Nation First | Shikha Akhilesh Saxena talks about her memoir, the human cost of war & her life as an army wife.
She's the wife of artillery officer captain Akhilesh Saxena who played a pivotal role in the Kargil war and her book narrates in compelling detail the turmoil endured by the families of military officers in the face of conflict. Nation first is a story of determination and patriotism shown by the men and women who give their all to safeguard the country, says the publisher's note
Nation First brings out the unique challenges, emotional ups and downs and experiences that army wives face on an everyday basis because of their partner's military service. And it does so in a very compelling manner. But I'm curious to know what was the starting point for the book and how did the idea to write a book based on your experiences and your husband's experiences from the ground, actually take shape?
Shikha Saxena
@ShikhaAkhilesh · 2:13
This book is a true life story, reflecting the value system of armed forces, gathering courage to fight and defeating uncertain challenges in life. Thank you
Swell Team
@Swell · 0:15
Shikha, I've come across this saying that in the army friendships are forged through shared hardships. People from different cultures, ethnicities and beliefs join together in a common cause and form deep connections. You have also written about this enduring bond of brotherhood between officers and their families in your book. Could you talk a little bit about this aspect?
Shikha Saxena
@ShikhaAkhilesh · 2:53
Yes. I have mentioned many incidences in my book which reflect the bond of brotherhood. Before understanding the bond of love with Akhilesh. I understood the bond of brothers in forces. Before my marriage, one of his coursemates visited me and While leaving, he said Shikha, you have a house in every corner of the country. Any coursemate will welcome you with warmth. We are bonded for life
Your memoir shares firsthand and as yet undocumented information of the interactions and the mental upheavals of the Indian troops and their families during the Kargil war. I'm sure that Captain Akhilish Saxena's recollection of the experiences from the ground would have helped you paint an accurate picture of what transpired. But I'm also curious to know if you've also interviewed or spoken to other officers and their families while you were writing this book
Shikha Saxena
@ShikhaAkhilesh · 3:19
I spent many months at the hospital in 1999 sitting by the bedside of my wounded husband who often woke up in agony in the middle of the night. During those sleepless nights he narrated to me the terror of the war zone. Yes, the terror. In addition to his recollections I collected a story from my meetings with a Chief Marshal Thanwar Brigadier Kasana Kunal Ravindranath and many friends and soldiers of the Indian army. Thanks
I think this brings me to my last question to you. Before I go ahead and ask the question, I would like to take a moment to thank you for coming on to Swell and talking about your book with the community. I would definitely love to have you come back and talk more about your work with all of us here. So, yeah, let me go ahead and ask you the final question
Shikha Saxena
@ShikhaAkhilesh · 3:06
This led to me start inspiring mantras. As I am now the founder and CEO of the organization. We conduct motivational sessions globally. My passion is to build a dedicated and sincere workforce within our country and my vision is to inspire every citizen to work with the same never give up attitude and patriotic spirit as our soldiers. This is the inspiration behind writing this story. Thank you so much