Veer Gaatha

Stories of
Param Vir Chakra
Awardees
Select Commemorative Postage Stamps on Defence Theme

15 August 1976

30 July 1990 16 December 1996

16 December 1997

28 January 2000 28 January 2000

28 January 2000
28 January 2000

31 December 2003

24 October 2004

15 September 2015 15 September 2015 15 September 2015

Veer Gaatha

Stories of
Param Vir Chakra Awardees
 ISBN 978-93-5007-765-8
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Foreword

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has

developed this book, Veer Gaatha: Stories of Param Vir Chakra Awardees in
the honour of those who fought against all odds to safeguard the honour
of our nation.
Veer Gaatha is a memoir of war heroes who will be remembered
forever for their indomitable courage, dedication to duty and undying love
for the motherland. This book is a collection of stories of great icons of
the Indian armed forces who have been awarded the Param Vir Chakra.
The award is the highest military decoration and it stands for the highest
degree of conspicuous gallantry, supreme courage, leadership, exemplary
devotion to duty and self-sacrifice in wartime.
War as we know is the largest man-made catastrophe affecting
humankind. But there is a bigger question, i.e., can we avoid war? Perhaps
there is no certain answer to this question, but we should surely not glorify
wars if wars do not entail the message of peace. The sincere tribute to our
war heroes, some of whom laid down their lives for a noble cause, will be to
ensure that peace and harmony prevail. Reading these stories will give you
an opportunity to engage with history and take a stand on what the present
should entail — war or peace forever!
The stories that follow are inspiring and instructive. They will give the
reader insights into our “Param Virs”, the bravehearts, their disciplined
and determined characters and their commitment to responsibility. We are
sure that you will be motivated to imbibe their sterling qualities and carry
forward the glorious tradition set by them.
Let us remind ourselves that the time has come that we resolve our
conflicts amicably and rise as members of one human family.

Director
New Delhi National Council of Educational
15 January 2016 Research and Training
Preface

The Constitution of India states that the State shall endeavour to promote
international peace and security, maintain just and honourable relations
between nations, foster respect for international law and encourage
settlement of international disputes by arbitration.
However, circumstances required independent India to engage in
wars and conflicts with Pakistan in 1947-48, 1965, 1971, 1987, 1999 and
with China in 1962. The armed forces were also called upon to serve
in the peacekeeping operations in nations such as DR Congo (1960-
64) and Sri Lanka (1987-90). The personnel of all services sacrificed
immensely to achieve the goals of national security and honour at
home and abroad. This handy book comprises inspiring stories of
the 21 bravehearts who were awarded the Param Vir Chakra (PVC),
India’s highest wartime gallantry medal, for their service to the nation.
Until now, only 21 war heroes were awarded the PVC since 1947. Out
of them, as many as 14 were awarded the PVC posthumously and
16 took part in India’s wars and conflicts with Pakistan alone.
The PVC Awardees hail from a wide range of socio-economic and
educational backgrounds. While some come from the defence families,
most are from other walks of life. While half of them are officers, the other
half belong to JCOs/NCOs/Jawans. These heroes may belong to different
communities, regions, services, regiments, units, ranks, age groups
and different periods of post-Independence history of India. But what
is common to all of them is the feeling of patriotism and the display of
the highest level of valour on the battlefield. Symbolising the ethos and
values such as devotion to duty, esprit de corps, honesty, honour, non-
discrimination, and spirit of selfless sacrifice, they lived up to the motto:
“One for all and all for one”. This is what is reflected in each story.
The book introduces these outstanding patriots to young readers across
the nation. Most of these readers may be termed as post-Kargil generation.
Following a chronological order, the book provides snippets of military
history of India since independence along with the stories of the PVC
Awardees. Each story concludes with the citation, which describes valour
of the Awardee. Readers can find out more print and audio-visual materials
to know about the life and times of these awardees and about the wars and
operations in which they took part and the leaders of those times. In these
stories, it is neither intended to glorify the violence nor demonise the enemy.
The safety, honour and welfare of your country come first,
always and every time.

The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command

come next.

Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and
every time.

– Credo of the Indian Military Academy (IMA)

Development Team

M.V.S.V. Prasad (Coordinator)

Assistant Professor of Political Science
Department of Education in Social Sciences, NCERT
(Stories 6, 12-15, 17)

Meenakshi Khar
Assistant Professor of English
Department of Education in Languages, NCERT
(Stories 7-11, 16)

Sandhya Singh
Professor of Hindi
Department of Education in Languages, NCERT
(Stories 1-5)

Seema Shukla Ojha

Assistant Professor of History
Department of Education in Social Sciences, NCERT
(Stories 18-21)
 मझु े तोड़ लेना वनमाली
उस पथ पर देना तमु फें क
मातभृ मू ि पर शीश चढ़ाने
जिस पर जावें वीर अनेक ।।
– माखनलाल चतर्ु वेदी
Acknowledgements

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)

acknowledges all those who contributed – directly and indirectly – to the
development of this book.
We thank the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD),
Government of India, for entrusting NCERT with the responsibility to
bring out this prestigious publication.
We are thankful to Professor B.K. Tripathi, Joint Director, NCERT,
for initiating this programme, constantly guiding the development team
members and providing them with an opportunity to learn more about
the 21 war heroes. We express gratitude to Professor Neeraja Rashmi,
Head, DESS and Professor K.C. Tripathi, Head, DEL for their words of
encouragement.
The staff members of the Library of the Ministry of Defence (MoD)
and of the History Division of the MoD are thanked. We also acknowledge
the websites of the Indian armed forces (Indian Army, Indian Air Force
and Indian Navy), NDA and other defence institutions, the Gazette of
India, the published and online materials by the Press Information Bureau
(PIB) and various other government agencies, private institutions and
newspapers.
The works of many institutions and authors were immensely useful for
our book. This is primarily based on secondary sources. We are especially
beholden to Maj Gen Ian Cardozo (Retd) and Ms Rachna Bisht Rawat for
their interesting chronicles of the PVCs and also for finding time to meet us.
We thank Col K. S. Grewal and Maj Marian Antony of the Additional
Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI), MoD; Dr Indu
Khetarpal, Principal, Salwan Public School, Rajendra Nagar, New Delhi (and
her dedicated team of teachers); Ms Indu Rai, freelance editor, New
Delhi; Dr P. C. Singh and Ms Rajul Tiwari of the JIMMC, Noida, UP; and
Dr Rameshwer Singh, Associate Professor of English, Satyawati College
(Evening), University of Delhi for providing incisive comments on different
parts of the draft material in a review meeting held on 25-26 August 2015.
Thanks to Ms Avantika Tripathi for translating the Stories 1-5 from Hindi
to English.
 We want to record our sincere appreciation of the support extended
wholeheartedly by many individuals and institutions to our endeavour in
multiple ways. We are particularly grateful to the officers of the Indian
Army for scrutinising the content. We thank Shri Nungsanglemba Ao,
Director (PR), Directorate of Public Relations (DPR), MoD; Maj V. K.
Singh, Photo Division, DPR, MoD; Lt Cdr Shibu Devasia, NDA; and Sqn
Ldr Rana T.S. Chhina (Retd), Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research,
United Service Institution of India; Mr Sagat P. Shaunik, Research Scholar,
IIT, Mumbai; and Shri R. S. Chauhan, Librarian, The Lawrence School,
Sanawar for providing valuable advice and rare images; and Maj Mukesh
Kapila and WO Taj Singh Rathore, Army Postal Service for APS Special
Covers.
We are grateful to Shri Kushal Vashist, Director (Philately),
Department of Posts, Government of India, for providing the images of
the postage stamps and for granting permission to use them.
We thank Lt Col Vineet Ohri, Principal, Rashtriya Military School
(RMS), Chail; Lt Col Bhupender Kumar, Principal and Maj P. Davidson,
AO, RMS, Bengaluru; Lt Col L.K. Muni, AO and Mr Samir Sarkar, Rashtriya
Indian Military College, Dehradun; and Maj Ravi Kumar, IMA for support
during the visits to these institutions.
Efforts were made to contact the PVCs and their next of kin. We
succeeded sometimes and we express our deep gratitude to them for being
helpful in many ways. They include Subedar Yogender Singh Yadav, PVC,
Naib Subedar Sanjay Kumar, PVC, Shri Satnam Singh, Ms Poornima
Thapa, Ms Sandhya Ekka, Shri Mukesh Khetarpal, Col Raj Kumar Dahiya
and Ms Pratibha Mishra.
We warmly thank Dr Shveta Uppal, Chief Editor, and Shri Mathew
John, Editorial Assistant, Publication Division, NCERT for commendable
editorial support and Shri Inderjeet Jairath for proofreading.
The DTP operators, Surender Kumar, Pawan Kumar Barriar, Sadiq
Saeed, Mahender Mahto, Haridarshan and Rekha Sharma are thanked.
We appreciate Ms Ritu Topa for the wonderful layout and design.
All efforts have been made to respect the copyright to the best of
our knowledge. Inadvertent omissions, if brought to our notice, stand for
correction in the reprint edition.

x
About the Param Vir Chakra

Instituted on 26 January 1950, the first Republic Day, the Param Vir Chakra
(PVC) is awarded for most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-
eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, in the presence of the enemy, whether
on land, at sea, or in the air. The decoration may be awarded posthumously. It
came into retrospective effect from 15 August 1947.
Literally, the Param Vir Chakra means ‘Wheel (or Cross) of the Ultimate
Brave’. In Sanskrit, Param means Ultimate, Vir (pronounced veer) means Brave
and Chakra means Wheel.
Design of the Medal
Medal: Circular in shape, made of bronze, one and three eighth inches in
diameter and on obverse, four replicas of “Indra’s Vajra” with the State
Emblem (including the motto), embossed in the centre. On its reverse, it
shall have embossed Param Vir Chakra both in Hindi and English with two
lotus flowers between Hindi and English. The fitting will be swivel mounting.
The PVC is the equivalent award of the “Victoria Cross” (VC) of the
United Kingdom or the “Medal of Honor” of the United States of America.

Sources: http://indianairforce.nic.in
http://knowindia.gov.in
Designer of the PVC Medal

IA 421 Maj Gen Vikram Ramji Khanolkar and Mrs Savitri Bai Khanolkar on the
day of their marriage at Lucknow

Mrs Savitri Bai Khanolkar designed the PVC Medal. She was born
on 20 July 1913 in Switzerland as Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros. She met
Cadet Vikram Ramji Khanolkar who was visiting Switzerland during a
term break from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK. They fell in
love and married later. Subsequently, she changed her name to Mrs Savitri
Bai Khanolkar.
Mrs Khanolkar was chosen to design the medals owing to her in-depth
understanding of Indian culture and her artistic skills. Besides designing
the PVC, she designed the major Gallantry Medals for both war and peace,
namely Ashok Chakra (AC), Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), Kirti Chakra
(KC), Vir Chakra (VrC) and Shaurya Chakra (SC)! She also designed the
General Service Medal–1947, used until 1965. Interestingly, her daughter
Mrs Kumudini Sharma’s brother-in-law, Maj Somnath Sharma, was
posthumously awarded India’s first PVC, in the Battle of Badgam in 1947.
Mrs Khanolkar passed away on 26 November 1990.

xii
Abbreviations

2/Lt Second Lieutenant

A Company Alpha Company
ADGPI Additional Directorate General of Public Information
AOC-in-C Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
APS Army Postal Service
B Company Bravo Company
Bde Brigade
Bn Battalion
Brig Brigadier
C Company Charlie Company
CAP Combat Air Patrol
Capt Captain
CHM Company Havildar Major
CO Commanding Officer
Col Colonel
Coy Company
CQMH Company Quarter Master Havildar
D Company Delta Company
Fg Offr Flying Officer
Flt Lt Flight Lieutenant
FOC-in-C Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief
Gen General
GOC-in-C General Officer Commanding-in-Chief
GR Gorkha Rifles
HMG Heavy Machine Gun
HQ Headquarters
IAF Indian Air Force
IMA Indian Military Academy
IPKF Indian Peacekeeping Force
JAK LI Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry
JAK RIF Jammu & Kashmir Rifles
JCO Junior Commissioned Officer
L/Nk Lance Naik
LMG Light Machine Gun
LoC Line of Control
Lt Col Lieutenant Colonel
Lt Gen Lieutenant General
Lt Lieutenant
LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Maj Gen Major General
Maj Major
MMG Medium Machine Gun
MoD Ministry of Defence
NCC National Cadet Corps
NCO Non-commissioned Officer
NDA National Defence Academy
NEFA North East Frontier Agency
OBE Order of the British Empire
PAF Pakistan Air Force
PoW Prisoner of War
PVC Param Vir Chakra
RCL Recoilless
Regt Regiment
RMS Rashtriya Military School
Retd Retired
UN United Nations

xiv
Contents

Foreword iii
Preface v
About the Param Vir Chakra xi

India-Pakistan War, 1947-48 1

1. Somnath Sharma 4
2. Jadunath Singh 11
3. Rama Raghoba Rane 15
4. Piru Singh 20
5. Karam Singh 25

Congo Operation, 1961 31

6. Gurbachan Singh Salaria 33

India-China War, 1962 39

7. Dhan Singh Thapa 41
8. Joginder Singh 47
9. Shaitan Singh 51

India-Pakistan War, 1965 57

10. Abdul Hamid 59
11. Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore 64

India-Pakistan War, 1971 69

12. Albert Ekka 73
13. Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon 77
14. Arun Khetarpal 81
15. Hoshiar Singh 89

Siachen Conflict, 1987 93

16. Bana Singh 96

Sri Lanka Operation, 1987 101

17. Ramaswamy Parameswaran 103
Kargil Conflict, 1999 107
18. Manoj Kumar Pandey 112
19. Yogender Singh Yadav 116
20. Sanjay Kumar 120
21. Vikram Batra 124

Uniforms and Ranks in the Indian Army 129

Structure of the Indian Army 130
Order of Precedence 131
Glossary of Military Terms 133
Bibliography 135
Audio-Visual Materials 136
Websites 137
Image credits 138
Select Commemorative Postage Stamps on
Institutions of Education and Training 139

xvi
A Saga of Heroism...

India-Pakistan War
1947-48

Indian soldiers during the 1947-48 war

 Veer Gaatha

1947–the advent of independence left scars of boundaries as

the land and people were divided into India and Pakistan.

The war of 1947-48 was significant in many ways. It broke

immediately after the birth of two nations after a long struggle for
freedom; no sooner the euphoria of attaining freedom had subsided
the issues of nursing a nation of people of wounded psyche emerged;
at this juncture the war siren came as a bolt from the blue.
Nearly 550 Princely States were offered to choose and join either of
the countries. Most of the rulers selected the country that was nearer
to their own. Some chose to be independent. The Ruler of Jammu
and Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, chose to stay independent. An
arrangement by the name ‘Standstill Agreement’ was signed, which
ensured the continuity of the present administrative system till a new
agreement came into being. Both the countries were appealed to restrain
from putting any administrative pressure until the public opinion is
expressed. However, but in spite of signing the agreement, in order to
capture Kashmir, Pakistan within a few months of independence, along
with some Pathan tribal clans, ex-servicemen, fugitive soldiers and
Pakistani troops started intruding into independent Kashmir.
In October 1947, the guerrillas (armed tribesmen) attacked the
bordering villages. Initially, the state army fought fiercely but soon they
realised that they were fewer in comparison to the guerrillas. And then
Maharaja Hari Singh appealed to India for help. Prime Minister, Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru agreed to help on the condition that the agreement
of merging the state of Jammu and Kashmir with India will be signed
first. As that was the only legal way by which the Indian Army could
enter Jammu and Kashmir. It was a long and bloody war. The soldiers
captured some parts of Kashmir during that time. Jhangar, Rajouri,
Kargil, Tithwal and a few other places were later recaptured. Later, in
1949, the ceasefire was officially announced with the intervention of the
United Nations.

2
 India-Pakistan War, 1947-48

The Indian soldiers fought courageously and were honoured with

various gallantry awards. In this war, there were many brave soldiers
who sacrificed their lives. Five of them were awarded the Param Vir
Chakra for exceptional bravery and self-sacrifice. Maj Somnath
Sharma, Naik Jadunath Singh and CHM Piru Singh lost their lives in
battlefield. They were honoured with this award posthumously. 2/Lt
Rama Raghoba Rane and Lance Naik Karam Singh were two soldiers
who received this honour in person.
There are many unsung heroes of war and common people who
laid down their lives for the country we are living in. We can hear the
sagas of their valour blowing in the wind and we can smell it in the
aroma of the soil of our motherland. There were some who stand tall
as figures of indomitable courage; it is for their sacrifice that we can
breathe in a free country. Do you know who these people were?
Come, let us rewind to have a feel of their lives and spend some time
with them!

“Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die.”
– Lord Tennyson Alfred

3
 1
Somnath Sharma

Battle from Sunrise to Sunset – 3 November 1947

Maj Somnath Sharma raised his head with a twinkle in his eyes.
His plastered hand rested near the bunker. He looked at the sun
which would gradually be moving towards the west. Every second
of his life was a challenge now. He was ready to outrun the sun now
but there was no tension, the rising morning sun was welcomed;
his face was beaming and spirited in anticipation of laying his life for
the glory of his country.
Hence, after getting the secret information that a group of
about a thousand Pathans (armed tribals), led by the Pakistani
army, aided and abetted by Pakistan, was heading towards Srinagar.
Troops of A and D Company of 4 Kumaon led by Maj Somnath
Sharma and 1 Para Kumaon commanded by Capt Ronald Wood
were sent to Badgam, a small town located close to the Srinagar
airfield. According to the reports, the motive of the Pathans led by
the Pakistani army was to capture Srinagar airbase, to cut supplies,
and to make the Indian Army ineffective. But the troops led by
Maj Somnath Sharma were assigned the responsibility of finding the
infiltrators and keep them engaged.
Early in the morning, as per Maj Sharma’s report, his
company had taken position and dug trenches on a hill, west of the
village. 1 Para Kumaon had also taken position in the southeast of
the village, and according to them the village was calm and dead
silent. The villagers were busy with their work but seemed scared and
frightened. They saw that a few villagers had gathered near a nala
(water body) as if they had taken refuge there. Because the village
 India-Pakistan War, 1947-48

seemed quiet, 1 Para Kumaon was instructed to take a round of the

East and go back to airbase after getting in touch with 1 Punjab.
They followed the orders and came back and reached Srinagar at
1 pm. The situation in Badgam was under control, so Maj Somnath
was ordered to remove his company from there although he
preferred to keep the company in Badgam till the evening.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the border, the Lashkar (group)
was accumulating in small units, to avoid suspicion. Their leader was
a Pakistani Major who was planning to dodge the Indian soldiers,
patrolling the area. It was a big and well-thought plan. Around
2 pm, when the A company had left the area, Pakistani Major
decided to wait no more, and as soon as around 700 infiltrators
accumulated, he attacked. At around 2.30 pm, Maj Somnath was
stunned to see bullets being fired from the village. He informed
the brigade that their position was under attack and that they
were apprehensive that their retaliation can prove to be fatal for
the women and children present in the village. Till then more
infiltrators had reached there from the hillside. The soldiers, who
had survived, later told that Maj Somnath was rushing from one
trench to another, boosting their morale and motivated them
to fight with full courage. The courage and determination of the
soldiers made the initial attacks by the enemy unsuccessful.
But the strength of the Pakistani Pathans was large and making
full use of this, they started putting more pressure by increasing their
number further. Soon they surrounded the D company from three
sides and started climbing the hill where the trenches were located.
Maj Somnath knew that his troops were meagre in comparison to
the enemy. He asked the brigade commander to send arms and
ammunition and extra soldiers. To keep the enemy engaged till
reinforcements arrived was a big challenge. He was aware that if not
engaged for considerable period of time, the infiltrators can reach
and capture the Srinagar airbase. He knew that his company will
not be able to stop the enemy for long, so it was a challenge for him

5
 Veer Gaatha

to keep up his soldier’s will power. And, hence, he was in the open
battlefield ignoring his own safety but boosting the morale and will
power of his soldiers.
The fight continued like this for five hours. This was very
precious time for the Indian Army because by keeping the invaders
engaged was actually giving the Indian Air Force enough time to
bring reinforcements to the field.
Finally, their ammunition finished. When they informed the
brigade, the brigade asked them to fall back. After getting the orders,
Maj Somnath went to another trench to help a soldier load his gun,
in the meantime a mortar shell came and fell on an ammunition
box. There was a big explosion. Along with Maj Somnath Sharma,
his orderly and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) lost their lives.
The Indian Army retaliated with full force and captured
Badgam in the early hours of 5 November. But 4 Kumaon lost their
bravehearts – Maj Somnath Sharma, Subedar Prem Singh Mehta
and 20 soldiers. Maj Somnath Sharma was awarded the Param
Vir Chakra for exemplary leadership and gallantry in fighting and
capturing the Indian post back.

Unforgettable Moments
Even after having a wounded plastered arm, Maj Somnath
Sharma insisted on going to Kashmir front… perhaps,
challenging his destiny competing with death. Amidst
death and destruction, Lance Naik of D coy Balwant Singh
did something very courageous; when most of the soldiers
were left with just one or two rounds of ammunition,
he told his men to move on and prepare for another action,
Balwant Singh, risking his life attacked the invaders. Due
to this intelligent and benevolent act of D coy, the invaders
were delayed by about 6 hours. This time was enough
for the Indian army to take position and to stop them
from reaching the airfield. The aircrafts were also helping
the troops. They were ready to face the attacks.

6
 India-Pakistan War, 1947-48

Somi to Major Somnath

Maj Somnath was born on 31 January 1923 in District Kangra. His
father, Amarnath Sharma, a Medical Corps officer, reached the rank
of Major General in his service. Somnath was known as Somi as a
child. His brother who was also an army officer was called Tindy in
the army circles. When Tindy was 4 years old, their father was sent to
England for a medical course. Hence, both the brothers were sent to
Hampton Court Convent, Mussoorie. Bullied by the seniors at such
a tender age, Somi who was taller and broader than Tindy became
his protector. Somi had no interest in studies except in history and
general knowledge. The brothers had an agreement that Somi would
protect Tindy from the bullies of the school and Tindy would do the
homework which Somi would later copy in the morning.
They also did their further studies together. They studied together
in Sherwood College, Nainital. He was enrolled in the Prince of Wales
Military College (now Rashtriya Indian Military College), Dehradun
because of his strong desire to join the army. After passing out from
there in 1941, he joined the Indian Military Academy (IMA). The war
had started by then and the military training programme at the IMA
had to be stopped in between. In February 1942, after nine months
of vigorous training, Maj Somnath Sharma was commissioned in
8/19, Hyderabad Regiment (which later came to be known as the 4th
Battalion, Kumaon Regiment). He was merely 19 years old then.
Maj Somnath returned to India as an adjutant in 4 Kumaon
and picked up his duty to ensure the internal security of Punjab.
He also helped the police and administration to control the unrest
of 1947. These qualities enabled him to lead his company during the
unrest created by Pakistani infiltrators in Kashmir. The Commanding
Officer (CO) of 4 Kumaon was not ready for Somi’s movement
but ultimately giving in to his persistence, the CO agreed upon
sending him. He was given the responsibility of leading 2 Kumaon
companies. This story is often repeated in army messes and books.
It is a story of pride and courage.

