Ishwar Chandra Narang
Bio
Ranjana and Naresh Paul and Madhu Patel are descendants of Korean War Veteran Brigadier General Ishwar Chandra Narang. He was born on November 4, 1924, and passed away just three years before this interview. He was Ranjana and Madhu’s father. He left India for Korea in 1950 where he was a military surgeon, operating on wounded patients in Busan. Shortly after leaving India, his ship hit a large rock and needed repairs before completing the trip to Korea. He did not know anything about Korea before he arrived. Ranjana mentions that her father was very enthusiastic about being a Korean War Veteran and that he revisited Korea multiple times.
Video Clips
Visiting Korea
Naresh Paul recalls the trip in which he accompanied his father-in-law to Korea in June of 2013. He remembers the amount of press that was there upon their arrival. All of the war veterans were interviewed and then taken to a lunch inside the National Assembly. The President of Korea invited the veterans to inaugurate a new memorial.
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Madhu Patel's Reflections of her Father and Korea
Madhu Patel reflects on the stories of her father. She visited Korea in 2010 with her father for the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War. She remembers him telling her about the war and was excited to join him on the anniversary trip. She remembers visiting all of the war memorials around the country. She speaks about how down-to-earth and appreciative the Korean people are.
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/ranjana-madhunarang#clip-2
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Is Korea Popular in India?
Ranjana and Naresh Paul discuss the popularity of Korean goods in India. They mention that Indians love Korean-made electronics and cars and that the products are of high quality. They highlight the multiple associations for Koreans in India, both for war veterans and civilians. At the time of this interview, there were only two Indian veterans from the Korean War still living. The Korean War Legacy Foundation has interviewed both of them.
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/ranjana-madhunarang#clip-3
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What Would Your Father Say about Korea?
Ranjana and Naresh Paul and Madhu Patel reflect on what their father would have said if he were still alive today. They share he would say he was proud of the country Korea has become. He would say it has improved in many ways since the Korean War and that the Koreans are doing amazing things today. He would note that the war veterans are treated so well that they feel a part of Korea just as they do in India and that Koreans are so warm toward the war veterans. They share that he was very emotional and sentimental about his relationship with the Korean people and how he expressed he would never forget them.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEWJSyrRTEs&start=2226&end=2535
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/ranjana-madhunarang#clip-4
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