some of the most volatile districts—Pulwama, Awantipora, Budgam, and Srinagar—while serving with 50 Rashtriya Rifles. He personally led missions that neutralised high-value terrorists and dismantled improvised explosive devices, actions that demanded not only tactical brilliance but profound team spirit and moral courage.
Hailing from Assam and the son of a senior Army officer, Maj Kalita spoke to the children not of glory but of the bonds forged in foxholes: the trust between comrades, the split-second decisions that separate life from death, and the quiet resolve required to protect civilians in conflict zones. His narrative was a visceral reminder that bravery is not the absence of fear but the refusal to let it dictate one’s duty. For young ears attuned to video-game heroics, his real-world account of eliminating terrorists in Pulwama offered a sobering yet inspiring portrait of what it means to stand between chaos and order.
Major Shiksha Gurung: Summit of the Human Spirit
Major Shiksha Gurung, an officer with the Engineers and an accomplished mountaineer, brought a different kind of altitude to the room—one measured in metres of personal triumph. Her story is one of grit, resilience, and an indomitable will that has seen her conquer both Himalayan peaks and the invisible mountains of illness. A rare disease once threatened to derail her career and her passion for mountaineering; the recovery journey that followed tested every fibre of her being. Through painstaking rehabilitation and unyielding determination, she returned stronger, proving that the human body and spirit can be rebuilt, summit by summit.
To the children, Maj Gurung’s tale was a beacon for anyone facing setbacks—academic struggles, self-doubt, or the ordinary pressures of growing up in a high-achieving military environment. Her message was clear: resilience is not innate; it is cultivated through discipline, support, and the refusal to surrender one’s dreams. In an era when mental and physical wellness are increasingly discussed, her lived example offered something rarer: proof that vulnerability, honestly shared, becomes the foundation of unshakeable strength.
Major Ashish Kumar: Courage Without Fanfare
Completing the quartet was Major Ashish Kumar, another Shaurya Chakra awardee whose quiet fortitude spoke volumes. A soldier of immense courage and exceptional resilience, Maj Kumar has faced the unforgiving realities of modern warfare with the composure of a seasoned leader. His narrative, like those of his fellow officers, highlighted the Army’s ethos of selfless service—where exceptional acts are performed not for accolades but because they are simply what duty demands.
Through his account, the children glimpsed the invisible scaffolding that holds a nation secure: the long patrols, the meticulous planning, the emotional discipline required to lead men in harm’s way while remaining anchored in humanity. His story underscored a vital truth—that courage is often silent, resilience frequently unseen, yet both are indispensable to the world the young audience will inherit.
Echoes That Endure
As each human book concluded their chapter, the children’s questions flowed—probing, curious, and refreshingly direct. They wanted to know how one keeps fear at bay on a mountain or in a combat zone, what it feels like to receive national recognition, and how ordinary people can contribute to society in extraordinary ways. The answers, offered without pretence, bridged the generational divide and planted seeds of possibility.
In an institution dedicated to the art of war, the Combat Library’s Human Library event reaffirmed a deeper truth: the most potent weapons are often stories of hope, service, and the human will to rise. For over 80 young minds in Mhow, the afternoon was not merely memorable—it was transformative. In the words and silences of four extraordinary lives, they discovered that the greatest adventures begin not on distant battlefields or mountain peaks, but within the pages of one’s own unfolding story.
contact: drrajeshjauhri@gmail.com
Dr Rajesh Jauhri is a Journalist with an experience of over 25 years in Indian and foreign media, a Social Scientist, an Ac-complished Author, a Political & Strategic Analyst, a Marksman (Rifle & Pistol), an Orator, a Thinker and an Educationist. He holds a Ph.D. degree on “Impact of colonial heritage on Indian police”. He runs an NGO dedicated to the social and eco-nomic uplift of tribal communities in MP and two decades back, he established a school in a village of Indore district, providing education and moral values to children belonging to underprivileged and minority families. Has received multiple awards in various fields.