7
 Veer Gaatha

Once a Soldier, always a Soldier

Somnath was in Arakan, where he saw deadly combat with
Japan during the Second World War on the coast of Arakan.
Three Indian battalions had fought alongside British
Commando Battalion in this war. Once during the action,
Maj Somnath saw a wounded Kumaoni soldier sitting
beside a tree. When Somnath asked him to run, he replied
that he was unable to stand due to his wound. Somnath
picked him up and carried him on his back through the
Japanese shelling, to a safe place.

Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Dehradun,

is the alma mater of Maj Somnath Sharma.

8
Citation
Major Somnath Sharma
(IC-521), 4 Kumaon

On 3 November 1947, Major Somnath Sharma’s company was ordered

on a fighting patrol to Badgam in the Kashmir Valley. He reached his
objective at first light on 3 November and took up a position south of
Badgam at 1100 hours. The enemy, estimated at about 500 attacked
his company position from three sides, the company began to sustain
heavy casualties.
Fully realising the gravity of the situation and the direct threat
that would result to both the aerodrome and Srinagar if the enemy
attack was not held until reinforcements could be rushed to close
the gap leading to Srinagar via Humhama, Major Sharma urged his
company to fight the enemy tenaciously. With extreme bravery,
he kept rushing across the open ground to his sections exposing
himself to heavy and accurate fire to urge them to hold on.
Keeping his nerve, he skilfully directed the fire of his sections into
the ever-advancing enemy. He repeatedly exposed himself to the
full fury of enemy fire and laid out cloth strips to guide our aircraft
onto their targets in full view of the enemy.
Realising that casualties had affected the effectiveness of his light
automatics, this officer whose left hand was in plaster, personally
commenced filling magazines and issuing them to the light machine
gunners. A mortar shell landed right in the middle of the ammunition
resulting in an explosion that killed him.
Major Sharma’s company held on to its position and the remnants
withdrew only when almost completely surrounded. His inspiring
example resulted in the enemy being delayed for six hours, thus
gaining time for our reinforcements to get into position at Humhama
to stem the tide of the enemy advance.

9
 His leadership, gallantry and tenacious defence were such that
his men were inspired to fight the enemy by seven to one, six hours
after this gallant officer had been killed.
He has set an example of courage and qualities seldom equalled
in the history of the Indian Army. His last massage to the Brigade
Headquarters a few moments before he was killed was, “The enemy
are only 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under
devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the
last man and the last round.”

Gazette of India Notification

No. 2-Pres./50

10
 2
Jadunath Singh

Legacy of Valour
This is the story of a soldier who lived and died for the country.
Jadunath Singh was born on 21 November 1916 in Khajuri, a small
village in Uttar Pradesh. His parents, Birbal Singh Rathore and
Jamuna Kanwar, were poor farmers. They had a large family of eight
children. Jadunath passed out from the village school after completing
class four. He was good at wrestling and physical activities.
As a young boy, Jadunath was active, religious and disciplined.
At the age of 25 years, he joined the Rajput Regiment at Fatehgarh.
After completing his training, he was posted at 1st Battalion of the
Rajput Regiment. His senior officers observed in him the sparks of
leadership and courage. He fought in World War II. On his return,
Jadunath was promoted to the rank of Naik, and he was given the
command of a section of troops.
It is said among the army circles that much information about
Jadunath is not available since he did not marry and his relatives
could also not be located. But what remains of the war hero Jadunath
is the legacy of bravery and matchless qualities of leadership which
will never fade from the pages of history of our country.

Fury of the Battle – 6 February 1948

As you have already read, the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir
did not want to be a part of India immediately after India gained its
independence. But it was also not possible for the erstwhile Maharaja
of Jammu and Kashmir to become self-sufficient in all aspects. He
agreed to accede to India when raiders from Pakistan attacked
Kashmir since he had no preparedness to fight the invaders.
 Veer Gaatha

The Battalion, 1 Rajput was given the orders to march to

Naushera for fighting the invaders. The battalion was divided into
three posts. One of them was Taindhar, which is said to be the
most conspicuously located as invaders had no other way but to
pass Taindhar. The battalion had reached there on 8 December 1947.
Naik Jadunath, the hero of Taindhar post received information
that Pakistani raiders were planning an attack. He had meagre
resources and few men at his disposal. It was early morning of
6 February 1948, Jadunath could see amidst the mist and fog that
invaders were approaching; true it was, huge in numbers and armed
with weapons. It seemed that those moments froze for Jadunath for
a fraction of second. He rose and collected all of his nine men and
commanded them to take positions. There were invaders popping up
from all sides. They were marching ahead with ferocity.
Jadunath and his men flung hand grenades at them but that
was not enough. It was like a pinch of salt in the sea of fighters and
weapons. It is recorded that at one point of time they entered the
trenches and had hand-to-hand combat.
Amidst the fury of the battle, four men of Jadunath’s force
were injured. Havildar Daya Ram, a non-commissioned officer, rose
to the occasion, putting his life at risk he started firing mortars,
but at a very close range. It could have hurt him and the Indian
soldiers. But his strategy actually saved the Indian post from a greater
destruction. Jadunath had received serious bullet injuries. He was
unable to stand and walk. Brave to the hilt, he dragged himself,
took a gun from a wounded soldier and fought till he was left
with no ammunition. This was not saying adieu. He grabbed a
sword from the invaders and fought till he was shot dead. These
are not the snapshots of his bravery alone, but of him being a
leader as well; Jadunath’s feats of bravery inspired his men to
fight till they lost their lives. We might also say that this was a
tribute of brave soldiers to their leader Jadunath who exhibited
matchless courage in fighting the invaders. Jadunath did not let
the invaders take his post till he breathed last. He was awarded the
Param Vir Chakra posthumously.

12
Citation

Naik Jadunath Singh

(No. 27373), 1 Rajput

At No. 2 picket on Taindhar on 6 February 1948, No. 27373 Naik

Jadunath Singh was in command of a forward section post which
bore the full brunt of the enemy attack. This little post was garrisoned
by nine men against overwhelming odds. The enemy launched
his attack in successive waves and with great ferocity to overcome
this post. The first wave swept up to the post in a ferocious attack.
Displaying great valour and superb qualities of leadership, Naik Jadunath
Singh so used the small force at his disposal that the enemy retired
in utter confusion.
Four of his men were wounded but Naik Jadunath Singh
again showed his qualities of good leadership by reorganising
the battered force under him for meeting another onslaught. His
coolness and courage were of such an order that the men rallied
and were ready for the second attack which came with greater
determination and in large numbers than the preceding one. Though
hopelessly outnumbered, this post under the gallant leadership of
Naik Jadunath Singh, resisted. All were wounded, and Naik Jadunath
Singh, though wounded in the right arm, personally took over the
bren-gun from the wounded bren-gunner. The enemy was right on
the walls of the post, but Naik Jadunath Singh once again showed
outstanding ability and valour of the highest order in action. By his
complete disregard for his personal safety and example of coolness
and courage, he encouraged his men to fight. His fire was so
devastating that what looked like impending defeat was turned into
victory and the enemy retired in chaos leaving the dead and
wounded littered on the ground. With this act of supreme heroism and
outstanding example of leadership and determination, Naik Jadunath
Singh saved the post from the second assault.

13
 By this time, all men of the post were casualties. The enemy put in
his third and final attack in undiminished numbers and determination
to capture this post. Naik Jadunath Singh, now wounded, prepared
literally single-handed to give battle for the third time, and with great
courage and determination, he came out of the sangar and firing sten-
gun, made a most magnificent single­-handed charge on the advancing
enemy, who completely taken by surprise, fled in disorder. Naik Jadunath
Singh, however, met his gallant death in his third and last charge by two
bullets hitting him in the head and chest. Thus, charging single-handed
at the advancing enemy, this Non-Commissioned Officer, performed
the highest act of gallantry and self-sacrifice and by so doing, he saved
his section – nay his whole picket from being overrun by the enemy
at the most critical stage in the battle for the defence of Naushera.
Gazette of India Notification
No. 16-Pres./50

14
 3
Rama Raghoba Rane

Becoming a Soldier
Rama Raghoba Rane was born in a family belonging to Maratha
community. They later on settled in South India. He served in the
army for about 21 years and got five Mention-in-Despatches. Apart
from the India-Pakistan war of 1947-48, he was also a part of Burma
war during the World War II. It is sometimes mentioned that he
even shot down an enemy aircraft with a medium machine gun.
He was born on 26 June 1918 in the Chendiya village of
Karnataka where his primary education took place. His father was
in the police, which was a transferable job. Rane also kept moving
with his parents. Hence, his studies took place in different parts of
the country. A soldier is also a sportsman by heart and so was Rane.
He joined the army during the World War II at about 22
years of age. He was commissioned in Bombay Sappers in July
1940. He remained in 37 Field Company till 1950 and thereafter
got posted to Bombay Engineers Group Centre. He was awarded
the Param Vir Chakra for his valour during the 1947-48 war. But it
didn’t end here. He was honoured with a citation by the Chief of the
Army Staff during the Kashmir Mahaprabhu Mela. He retired on 25
June 1968. But he kept working with army till 1971. He still and will
always hold a special place in the army as well as in our hearts.
 Veer Gaatha

In the Heart of a Soldier

There was much excitement in Shivaji High School,

Sadashivgarh, Karwar taluka, that day. 2nd Lt Rama Raghoba
Rane was being felicitated for winning the highest gallantry
award of the country. The programme began with a chorus of
girls singing a swagat geet. Leela was one of the singers and she
gave it her best.
As an embarrassed Rane looked on, his eyes fell upon a beautiful
girl in a sari. She was singing sweetly, with all her heart, looking
with awe at him. The moment he saw her, he felt she was the
one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and lost no time
in expressing this desire to her family.
Leela was only 19 then. Rane was a national hero and though
there was an age difference of more than 15 years between the
two of them, her family was only too happy to accept him as
their son-in-law. On 3 February 1955, the two got married.
Source: Rachna Bisht Rawat, The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories

Making Way for Victory – 10 April 1948

Just beneath the Stuart tank and inside a tunnel a man was crouching.
He was trying to follow the sound and speed of the tank while
crouching inside the tunnel. He was badly injured and could barely
move himself. But still he was dragging himself forward ceaselessly.
This soldier was Rama Raghoba Rane, who was awarded the Param
Vir Chakra in his life time. Pakistani soldiers had wreaked havoc
with their loot, and killings in Rajouri. Hence, it was imperative
for Rane and his soldiers to reach Rajouri as soon as possible. They
were ordered to clear minefields and roadblocks for tanks to pass
through. Each passing second brought death and humiliation for
the innocent residents whereas, every step taken by Rane and his
soldiers was a promise of new life to the residents of Rajouri.
The journey to Rajouri was not easy. They were under attack
from every direction. Rane used the tank as cover and made his way
to Rajouri by digging a tunnel and crawling through it. Suddenly
Rane saw a round pit, which was a landmine. Up till now, these men

16
 India-Pakistan War, 1947-48

signalled the moving or stopping of the tank by pulling ropes. Once

again they pulled the rope in their right hand and started digging the
landmine. They were covered with mud. Carefully they removed the
lid, defused the dynamite, and put the lid back. The rope in their left
hand was pulled signalling the tank to move ahead.

A Miraculous Journey till Rajouri

The party waded through waters as high as 10 feet. The soldiers were
exhausted and hungry in this endeavour but they had not stopped
to eat, for they did not want to lose time. They kept moving forward,
only eating shakkarpare (a sweet made of sugar and refined flour).
They had to reach their destination – Rajouri. And they did reach,
bringing new hope for the people of Rajouri.
The path was not an easy one. Two of Rane’s mates had been
killed – Ambaji More and Raghunath More. Sitaram Suthar and
Kishan Ambre were badly injured. They also succumbed to their
injuries eventually. Lance Naik M. K. Jadhav was hit by a bullet in
his spine. He was incapacitated for life. Rane’s thigh was also injured
and bleeding badly. But after bandaging it, he started moving again.
Rane and his regiment succeeded in making Pakistani soldiers to
recede.
In the morning, fighting all the adversities and making
way, they kept moving forward. They had reached Chingas by
2 o’ clock in the afternoon. Rane kept working on clearing the routes
till 9 o’ clock at night. The tanks could pass through them now. But
the route ahead was more arduous. When the news of massacre
reached the soldiers, they started working with even greater speed.
The big rocks near the river were blown up with dynamite. Many
times the tank had to be moved inside the river water. They
reached Rajouri in the morning on 12 April. Rajouri was devastated.
It was a miracle that the Indian army managed to save many lives.
Rane and his party had given a new life to Rajouri. All the refugees
started returning to their respective villages. Rane was awarded the
Param Vir Chakra for his bravery and his devotion to duty.
This brave soldier endured every injury on duty, cleared every
obstruction and solved every difficulty. As the destiny would have
it, later, 73-year-old Rane succumbed to bleeding during a surgery
in 1994. Even his wife’s love could not save him this time.

17
Citation
Second Lieutenant
Rama Raghoba Rane
(SS-I4246), Bombay Engineers

On 8 April 1948, 2/Lt Rama Raghoba Rane, Bombay Engineers, was

ordered to be in charge of the mine and roadblock clearing party on
the 26 miles road from Naushera to Rajouri, which passes through very
hilly country.
At 1100 hours, on that date near Nadpur South, just as 2/Lt Rane
with his party was waiting near the tanks to start work to clear the mines
ahead, the enemy started heavy mortaring of the area, with the result
that two men of the mine-clearing party were killed and five others
wounded including 2/Lt Rane. This officer at once reorganised his party
and started work for the tanks to go on to their position. Throughout
the day he was near the tanks under heavy enemy machine-gun and
mortar fire.
After the capture of Barwali Ridge at about 1630 hours, although
knowing that the enemy had not been completely cleared of the
area, this officer took his party ahead and started making a diversion for
the tanks to proceed. He worked on till 2200 hours that night in full view
of the enemy and under heavy machine-gun fire.
On the 9th, he again started work at 0600 hours and worked on
till 1500 hours when the diversion was ready for the tanks to proceed.
As the armoured column advanced, he got into the leading carrier
and proceeded ahead. After advancing about half a mile, he came
across a roadblock made of pine trees. He at once dismounted and
blasted the trees away. The advance continued. Another 300 yards
and the same story was repeated. By this time, it was getting on to
1700 hours. The road was curving round the hills like a snake. The
next road block was a blasted away culvert. 2/Lt Rane again got
on with the job. Before he could start work, the enemy opened up

18
with their machine-guns, but with superb courage and leadership
he made a diversion and the column proceeded ahead. The
roadblocks were becoming numerous but he blasted his way
through. It was now 1815 hours. The light was fading fast. The
carrier came across a formidable roadblock of five big pine trees
surrounded by mines and covered by machine-gun fire. He started
removing the mines and was determined to clear the roadblock but
the armoured column commander appreciating the situation got
the column into a harbour area.
On 10 April 1948 at 0445 hours, 2/Lt Rane started work on the road
block in spite of enemy machine-gun fire with the support of one
troop of tanks. 2/Lt Rane, with sheer willpower, cleared this roadblock
by 0630 hours. The next thousand yards of the road was a mass of
roadblocks and blasted embankments. That was not all. The enemy
had the whole area covered with machine-gun fire but with superhuman
efforts, in spite of being wounded, this officer with cool courage,
exemplary leadership and complete disregard for personal life, cleared
the road by 1030 hours.
The armoured column proceeded ahead and got off the road into
the river bed of Tawi but 2/Lt Rane continued clearing the road for the
admin column. The tanks reached Chingas by 1400 hours. 2/Lt Rane
appreciating that the opening of the road was most vital, continued
working without rest or food till 2100 hours that night.
On 11 April 1948, he again started work at 0600 hours and opened
the road to Chingas by 1100 hours. He worked on that night till 2200
hours, clearing the way ahead.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 5-Pres./50

19
 4
Piru Singh

Arduous Journey of a Soldier

Piru Singh was born on 20 May 1918 in Rampura Village, Churu,
Rajasthan. They were seven brothers and sisters. As a child, he loved
hunting, playing in the forest, working in the fields. Piru Singh was a
born soldier. He disliked all bondages in his childhood. He disliked
going to school. He left the threshold of school one day and never
went back as if he had chosen his destiny, a path which was full
of hardships.
He got enrolled in the army on 20 May 1936, at the age of 18.
His training took place in Punjab and he was posted at Jhelum
for training before being transferred to 5/1 Punjab. It was amazing
that the boy who had no interest in studies, kept clearing all army
examinations one after the other. He just took a year to become Naik
from the rank of Lance Naik. He became a Havildar in 1945.
He also went to Japan to work with the Commonwealth
occupational forces after the Second World War. The country was
divided into two parts when he came back. He was sent to Rajputana
Rifles thereafter.
When Pakistan attacked Kashmir along with Pathan tribesmen,
Piru was sent to stop them. Here, he showed exemplary bravery
and courage for which he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra. He
became martyr at the age of 30, became an icon of bravery at a young
age and he is still with us.

Darapari – 18 July 1948

Company Havildar Major (CHM) Piru Singh could neither look
up nor look down at that moment. The sky was deep blue and the
 India-Pakistan War, 1947-48

nature was bathed in bright moonlight. But a soldier had no time to

admire all this. They were surrounded by fear, awake and waiting
in their trench. The path outside the trench was rough and stony
and one could hardly walk. A single wrong move could prove to be
fatal. These were Delta Company soldiers of 6 Rajputana Rifles, who
were slowly moving towards Darapari, located in Tithwal sector of
Kashmir at an altitude of 11,481 feet. They had information that the
infiltrators were hiding somewhere near. They were tired but their
morale was high. They looked at each other silently, a meaningful
silence denoting inspiration, and also filled with nostalgia-reviving
old memories, which lessened their fatigue. They remembered that a
region of Kashmir was to be set free from Pakistani infiltrators. The
soldiers were airlifted to Srinagar. That was the first air travel for most
of the soldiers.
In that lethal war of April 1948, Pakistan had to face great loss.
The Indian soldiers had captured a Pakistani post. The credit for this
victory was given to Dhonkal Singh. Piru Singh remembered that how
Dhonkal Singh had fought like a tiger in spite of an injured shoulder.
While Piru Singh remembered everything, he was not aware that
the whole thing would repeat itself one day with him. He moved
forward remembering his mate with a lot of respect. He was at an
altitude of 10,264 feet at Nastachun Pass. They were at Kafir ridge
point which was captured by Pakistani soldiers, and they were
supposed to reach at Baniwala Dana ridge in 24 hours. There was
a small river between Kafir Khan ridge and Baniwala Dana ridge.
A team of engineers started building a bridge on the river at night.
But they did not succeed which forced Piru Singh and his mates to
create a passage through the river with wooden logs. They reached
the area on 12 July 1948 and captured the opponent’s location in
the morning. Thereafter, they moved towards another location. The
location of Darapari had to be captured under any circumstances.
On 18 July, the battalion attacked the sharp ridge of Darapari.
When they reached there, Piru Singh and his mates were not
aware that the Pakistani soldiers had built five bunkers from where
they could monitor the movements of Indian soldiers. When the

21
 Veer Gaatha

Indian soldiers moved forward, they were volleyed with grenades

which caught them by surprise. It was a cold winter night and
the path was narrow. India lost fifty-one soldiers. It was difficult
to understand the situation or be sure of the next move. This was
when Piru Singh exhibited exceptional courage. The opponent
thought that their victory was certain. But Piru Singh wisely kept
moving with the forward most Section of the Company dodging
the bullets fired at him. The cries of his mates filled him with
determination and forced him to move faster as if he was alive to
avenge his mates. The opponent was not ready for this. Piru Singh
bayonetted a Pakistani soldier’s operating machine gun. Suddenly,
the opponent’s machine gun and his breathing — both were calm.
Suddenly, Piru Singh realised that he was all alone. All his mates
were either killed or wounded. But he kept on shouting, calling for
life. He went to another bunker and was attacked with a grenade.
But a grenade thrown at him badly wounded his face and he was in
a state of semi-consciousness.
With spectacular will power, he hurled grenades at opponent’s
bunker. Suddenly, the Pakistani bunker became very quiet. There was a
big explosion. Now Piru Singh began to become aware of his wounds.
He was becoming unconscious. And thus, the dauntless warrior took
his last breath.
Piru Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously.
His unit, 6 Rajputana Rifles, commemorates the ‘Battle Honour of
Darapari’ every year in remembrance of this brave soldier.

Honouring the War Hero –

Pandit Nehru’s letter to Piru Singh’s mother

Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, in his letter to Piru Singh’s

mother (Tarawati Kanwar) wrote “He paid with his life for
his singularly brave act, but he left for the rest of his
comrades a unique example of single-handed bravery and
determined cold courage. The country is grateful for this
sacrifice made in the service of the Motherland, and it is our
prayer that this may give you some peace and solace.”
Source: Rachna Bisht Rawat, The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories

22
Citation
Company Havildar Major Piru Singh
(No. 2831592)
6 Rajputana Rifles

South of Tithwal, D Company, of which No. 2831592 Piru Singh

was Havildar Major, was detailed to attack and capture an enemy
occupied hill feature. The enemy had well dug in positions and had
sited his MMGs so as to cover all possible approaches. As the attack
advanced, it was met by heavy MMG fire from both flanks. Volleys
of grenades were hurled down from enemy bunkers. CHM Piru Singh
was then with the forward most Section of the Company.
Seeing more than half of the Section killed or wounded, he did
not lose courage. With battle cries, he encouraged the remaining men
and rushed forward with great determination onto the nearest
enemy MMG position. Grenade splinters ripping his clothes and
wounding him at several places, he continued to advance without
the least regard to his safety. He was on top of the MMG position
wounding the gun crew with sten gun fire. With complete disregard
to his bleeding wounds, he made a mad jump on the MMG crew
bayoneting them to death, thus silencing the gun.
By then he suddenly realised that he was the sole survivor of the
Section, the rest of them either dead or wounded. Another grenade
thrown at him wounded him in the face. With blood dripping from
his face wounds into his eyes, he crawled out of the trench, hurling
grenades at the next enemy position.
With a loud battle cry, he jumped on the occupants of the next
trench, bayoneting two to death. This action was witnessed by the
C Company Commander, who was directing fire in support of the
attacking Company.

23
 As Havildar Major Piru Singh emerged out of the 2nd trench to
charge on the 3rd enemy bunker, he was hit in the head by a bullet
and was seen dropping on the edge of the enemy trench. There was
an explosion in the trench, which showed that his grenade had done
its work. By then CHM Piru Singh’s wounds had proved fatal.
He had paid with his life for his singularly brave act, but he had left
for the rest of his comrades a unique example of single-handed
bravery and determined cold courage.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 8-Pres./52

24
 5
Karam Singh

Journey of a Soldier
‘Dushman nedhe si. Assi tinn see, tey chautha tu – hun ki kariye? (‘The
enemy is near, we are three, you are the fourth, now what should we
do?’). When a soldier said this to Karam Singh, his trousers were soaked
in blood. He and his companions had countered the first Pakistani
attack. But there was another attack again, and only four of them were
left. Their ammunition was also not enough. It was not possible to get
the ammunition immediately. The enemy was much larger in number.
They saw the Pakistani soldiers advancing towards their outpost. Their
fellow soldiers were shot. The same bullets were also splintering the
rocks and the pieces of those rocks were wounding the soldiers. But
the bullets could not break the morale of the soldiers, who were as
strong as an immovable rock. Karam Singh took out a hand grenade
and shouting ‘Jo bole so nihaal, Sat Sri Akaal’, threw it in the air.
The Pakistani soldiers lost control due to the explosion. ‘Jado
assi ithe jaan de dange tan saadi keemat wadh javegi’ (if we give our
lives here then our value will increase). Karam Singh said this in a
loud and thundering voice which was full of confidence and lifted
the morale of the soldiers.
The grenade was like a ball for sportsman Karam Singh that he
had tossed in the opponent’s court. He clean bowled the opponent
with yet another explosion and kept moving forward and pushing
the opponent backwards.
There were many attacks from the Pakistani soldiers to recapture
the post. In spite of his grave injuries, not only did Karam Singh keep
his courage but also kept boosting the will power of his fellow soldiers.
 Veer Gaatha

That day Pakistan attacked for the fifth time at about 1 o’clock in the
afternoon, this was when Karam Singh created history.
This is the story of soldier Karam Singh who was born on
15 September 1915. It was during this time the whole world was
experiencing the aftermath of the First World War. His father, Sardar
Uttam Singh, was a farmer from Sahna village. Young Karam Singh
loved playing and working in the fields. He was not much interested
in studies at school but sports was his forte. He always stood first in
sports competitions in high jump and pole vault. He got married to
Gurdial Kaur in the early 1950s and was blessed with two children –
a boy and a girl. He joined the Indian Army on 15 September 1941.
His sportsmanship and qualities of being conscientious and being
hard-working took him to the rank of Honorary Captain.

Upright and conscientious warrior for justice

“In the early 60s, Karam Singh was in the Sikh Regimental
Centre at Meerut. He was asked to buy sugar for the soldiers
from a local mill and was doing that when someone brought
to his notice that the sacks of sugar were being soaked in
water to increase their weight. A furious Karam told the mill
that he would not accept any wet sacks. The mill owner, who
was a corrupt but well-connected man, had an argument
with Karam. When Karam stuck to his stand the mill owner
pushed him physically and threatened him saying he had
connections in Delhi.
The hot-headed Karam had reached the end of his patience.
He beat up the mill owner. The case was reported and since
the mill owner had connections in high places, Karam was
dismissed from service as punishment for manhandling a
civilian.
Not one to take injustice lying down, Karam went to Delhi with
his war medals and sought an interview with the President.
It was granted. When he explained to the President what had
transpired, he was immediately reinstated in service.”
Source: Rachna Bisht Rawat, The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories

26
 India-Pakistan War, 1947-48

Spectacular Victory – 13 October 1948

On 13 October 1948, at about 6 in the morning, the enemy was
marching towards 1 Sikh regiment with the motive of capturing it. Till
now, Karam Singh and all his fellow soldiers had made unsuccessful
attacks and had realised that it was difficult to face enemy standing
for long as they were all badly wounded. They decided to join the
main company. They carried with them their two severely wounded
soldiers in spite of the heavy shelling of guns and mortar.
At about 10 in the morning, there was another attack. This time
the attack was on the main company. Again, even though injured,
Karam Singh kept fighting even after the bunkers were destroyed.
He kept moving from one bunker to another, boosting the willpower
of his fellow soldiers. They were all badly injured.
At about 6 in the morning, and under fierce attack, none of
them had time to think about their own wounds. Even then, Karam
Singh was only concerned about his fellow soldiers. During the
attack, the Pakistani soldiers had come so close to the bunker that
it had become difficult to counter-attack and to save the fellow
soldiers at the same time. And so Karam Singh fitted a bayonet on
his gun and jumped out of the bunker. Karam Singh kept attacking
and moving forward. The enemy was shocked by such bravery and
sudden defence. They had lost courage and gave up by the evening.
They slowly started receding. By then Karam Singh’s company had
rebuffed 8 attacks, which 1 Sikh had successfully countered. They
had endured heavy losses, but their spirit was intact. Maj Gen
K. S. Thimayya later called it a unique spectacular victory. It was
called a unique victory because every new step, every effort was
directed to win the war. For this unique devotion to duty and bravery,
Karam Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra. He was awarded
one more gallantry award earlier for his courage and bravery, while
fighting for the British army in Burma.
When India became independent on 15 August 1947, Karam
Singh was one of the five soldiers selected to hoist the flag with the
first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He died as

27
 Veer Gaatha

an Honorary Captain in 1993. But Karam Singh’s feats of courage,

bravery, camaraderie and his stand for justice will always remain
alive in the hearts of the people of our country.

President Dr Rajendra Prasad presenting the PVC to Lance Naik Karam Singh

Lance Naik Karam Singh with Gen K. M. Cariappa, the First Indian
Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army

28
Citation
Lance Naik Karam Singh
(No. 22365), 1 Sikh

Tithwal in Jammu and Kashmir was captured on 23 May 1948. After

that date, the enemy made numerous attempts to recapture Richmar
Gali, and thence Tithwal. On 13 October 1948, coinciding with Id, the
enemy decided to launch a brigade attack to retake Richmar Gali,
and bypassing Tithwal, advance into the Srinagar Valley. Lance Naik
Karam Singh was commanding a section at Richmar Gali.
The enemy commenced its attack with heavy shelling of guns
and mortars. The fire was so accurate that not a single bunker in the
platoon locality was left unscathed.
Communication trenches caved in. Bravely, Lance Naik Karam
Singh went from bunker to bunker, giving succour to the wounded and
urging the men to fight.
The enemy launched eight separate attacks that day. In one
such attack, the enemy managed to obtain a foothold in the platoon
locality. Immediately, Lance Naik Karam Singh, who was severely
wounded by then, with a few men, hurled himself in a counter-attack
and evicted the enemy after a close quarter encounter which accounted
for many enemy dead, having been despatched by the bayonet.
Lance Naik Karam Singh proved himself to be a dauntless leader
of men in crisis. Nothing could subdue him and no amount of fire or
hardship could break his spirit.
His gallant actions on that day inspired his colleagues to face
the massive onslaught unflinchingly. It was his fiercely proud spirit
which was largely responsible for the gallant stand at Tithwal that day.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 2 - Pres./50

29
Veer Gaatha

30
A Saga of Heroism...

Congo Operation
1961
 Veer Gaatha

UN Peacekeeping Operation in Congo

Congo, which was earlier called Zaire, is now called the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). Just as India was a colony of
Britain, Belgian Congo (in central Africa) was a colony of Belgium. It
won Independence on 30 June 1960. However, soon after the Belgians
withdrew, the country was engulfed by political instability marked
by civil war and corruption. The unity and integrity of the newborn
nation were threatened by mutiny in army and violent secessionist
movements, especially in its mineral-rich province of Katanga. Congo
appealed for urgent military assistance from the United Nations (UN).
The United Nations Operation in Congo (Opération des Nations
Unies au Congo, or ONUC) lasted from July 1960 to June 1964. The
objectives of the ONUC included ensuring the withdrawal of Belgian
forces; maintaining law and order; preserving the territorial integrity and
political independence of Congo; preventing civil war; and removing
all foreign military personnel not under the UN Command, and all
mercenaries. Elizabethville (now Lubumbashi), in Katanga, became the
Headquarters of the UN Command (see map). This is located in the
conflict-ridden south-eastern part of the country.
In November 1961, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution
to stop the violent activities of the Katangese rebels against the Central
Government of Congo and the UN personnel. The UN decision incensed
Moise Tshombe, Katanga’s secessionist leader, and he retaliated by
intensifying his ‘hate the UN’ campaign.

India joins the UN Operation

This happened during the Cold War era. The anti-colonial struggles
were also taking place in different regions of the world. It is in these
trying circumstances that Indian troops were inducted into the
UN Operation. India has been a staunch supporter of the UN, right
from its birth and has been regularly contributing troops to the UN
peacekeeping operations all over the world. For the UN Operation
in Congo, India deputed a brigade of around 3,000 men. Let us now
read about a courageous son of India who sacrificed his life during this
operation.

32
 6
Gurbachan Singh Salaria

Born on 29 November 1935, in village Jamwal near Shakargarh (now

in Pakistan), Gurbachan lived through the crisis of India-Pakistan
partition which changed the map of the land and the destinies of the
people. His parents were Munshi Ram and Dhan Devi. His family
moved to India and settled in village Jangal, near Dinanagar, District
Gurdaspur, Punjab. His father served in the armed forces. Hence,
the courage and sense of duty towards the nation filled his being and
he grew up with dreams of serving his nation one day in the army.
He joined the King George Royal Indian Military College (now
Rashtriya Military School), Bengaluru in 1946. Later he moved to
the King George Royal Indian Military College, Jalandhar (now
Rashtriya Military School, Chail, Himachal Pradesh). By dint of
hard work, he gained entry into the National Defence Academy
(NDA). But he had to appeal for financial assistance to continue his
education (see letter). He later joined the Indian Military Academy
(IMA) and was commissioned into the 1 Gorkha Rifles in 1957.
Capt Gurbachan Singh Salaria, an epitome of courage, was
part of the Indian contingent for the UN Operation in Congo.
His battalion, 3/1 Gorkha Rifles, was deployed in Elizabethville to
safeguard the UN Headquarters and its personnel. On 5 December
1961, Capt Salaria with his small force of 16 Gorkhas embarked on
a risky mission. They were on the way to remove roadblocks set
up by rebels near the airfield. But soon they faced stiff resistance
from a large number of rebels armed with automatic weapons and
armoured carriers. Despite a clear and present danger to his life, he
decided to go ahead with this task.
Veer Gaatha

34
 Congo Operation, 1961

Leading his men with the Gorkha war cry, Jai Mahakali, Ayo
Gorkhali! (Victory to Mahakali, the Gorkhas are here!) Capt Salaria
launched a deadly assault on the enemies. The motto of the Gorkha
Rifles is: ‘Kafar hunu bhanda marnu ramro’ (It is better to die than
to be a coward). His moves on the battlefield were fully guided by
this motto. He attacked the enemies ferociously and eliminated
many of them rapidly in a close combat. The enemy force soon got
disintegrated owing to a sustained assault launched by him and his
men. In spite of severe wounds, he fought valiantly until the very end.
Capt Salaria sacrificed his life for a noble purpose, for people of
the world. He fought against violent secessionists and helped save
the UN headquarters in Congo. He attained martyrdom at the age
of 26 in a faraway land for protecting India’s honour at the UN. For
his supreme sacrifice in the line of duty, he was awarded the Param
Vir Chakra posthumously. He became the first and the only one to
be awarded the PVC while serving in a UN peacekeeping operation.

Paying homage to the portrait of Capt G. S. Salaria during the disembarkation of

3/1 Gorkha Rifles from the USS General R. M. Blatchford on their return from
Congo, Bombay, April 1962

35
 Veer Gaatha

Two Indian brigades participated in this UN operation between

1960 and 1964. Thirty-six Indian personnel laid down their lives
and 124 personnel were wounded. Sadly, various armed conflicts
still rage in the DR Congo more than five decades since that fateful
day in 1961! Was it a lost cause then? Not necessarily. The legacy of
Capt Salaria continues to inspire all those who devote their lives to
peacekeeping operations around the world.
Capt Gurbachan Singh Salaria’s selfless service reflects the motto
of the Rashtriya Military Schools, that is, Sheelam param bhushanam
(Character is the highest virtue). The Salaria Square in the NDA is
an everlasting tribute to his valour. A stadium along with a park
was set up by the 14 Gurkha Training Centre at Subathu, Himachal
Pradesh, as a tribute to Capt Salaria. The Army Postal Service issued
a Special Cover on 5 December 1992 to honour him.

Bust of Capt Salaria at RMS, Bengaluru Bust of Capt Salaria at RMS, Chail

36
Citation
Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria
(IC-8497), 3/1 Gorkha Rifles

On 5 December 1961, 3/1 Gorkha Rifles was ordered to clear up a

roadblock established by the gendarmerie at a strategic roundabout
at Elizabethville, Katanga. The plan was that one company with
two Swedish armoured cars would attack the position frontally and
Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria with two sections of Gorkhas and
two Swedish armoured personnel carriers would advance towards this
roadblock from the airfield to act as a cutting-off force.
Captain Salaria with his small force arrived at a distance of 1500 yards
from the roadblock at approximately 1312 hours on 5 December
1961 and came under heavy automatic and small arms fire from an
undetected enemy position dug in on his right flank. The enemy also
had two armoured cars and about 90 men opposing Captain Salaria’s
small force.
Captain Salaria appreciating that he had run into a subsidiary
roadblock and ambush and that this enemy force might reinforce
the strategic roundabout and thus jeopardise the main operation,
decided to remove this opposition. He led a charge with bayonets,
khukris, and grenades supported by a rocket launcher. In this gallant
engagement, Captain Salaria killed 40 of the enemy and knocked
out the two armoured cars. This unexpected bold action completely
demoralised the enemy who fled despite their numerical superiority
and protected positions.
Captain Salaria was wounded by a burst of automatic
fire in his neck but continued to fight till he collapsed due to profuse
bleeding. Captain Salaria’s gallant action prevented any movement of
the enemy force towards the main battle scene and thus contributed very
largely to the success of the main battalion’s action at the roundabout
and prevented the encirclement of UN Headquarters in Elizabethville.
Captain Salaria subsequently died of his wounds.

37
 Captain Salaria’s personal example, utter disregard for personal
safety, and dauntless leadership inspired his small but gallant force
of 16 Gorkhas to hold on to their position, dominate the enemy and
inflict heavy casualties despite the enemy’s superiority in numbers
and tactical position.
Captain Salaria’s leadership, courage, unflinching devotion to duty
and disregard for personal safety were in the best traditions of our Army.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 8-Pres./62

Salaria Square, National Defence Academy

38
A Saga of Heroism...

India-China War
1962

An Indian sentry stands guard at a mountain pass in 1962

 Veer Gaatha

Indian troops on the outskirts of Chushul during the 1962 War

The war between India and China had been resting in bygones. The
causes of conflict might appear to us today as trivial in terms of the
fact that both the countries hold high opinion about peaceful ways of
resolving issues, still the war was fought and left an indelible print in
the history of the world. One of the causes of the war was Aksai Chin,
which China started claiming as part of Xinjiang in their territory.
The tension with China was further compounded when due to Tibet’s
internal turmoil Dalai Lama was given asylum in India. The war with
China erupted unexpectedly for India; there was least preparedness
on the part of India. But what stood out spectacularly was undaunted
courage and commitment to duty as displayed by the brave and
dedicated Indian Army. Let us read about the heroic deeds of the Param
Vir Chakra Awardees — Dhan Singh Thapa, Joginder Singh and Shaitan
Singh. And also reflect on the need of propagating the message of peace
more effectively.

40
 7
Dhan Singh Thapa

Dhan Singh Thapa was born on 10 April 1928 at Shimla in Himachal

Pradesh. He was commissioned into 1/8 Gorkha Rifles on 28 August
1949. He was a brave soldier who displayed undaunted courage and
wisdom during the Chinese attack in 1962. He was posted at Sirijap
Post 1 in Ladakh region with meagre resources and a few soldiers.
The terrain was rough and nature too was harsh at the time of battle.
But nothing stopped him to fight fiercely with the Chinese soldiers.
Dhan Singh Thapa is also remembered for his humane qualities.
He was an unassuming, humble and a religious person. He played
football with passion. He displayed true team spirit both at playing
field and battlefield.
Dhan Singh Thapa was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his
conspicuous fighting qualities while in command at a forward post
in Ladakh.
He even had to fight hand-to-hand in the course of fighting. He
was badly injured and while trying to douse the fire he was caught
in, he was taken by the Chinese soldiers as a prisoner of war along
with a few others.

Battle at Sirijap 1, Ladakh Region

In 1962, Sirijap 1 was established as an army post to safeguard the
Indian border from the Chinese. China had been strengthening
their posts in Ladakh. There were only 28 soldiers posted at Sirijap 1.
The soldiers were split in many posts at Ladakh. The fierce battle
took place in the Chushul sector of Ladakh at Sirijap 1 post.
The post lies on the northern side of the Pangong Tso. Soldiers
 Veer Gaatha

of Delta Company, 1/8 Gorkha Rifles, were vigilant and ready to

counter-attack at any moment while performing their patrolling
duties.
The Chinese planned their battles shrewdly with strategies of
shocking the enemy, attacking them when they are least prepared. The
night at Sirijap post was terribly stormy. The fight did not ensue the
night when soldiers were awake and ready for it, perhaps it proved
to be a blessing in disguise for those who were not on duty because
they could take some rest for another unpredictable day. It was the
lull before the storm.
It was 19 October when Maj Thapa found that there was lot
of activity at the Chinese camp. Probably they were planning to
attack Sirijap post. It was time to prepare for the war, to defend
themselves, true to their tradition of not initiating the war.
Maj Thapa and the soldiers, handful in number, waited anxiously
throughout the night ready to fight back and defend themselves
if the occasion arises. Those might have been the moments, which had
made them realise the unpredictable flow of time, and along with it
reminded them of the sanctity of the promises they made to
their motherland.
As early as 6 a.m. on 20 October, there was an attack of mortars
and bomb explosions. There were cries of pain. There was utter
devastation at Sirijap 1 camp. Soldiers were killed and wounded,
worst came when the radio network was disrupted. Signal Officer
Maj Ved Vyas, fondly recollected the last message he received
from Maj Thapa who adamantly conveyed that he would neither
withdraw nor surrender. It was the moment that immortalised
him a war hero. Maj Thapa painfully watched his soldiers dying,
wounded, and not in position to fight but he kept them inspired
to fight back. Maj Thapa and his soldiers were quick enough to
prepare for their defence. The terrain was rocky and difficult to
dig, so they decided to pile up sand bags to erect bunkers for taking
positions. Maj Thapa kept boosting their morale by telling them that
though they are few in numbers but one Gorkha is equivalent to
ten soldiers when it comes to fighting.

42
 India-China War, 1962

Here the soldiers marched fearless. The freezing temperature and

biting cold outside the trenches did not deter them from retaliating
against their opponents.
Subedar Min Bahadur Gurung, the Company Second-in-
Command was injured, but he rose from debris where he was buried
after the bomb explosion, fought bravely with his light machine gun
(LMG). Maj Thapa saw another soldier who was badly wounded who
ran into the tent leaving behind his rifle. Maj Thapa picked up his
gun, rushed inside, patted him on the head and said, what is called to
be a soldier to soldier talk: ‘Kafar hunu bhanda marnu ramro’ (It is
better to die than to be a coward). These are not mere words uttered
but resonated the highest ideals of bravery in battle. The wounded
soldier took his rifle and marched forward to fight.
It was the time to act bravely, thoughtfully; resources were
few, soldiers were even less in numbers. Maj Thapa picked up a
rifle lying by the side of a dead soldier and rushed into the trench
to take command of the fight. He positioned himself in front of
the advancing enemy who were in overwhelming numbers.
The shelling went on for a long time and Sirijap turned into an
inferno. Chinese soldiers took advantage of the smoke that erupted
all around and moved closer to Sirijap post. Gorkha soldiers braved
the attacks. Their weapons could not withstand the attacks of
sophisticated Chinese ammunition.
What is important in the war is not the show of machinery but
the show of courage, grit, devotion to the cause, love for motherland
and determination to fight till the end. Battle for Sirijap 1 in
Ladakh is an example of extraordinary valour shown by Maj Dhan
Singh Thapa. There were many brave soldiers who were deeply
inspired by Maj Thapa, their Company Commander. They were
running short of bullets so they picked up the rifles of dead
fellow soldiers and retaliated. Chinese soldiers started using
incendiary bombs to smoke out soldiers from trenches. Suddenly,
there was a war cry, Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali. Gorkha soldiers
attacked Chinese soldiers fiercely with khukris, their traditional
knives. Maj Thapa was one of the last few who were left.

43
 Veer Gaatha

Victory is the only sought after end of the battle, defeat is

humiliation but in war, there is not only victory and defeat, it is
the courage, bravery, dedication of the soldiers that stand above
the final outcomes. These ideals are synonyms of soldiers fighting
for their country.
Maj Thapa was taken as captive by the Chinese soldiers. Nobody
in his battalion knew about this. He was believed to have been killed
in war. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra ‘posthumously’.
However, it was found soon after that Maj Thapa along with the
survivors of Sirijap post were taken away by the Chinese, first to
Khurnak Fort, later on to Sinkiang as Prisoners of War (PoWs). Maj
Thapa was in Chinese captivity till May 1963. He was subjected to
torture. Chinese officers tried to erase from Maj Thapa’s memory
the picture of his motherland by instigating rumours against Indian
Government who they said was not interested in his release. But every
dark cloud has a silver lining. Maj Thapa befriended a boy who used
to bring food for him in the prison. He told him about his family in
India and about his wife who was expecting a baby when he had left
for war. One day he, with the help of the boy, posted a letter to his
family. This was a turning point in his life, the family informed the
army authorities and Maj Thapa was freed from Chinese captivity
through inter-governmental negotiations.

Maj Dhan Singh Thapa with his cadets at the IMA, Dehradun

44
 India-China War, 1962

It was an emotional family reunion. His wife Shukla, who in her

heart of hearts never believed that he was dead, on seeing him alive,
was ecstatic with joy. His two daughters, Pamela and Madhulika,
were delighted to be reunited with their father. His son, Param
Deep, was just born. True to the tradition of the soldier, his son also
joined the army.
Maj Thapa served the army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel. He did not talk much about the war and days of captivity.
His youngest daughter, Poornima, was born after her father came
back from the war. She fondly remembers how her father attended
the Republic Day Parades from 1964 to 2004, even though, during
2004, he had been suffering from kidney ailment. It was on
5 September 2005, Lt Col Thapa passed away at the age of 77.
We salute him for his bravery and dedication to the Indian army.

45
Citation
Major Dhan Singh Thapa
(IC 7990), 1/8 Gorkha Rifles

Major Dhan Singh Thapa was in command of a forward post

in Ladakh. On 20 October, it was attacked by the Chinese in
overwhelming strength after being subjected to intensive artillery
and mortar bombardment. Under his gallant command, the greatly
outnumbered post repulsed the attack, inflicting heavy casualties on
the aggressors. The enemy attacked again in greater numbers after
heavy shelling by artillery and mortar fire. Under the leadership of
Major Thapa, his men repulsed this attack also with heavy losses to
the enemy.
The Chinese attacked for the third time, now with tanks
to support their infantry. The post had already suffered large
casualties in the two earlier attacks. Though considerably
thinned, it held out to the last. When it was finally overrun by
overwhelming numbers of Chinese, Major Thapa got out of his
trench and killed several of the enemy in hand-to-hand fighting before
he was eventually overpowered by Chinese soldiers and killed.
Major Thapa’s cool courage, conspicuous fighting qualities and
leadership were in the highest traditions of our Army.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 68-Pres./62

46
 8
Joginder Singh

This is a story of another war hero who was not shaken even for a
moment when he saw huge battalion of enemy approaching him.
Joginder Singh stood as a pillar to affront the attack on his men. Let
us read another story of bravery and inspiration.
Joginder Singh was born on 28 September 1921 in Mahakalan,
a small village in Moga district of Punjab. He was keen to continue
his education in school but could not do so because his parents were
poor and could not afford to pay his school fees and other expenses.
Perhaps destiny had marked for him a special and honourable task
– he joined the Indian Army. He was a hardworking soldier and
passed his professional examinations to become a unit instructor. He
commanded respect from the troops for being a strict disciplinarian
and a dedicated soldier.
Joginder Singh fought bravely as a soldier. He was awarded
the Param Vir Chakra for fighting with Chinese troops at Bum La,
Tawang in the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) in 1962. Joginder
Singh sacrificed his life for the country.

Bum La, Tawang, North East Frontier Agency

(NEFA), 1962
A fierce battle was fought at Tongpen La, near Bum La, Tawang in
1962. This area earlier known as the North East Frontier Agency
(NEFA) is now the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The bugle of war was
sounded unexpectedly for some of the soldiers who were participating
in sporting events. War was imminent; the basketball tournament at
Lucknow was cancelled. Soldiers were told to join their battalion at
 Veer Gaatha

NEFA. 1 Sikh regiment was also called from Jaipur. It was an arduous
but memorable journey for the soldiers; crossing the jungles to Tenga
valley, winding paths of Bomdila and a climb down to Dirang, to the
frozen Sela lake and finally to Tawang. The picturesque surroundings
of Arunachal Pradesh must have been a source of solace to the soldiers
to experience peace and beauty of the nature.
They had to fight a war. Subedar Joginder Singh was the
platoon incharge. He was a strong man and about to retire from
the army. He was highly respected in the battalion for his discipline
and exemplary fighting skills which he had shown during the World
War II and the 1947-48 war with Pakistan. Joginder Singh was a
seasoned soldier who could see that there were only 29 soldiers;
they did not have adequate warm clothing and modern fighting
equipments. In such circumstances, he knew that they could fight
this war with sheer courage and wisdom. So he kept their morale
high and remained a pillar of inspiration for them till the end.
The preparation to fight began. They started digging trenches.
the Assam Rifles soldiers and paramilitary forces that were there
started moving back, making way for Subedar Joginder Singh and
his battalion to take over.
On 20 October, Chinese attacked another Indian post,
Namkachu and made way to Tawang where Joginder Singh and his
men were. Once again Chinese forces had started to build bunkers
and were getting ready to attack. Joginder Singh called up his soldiers
and told them about the probability of attack from the Chinese soon.
It was on 23 October 1962 at 5:30 a.m. when preparations were on
in the army kitchen for tea, the Chinese attacked the Tawang post. 1
Sikh stood ready for the counter-attack. They fought fiercely and the
enemy was taken aback. There were many casualties on their side.
However, in no time the enemy had unleashed another attack with
more energy and troops. The battlefield resounded with the war cry,
Jo bole so nihaal, Sat Sri Akaal. Joginder Singh handled the counter-
attack on Chinese with courage and patience. He knew there were
very few soldiers on his side. Arms and ammunition were scarce. In
this situation, it was more important to keep the morale of the soldiers

48
 India-China War, 1962

high. He reminded them that being in the battlefield, they have to

prove themselves as worthy soldiers of their motherland. Joginder
Singh was badly injured but still he attacked with his light machine
gun. Joginder’s encouraging words to his soldiers were not wasted,
Sikh soldiers fixed bayonets on their guns and with a renewed
energy charged the enemy camp shouting ‘Jo bole so nihaal, Sat Sri
Akaal’.
Subedar Kala Singh who was very close to Subedar Joginder
Singh, reminisced the scene of the battlefield. He said Chinese were
amazed to see the sight of courageous Sikh soldiers – with their
flowing beards, though small in number but daring to attack them.
Joginder Singh led his men to fight Chinese soldiers. Battle was
fought with grit, energy and dedication by Indian soldiers. Joginder
Singh kept the fighting spirit of his men ignited till he fell down,
badly injured, covered under the blanket of snow.
Joginder Singh did not die, a soldier never dies...true! Joginder
Singh was taken away by the Chinese as prisoner of war – he never
returned.
Subedar Joginder Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for
devotion to duty and inspiring leadership and bravery of highest
order.
As a mark of respect to the brave soldier, Chinese returned his
ashes once they came to know about the Param Vir Chakra being
awarded to him.

49
Citation
Subedar Joginder Singh
(JC 4547), 1 Sikh

Subedar Joginder Singh was the commander of a platoon of the Sikh

Regiment holding a defensive position at a ridge near Tongpen La in
NEFA. At 0530 am on 23 October, the Chinese opened a very heavy
attack on the Bum La axis with the intention of breaking through to
Tawang. The leading battalion of the enemy attacked the ridge in three
waves, each about 200 strong. Subedar Joginder Singh and his men
mowed down the first wave, and the enemy was temporarily halted
by the heavy losses it suffered. Within a few minutes, a second wave
came over and was dealt with similarly. But the platoon had, by then,
lost half its men.
Subedar Joginder Singh was wounded in the thigh but refused to
be evacuated. Under his inspiring leadership, the platoon stubbornly
held its ground and would not withdraw. In the meantime, the
position was attacked for the third time. Subedar Joginder Singh
himself manned a light machine-gun and shot down a number of
the enemy. The Chinese, however, continued to advance despite
heavy losses. When the situation became untenable, Subedar
Joginder Singh and the few men left in the position fixed bayonets
and charged the advancing Chinese, bayoneting a number
of them before he and his comrades were overpowered.
Throughout this action, Subedar Joginder Singh displayed devotion
to duty, inspiring leadership and bravery of the highest order.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 68-Pres./62

50
 9
Shaitan Singh

This is the story of Shaitan Singh, another hero of India-China War.

Unlike his name, he was soft spoken and disciplined as a child; but
like his name he fought fiercely with Chinese soldiers and brought
laurels to the country.

Major Shaitan Singh, 13 Kumaon

Shaitan Singh was born on 1 December 1924 at Banasar, a small
village in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. His father, Lt Col Hem Singh,
was awarded the OBE after he fought in France during the World
War I. Shaitan Singh was inspired to join the army by his father
who brought laurels to the country. As a young boy, Shaitan was
interested in sports. He studied at the Rajput High School, Chopasni
in Jodhpur. Shaitan was a serious student with pleasing manners.
He played for forces and the Durand Cup of football in India. He
completed his qualification and joined the Jodhpur Lancers that
was a Horse squadron. Later on, state Forces were merged with the
Indian Army, and Shaitan Singh joined the Kumaon Regiment. A
humble and quiet person—Shaitan Singh was a brave soldier par
excellence. Shaitan Singh was disabled by wounds in arms and
abdomen during the Chinese attack at Rezang La, an Indian post
in Ladakh.
War should bring peace for the sake of the heroes of war who
laid down their lives, for their families, countrymen and coming
generations who would cherish their memories, acts of valour
which are immortalised in history. The India-China war in 1962
 Veer Gaatha

was a glorious spectacle of our soldiers’ bravery and valour. It was a

battle which was fought at Rezang La in Ladakh by the soldiers
of Charlie Company, 13 Kumaon. Maj Shaitan Singh was the
commander of this company. Unfortunately, this battle was fought
by the soldiers without their officers and their comrades having any
information about it. The soldiers fought valiantly, with meagre
resources. Their cries of war, pain and suffering, calls for help
echoed in the mountains, and lonely forests but failed to reach
their comrades.

Rezang La – The Battle and the Fury

It was 18 November 1962 at Rezang La, the day was colder than
usual. The Chinese soldiers chose the early hours of the morning –
3:30 am, to attack the Indian camp. The sound of their light machine
guns was audible amidst the calm and quiet surroundings.
Maj Shaitan Singh immediately enquired through the radio
set the situation at Platoon 8; they informed that enemy had tried
to disrupt their communication system but had not succeeded.
Platoon 8 was also ready to attack the enemy if they tried to attack
their post. Maj Shaitan Singh took hold of the situation and advised
his men to be vigilant. He ordered his men to patrol the gullies.
And there it was, Chinese forces were climbing through the gullies
towards the Indian post. They were in huge numbers. Maj Shaitan
Singh realised that it was time to keep the morale of the soldiers
high. He reminded them that they were brave Ahirs so they must
fight bravely. And they were true soldiers who promised to fight till
their last. In the fight that ensued many Chinese soldiers were killed
and those who survived ran away. The Chinese forces changed their
strategy after this. They attacked all the posts together with deadly
mortars and recoilless guns. The bunkers were destroyed. There was
heavy casualty on the Indian side because our soldiers were few in
numbers. Their old weapons were hardly a match to the modern
weapons of the Chinese. Within 15 minutes of the attack, there was
death and devastation all around.

52
 India-China War, 1962

As if this was not enough, enemy brought more reinforcements

on yaks and horses to attack. Maj Shaitan Singh rose to the occasion,
he arranged for the first aid of injured Jawans; he kept his flock
together and in high spirits. Amidst biting cold, Jawans could not
cock their rifles — their fingers were frozen.
Maj Shaitan Singh was badly wounded in his stomach when he
was hit in a machine gun-burst. The Maj was popular among his
men and was warmly loved. CHM harphul Singh grabbed an LMG
and killed the soldier who had hit Maj Shaitan Singh. Though the
soldier collapsed afterwards, yet he wanted that his comrades should
not let Shaitan Singh fall in the hands of enemy. Shaitan Singh had
lost a lot of blood. He was in a semi-conscious state with blood
oozing from his ripped stomach. The wound was proving to be fatal.
Soldiers took Shaitan Singh on their backs in turns but it did not
seem possible for them to save him because the Chinese attacked
them from all sides.
Maj Shaitan Singh knew that they would also lose their lives if
they continued to carry him. He told them to leave him there and
go ahead. To make sure that they do so he told them that it was his
order. Shaitan Singh, even in his dying moments forced them to save
their lives so that they could narrate a true account of the battle to
their comrades, officers and people. Reluctantly, the soldiers moved
on leaving behind their brave officer and friend.

In the same war, Nihal, another soldier from C Company

was hit so badly with bullets that his arms were like just
two limbs hanging on his sides. He managed to climb down
the ridge unnoticed. But, someone had taken a note of him.
It was the dog whom they fed and played-with in their
camp. Nihal followed the dog blindly. He was noticed by the
Indian post at Chushul and was taken care of. The war ended
after the ceasefire was declared. Rezang La was declared
as No Man’s Land — a land that belonged to no country.
Maj Shaitan Singh and some of his men lay frozen under the
cover of snow on the land that did not belong to either
country. A shepherd found them buried but living within
them was the story of a war fought with fortitude and love
for their nation.

53
 Veer Gaatha

It was February 1963; the war with China had ended. It

was by chance that a Ladakhi shepherd with his herd entered
Rezang La in Chushul. It was a gory sight for him – an
aftermath of a war. The place was strewn with dead soldiers;
still holding their weapons. Their faces distorted, eyes staring
in vacuum. It seemed to the shepherd as if those moments
of war were frozen in time for eternity. He was horrified to
see the carnage but he did not waste time and rushed to the
nearest Indian Army picket. Indian Army lost no time in
reaching to the site with the officials of Press Information
Bureau. The bodies were recognised by their comrades.
There were 113 bodies of soldiers who died fighting the
battle. Five soldiers had been taken into captivity. Out of
which, four reached back to their battalion. One soldier died
as a Prisoner of War.

A memorial was built at Rezang La in the memory of these

martyrs. Wild horses called ‘kiangs’, herds of blue sheep roam
around the memorial as if keeping a vigil. Following lines by Lord
Thomas Macaulay are inscribed on the memorial which is true to the
bravehearts who sacrificed their lives so that we can sleep in peace.
How can a man die better than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers and the temples of his Gods.
– Lord Thomas Macaulay

54
Citation
Major Shaitan Singh
(IC 6400), 13 Kumaon

Major Shaitan Singh was commanding a Company of an infantry

battalion deployed at Rezang La in the Chushul sector at a height of
about 17,000 feet. The locality was isolated from the main
defended sector and consisted of 5 defended platoon positions. On
18 November 1962, the Chinese forces subjected the Company position
to heavy artillery, mortar and small arms fire and attacked it in
overwhelming strength and in several successive waves. Against heavy
odds, our troops beat back successive waves of enemy attack. During
the action, Major Shaitan Singh dominated the scene of operations
and moved at great personal risk from one platoon post to another
sustaining the morale of his hard-pressed platoon posts. While doing
so he was seriously wounded but continued to encourage and lead
his men, who, following his brave example, fought gallantly and inflicted
heavy casualties on the enemy. For every man lost by us, the enemy
lost four or five. When Major Shaitan Singh fell disabled by wounds in
his arms and abdomen, his men tried to evacuate him, but they came
under heavy machine-gun fire. Major Shaitan Singh then ordered his
men to leave him to his fate in order to save their lives.
Major Shaitan Singh’s supreme courage, leadership and exemplary
devotion to duty inspired his Company to fight gallantly almost to
the last man.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 14-Pres./63

55
 Veer Gaatha

Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon (Oh, the people of my country!) is one of

the most popular patriotic songs, commemorating Indian soldiers
who died during the 1962 War. The song was written by Kavi Pradeep
and the track was composed by C. Ramchandra. Lata Mangeshkar
sang this song for the first time around the Republic Day in 1963.

ऐ मेरे वतन के लोगों, तमु खब्ू लगा लो नारा

यह शभु दिन है हम सबका, लहरा लो तिरंगा प्यारा
पर मत भल ू ो सीमा पर, वीरों ने हैं प्राण गंवाये
कुछ याद उन्हें भी कर लो, जो लौट के घर ना आये
ऐ मेरे वतन के लोगों, ज़रा आँख में भर लो पानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं उनकी, ज़रा याद करो कुरबानी
जब घायल हुआ हिमालय, ख़तरे में पड़ी आज़ादी
जब तक थी साँस लड़े वो, फिर अपनी लाश िबछा दी
संगीन पे धर कर माथा, सो गये अमर बलिदानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं उनकी, ज़रा याद करो कुरबानी
जब देश में थी दिवाली, वो खेल रहे थे होली
जब हम बैठे थे घरों में, वो झेल रहे थे गोली
थे धन्य जवान वो अपने, थी धन्य वो उनकी जवानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं उनकी, ज़रा याद करो कुरबानी
काेई सिख कोई जाट मराठा, कोई गरु खा कोई मदरासी
सरहद पर मरनेवाला, हर वीर था भारतवासी
जो खनू गिरा पर्वत पर, वो खनू था हिदं सु ्तानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं उनकी, ज़रा याद करो कुरबानी
थी खनू से लथपथ काया, फिर भी बन्दूक उठाके
दस-दस को एक ने मारा, फिर गिर गये होश गंवाके
जब अतं समय आया तो, कह गये के अब मरते हैं
खश ु रहना देश के प्यारों, अब हम तो सफ़र करते हैं
क्या लोग थे वो दीवाने, क्या लोग थे वो अभिमानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं उनकी, ज़रा याद करो कुरबानी
तमु भल ू ना जाओ इनको, इसलिये कही यह कहानी
जो शहीद हुए हैं उनकी, ज़रा याद करो कुरबानी
जय हिदं , जय हिदं की सेना
जय हिदं , जय हिदं , जय हिदं
A Saga of Heroism...

India-Pakistan War
1965

Indian flag atop Haji Pir Pass

 Veer Gaatha

Indian soldiers mounting an intense attack in Sialkot sector during the 1965 War

You have read about the first war between India

and Pakistan in previous pages. The war between
India and Pakistan which was fought in 1965 is said to
be the second Kashmir war. Both the wars brought misery
and destruction. Kashmir, which is said to be the heaven on
earth had become the bone of contention between the two
countries. This war is famous for destruction of Patton tanks
which were used by Pakistan. Our bravehearts fought the
war courageously and cleverly to win. The Param Vir Chakra
Awardees Abdul Hamid and A. B. Tarapore gave a befitting
reply to advancing Pakistani soldiers. Let us read about this
war which though ended in 1965 left the sparks for undying
conflict in future.

58
 10
Abdul Hamid

This is the tale of bravery of Abdul Hamid who is remembered for

his dexterity of shooting down the patton tanks in the war between
India and Pakistan. It is interesting to know that had Hamid not
joined the army he would have probably been working in his Abba’s
tailor shop. This would have deprived him of the opportunity
to fight brilliantly for the country and earn the Param Vir Chakra.
Abdul Hamid is fondly remembered in his hometown in Ghazipur
as Vir Abdul.
Wars for territories have been fought since times immemorial;
this can be testified from the history of human civilisation. These
wars have been decried for death and destruction, and glorified as
well for show of valour, might and pride soldiers take in fighting
these wars. And hence, wars become important landmarks of a
nation’s history. One such war was fought in 1965 with Pakistan, our
neighbour. It was the time when India as a nation was experiencing
the joys as well as disappointments of making a nation.
Both the nations, India and Pakistan, were reborn after a long
period of suppression and suffering which ironically resulted in an
unending acrimony between the two nations.
There is a saying that man proposes and God disposes, it came
true in 1965 when India and Pakistan fought another war, which the
people of both the countries never wanted but wars are wars that
are fought for the pride of the nation. Interestingly, the 1965 war
can be described as culmination of the first war in 1947-48, which
caused heavy casualty of Indian soldiers. Pakistanis mistook it as an
 Veer Gaatha

opportunity to overpower India but to their great dismay, the Indian

Army gave them a befitting reply under their mission which was
named ‘Asal Uttar’ (befitting reply) and rightly so. Abdul Hamid
turned out as one of the heroes of this war.

Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid,

4 Grenadiers
Abdul Hamid was born on 1 July 1933 in a small village, Dhamupur
in Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh. He passed Class VIII
examination and left school. Abdul was keen in taking part in
physical activities like swimming, hunting, sword fighting. He used
to spend time helping his father at his tailoring shop.
At the age of 20, Abdul joined army at Varanasi. He took
training at the Grenadiers Regimental Centre at Nasirabad. After
completing his training, he was posted at 4 Grenadiers in 1955.
Abdul fought in the 1962 war in Thang La (NEFA) as a member
of the 7 Mountain Brigade, 4 Mountain Division. After the war, he
returned to Ambala and was appointed Company Quarter Master
Havildar (CQMH).

Original RCL Jeep used during the Battle of Asal Uttar by

CQMH Abdul Hamid, PVC

60
 India-Pakistan War, 1965

Khem Karan Sector, 8 September 1965

Pakistan had barged into the Khem Karan sector in Tarn Taran
district of Punjab with their Patton tank regiment. It was a call for
Abdul Hamid to do his soldierly duty. He left his village, though
against the wishes of his wife Rasoolan who considered, breaking of
his bedding strap as Abdul was rolling up the holdall and buckling
it, as a bad omen. She was worried and wanted him to leave the next
day so as to ward off the bad omen. But none can stop a soldier, for
him duty comes first.
Abdul started his journey to the field in the jeep fitted with
recoilless (RCL) guns. They passed through the lush green sugar
cane fields. Hamid decided that they would take positions in the
groves of sugar cane on 9 September 1965. The strategy was to hit
the Patton tanks with their recoilless guns. This required perfect
timing and accuracy in shooting at the Patton tanks. Hamid asked
his soldiers to shoot the moment the tanks came within 30 yards.
As the first Pakistani tank came within their reach they shot with
great precision blasting the tank. The Pakistanis on two more tanks
ran away. This was the moment to rejoice for Abdul and his soldiers,
as their strategy had caused least damage to their side.
The spree of victory continued. Abdul, the skilled marksman,
hit three more tanks. Many Pakistani tanks were abandoned by
their soldiers out of fear. The next day, 10 September, brought
new challenges for Abdul. Pakistani tanks moved ahead strategically
in the formation of threes. There was intense shelling from the
side of Pakistanis and there was fire all around. Abdul hiding in
vegetation changed his positions cleverly and successfully destroyed
three more tanks. Abdul and the enemy came close to each other.
Abdul moved his jeep to another position and told his crew to take
cover. Suddenly, he found himself face-to-face with the next tank of
the opponent. There was no time for Hamid to change his position
and the enemy took full advantage of it.
It was the end of a glorious innings of a brave Indian soldier
Abdul Hamid. Army sources confirm that it was for the first time in

61
 Veer Gaatha

the history of the Indian Army that Abdul Hamid and his soldiers
fought only with recoilless guns against heavily armoured regiment
of the enemy.
Abdul Hamid died on 10 September 1965. He was awarded
the Param Vir Chakra posthumously. The news that Hamid had
destroyed four enemy tanks reached the officers at the Army Head-
quarters on 9 September 1965. This was mentioned in the citation.
But there were officers, comrades who confirmed the glory of
brave Abdul. According to them, he destroyed three more tanks on
10 September but this could not be amended in his citation.
This goes to the credit of 4 Grenadiers that they fought this
intense war without its company commanders and specialist platoon
commanders who were visiting Indo-Tibetan border as Advance
Party. Abdul Hamid, who was Company Quarter Master Havildar,
was directed to take charge of it and he fought courageously
and cleverly.

62
Citation
Company Quarter Master Havildar
Abdul Hamid
(No. 2639985), 4 Grenadiers

At 0800 hours on 10 September 1965, the Pakistani forces launched

an attack with a Regiment of Patton tanks on a vital area ahead of
village Chima on the Bhikhiwind road in the Khem Karan sector. The
attack was preceded by intense artillery shelling. The enemy tanks
penetrated the forward positions by 0900 hours. Realising the grave
situation, Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid, who
was commander of a recoilless gun detachment, moved out to a
flanking position, with his gun mounted on a jeep, under intense
enemy shelling and tank fire. Taking an advantageous position, he
knocked out the leading enemy tank and then swiftly changing
his position, he sent another enemy tank up in flames. By this
time the enemy tanks in the area spotted him and brought his
jeep under concentrated machine gun and high explosive fire.
Undeterred, Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid kept
on firing on yet another enemy tank from his recoilless gun.
While doing so, he was mortally wounded by an enemy high
explosive shell.
Havildar Abdul Hamid’s brave action inspired his comrades
to put up a gallant fight and to beat back the heavy tank assault
by the enemy. His complete disregard for his personal safety
during the operation and his sustained act of bravery in the face of
constant enemy fire were a shining example not only to his Unit
but to the whole Division and were in the highest traditions of
the Indian Army.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 111-Pres./65

63
 11
Ardeshir Burzorji
Tarapore

Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore was born on 18 August 1923 in

Mumbai. He was born in the family of a great fighter, Ratanjiba
who was a military leader in the army of Shivaji. Ratanjiba was
given the ‘Mansab’ (charge) of one hundred villages in honour
of his services, loyalty and bravery. One of the important villages
was named Tarapore, so it became the title of the family.
Ardeshir’s grandfather migrated to Deccan and joined customs
department in Hyderabad, his father too chose to remain in the same
department. Ardeshir, who was lovingly called Adi, joined Army.
From his childhood, he showed courage and bravery during
many incidents. He excelled in sports and other physical activities.
Once his older sister Yadgar was playing in the backyard of their
house, suddenly their domestic cow ran towards her to charge, Adi
saw it. He stood in front of the cow with a stick in his hand. He hit
the cow’s nose with the stick and the cow ran away. Young Adi was
praised for acting bravely.
After matriculation in 1940, Adi was commissioned in the
Hyderabad State Army. He joined the Officers Training School at
Golconda. In 1942, he was commissioned in the 7th Hyderabad
Infantry.
Once during a routine grenade-throwing training session, a
recruit could not throw it correctly and it fell back into the throwing
bay. Adi rose to the occasion, he picked up the grenade and threw it
at a safe distance. He was injured too. Maj Gen El Edroos who was
present there was deeply impressed with his bravery and presence of
mind. Adi requested him to transfer him to an armoured regiment.
 India-Pakistan War, 1965

This was accepted and it was as if his dream had come true. He
became part of the 1st Hyderabad Imperial Service Lancers. In
the army circles he is remembered as a shy, polite and disciplined
officer when he joined the regiment. He grew moustache like his
senior, Bahadur Singh, NCO which he jokingly described as cavalier
moustache.
Lt Col Tarapore was quick and wise in making decisions. On one
occasion, there were orders to move the regiment in 24 hours. On
realising the urgency of the situation, Tarapore ordered to remove
the barricades and fences around the regiment so that trucks can
be moved nearest to the loading places like stores, etc. Tanks were
taken nearest to the ammunition bays. The entire regiment worked
day and night and met the deadline of the schedule, though not to
forget the complaints of damages of Engineering Department which
took time to be sorted out later on!
There was another incident which manifested Adi’s courage
and commitment to his country. During World War II, he and
other soldiers were sent to the Middle East on posting. The British
commanding officer was in the habit of humiliating Indians. He
was also not happy with their fighting capabilities. Adi protested
seriously. He vehemently opposed him for this behaviour. Adi’s
regiment was punished, they were told to remain isolated, not to
meet and mix with others. Their ammunition was also withdrawn. It
was sorted out by the intervention of Maj Gen El Edroos.
After the Hyderabad state merged with the Union of India, Adi
was posted to the Poona Horse. He was proud to be in the Poona
Horse. Adi was married to Perin and had two children — Xerxes and
Zarine. Adi was a brave soldier of the country who was also a loving
father, a family man, a religious person and a loyal friend.

The Battle of Chawinda

The war with Pakistan was declared on 27 August 1965. That was
the time for army to gather themselves and chalk out a strategy
to capture Chawinda in the Sialkot sector, Pakistan. The area of
Chawinda was occupied by almost two regiments of Pakistan

65
 Veer Gaatha

armour and infantry. Lt Col Tarapore had instructed his soldiers,

not to harm the civilians. The fight was between the armies.
The fiercest battle was the tank battle at Phillora in the Sialkot
sector. Indian soldiers had entered the Pakistan territory without
any retaliation from the enemy. The villagers mistook them for
their own soldiers. The strategy was to strike a surprise attack. The
tanks moved into the territory of Pakistan without being stopped.
The 1 Armoured Division was ready with four armoured regiments.
It shot the first air attack on the enemy. Pakistan retaliated and
caused heavy damage to lorry and infantry sections. There was utter
chaos for some time which was resolved by Lt Col Tarapore who
moved in 17 Horse to stabilise the situation. An intense battle was
fought between the two sides which resulted in the destruction of
13 tanks. Pakistani troops retreated towards Chawinda and the
Indian troops captured Phillora in the Sialkot sector. Tarapore was
seriously injured in the battle. A true and valiant soldier, injury
meant nothing to him.
He planned an infantry attack accompanied by 17 Horse and
9 Garhwal on 13-14 September. Unfortunately, the strategy did
not work out well as Pakistan forces with their tanks were already
ready to attack. They were hiding themselves in the areas of Buttar
and Dograndi. Indian soldiers felt the dire need of more forces to
join them because Indian tanks were destroyed and soldiers were
killed. Lt Col Tarapore joined them immediately with his tank and
directed A Squadron also to pitch in. It was a daring attack on the
enemy who was hiding under the cover of vegetation. Six Pakistani
Patton tanks were destroyed. Buttar and Dograndi were captured.
This was the moment of celebration but the battle was not
over for Lt Col Tarapore. He had to capture Wazirwali. Tarapore
attacked Chawinda with his regiment, fought brilliantly. They
destroyed approximately 60 enemy tanks and lost nine tanks during
this battle. What stood out prominently was Tarapore’s excellent
show of bravery in fighting as well as inspiring his soldiers. This was
in keeping with the highest traditions of the Indian Army. Tarapore
was quite satisfied with himself and his soldiers. The battle was still

66
 India-Pakistan War, 1965

going on but he knew the outcome. It was only a matter of time

that Pakistan would be completely defeated. Brave as always, he was,
unmindful of his injuries, he stood unguarded on his tank sipping
tea. Amidst ferocity of the battle, a shell set his tank ablaze. Tarapore
was engulfed in flames never to rise again.

Maj N. S. Cheema received a call from his CO, Lt Col

Tarapore on the first day of the Battle of Chawinda. Maj
Cheema assumed that it was a regular war briefing but was
surprised to hear from Lt Col Tarapore about his last wishes
in case he was killed in battle. He said: “I must be cremated
in the battlefield, and my prayer book must be given to my
mother; my gold chain to my wife; my ring to my daughter;
my bracelet and pen to my son.” He also conveyed that he
wanted his son to join the army. Exactly, after five days, on
16 September 1965, Tarapore was fatally wounded.

The soldiers bid adieu to the hero. His tank Khushab was
a reminder of two Victoria Crosses, which 17 Horse won. It was
captured by Pakistan.
Lt Col Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore was posthumously awarded
the highest wartime gallantry medal, the Param Vir Chakra.

67
Citation
Lieutenant Colonel A. B. Tarapore
(IC 5565), Poona Horse (17 Horse)

On 11 September 1965, the Poona Horse Regiment, under the

command of Lieutenant Colonel A. B. Tarapore, was assigned the task
of delivering the main armoured thrust for capturing Phillora in the
Sialkot sector in Pakistan. As a preliminary to making a surprise attack
on Phillora from the rear, the regiment was thrusting forward between
Phillora and Chawinda, when it was suddenly counter-attacked by the
enemy’s heavy armour from Wazirwali. Lt Col A. B. Tarapore who was then
at the head of his regiment, defied the enemy’s charge, held his ground
and gallantly attacked Phillora with one of his squadrons supported by
an infantry battalion. Though under continuous enemy tank and artillery
fire, Lt Col Tarapore remained unperturbed throughout this action and
when wounded, he refused to be evacuated.
On 14 September 1965, though still wounded he again led his
regiment to capture Wazirwali. Such was his grit and determination
that unmindful of his injury, he again gallantly led his regiment and
captured Jassoran and Butur-Dograndi on 16 September 1965. His
own tank was hit several times, but despite the odds, he maintained
his pivots in both these places and thereby allowed the supporting
infantry to attack Chawinda from the rear. Inspired by his leadership,
the regiment fiercely attacked the enemy’s heavy armour destroying
approximately sixty enemy tanks at a cost of only nine tank casualties,
and when Lt Col Tarapore was mortally wounded, the regiment
continued to defy the enemy.
The valour displayed by Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji
Tarapore in this heroic action which lasted six days was in keeping with
the highest traditions of the Indian Army.
Gazette of India Notification
No. 112-Pres./65

68
A Saga of Heroism...

India-Pakistan War
1971

Lt Gen AAK Niazi signing the Instrument of Surrender at Dhaka on

16 December 1971 with Lt Gen JS Aurora (GOC-in-C East).
Standing (L to R) Vice Admiral N Krishnan (FOC-in-C East),
Air Marshal Dewan (AOC-in-C East), Lt Gen Sagat Singh,
Maj Gen JFR Jacob (Chief of Staff Eastern Army)
 Veer Gaatha

Map of India and its neighbours

Battlefield is a Playground for War Heroes!

The world as we know today was not like this always. Influenced by
various factors, it keeps on changing. War has been a major factor in
shaping the course of history. The 1971 war dramatically changed the
situation in India’s neighbourhood. It was in this war, that India, since
its Independence had achieved a conclusive victory and the credit goes
to the concerted efforts and supreme sacrifices of our brave soldiers.

70
 India-Pakistan War, 1971

Here are the stories of four such war heroes, who were awarded the
Param Vir Chakra, the highest wartime gallantry medal in India. But,
let us first understand the backdrop of the 1971 war (see map).

Why Did It All Begin?

We know Pakistan came into existence on 14 August 1947. At that
time, it was split into two, one each on either side of India, namely
West Pakistan and East Pakistan (which emerged later as Bangladesh
in 1971). But West Pakistan insisted on total domination over the
other. Urdu was declared as the sole official language of the entire
Pakistan. However, many students in East Pakistan sacrificed their lives
on 21 February 1952 for the cause of Bengali language, their mother
tongue.
The first general elections for the entire Pakistan were held in
1970. On one hand, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, achieved a landslide
victory in East Pakistan. On the other, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto won most of
the seats in West Pakistan. But the military and civilian leaders based in
West Pakistan rejected this popular verdict and refused to share power
with the elected representatives of East Pakistan.
On 26 March 1971 (which later became the Independence Day
of Bangladesh), the Pakistani Army launched operations against the
Bengali nationalists. A reign of terror was unleashed on the people of
East Pakistan. The government had indulged in genocide against its
own people! The differences between the eastern and western parts
of Pakistan became irreconcilable. Thus, the break-up of Pakistan
appeared increasingly inevitable.
Throughout 1971, India had to accommodate about ten million
refugees coming from East Pakistan. West Bengal and the North East
region were severely affected by the massive influx. But India continued
to extend both moral and material support wholeheartedly to the just
cause of the freedom struggle in East Pakistan. This, however, was
strongly contested by West Pakistan.
On the global front, by the early 1970s, the US and China began
to cooperate. Henry Kissinger, the advisor to the then US President
Richard Nixon, made a secret visit to China via Pakistan in July 1971.

71
 Veer Gaatha

To counter the US-Pakistan-China axis, India signed the 20-year

Treaty of Peace and Friendship with the Soviet Union in August 1971.

Launching of Operations
The Indian military intervention became inevitable, in view of the pre-
emptive strikes launched by Pakistan against India on 3 December 1971.
The Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Sam Manekshaw, masterminded the
campaigns. During this 14-day war, India mostly adopted aggressive
strategies on the eastern front and defensive strategies on the western
front. The Indian armed forces fought in close collaboration with
the people in East Pakistan. The pro-Pakistan tilt of the US was
clearly displayed when it dispatched its aircraft carrier to the Bay of
Bengal during the war. This move deeply distressed India. At last, the
Pakistani forces in Bangladesh – about 90,000 Prisoners of War (PoWs)
surrendered to the forces of India and Bangladesh on 16 December 1971.
This day is commemorated as Vijay Diwas (Victory Day) both
in Bangladesh and India. India, thus, played the role of a catalyst in
the Liberation War of Bangladesh. India immediately announced a
unilateral ceasefire on the western front. The hostilities ended finally
with the signing of the Simla Agreement by Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar
Ali Bhutto on 3 July 1972.
In the 1971 war, unlike the earlier wars, India achieved a decisive
victory. This war was replete with tales of extraordinary courage
displayed by the Indian armed forces – Army, Air Force and Navy –
both on the eastern and western fronts. India suffered more than 12,000
casualties of which about 3,000 lost their lives. Nearly 600 officers and
men of the armed forces were decorated with gallantry medals of which
four were awarded the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), 76 Maha Vir Chakra
(MVC) and 513 Vir Chakra (VrC).
The war heroes who were awarded the PVC were Lance Naik
Albert Ekka (posthumously), Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon
(posthumously), 2/Lt Arun Khetarpal (posthumously) and Maj Hoshiar
Singh. All four of them hailed from a wide range of socio-economic
backgrounds. They personified valour in unique ways in different
theatres of the war! Let us find out more about them.

72
 12
Albert Ekka

Born on 27 December 1942 in a tribal family, Albert Ekka was the

son of Julius and Mariam Ekka. His village Jari in district Gumla is
about 175 kilometres from Ranchi, Jharkhand. He had always been
a jovial child and grew up to be an optimistic individual with a
happy-go-lucky attitude. Adventurous by nature, he dreamed to
join the Indian Army.
His dream turned into a reality on his twentieth birthday, when
he enrolled himself in the 14th Battalion, Brigade of the Guards.
His skill of hunting with bow and arrow in the jungle proved to be
advantageous in the Army. He was always right on target with the
guns as well! His marksmanship of the very first order was admired
by one and all. He also excelled in games, especially hockey. He
served in the counter-insurgency operations in the North East
region. Nine years into the service, he was ready to accomplish
the greatest mission of his life!
When the 1971 war broke out, the Indian armed forces fought
on the eastern and western fronts as well. The Battle of Gangasagar
was crucial in paving the way for the movement of the Indian troops
towards their ultimate target in Bangladesh. The contribution of
Lance Naik Albert Ekka to India’s victory in this battle was immense.

Breaching the Enemy Defences

During the 1971 war, the 14 Guards had to capture a Pakistani
position at Gangasagar, about six kilometres west of Agartala,
Tripura, on the eastern front. This was located on a major railway
link to Dacca (now Dhaka). Owing to its strategic location, the post
 Veer Gaatha

was turned into a fortress by the enemy. The entire area was heavily
mined. But the capture of Gangasagar was the key that would lead
to the capture of Akhaura, on the way to Dhaka. So the 14 Guards
launched an attack on enemy positions on the night of 3 December.
Lance Naik Albert Ekka was confident and determined to
overcome the odds. He knew that it was time to ‘do or die’ for the
nation and considered his duty to be his religion. He confidently
spearheaded the attacks during this operation.
Col O.P. Kohli (Retd), then a Captain, was commanding this
mission. He knew Albert Ekka from the time the latter joined the
Army. He described his steely resolve thus: “A sort of an introvert in
social circles, Ekka was very demonstrative during the exercises and
training before the War. His looks were extremely deceptive and
he didn’t seem to be very active physically but had it not been for
him, the objective may not have been achieved that day. A very keen
soldier, Ekka insisted on leading the file formation... I was a few feet
from him when he came across a Pakistani sentry. “Kaun hai wahan
(Who’s there)?,” the sentry challenged and Ekka replied, “Tera baap
(Your father),” before charging with his bayonet.”
Risking his life, Lance Naik Albert Ekka single-handedly achieved
two major breakthroughs by smashing the strongholds of the enemy.
Epitomising the motto of the Brigade of the Guards, “Pahla, Hamesha
Pahla” (First, Always First), he led the assault. He swiftly cleared the
bunkers and silenced the LMG. Undaunted by the continuous shelling,
he reached behind the enemy lines. Although grievously wounded in
these close encounters, Lance Naik Albert Ekka continued to pursue the
objectives of his company relentlessly. He soon destroyed the MMG.
During the mission, he eliminated several enemies and fought
until his last breath. His actions saved the lives of his colleagues
and helped them to advance towards their next target. The fall of
Gangasagar forced the enemy to vacate Akhaura. Soon, the Indian
troops were on their victorious march towards Dhaka.
This young soldier of 29 years was posthumously awarded the
Param Vir Chakra for his exceptional valour. This was the one and
only Param Vir Chakra awarded for action on the eastern front. He
left behind his wife Balamdina and a five-year-old son, Vincent. To

74
 India-Pakistan War, 1971

honour him, the Army Postal Service issued a Special Cover on 3

December 1978.
A major road junction in Ranchi was named as Albert Ekka
Chowk, and his life-size statue was installed. A commemorative
postage stamp was also issued in his honour by the Government
of India on the occasion of the 50th Republic Day in 2000. A block
(subdivision) in his home district of Gumla was named as Albert
Ekka Block.

Balamdina Ekka lays wreath at the war memorial near the burial site of
Albert Ekka, PVC, in Dukli near Agartala, Tripura (The Hindu, 10 January 2016)

75
Citation
Lance Naik Albert Ekka
(No. 4239746), 14 Guards

Lance Naik Albert Ekka was in the left forward company of a Battalion
of the Brigade of Guards during their attack on the enemy defence
at Gangasagar on the eastern front. This was a well fortified position
held in strength by the enemy. The assaulting troops were subjected
to intense shelling and heavy small arms fire, but they charged on to
the objective and were locked in bitter hand-to-hand combat. Lance
Naik Albert Ekka noticed an enemy Light Machine Gun inflicting heavy
casualties on his company. With complete disregard to his personal
safety, he charged the enemy bunker, bayoneted two enemy soldiers
and silenced the Light Machine Gun. Though seriously wounded in
this encounter, he continued to fight alongside his comrades through
the mile deep objective, clearing bunker after bunker with undaunted
courage. Towards the northern end of the objective, one enemy
Medium Machine Gun opened up from the second storey of a well
fortified building inflicting heavy casualties and holding up the attack.
Once again this gallant soldier without a thought to his personal safety,
despite his serious injury and the heavy volume of enemy fire, crawled
forward till he reached the building and lobbed a grenade through the
loophole of the bunker, killing one enemy and injuring the other. The
Medium Machine Gun, however, continued to fire. With outstanding
courage and grim determination, Lance Naik Albert Ekka scaled a side
wall and entering the bunker, bayoneted the enemy who was still
firing and thus silenced the Machine Gun, saving further casualties to
his company and ensured the success of the attack. In this process,
however, he received serious injuries and succumbed to them after the
capture of the objective.
In this action, Lance Naik Albert Ekka displayed the most
conspicuous valour, determination and made the supreme sacrifice in
the best traditions of the Army.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 7 – Pres./72

76
 13
Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon

Nirmal Jit was born on 17 July 1945 to Sardar Trilok Singh Sekhon
and Harbans Kaur. His village, Issewal is located in the vicinity of
the Halwara Air Force Station, near Ludhiana, Punjab. Since his
childhood, he was fascinated by the aircrafts. He was fond of stories
of the famous warrior of the early 19th century, Hari Singh Nalwa.
Moreover, he was inspired by the experiences of his father, who
served in the Indian Air Force (IAF). Hearing enthusiastically the
stories of thrills and frills of the skies, Nirmal Jit dreamt of enrolling
himself into the IAF, one day. He was determined to become a
fighter pilot, come what may!
He studied in Khalsa High School, Ajitsar Mohie, near
Ludhiana, and secured a first division in matriculation. He joined
the Dayalbagh Engineering College, Agra in 1962. While being a
cadet in the National Cadet Corps (NCC), he was keenly interested
in aero modelling. However, he left the engineering course midway
to pursue his dream of joining the IAF especially after the 1965 war.
Despite many obstacles, Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon soon achieved
his lifelong ambition. He was commissioned in the IAF on 4 June
1967. As he was very tall, it was uncomfortable for him to fit into
the diminutive Gnat fighter aircraft! However, he soon became
adept at flying the Gnat. Known for his generosity and friendly
nature, he was warmly addressed as ‘Brother’. He joined the No. 18
Squadron, called ‘Flying Bullets’, as Flying Officer in October 1968.

Safeguarding the Skies

Pakistan began the 1971 war by launching air raids across Northwest
India. Many airfields came under the attack of the Pakistan Air
 Veer Gaatha

Force (PAF) aircrafts. Since 1948, India could not station air defence
aircraft at Srinagar owing to an international agreement. But due
to the war, a Gnat squadron detachment was based at Srinagar to
defend the Kashmir valley. Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon joined this
detachment in challenging circumstances. He had to quickly
acclimatise himself to the harsh winter. Undaunted, he gave the
PAF a befitting reply.
On 14 December, the F-86 Sabre jet fighters of the PAF which
took off from Peshawar airbase began to strafe the Srinagar airfield.
Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was on readiness duty at
that moment. The continuous surge of air attacks by the Pakistani
pilots provided him the opportunity to display his mettle. Putting
his life at grave risk, he took off in his Gnat aircraft. At the outset,
it was evident that the odds were stacked against him. But he never
failed to rise to the occasion. He began to engage the adversaries in
fearsome battles in mid-air.
Manoeuvring his Gnat aircraft skilfully, Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon
intercepted as many as six Pakistani Sabre fighter aircrafts. He
attacked Sabres and destroyed several of them. He communicated
his steely resolve to the Combat Air Patrol (CAP) control room:
‘I am behind two Sabres. I won’t let the… get away’. Even though he
was fighting against overwhelming odds, he inflicted heavy damage
on the PAF. Confident of his skills, he reigned supreme in the skies
and put up a brave fight until the very end. He touched the sky with
glory! His daring action in these dogfights dented the resolve of the
enemy pilots and prevented them from achieving any significant
breakthrough in Kashmir.
Flying Officer Sekhon was merely 26 years old when he laid
down his life defending the motherland. He left behind his wife,
Manjit Sekhon, to who he was married exactly 10 months back.
(She remarried later). He is the one and only hero from the IAF
to have been honoured with the Param Vir Chakra till date. His
exceptional flying skills and awe-inspiring actions in the most
adverse circumstances serve as a source of motivation for all those
who seek to master air warfare.

78
 India-Pakistan War, 1971

The Army Postal Service issued a Special Cover on 7 October

1982 to honour Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon during
the 50th Anniversary Year of the IAF. A commemorative postage
stamp was issued in his honour by the Government of India on the
occasion of the 50th Republic Day in 2000. His statues along with
Gnat aircrafts were installed on the premises of the District Court,
Ludhiana, Punjab and the Air Force Museum, Palam, New Delhi.
The film, Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973), directed by Chetan Anand,
portrayed the role of the IAF during the 1971 war.

Statue of Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon with a Gnat aircraft
at the Air Force Museum, Palam, New Delhi

79
Citation
Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon
(10877), Flying Branch (Pilot)

Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was a pilot of Gnat detachment
based at Srinagar for the air defence of the valley against Pakistani air
attacks. From the very outbreak of the hostilities he and his colleagues
fought the successive waves of intruding Pakistani aircraft with valour
and determination, maintaining the high reputation of the Gnat aircraft.
On 14 December 1971, Srinagar airfield was attacked by a wave of six
enemy Sabre aircrafts. Flying Officer Sekhon was on readiness duty
at the time. Immediately, however, no fewer than six enemy aircrafts
were overhead, and they began bombing and strafing the airfield.
In spite of the mortal danger of attempting to take off during the
attack, Flying Officer Sekhon took off and immediately engaged a pair
of the attacking Sabres. In the fight that ensued, he secured hits on one
aircraft and set another on fire. By this time, the other Sabre aircraft
came to the aid of their hard-pressed companions and Flying Officer
Sekhon’s Gnat was again outnumbered, this time by four to one. Even
though alone, Flying Officer Sekhon engaged the enemy in an unequal
combat. In the fight that followed, at tree top height, he almost held
his own, but was eventually overcome by sheer weight of numbers. His
aircraft crashed and he was killed.
The sublime heroism, supreme gallantry, flying skill and
determination above and beyond the call of duty displayed by Flying
Officer Sekhon in the face of certain death, have set new heights to Air
Force tradition.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 7– Pres./72

80
 14
Arun Khetarpal

In 1950, the Year of the Republic, a boy named Arun was born on
14 October in Pune, Maharashtra. He was the elder son of Brig
M.L. Khetarpal and Maheshwari Khetarpal. Several generations of
his distinguished family had served in the armed forces. Among
the institutions, he attended was the Lawrence School, Sanawar,
Himachal Pradesh. Possessing a cheerful personality, he performed
brilliantly both in academics and sports. Given his all-round
performance, he became the school prefect. He always lived up to
the school’s motto: ‘Never Give In’.
In 1967, he joined the National Defence Academy (NDA),
Khadakwasla, Pune, and subsequently the Indian Military Academy
(IMA), Dehradun. He was commissioned in the 17 Poona Horse on
13 June 1971.
Just six months later, the war began on 3 December 1971.
During this war, like the 1965 war, tank battles were fierce and
crucial. They were fought mostly in Punjab on the western
front. Among them was the famous Battle of Basantar in the
Shakargarh sector. Both sides wanted total control of this
sector, owing to its strategic location. The border at this position
is about ten kilometres from the Pathankot-Jammu Highway. The
Indian troops reached ten miles inside the Pakistani territory. 2/Lt
Arun Khetarpal was amidst the action in this battle commanding a
Centurion tank named Famagusta.
As part of the operations, the 17 Poona Horse had to establish
a bridgehead across the Basantar River, a tributary of the Ravi river.
 Veer Gaatha

2/Lt Arun Khetarpal’s letter to his parents from the battlefield on 10 December 1971

This was accomplished by the night of 15 December. The area was

full of enemy minefields. Noticing the action of enemy armour at
the bridgehead, the Indian troops called for tank support urgently.
The 17 Poona Horse decided to embark on a dangerous mission
to push through the deadly minefield. By midnight, this regiment
had established a link-up between the armour and the infantry
at the bridgehead. On the morning of 16 December, the enemy

82
 India-Pakistan War, 1971

counterattacked with an armour regiment. Sadly, the Indian troops

were heavily outnumbered and therefore sought reinforcements.
2/Lt Arun Khetarpal, deployed at a nearby location with his troops,
decided to take on the enemy head-on. His troops came under
incessant firing from the enemy forces. Still he retaliated by attacking
the enemy positions and totally destroying them. Invigorated with
this success, he began to pursue the enemy tanks. But, the enemy soon
deployed a complete armoured squadron to achieve a breakthrough.

A Fight to the Death

In the fierce tank battles that followed, 2/Lt Khetarpal single-
handedly destroyed many enemy tanks. Just then, his tank received
a hit from the enemy and was partially destroyed. Sensing an
immediate threat to his life, his superior sent him urgent orders to
abandon the burning tank. But he politely refused to comply and
responded with the following message: “No Sir, I will not abandon
my tank. My gun is still working and I will get these....”
Displaying grim determination, he began the final assault on the
remaining enemy tanks from a close range. He shot the last enemy
tank, barely 100 metres away. At this stage, his tank received one
more hit. But then, a will of iron was his best weapon! He offered
solid resistance to the enemy tanks and prevented a breakthrough
until he breathed his last. The day of martyrdom of Arun Khetarpal,
16 December, coincided with the surrender of the Pakistani forces
on the eastern front. This day is commemorated as the Vijay Diwas
(Victory Day).
For his conspicuous courage in the face of the enemy,
2/Lt Arun Khetarpal was honoured with the Param Vir Chakra,
posthumously. The Khetarpal Parade Ground at NDA and the
Khetarpal Auditorium at IMA are everlasting tributes to his valour.
His heroic deeds in the battlefield serve as an abiding source of
inspiration for generations to come.

83
 Veer Gaatha

Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Manekshaw’s condolence letter commending the valour
of 2/Lt Arun Khetarpal (24 December 1971)

84
 India-Pakistan War, 1971

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s letter of condolence and appreciation of the

sacrifice by 2/Lt Arun Khetarpal (24 December 1971)

85
 Veer Gaatha

Unveiling of the statue of 2/Lt Arun Khetarpal at his alma mater,

the Lawrence School, Sanawar on 3 December 2011

Tank of 2/Lt Arun Khetarpal at the Armoured Corps Centre and School,
Ahmednagar, Maharashtra

86
Citation
Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal
(IC-25067), Poona Horse

On 16 December 1971, when our position at Jarpal in the Shakargarh

sector was subjected to an attack by a Pakistani armoured regiment and
our troops were heavily outnumbered by enemy forces, the squadron
commander asked for reinforcements. 2/Lt Khetarpal on hearing this
transmission over the radio answered the call and moved with his
troops to meet the enemy attack. On the way, his troops came under
fire from enemy strong points and Recoilless Gun nests that were
still holding out in the bridgehead established across the Basantar
river by our troops. Realising that a critical situation was developing
and prompt action was to be taken, 2/Lt Khetarpal assaulted the
enemy strong points, physically overrunning them and capturing the
enemy’s infantry and weapon crews at pistol point. In the course of this
action, the commander of one of the tanks in his troop was killed, but
2/Lt Khetarpal continued to attack relentlessly till all opposition was
overcome and he broke through towards the location of our squadron.
When the enemy tanks started pulling back after their initial probing
attacks, he chased them and destroyed one of them.
When the enemy launched another attack, with an armoured
squadron, against the sector held by three of our tanks, one of which was
manned by 2/Lt Khetarpal, a fierce battle ensued and 10 enemy tanks
were hit and destroyed of which 2/Lt Khetarpal personally destroyed
four. In the fight, 2/Lt Khetarpal’s tank was hit and it burst into flames
and he was severely wounded. 2/Lt Khetarpal was ordered to abandon
his tank but realising that the enemy was still pressing their attack in
this sector and that if he abandoned his tank, there was nothing to stop
the enemy from breaking through. In spite of grievous wounds and
his own tank burning, he continued engaging the enemy tanks and
destroyed one more. At this stage, his tank was hit a second time as a

87
result of which he died but the enemy was denied the breakthrough,
he was seeking so desperately.
In this action, 2/Lt Arun Khetarpal displayed most conspicuous
gallantry in the face of the enemy, indomitable fighting spirit and
tenacity of purpose.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 7 – Pres./72

Khetarpal Parade Ground, National Defence Academy

88
 15
Hoshiar Singh

There was a bright boy named Hoshiar in village Sisana of district

Sonipat, Haryana. He was born on 5 May 1936 and his parents were
Chowdhury Hira Singh and Mathuri Devi. Hailing from a farming
family, he used to assist his parents in their fields.
Hoshiar Singh initially studied at a local school and then moved
to the Jat Higher Secondary School and the Jat College, Rohtak.
He performed well in studies and was awarded a first division in
matriculation examination. He was a top-class volleyball player and
soon became the captain of the Punjab team, which landed him a
place in the national team.
Belonging to a village that has contributed more than 250 soldiers
to the Indian Army, he was keen to join the army. He joined 2 Jat
Regiment in 1957 as a soldier. Six years later, he became an officer by
clearing the examination for promotion in his first attempt. He was
commissioned in the Grenadiers Regiment on 30 June 1963. While
serving in the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), his bravery
along with remarkable skills in leadership came to be noticed. He
also played a crucial role in the Bikaner sector during the 1965
Indo-Pak war. Taking the initiative, he displayed his courage and
dogged determination during the operations. For his brave acts, he
received a Mention-in-Despatches. A greater role was in store for
him six years later!

Indomitable Spirit Comes to the Fore

Soon after the 1971 war began on the western front, the 3rd Battalion
of the Grenadiers Regiment spearheaded the campaign in the
 Veer Gaatha

Shakargarh sector. Maj Hoshiar Singh was a proud member of this

unit. This battalion rapidly advanced during the first ten days. On
15 December, it was assigned the task of establishing a bridgehead
across the Basantar River. However, the enemy troops had laid
deep minefields on both sides of the river and were in a strong
position. The advancing Indian troops came under intense shelling
and suffered heavily. But under the courageous leadership of Maj
Hoshiar Singh, they continued the assault doggedly and captured
village Jarpal in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The enemy troops
launched massive counter-attacks with the help of tanks.
Maj Hoshiar Singh was a true leader. Leading from the
front, he provided inspiring leadership. He continuously motivated
his men in the face of grave threats to perform at the highest level.
His courage encouraged them to give their best. Under his dynamic
leadership, his company repulsed all attacks, inflicting heavy
casualties on the enemy.
Although hostilities ended on the eastern front by the
evening of 16 December, the battles continued on the western
front. On 17 December, the enemy troops launched yet another
major attack with the support of heavy artillery. Maj Hoshiar
Singh was seriously wounded by the enemy shelling. Despite this,
he openly moved from trench to trench raising the morale of his
soldiers. Nothing could hold him back! He continued to inflict
heavy casualties on the enemy troops, forcing them to retreat.
They left behind many dead, including their Commanding Officer,
Lt Col Mohammed Akram Raja.
Maj Hoshiar Singh, thus, engaged the enemy forces in a
steadfast manner. His dogged resistance, complete disregard for
his personal safety and exemplary courage propelled his men
to perform outstanding acts of gallantry. They foiled repeated
attempts by the enemy to recapture the area. They lived up to his
example. Although he was seriously wounded, he refused to be
evacuated till the end of operations. He did not leave the battlefield
until India was victorious! This was certainly an act beyond the
call of duty. He was honoured with the highest wartime gallantry

90
 India-Pakistan War, 1971

medal, the Param Vir Chakra. Maj Hoshiar Singh was the sole PVC
Awardee of the 1971 war to receive it in person.
Maj Hoshiar Singh was a taskmaster as well as a caring
person. He possessed thorough knowledge of the men he was
commanding during times of peace as well as war. He used to
stress upon rigorous training and practice on a regular basis. He
contributed immensely to develop spirit of camaraderie, be it at
the workplace or on the battlefield. When he served as a Company
Commander at the IMA, his company became the overall champion
company for six consecutive terms! This is a record that continues
to remain unbroken. He rose to the rank of colonel prior to his
retirement. Unfortunately, he suffered a heart attack and passed
away on 6 December 1998 at the age of 62 leaving behind his wife,
Dhanno Devi and three sons.

Maj Hoshiar Singh with the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Manekshaw (1972)

Col Hoshiar Singh Memorial Primary School, Sisana, Haryana, with his bust

91
Citation
Major Hoshiar Singh
(IC-14608), 3 Grenadiers

On 15 December 1971, a battalion of the Grenadiers was given the task

of establishing a bridgehead across the Basantar river in the Shakargarh
sector. Major Hoshiar Singh was commanding the left forward company
and he was ordered to capture the enemy locality at Jarpal. This was a
well fortified position and was held in strength by the enemy. During
the assault, his company came under intense shelling and effective
crossfire from enemy Medium Machine Guns. Undeterred, he led the
charge, and captured the objective after a fierce hand-to-hand fight. The
enemy reacted and put in three counter-attacks on 16 December 1971,
two of them supported by armour. Major Hoshiar Singh, unmindful of
the heavy shelling and tank fire, went from trench to trench, motivating
his command and encouraging his men to stand fast and fight. Inspired
by his courage and dauntless leadership, his company repulsed all the
attacks inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. Again, on 17 December
1971, the enemy made another attack with a battalion supported by
heavy artillery fire. Though seriously wounded by enemy shelling, Major
Hoshiar Singh again went from trench to trench moving about in the
open with utter disregard to his personal safety when an enemy shell
landed near the Medium Machine Gun post injuring the crew and
rendering it inoperative. Major Hoshiar Singh, realising the importance
of the Machine Gun fire, immediately rushed to the Machine Gun pit and,
though seriously wounded himself, manned the gun inflicting heavy
casualties on the enemy. The attack was successfully repulsed and the
enemy retreated leaving behind 85 dead including their Commanding
Officer and three other officers. Though seriously wounded, Major
Hoshiar Singh refused to be evacuated till the ceasefire.
Throughout this operation, Major Hoshiar Singh displayed most
conspicuous gallantry, indomitable fighting spirit and leadership in the
highest traditions of the Army.
Gazette of India Notification
No. 7 – Pres./72

92
A Saga of Heroism...

Siachen Conflict
1987

The Siachen Glacier region in the Karakoram range

is the highest and coldest battlefield in the world.
 Veer Gaatha

War in Siachen is said to be the toughest war, because there is

perhaps no other place on this earth where man and nature are
essentially in conflict with each other. The warring soldiers cannot
escape the extreme cold, roaring blizzards and chilling winds which
could tear the bare skin.
In a battle at Siachen, what has proved beyond doubt is man’s
ability to survive in the worst conditions and fight. The acts of
bravery of these soldiers fighting at Siachen are manifestation of
valour, sacrifice and dedication. These epic moments in the life of
soldiers elevates them as examples of valour and mastery of skills of
fighting wars in most difficult circumstances.
Dear Readers, there is another side too, of Siachen that has
mesmerised the people with its natural beauty, altitude, serenity
and which humbles one who reaches there with the purpose of
conquering. Siachen glacier is the second longest glacier in the
world. It is the most picturesque view of the nature with pink Sia
blossoms surrounding the glacier, amidst the high peaks of snow
there flows a long river – gushing with melting snow.

Siachen War Memorial, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir

94
 Siachen Conflict, 1987

As I spent my last evening on the Siachen, the snow was

bathed in soft moonlight. The next day a blue sky extended beyond
the frontiers: frontiers separating people with a similar culture,
language and ethos. Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Kaifi Azmi, among the
greatest poets of Pakistan and India respectively, have written on
ending the conflict and calling for peace.

जाे दरू से तफ़ा

ू न का करते हैं नज़ारा
उनके लिए तफ़ा ू न वहाँ भी है यहाँ भी
धारे में जो मिल जाओगे, बन जाओगे धारा
यह वक्‍त का एलान वहाँ भी है यहाँ भी
This stanza by Kaifi Azmi, a renowned poet, means that
a detached observer would realise that the communal winds
do not discriminate on the basis of arbitrarily drawn borders;
the answer lies in synthesis not segregation.

But soon enough artillery shells would be fired under

the same sky. I hoped that someday there would be
peace on the Siachen glacier, roses (Sias) would grow
wild, ibexes would roam and that mountaineers
could explore and climb freely.
– Harish Kapadia, Siachen Glacier : The Battle of Roses

95
 16
Bana Singh

Bana Singh was born on 6 January 1949 in Ranbir Singh Poha, a tehsil
of Jammu and Kashmir. He was 19 years old when he joined Jammu
and Kashmir Light Infantry of the Indian Army. Bana Singh rose to
the rank of Subedar Major. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra,
the highest award for gallantry for his bravery and leadership in the
conflict against Pakistan at Saltoro Ridge, Siachen in June 1987.
Today he lives in Kadyal, a small village near Jammu. It is the
brave soldier’s second innings. Bana Singh works in his farms; he
leads a disciplined life, eats simple food. Life still holds its charm for
him. He is happy doing hard work in the fields. It is the season and
crops which change but his routine remains the same throughout
the year.
In the month of January, Bana Singh travels to New Delhi. For
him, this is the most conspicuous time of the year – he participates
in the Republic Day Parade. Before leaving for Delhi, he takes out his
war medals, polishes them up to his satisfaction; recalls the freezing
cold day in Siachen and the war he fought.
Another moment of pride was when the medal named after Bana
Singh was awarded to his son Rajinder Singh at the Parade Ground
also named after him.
His son joined the same regiment, 8 JAKLI, the starting point of
Bana Singh’s career in Indian Army.

I many times thought peace had come,

when peace was far away.
— Emily Dickinson
 Siachen Conflict, 1987

Siachen has been an issue of war between India and Pakistan.

Both the countries have marked their borders, however, a patch
of mountainous region heavily covered with snow remained
unattended. Perhaps both the sides believed that patch of land
would never be visited by any one of them because it was a challenge
to survive in extreme cold conditions where it was even difficult to
breathe. After some time, suspicious activities started in that area;
Pakistan ceded 80 square kilometre land in Indian territory to
China. It was when China and Pakistan started undue activities on
the pretext of research, etc., that India became alert and made a move
to occupy Saltoro Ridge area on the glacier. Subsequently, Pakistan
ordered its troops to set up their post on Indian territory and named
it Quaid Post after Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
A fierce battle was fought in Siachen which resulted in pain and
suffering and the battle also disturbed the peace and calm of the
nature that stood there as a mute spectator.
It was the call to march for Naib Subedar Bana Singh and his
soldiers. Laced with their AK 47 rifles trudged through the layers of
snow. It was above 19,000 feet, where icy winds blew day and night.
Snowstorms reduced the visibility to almost zero. Still they could see
the dead bodies of their comrades strewn around.
2/Lt Rajiv Pande, Naib Subedar Hemraj and 10 jawans were in
the first patrol. They were trained in skiing, mountaineering and
fighting in most difficult circumstances. They sustained themselves
in sub-zero temperatures, fixing ropes, for scaling the snow covered
heights. It was when they were only 500 metres away from the
post which was captured by the Pakistanis that 2/Lt Pande sought
permission on the radio set from his officers to go ahead. They were
ordered to advance without realising that Pakistani SSG commandos
had been on vigil. As soon as they came within their firing range, all
of them were shot dead.
The senior officers of Indian Army and the then Defence
Minister reached Sonam Post. They were shocked at the killing of
their men in such a gruesome manner. Col Rai who was looking
after this operation was furious. He pleaded with his officers for

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another chance to regain the Quaid Post. A team of two officers,

three JCOs and 57 men was earmarked for the task. Naib Subedar
Bana Singh was not part of the team originally. He was inducted
in the team on the recommendation of Col Rai. As always, without
wasting any time, Bana Singh packed his rucksack and joined the
team. Operation Rajiv was launched to avenge the loss of 2/Lt Pande
and his team.
On 22 June, the team ventured to reach Quaid Post. Lives of two
soldiers were lost because of extreme weather conditions. They died
of hypothermia. The second attempt also somewhat failed because
of the high velocity winds, snowfall and difficulty in breathing. The
team returned to the camp. They were disheartened but did not lose
hope. They met furious Col Rai at the camp.
‘Hamari joota parade hui’ (We were summoned for a dressing
down). Col Rai told the men in no uncertain terms that he
wanted the post. ‘The post has to be captured, we cannot let the
deaths of Rajiv and his men go unavenged’, he thundered.
Bana Singh justified Col Rai’s anger. He felt that it was their duty
and they had to do it.
Next day, 24 June, again the ropes were tied and Maj Virender
Singh led the attack. He warned the soldiers not to turn back
come what may. Fighting at high altitudes in freezing cold
situations and arduous terrain took its toll. Soldiers lost their
lives due to weather conditions, or they slipped into gorges. The
enemy above in hangout could not keep proper watch because of
poor visibility. They also thought that Indian soldiers would not
succeed in such conditions. Little did they realise, that brave Indian
soldier Bana Singh and handful of others were not deterred by
the weather. They kept on moving inch-by-inch towards the
enemy to take back Quaid Post.

Quaid Post, June 1987 – A Tale of Bravery

Naib Subedar Bana Singh with some soldiers ventured towards
the enemy. They halted 15 metres away from Quaid Post for other
soldiers to join them. Bana and his comrades spent the night

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 Siachen Conflict, 1987

freezing in the snow. Amidst continuous snowing, they moved on

dangerously, but cleverly they flung the grenades and attacked the
post. Bana Singh flung the grenade inside the bunker and latched
it from outside. Some Pakistani soldiers ran into their side, others
were killed. In the meantime, Maj Virendra Singh and his force also
joined Bana Singh. Pakistanis who were trying to climb back were
killed with light machine guns fire of Maj Virendra and his men.
Bana Singh showed exemplary courage, leadership qualities
and wisdom in regaining Quaid Post from the Pakistanis. In the
event of Maj Virender’s serious injuries, Bana Singh assured him of
even capturing the enemy alive as it was wished by Maj Virendra.
The enemy was routed out of the territory of India. Brave
soldiers of India proved true to the hilt in safeguarding the honour
of the motherland. Maj Virendra survived the attack; Rifleman
Om Raj who fought and died for the country was awarded Vir
Chakra along with Maj Virendra. On 27 June 1987, Brigade
Commander Brig C. S. Nugyal reached the Quaid Post and embraced
Bana Singh. He declared that the post would be named Bana Top
thereafter.
Naib Subedar Bana Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra
for conspicuous bravery and leadership under the most adverse
conditions.
Operation Rajiv will also be remembered for the courage shown
by the soldiers and officers of the Indian Army. The victory at Quaid
Post was the result of accumulated efforts of all soldiers, and officers
who fought the battle and those who were not on the battleground
but proved to be the backbone of Rajiv operation. In recognition of
their efforts, one Maha Vir Chakra, seven Vir Chakra and one Sena
Medal were announced, besides the PVC. The Commanding Officer
and the Commander were awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medals.

99
Citation
Naib Subedar Bana Singh
(IC 155825), 8 JAK LI

Naib Subedar Bana Singh volunteered to be a member of a task

force constituted in June 1987 to clear an intrusion by an adversary
in the Siachen Glacier area at an altitude of 21,000 feet. The post was
virtually an impregnable glacier fortress with ice walls, 1500 feet
high, on both sides. Naib Subedar Bana Singh led his men through
an extremely difficult and hazardous route. He inspired them by his
indomitable courage and leadership. The brave Naib Subedar and
his men crawled and closed in on the adversary. Moving from trench
to trench, lobbing hand grenades, and charging with the bayonet,
he cleared the post of all intruders.
Naib Subedar Bana Singh displayed the most conspicuous gallantry
and leadership under the most adverse conditions.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 9 – Pres./88

100
A Saga of Heroism...

Sri Lanka Operation

1987
 Veer Gaatha

Indian Peacekeeping Operation in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, located close to the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, was a
former British colony until 1948. It was called Ceylon until 1972. It is
home to the Sinhala and Tamil communities. The growing antagonism
between the majority Sinhalas and the minority Tamils took a violent
turn by the late 1970s. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),
led by Velupillai Prabhakaran, emerged as a major insurgent group.
Paradoxically, a Buddhist nation was ravaged by a deadly conflict!
The relationship between India and Sri Lanka began to be affected
by the pangs of proximity. The internal conflict in Sri Lanka had serious
implications for India in general and for Tamil Nadu in particular (see
map). Various factors at the local, national and international levels got
enmeshed. The Indian government, headed by the then Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi, made strenuous efforts to bring the conflict in Sri Lanka
to an end.
India and Sri Lanka signed a peace accord in Colombo on 29 July
1987. This agreement attempted to reconcile the unity and territorial
integrity of Sri Lanka with legitimate aspirations of the Sri Lankan
Tamils. Under this accord, many units of the Indian Army were to be
dispatched to the Jaffna Peninsula in Sri Lanka to maintain law and
order there. An Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was constituted
to implement the accord through ‘Operation Pawan’. Unfortunately,
political and diplomatic plans did not materialise. The 20,000-strong
IPKF had to fight against the determined leadership and cadre of the
LTTE. The IPKF hardly received any support from the Sri Lankan
forces or for that matter even the local Tamils. The IPKF troops
were caught up in a situation, where they had to fight a losing battle!
Ultimately, the IPKF exited from Sri Lanka by early 1990. This remains
a painful chapter of Indian military history. It was in these highly
volatile circumstances that Maj Ramaswamy Parameswaran served in
Sri Lanka. Let us read more about him.

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 17
Ramaswamy Parameswaran

Parameswaran was born on 13 September 1946 in Mumbai,

Maharashtra. His parents were K.S. Ramaswamy and Janaki. He
studied in the South Indian Education Society (SIES) High School
and College. Later, he joined the Officers’ Training Academy
(OTA), Chennai. He was granted the Short Service Commission in
the Mahar Regiment in 1972. He took part in a number of counter-
insurgency operations undertaken by the Indian Army in the
North East region, especially Mizoram. He soon earned a reputation
of possessing sterling character. Demonstrating high quality
leadership, he was always at the forefront during the risky missions.
He was affectionately addressed by his men as ‘Parry Sahib’. He was
keen to join the peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka.

Leading from the Front

The Mahar Regiment, Maj Parameswaran’s unit, was the first to land
in Sri Lanka to take part in Operation Pawan launched by the IPKF.
Maj Parameswaran became close to the local people as was able to
communicate with them in Tamil and take care of their needs. During
the late night on 25 November 1987, he and his column undertook a
search mission in Kantharodai, near Uduvil in Jaffna. They were on
the way to locate a consignment of weapons in the hideout of LTTE
militants. They were ambushed by a group of militants. He decided
to go for a counter-ambush. In the face of incessant fire from Heavy
Machine Gun (HMG) of his adversaries, he fought back ferociously.
Maj Ramaswamy Parameswaran died fighting at this post after he
took a bullet in his chest in a hand-to-hand combat with a militant.
 Veer Gaatha

He lost his life at the age of 41 but his inspiring leadership and
valiant action saved the lives of his men. He left behind his wife, Uma
Parameswaran. (She remarried later). Maj Parameswaran inspired
his unit and foiled the intentions of the enemy with his presence of
mind, cool courage and persistence.
For the supreme sacrifice, he was honoured with the highest
wartime gallantry medal, the Param Vir Chakra, posthumously.
He became the sole PVC Awardee from the IPKF operation in
Sri Lanka. In his remembrance, 25 November is observed as the
Param Vir Chakra (PVC) Day by 8 Mahar.

Laying wreath at the IPKF Memorial in Colombo, Sri Lanka (17 January 2012)

104

Veer Gaatha Text.indd 104 02-09-2020 15:52:30

Citation
Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran
(IC-32907), 8 Mahar

On 25 November 1987, Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran was returning

from a search operation in Sri Lanka late in the night, when his column
was ambushed by a group of militants. With cool presence of mind,
he encircled the militants from the rear and boldly charged into
them, taking them completely by surprise. During the hand-to-
hand combat, a militant shot him in the chest. Undaunted and
unmindful of his grave injury, he snatched the rifle from the
militant and shot him dead. In that condition, he continued to
give orders and inspired his command till he breathed his last. The
ambush was cleared. Five militants were killed and three rifles and
two rocket launchers were recovered.
Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran displayed the most conspicuous
bravery and made the supreme sacrifice by laying down his life.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 9 – Pres./88

105
 Veer Gaatha

The Unknown Soldier

I am the unknown soldier, forgotten and ignored

When once the war is over and peace and quiet assured
We fought for you and country and now that we are dead
We rest in quiet exclusion, ’cause nothing more is said
Of how we did our duty, that you may sleep in peace
When once the foe was vanquished, and the strife of war had ceased
The country called upon us to do what needs be done
To oust the vicious enemy and ensure the war was won
Our near and dear ones blessed us and sent us full of pride
To defend our country’s honour and some were new-wed brides
We went and fought your battles, most of which we won
Some never came back, all were mothers’ sons
Our bodies they do lie there, on hill and vale and plain
Exposed to all the elements of snow and ice and rain
So many were so anxious, some still do wait in vain
What can you do to lessen our loved ones’ grief and pain?
Our last rites were not given, we died a soldier’s death
Our eldest sons kept waiting, their hopes could not be met
We went and did our duty, we do not ask for much
Only a place of honour, our loved ones’ hearts to touch
A place where they can think of happy days gone by
To pray on the lonesome morrow and if need be stand and cry
Although we have left earth’s orbit and need to rest in peace
Our souls are not past caring, our pain will never cease
Till you and the country’s leaders create a haloed space
For a fitting War Memorial, on valour and honour based.

– Poem by Maj Gen Ian Cardozo (Retd), Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle

106
A Saga of Heroism...

Kargil Conflict
1999

Indian tricolour atop a Kargil peak

 Veer Gaatha

Not to scale
The arrows depict the areas where intrusions took place
across a 160-km stretch along the LoC

Operation Vijay
The Kargil Conflict was fought during May-July 1999 between India
and Pakistan in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir, along the
Line of Control (LoC). This was the first ever Indian war fought under
constant media coverage. Frontline battles were taken into every Indian
home, which generated tremendous public support for the army. This
boosted the morale of our young soldiers and encouraged them to
accomplish greater feats. ‘Operation Vijay’ was launched by India to
flush out the Pakistani intruders from Kargil. The war was finally won
by India and the whole nation celebrated this victory. However, not all
soldiers, who fought in those most treacherous conditions, survived to
be a part of the celebration.

How it All Started?

Pakistan’s attempt to capture and control strategic areas in India, was
a crucial part of a bigger strategic plan. During the winter of 1998-99,
Pakistan sent its troops and paramilitary forces into the territory on
the Indian side of the LoC with the nefarious intentions of cutting off
Kashmir from Ladakh by severing the Srinagar-Leh National Highway,

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 Kargil Conflict, 1999

to isolate Kargil, and to terminate India’s lifeline to Siachen. Initially,

Pakistan denied its role in the operation, dubbing the intruders as
Kashmiri “freedom fighters”, but soon with the capture of regular
Pakistani soldiers, recovery of bodies of Pakistani officers and soldiers
and a large cache of documents, it was established beyond doubt,
that this operation was launched by none other than the regular army
of Pakistan.
By early May 1999, Pakistani forces infiltrated well across the
LoC in the Mushkoh, Dras, Kaksar and Batalik sectors (see map).
The extent of their penetration across the LoC varied from 4 to 8
kilometres in each sector. Strong defensive positions were established
by the regular troops of the Northern Light Infantry and Special Service
Group Commandos of the Pakistan army. Military stores were bolstered
and extensive anti-personnel landmines were laid with full support of
artillery, mortar and anti-aircraft missiles. A force of an approximate
strength of 2000 intruders had transgressed into the Indian territory.
They were now directly overlooking the Srinagar-Leh Highway.
Had it not been for the first reports, coming from the vigilant
local shepherds on 6 May 1999, India would not have become aware
of this clandestine intrusion. The Indian Army took time to assess
the extent and size of the intrusion. A special patrol was sent which
never returned. Although, a few days later, on the 10 June 1999, the
Pakistani Army returned the brutally mutilated bodies of the brave
sons of India – Maj Saurabh Kalia, the patrol leader and the five soldiers
accompanying him.
As soon as the extent of intrusion was identified, it became
evident that recapturing the posts would be a Herculean task. It was
understood that fighting on rugged terrain was always advantageous
for the defender (Pakistani soldiers inside Indian posts on hill tops)
who is well secured behind his defences, while the attacker (Indian
Army) is completely vulnerable, out in the open, as they climb steep
slopes, which at times, are almost vertical and require the use of
ropes. Their advantageous position made Pakistani troops confident
of countering any attack by our soldiers. They, however, failed to aptly
judge one dominant factor of the Indian Armed Forces—their boundless

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 Veer Gaatha

courage. Initially, our infantrymen had neither sufficient ammunition

nor adequate winter clothing to counter the severe temperature
conditions, but these hurdles did not deter them from fighting out with
utmost bravery. They were well supported by the gunners who tried
to mitigate the odds against our infantrymen by continuously
bombarding the enemy posts. The Indian Air Force pilots wheeled
far above, to blast the defenders. But in some areas, the enemy wasn’t
located in the visible range. Here, the Army had to send its soldiers
for direct ground assault, which had its own dangers and challenges.
The toughest challenge was the steep climb as high as 18,000 feet above
the sea level. Since, a day-attack would be more hazardous, all attacks
were made at night, in sub-zero temperatures. The Indian government’s
decision, not to cross the LoC restricted the tactical options available.
Despite these nightmarish conditions, the battalion commanders
were under continuous pressure, as the uncompromising orders

Kargil War Memorial at Dras, Kargil, Jammu & Kashmir

110
 Kargil Conflict, 1999

from the top demanded positive results literally overnight! Our brave
soldiers rose to the occasion and made supreme sacrifices to achieve a
near impossible victory. Twenty-five officers and 436 jawans sacrificed
their lives in the Kargil Conflict and 54 officers and 629 jawans were
wounded, many of them disabled for life.
The odds failed to deter the Indian troops, who gradually
and steadily recaptured most of the ridges encroached by the
Pakistani infiltrators, destroying the enemy strongholds and
vanquishing them on their way uphill. Eventually, the fighting ceased
on 26 July. The day has since then been marked as the Kargil Vijay
Diwas (Victory Day).
Four brave soldiers of the Kargil Conflict were decorated with the
Param Vir Chakra. Two were officers and two were jawans, but only
two survived the harrowing ordeal to narrate the tale of their brave
exploits. In the following pages, we will read the heroic deeds of the
soldiers who turned war heroes overnight.

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 18
Manoj Kumar Pandey

Born on 25 June 1975 in Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh), Manoj Kumar

Pandey loved his motherland intensely. Even as a child, he performed
great acts of bravery that amazed most of the elders. He always
dreamt of adorning the prestigious uniform of the Indian Army
to fight with its enemies, and decimate them. His keen desire to
achieve uniqueness enabled him to establish his identity. It is
noteworthy that he was a brilliant student in school, despite his
gutsy temperament. He wrote in his personal diary that, ‘some goals
are so worthy; it’s glorious even to fail.’
Manoj was the eldest child of Shri Gopi Chand Pandey and
Smt Mohini Pandey. His early schooling took place at UP Sainik
School based in Lucknow. Subsequently, he joined the prestigious
National Defence Academy (NDA), to realise his dream of becoming
an army officer. After graduating, Manoj joined the Indian Military
Academy (IMA), to complete his final phase of training and was
soon commissioned in the first battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles, a
unit renowned for its heroic exploits.
Manoj Kumar Pandey was born to be an Indian soldier, who
followed his dream of fighting and dying for his country some day,
not before vanquishing the enemies of the soil. On commissioning,
his first posting was in the Kashmir Valley. Thereafter, he was posted
at Siachen. It was in Siachen, when he received orders to move to
Batalik sector, where the first intrusions of the Pakistani Army were
detected on the Kargil heights. Renowned as the best fighters for
the terrain, the Gorkhas were soon deployed in the Kargil Sector.
When his battalion became a part of ‘Operation Vijay’, he always
 Kargil Conflict, 1999

stepped forward to carry out the most difficult tasks. He proved to

be a vigilant observer when the mutilated bodies of four jawans of
another unit, who were part of an earlier patrol in the area, were
found. He fearlessly approached the enemy and brought crucial
victories through his crusades.
His continuous efforts to establish contact with the post at
Kukar Thang were finally successful and this led to its eventual
capture. Manoj was also part of the team which recaptured Jaubar
Top and successfully established the first post there. Subsequently,
‘B’ Company 1/11 Gorkha Rifles was given the task of capturing
Khalubar. Platoon No. 5 Commander, Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey
led his team towards the enemy positions. On 3 July 1999, a
determined Manoj fearlessly charged ahead, with the booming
battle cry, “Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali!”, clearing two enemy
bunkers. While clearing the third bunker, a rush of bullets hit him
on his shoulder and legs. The wounds were grievous but the valiant
soldier, not afraid of sacrificing his life, surged ahead from one
bunker to the other urging his men to continue the assault.
Unfortunately, one bullet drilled right through the middle of his
forehead. He bled profusely, collapsing at the final bunker and
finally asleep, breathing out fumes of revenge in his final words,
“Na Chhodnu!” (‘Don’t spare them’ in Nepalese).
Having carved a niche by showcasing divine bravura, Manoj’s
name unfailingly comes across during any visit to the Kargil
War Museum at Dras, Kargil (Jammu & Kashmir) or the Army
Quarters near the Cardio Thoracic Centre (CTC) Hospital in Pune
or the Science Block at the National Defence Academy or one of
the apartment ‘complexes for veterans’ in Ghaziabad district,
Uttar Pradesh.
During an interview at the NDA, he was asked why he wanted
to be in the armed forces. To this he replied, “I want to get the
Param Vir Chakra.” Taken aback by this most remarkable reply,
the officer retorted in a good humoured way, “Is it a toy?”. Manoj
boldly stated that in the course of his career he would achieve this
objective. And he did! The Param Vir Chakra was awarded to him,
but unfortunately, he did not live to receive it in person. An entry

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 Veer Gaatha

from his personal diary shared below, vividly reflects the undaunting
spirit of the immortal hero.

The President, Shri K. R. Narayanan, presenting the Param Vir Chakra to the father of
Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey (Posthumous) at the Republic Day Parade in 2000

Manoj Pandey Block, National Defence Academy

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Citation
Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey
(IC-56959), 1/11 Gorkha Rifles

Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey, a young officer of the 1/11 Gorkha

Rifles, took part in a series of boldly led attacks during Operation Vijay,
forcing back the intruders with heavy losses in Batalik including the
capture of Jaubar Top.
His finest hour was during the advance to Khalubar, when he was
Number 5 Platoon Commander. On the night of 2/3 July 1999, as the
platoon approached its final objective, it came under heavy and intense
enemy fire from the surrounding heights. The officer was tasked to clear
the interfering enemy positions, so as to prevent his battalion from
getting daylighted, being in a vulnerable position. The officer quickly
moved his platoon to an advantageous position under intense enemy
fire and sent one section to clear the enemy positions from the right,
while he himself proceeded to clear four other enemy positions on the
left. Fearlessly assaulting the first enemy position, he killed two enemy
personnel and proceeded to assault the second and destroyed it by
killing two more enemy personnel. Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey
was injured on the shoulder and legs by enemy fire while clearing the
third position. Undaunted and without caring for his grievous injury, he
led the assault on the fourth position urging his men and destroyed the
same with a grenade, even as he got a fatal Medium Machine Gun burst
on his forehead. It is this singular dare devil act of the officer, which
provided the critical firm base for the companies, which finally led to
capture of Khalubar.
Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey, thus showed most conspicuous
bravery, indomitable courage, exemplary personal valour, outstanding
leadership and devotion to duty of an exceptionally high order, in
the face of the enemy and made the supreme sacrifice in the highest
traditions of the Army.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 16-Pres./2000

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 19
Yogender Singh Yadav

Hit by a grenade in the knee, another on the forehead

with fifteen bullets in his body and not able to stand,
he promised himself that he would not die…

This is not a scene from a thriller, but a real life incident experienced
by Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav. While playing a major role in
‘Operation Vijay’ he initiated the capturing of an army post in the
Mushkoh valley. Although hard to believe that such a man could be
real, Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav, a living legend of the Indian
Army, was honoured with the highest gallantry award, the Param
Vir Chakra on 26 January 2000 for his high-spirited actions in the
Kargil Conflict of 1999.
Yogender Singh Yadav was born on 10 May 1980 in a village
of Aurangabad Ahir in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh. He
completed his primary education at a village school and after Class V,
went on to join Sannota Sri Krishna College in Bulandshahr. His
father, Ram Karan Singh had served with 11 Kumaon as a soldier and
had played an active role in the India-Pakistan Wars of 1965 and 1971.
As Yogender and his brothers grew up, listening to the fascinating
stories of valour and unmatched courage narrated by their father, they
harboured dreams of joining the Army. His elder brother, Jitendra
Singh Yadav was also recruited into the Indian Army. Yogender was
destined to follow in the footsteps of his father and brother. He was
recruited into the Grenadiers Regiment at the age of 16.
Yogender belonged to a blood line where bravery was ingrained.
He created history by fighting for his country during the Kargil
Conflict with phenomenal inspiration and death-defying courage.
 Kargil Conflict, 1999

The Pakistani intruders had surreptitiously occupied positions

on Tiger Hill, which was the highest peak of the Dras sector in
Ladakh region. This facilitated them with a commanding view of the
Srinagar-Leh National Highway 1A. Tiger Hill was the pivotal post
on which the intruders’ defences in the Dras sub-sector were based.
Firmly placed here, they directed accurate artillery fire onto large
tracts of the NH 1A. Hence, it was a matter of prime concern for
the Indian Army to evict the enemy from this area. After the recapture
of the Tololing peak and the adjacent features, ousting the enemy
from this well-fortified mountain was a must.

The Ghatak Platoon

Yogender’s Ghatak Platoon was assigned the arduous task of
capturing the ‘Three Bunkers’. He realised it was time to prove
his patriotic fervour and mettle. With a heart pounding with the
sense of responsibility, he eagerly volunteered to lead the attack
by fixing the rope for his team to climb uphill. Meanwhile, heavy
onslaught from the enemy almost stalled their advance, leading to
the killing of his Commander and two teammates. Yogender, too,
was wounded severely, but possessing a resolution as strong as his
body, he continued to climb towards the enemy positions, ending up
in a man-to-man combat with the enemy. Despite numerous bullet
injuries, his determination remained firm as a rock and refusing to
retreat, he continued the assault on the Pakistani personnel. His
ferocious and fearless act helped in neutralising the enemy’s firing.
This heroic deed of Yogender Singh Yadav further motivated the
Platoon to capture Tiger Hill Top and thus, a great objective was
achieved. Without the brave acts of Yogender Singh, Operation
Tiger Hill would not have been successful. This decisive victory of
India sealed the fate of Pakistan’s Kargil misadventure. 8 Sikh and
18 Grenadiers won unit citations for the Battle of ‘Tiger Hill’.
Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav was honoured with the
Param Vir Chakra for his extraordinary gallant act. He is the
youngest recipient of this coveted award, so far. Initially, the Param

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Vir Chakra was announced posthumously, but later it was learnt

that he was alive and recovering from injuries in a military hospital.
It was his namesake, who had died in the mission.

Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav receiving the Param Vir Chakra from the
President of India, Shri K. R. Narayanan, at the Republic Day Parade in 2000

COAS, Gen V.P. Malik and CAS, Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis
along with the troops and commanders during ‘Operation Vijay’
following the capture of Tiger Hill in Dras sector

118
Citation
Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav
(2690572), 18 Grenadiers

Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav was part of leading team of Ghatak

Platoon tasked to capture Tiger Hill on night of 3-4 July 1999. The
approach to the top, at a height of 16,500 feet, was steep, snow bound
and rocky. He volunteered to be in the lead and fixed rope for his team
to climb up, unmindful of the risk involved.
The enemy, on seeing his team approach the area top, opened
intense automatic, grenade, rocket and artillery fire. His team
commander and two of his colleagues fell to murderous enemy fire.
The further advance of Ghatak Platoon was stalled. Knowing the gravity
of the situation, he crawled up to the enemy position to silence it, but
sustained multiple bullet injuries. Unmindful of his injuries and hail of
enemy bullets, he continued towards the enemy positions and lobbed
grenades inside; and fired from his weapon, killing four enemy soldiers
in close combat and silenced the automatic fire.
During the charge, he again sustained multiple bullet injuries
but refused to be evacuated even in critical condition. Inspired by
his gallant act, the rest of the Ghatak Platoon charged on to the
other positions, and captured Tiger Hill Top, a National Objective.
Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav, thus, displayed most conspicuous
courage, indomitable spirit, grit and determination under extreme
difficult situation beyond the call of duty.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 16-Pres./2000

119
 20
Sanjay Kumar

Killed five enemy personnel, lifted a machine gun despite three

bullets in his leg and two in his hip, hurled a grenade and
cleared an important army post…

These lines describe the supreme valour of Rifleman Sanjay Kumar

of the 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAK Rif.), a war hero of
‘Operation Vijay’.
Born on 3 March 1976 in village Kalol Bakain of Bilaspur
district of Himachal Pradesh, Sanjay Kumar was the youngest in his
family of three sisters and two brothers. He passed his 10th Class
from Senior Secondary School, Kalol. The war stories of his chacha
(paternal uncle), who had fought against the Pakistanis in the 1965
India-Pakistan war, and heroic deeds narrated by the villagers who
had been in the army, spurred him on to join the Armed Forces.
Hence, aspiring to be a hero, the soft-spoken but determined
Sanjay Kumar started making inquiries so as to pursue his dreams
after his matriculation. He came to Delhi and with this aim started
his career as a driver. Even after two unsuccessful attempts to join
the army, he did not lose heart and went on to attempt it for the
third time. He finally came out successful in 1996 and got enrolled
into the 13th Battalion of JAK Rifles as a soldier. Within a short
span of time, Sanjay made his family and the nation proud, by
demonstrating extraordinary courage and grit during the Kargil
Conflict. Sanjay Kumar had earlier proved his worth, when
his regiment was deployed in Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir,
where he took part in the anti-insurgency operations, taking the
militants head on. When the hostilities in Kargil broke out in 1999,
 Kargil Conflict, 1999

he was amongst those sent to fight in Dras and Mushkoh valley.

Rifleman Sanjay Kumar emerged as a real hero who displayed
extraordinary grit and dauntless spirit during this war and
contributed significantly towards the recapture of Area Flat Top.
On 4 July 1999, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, along with other
members of the Charlie Company, was ordered to clear area Flat
Top of Point 4875 in the Mushkoh valley. Sanjay perceived that
the attack had to be a severe one, since the post was well held by
the intruders, with remote chances of anyone returning alive.
Almost on a suicidal mission, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar volunteered
to be the leading scout of the attacking column. He knew very
well that he might not see the next day. But he also realised that
even if he died, it wouldn’t undermine the victory. Leading by
example, he was assured that victory would definitely be theirs.
As the column proceeded, heavy firing from the enemy sangar
(fortification) almost stalled the advance. Surging ahead dauntlessly
with his rifle, Sanjay continued his assault at the enemy sangar,
soon engaging in a hand-to-hand combat which finally led to the
clearance of one sangar.
In no time, three bullets hit his leg. Fearlessly, he kept on
advancing further. He fiercely attacked the enemy sangar, bringing
down some more. Finally, against all odds, they were able to capture
Point 4875. Sanjay refused to be evacuated and in constant vigil
kept up his volley of shots till the post was absolutely cleared.
For his constant manifestation of tenacity and fearless action
in the face of the enemy, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar was honoured
with the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest medal for gallantry.
With a well deserved promotion to Naib Subedar, Sanjay Kumar
became a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army
on 2 July 2014.

121
 Veer Gaatha

Rifleman Sanjay Kumar receiving the Param Vir Chakra from the President of
India, Shri K. R. Narayanan, at the Republic Day Parade in 2000

The tableau ‘Operation Vijay’ depicting the Kargil conflict on the Rajpath in
New Delhi on 26 January 2000

122
Citation
Rifleman Sanjay Kumar
(13760533), 13 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles

Rifleman Sanjay Kumar volunteered to be the leading scout of the

attacking column tasked to capture area Flat Top of Point 4875 in the
Mushkoh valley on 4 July 1999.
As the attack progressed, enemy automatic fire from one of
the sangars posed stiff opposition, thereby stalling the column.
Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, realising the gravity of the situation, displayed
indomitable spirit and unadulterated courage when he charged the
enemy sangar with utter disregard to personal safety. In the ensuing
hand-to-hand combat, he killed three of the intruders and was himself
seriously injured. Despite being injured, he charged on to the second
sangar. The enemy was taken totally by surprise and they left behind
one universal machine gun and started running. Rifleman Sanjay Kumar
picked up the weapon left behind by the enemy and killed the fleeing
enemy. Although Rifleman Sanjay Kumar was profusely bleeding
from his wounds he refused to be evacuated. This super-human act of
Rifleman Sanjay Kumar motivated his comrades, who took no notice of
the treacherous terrain and charged on to the enemy thus wresting the
area Flat Top from the hands of the enemy.
Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, thus, displayed most conspicuous and
extraordinary gallantry, cool courage and devotion to duty of an
exceptionally high order in the face of the enemy.

Gazette of India Notification

No. 16-Pres./2000

123
 21
Vikram Batra

You may have read many tales of valour but nothing can match
the sacrifices of martyrs and soldiers, who willingly put their
nation, its citizens, above all. Their love and concern for the
countrymen and unfazed belief in themselves being the harbingers
of peace and patriotism, is commendable. The sacrifice they make
is unimaginable for a civilian who is just an audience to war news.
Vikram Batra wasn’t just a soldier, he was the ‘more’ of his victory
slogan ‘Ye dil maange more!’ Vikram Batra was a passionate patriot
and victories gave him a high.
Vikram Batra was born on 9 September 1974 to Shri G. L. Batra
and Smt Jai Kamal Batra and brought up in the hills of Himachal
Pradesh. Vikram Batra completed his schooling from D.A.V. Public
School, Palampur and Kendriya Vidyalaya, Palampur.
It was in his college days at D.A.V. Chandigarh that Vikram
Batra’s life took a definitive turn leading him to be a part of the
defence forces. He became a recipient of the Best Cadet of N.C.C.
(Air Wing) in North Zone during the course of his B.Sc. degree.
Soon, he was ready to join the Merchant Navy, with his uniform
stitched and tickets booked, but at the very last minute changed his
mind and decided to join the Indian Army. He was commissioned
in the Indian Army as a Lieutenant of the 13 Jammu and Kashmir
Rifles (JAK Rif.) and his first posting was at Sopore in the Baramulla
district of Jammu and Kashmir.
13 JAK Rifles had completed its counter-insurgency operations
tenure in Sopore, Kashmir, and was on its way to Shahjahanpur.
It was recalled, as hostilities had broken out in Kargil. This regiment
was asked to reach Dras on 12 June 1999 as reserve to 18 Grenadiers
for the capture of Tololing. After capturing Tololing on 17 June,
 Kargil Conflict, 1999

the next task for 13 JAK Rifles was the capture of Point 5140, at an
approximate height of 15,000 feet above the sea level. This peak was
one of the most treacherous and crucial peaks in the Dras region.
Here, the Pakistani intruders had taken their positions in bunkers.
The dare devilish task to recapture this Point was given to Lt Vikram
Batra of Delta Company and Lt Sanjeev Jamwal of Bravo Company.
The gigantic task was to climb up the hill. All were aware that
reaching the top of the feature would be very challenging, as the
enemy was bringing down regularly very effective artillery fire on
the assaulting troops. True to the proverb, ‘when the going gets
tough, the tough gets going’, both Companies continued to climb
up against all odds. With a strategy in hand, Vikram Batra decided
to lead his men from the opposite side of the enemy, so as to surprise
them. This was necessary as an onslaught of intense firing started
from the enemy’s machine gun posts. Gushing ahead for a hand-
to-hand combat, and flinging grenades at the infiltrators’ gun posts,
Vikram Batra and his team finally captured the peak. This brilliantly
manned and planned operation was considered as one of the
toughest campaigns in mountain warfare, which catapulted Vikram
Batra, and his leadership attributes, to the national headlines. His
triumph was flashed on television screens across the country. This
moment of glory resulted in him being promoted to the rank of
a Captain, on the battlefield itself. The most amazing part of this
attack was that there was no casualty on the Indian side.
After all the valiant ordeals, Capt Vikram Batra craved for
more such dare devilish actions and bringing home accolades.
More was yet to come! Soon, 13 JAK Rifles was de-inducted from
Dras sector and sent for operations in the Mushkoh valley for the
capture of Point 4875. Having proved their worth and valour,
Vikram’s team was given the task to clear a narrow feature with
steep sides, heavily guarded by the enemy. With the previous
victory still fresh in mind, the enthused team intelligently engaged
themselves in an effective combat but the heavy firing started to
take its toll. Unwavered, Vikram kept attacking the enemy head on,
killing five of them at point blank range. The early morning hours
of sub-zero temperatures could not dampen the spirit of this brave
soldier. Capt Batra, all charged up roared his battle cry ‘Jai Mata

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 Veer Gaatha

Capt Vikram Batra and others after winning back Pt.5140

Di!’, attacked the enemy with full vigour, refusing to be stopped. It

was while evacuating an injured soldier that he was shot at, fatally.
He shifted aside his fellow soldier, saying, “Tu bal-bachchedar hai,
hat ja peeche!” (You have children, get aside), and stood up to face
the enemies. A shell ripped through his mid waist and he collapsed
with the words ‘Jai Mata Di!’ on his lips.
Capt Vikram Batra’s sacrifice and heroic act prompted his
company to advance further and capture the Ledge, which in turn
enabled his battalion to regain its hold on Point 4875. For his
gallant act, unmatched bravery and endurance, the Government
of India honoured him with the country’s highest gallantry award,
the Param Vir Chakra and renamed Point 4875 as ‘Capt Vikram
Batra Top.’
In order to commemorate his sacrifice and spirit of camaraderie,
the Indian Army has named various significant buildings and
cantonments after him. A hall at Service Selection Centre, Allahabad
has been named ‘Vikram Batra Block’, a residential area in the
Jabalpur Cantonment is called ‘Capt Vikram Batra Enclave’ and the
combined cadets’ mess at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun
is named as ‘Vikram Batra Mess’, to name a few of them. During his

126
 Kargil Conflict, 1999

last visit home, when one of his friends cautioned him to be careful
in the war, he replied, “I’ll either come back after raising the Indian
flag in victory or return wrapped in it. But I’ll come for sure.” The
life and deeds of this glorious martyr will always inspire successive
generations.

The President, Shri K. R. Narayanan, presenting the Param Vir Chakra to the father
of Capt Vikram Batra (Posthumous) at the Republic Day Parade in 2000

Vikram Batra Mess, Indian Military Academy

127
Citation
Captain Vikram Batra
(IC-57556), 13 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles

In Dras sector, the enemy held strong fortified positions, heavily

reinforced with automatic weapons, with treacherous approaches
dominating Srinagar-Leh Road, the life-line of supplies to Leh.
On 20 June 1999, Captain Vikram Batra, Commander Delta Company,
was tasked to attack Point 5140 during Operation Vijay. Captain Vikram
Batra, with his company, skirted around the feature from the East and
maintaining surprise reached within assaulting distance. The officer
reorganised his column and motivated his men to physically assault the
enemy positions. Leading his men from the front, the officer in a dare
devil assault pounced on the enemy and killed four intruders in a hand-
to-hand fight.
On 7 July 1999, in yet another operation in the area of Point 4875,
the company of the officer was tasked to clear a narrow feature with
sharp cuttings on either side; and heavily fortified enemy defences, that
covered the only approach to it.
In order to speed up the operation, the officer decided to assault
the enemy positions along a narrow ridge. Leading the assault, he
engaged the enemy in a fierce hand-to-hand fight and killed five enemy
soldiers at point blank range. In this action, Captain Batra sustained
grevious injuries. Despite the serious injuries, he crawled towards
the enemy and hurled grenades clearing the position. Leading from
the front, he rallied his men and pressed on the attack and achieved
a near impossible military task in the face of heavy enemy fire with utter
disregard to personal safety. The officer, however, succumbed to his
injuries.
Inspired by this display of extraordinary junior leadership, the
troops fell upon the enemy with vengeance and annihilated them,
finally capturing Point 4875.
Captain Vikram Batra, thus, displayed the most conspicuous
personal bravery and junior leadership of the highest order in the face of
enemy and made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions
of the Army.
Gazette of India Notification
No. 16-Pres./2000

128
 Uniforms and Ranks in the Indian Army

Indian Army Rank Insignia : Officers

General Lieutenant Major Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant Major Captain Lieutenant

General General Colonel

129
Veer Gaatha

Indian Army Rank Insignia : JCOs/NCOs/Jawans

Subedar Subedar Naib Regimental Regimental Company Company Havildar Naik Lance Naik
Major Subedar Havildar Quarter Havildar Quarter
Major Master Major Master
Havildar Havildar
 Structure of the Indian Army
ARMY HEADQUARTERS
CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF, RANK – GENERAL

OPERATIONAL COMMANDS (6)

COMMANDED BY GOC-IN-C (ARMY COMMANDER) ARMY TRAINING COMMAND (1)
RANK – LIEUTENANT GENERAL COMMANDED BY GOC-IN-C
(ARMY COMMANDER)
RANK - LIEUTENANT GENERAL
CORPS
COMMANDED BY GOC (CORPS COMMANDER)
RANK - LIEUTENANT GENERAL
HAS 3-4 DIVISIONS
STATIC FORMATIONS AREA TRAINING
COMMANDED BY ESTABLISHMENTS
DIVISION
LIEUTENANT GENERAL
COMMANDED BY GOC (DIVISION COMMANDER)
RANK - MAJOR GENERAL
HAS 3-4 BRIGADES

BRIGADE
CATEGORY A CATEGORY B

130
COMMANDED BY BRIGADE COMMANDER SUB AREA
RANK - BRIGADIER COMMANDED BY COMMANDED BY
COMMANDED BY
Veer Gaatha

HAS 3 BATTALIONS AND SUPPORT ELEMENTS LIEUTENANT MAJOR

MAJOR GENERAL GENERAL GENERAL

BATTALION/REGIMENT
COMMANDED BY COMMANDING OFFICER / /
RANK - COLONEL MAJOR BRIGADIER
HAS 4 RIFLE COMPANIES GENERAL

RIFLE COMPANY
COMMANDED BY COMPANY COMMANDER
RANK - LIEUTENANT COLONEL/MAJOR
HAS 3 PLATOONS

PLATOON
COMMANDED BY PLATOON COMMANDER
RANK - JCO
HAS 3 SECTIONS

SECTION
COMMANDED BY SECTION COMMANDER
RANK - HAVILDAR
SMALLEST COMPONENT (10 MEN)
 Veer Gaatha

Order of Precedence
Notification No. 106-Pres/2004 – The President of India is pleased to notify the
following Order of Precedence of wearing of various medals and decorations.
This supersedes Notification No. 75-Pres/2001, dated the 26th May 2001.

1. Bharat Ratna
2. Param Vir Chakra
3. Ashoka Chakra
4. Padma Vibhushan
5. Padma Bhushan
6. Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal
7. Param Vishisht Seva Medal
8. Maha Vir Chakra
9. Kirti Chakra
10. Padma Shri
11. Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak
12. Uttam Yudh Seva Medal
13. Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
14. Vir Chakra
15. Shaurya Chakra
16. President’s Police and Fire Services Medal for Gallantry
17. President’s Police Medal for Gallantry
18. President’s Fire Services Medal for Gallantry
19. President’s Correctional Services Medal for Gallantry
20. President’s Home Guards and Civil Defence Medal for Gallantry
21. Yudh Seva Medal
22. Sena/Nao Sena/Vayu Sena Medal
23. Vishisht Seva Medal
24. Police Medal for Gallantry
25. Fire Services Medal for Gallantry
26. Correctional Service Medal for Gallantry
27. Home Guards and Civil Defence Medal for Gallantry
28. Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak
29. Parakram Padak
30. General Service Medal -1947
31. Samanya Seva Medal-1965
32. Special Service Medal
33. Samar Seva Star–1965

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 Veer Gaatha

34. Poorvi Star

35. Paschimi Star
36. Op Vijay Star
37. Siachen Glacier Medal
38. Raksha Medal-1965
39. Sangram Medal
40. Op Vijay Medal
41. Sainya Seva Medal
42. High Altitude Medal
43. Police (Antrik Suraksha Seva) Padak
44. Police (Special Duty) Medal - 1962
45. Videsh Seva Medal
46. President’s Police and Fire Services Medal for distinguished Service
47. President’s Police Medal for distinguished Service
48. President’s Fire Services Medal for distinguished Service
49. President’s Correctional Service Medal for distinguished Service
50. President’s Home Guards and Civil Defence Medal for Distinguished Service
51. Meritorious Service Medal
52. Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
53. Police Medal for Meritorious Service
54. Fire Services Medal for Meritorious Service
55. Correctional Service Medal for Meritorious Service
56. Home Guards and Civil Defence Medal Meritorious Service
57. Jeevan Raksha Padak
58. Territorial Army Decoration
59. Territorial Army Medal
60. Indian Independence Medal -1947
61. Independence Medal -1950
62. 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal
63. 25th Independence Anniversary Medal
64. 30 Years Long Service Medal
65. 20 Years Long Service Medal
66. 9 Years Long Service Medal
67. Commonwealth Awards
68. Other Awards

Source: http://indiannavy.nic.in/about-indian-navy/order-precedence-0

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Glossary of Military Terms

Ambush The act of hiding and waiting for somebody and then launching a
surprise attack on them from a concealed position
Ammunition A supply of bullets and other arsenal to be fired from guns, rifles
and other weapons
Armour Military vehicles such as tanks (e.g., Patton, Centurion tanks)
Artillery Large, heavy guns which are often moved on wheels (e.g., Bofors
gun) and are capable for firing accurately over long distances
Automatic A mechanism by which a gun/ rifle can fire bullets continuously as
long as the trigger is pressed
Bayonet A long, sharp knife that is fastened onto the end of a rifle and used
as a weapon in battle
Bridgehead A strong defensive position that an army has captured in enemy
land across a major obstacle like a canal or a river, from which it
can go forward or attack the enemy. It acts as a base for further
operations.
Bunker A strongly built shelter for soldiers or guns, usually underground
Ceasefire A time when enemies agree to stop fighting, usually while a way is
found to end the fighting permanently
Citation An official statement about something special that somebody has
done, especially about acts of courage in a war
Detachment A group of soldiers, ships or guns sent away from a larger group,
especially to do special duties
Dogfight A fight between aircraft in which they fly around close to each
other
Enemy A country that you are fighting a war against
Garrison A strong well-built place where soldiers are placed to defend it
from attack by enemy or act as base for storing items required for
war
Grenade A small timed bomb that can be thrown by hand or fired from a rifle
by Infantry Soldiers who fight on foot, usually used for destroying
bunkers or bigger weapons

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 Veer Gaatha

Magazine The part of a rifle that holds the bullets before they are fired
Mention-in- This medal is awarded for distinguished and meritorious service
Despatches in operational areas and acts of gallantry which are not of a
sufficiently high order to warrant the grant of gallantry awards.
Mortar A portable weapon that fires bombs and shells high into the air
used by foot soldiers. Very useful against moving enemy/ soldiers
in open area
Patrol The act of examining different parts of a building/ area etc., to make
sure that there is no trouble or crime, at times to sanitise the area
and show presence as a dissuasive measure
Picket A soldier or group of soldiers guarding a small military base
Post The place where soldiers do their job, usually part of a picket or a
garrison
Recoil A sudden movement backwards, especially of a gun/ rifle when it is
fired, usually used to reload the rifle with another round to be fired
Reinforcements Extra soldiers who are sent to a place because more are needed
Shell A metal case filled with explosive, to be fired from a large gun,
usually mortar or artillery gun.
Shelling The firing of shells from large guns on a specific place, with aim to
inflict injury or cause damage
Strafe To attack a place with bullets or bombs from an aircraft flying low
Trench A long deep hole dug in the ground in which soldiers can be
protected from enemy attacks and from where they fight
Unit A group of people who work or live together, especially for
a particular purpose, and are identified by common chain of
command and common regimental history

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Bibliography

Ali, Syed Sajjad. 2016. “Widow visits Albert Ekka’s burial site after 44 years”, The Hindu,
11 January.
Amar Chitra Katha. 2015. Param Vir Chakra: The Ultimate Honour.
Cardozo, Ian. 2003. Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle, Lotus Roli Books, New Delhi.
Chhina, Rana T.S. 2014. Last Post: Indian War Memorials Around the World, Centre
for Armed Forces Historical Research, United Service Institution of India.
Dandapani, Vijay. 2015. “My salute to arguably India’s greatest military hero”, 8
January, http://www.rediff.com
Golden Jubilee Cell. 2015. Saga of Valour and Sacrifice of Indian Armed Forces: Golden
Jubilee of the 1965 War, Ministry of Defence.
Gupta, Jayanta. 2012. “Families come together in felicitation of Ekka family”, The
Times of India, 16 December.
History Division, Ministry of Defence. 1995. Stories of Heroism (PVC & MVC
Winners), Allied Publishers Ltd, New Delhi.
Kapadia, Harish. 2010. Siachen Glacier: The Battle of Roses, Rupa, New Delhi.
Longer, V. 2003. Our Bravest Warriors, Publications Division, Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting.
Mohan, Vijay. 2014. “Nailing the lies Pakistan spun”, The Tribune (Chandigarh),
20 July.
Negi, Amitabh. 2009. The Indian Army: A Glorious Heritage, NCERT, New Delhi.
Ramaswamy, Leela. 2011. “Remembering a hero named Abdul Hamid”, Deccan
Herald, 21 July.
Rawat, Rachna Bisht. 2014. The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories, Penguin.
Rawat, Rachna Bisht. 2014. Shoorveer: Param Vir Chakra Vijetaon Ki Kahaniyan,
Penguin.
Seth ,Vijay. 2009. Indian Armed Forces through Philately, Stamps Today, New Delhi.
Sharma, Gautam. 2013. Our Armed Forces, National Book Trust, New Delhi.
Tikku, Mohan K. 2007. Sri Lanka: A Land in Search of Itself, National Book Trust,
New Delhi.
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 Veer Gaatha

Audio-Visual Materials
Param Vir Chakra, TV series (1990) directed by Chetan Anand
Major Somnath Sharma, Episode 1
Naik Jadunath Singh, Episode 2
2nd Lt Rama Raghoba Rane, Episode 3
Lance Naik Karam Singh, Episode 4
Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat, Episode 5
Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, Episode 6
Major Shaitan Singh, Episode 7
Major Hoshiar Singh, Episode 8
2nd Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, Episode 9
Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid, Episode 10
Major Dhan Singh Thapa, Episode 11
Lance Naik Albert Ekka, Episode 12
Subedar Joginder Singh, Episode 13
Lieutenant-Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, Episode 14
Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, Episode 15
Param Vir Chakra Awardees - Seema Prahari Tumhe Pranam
Audio series developed by CIET, NCERT, on Maj Somnath Sharma, CQMH Abdul Hamid,
2/Lt Arun Khetarpal, Naib Subedar Bana Singh, Capt Vikram Batra (epathshala.nic.in)
War movies
• Haqeeqat (1964) directed by Chetan Anand, based on the battles in Ladakh
during the India-China War of 1962
• Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973) directed by Chetan Anand, based on the role of
the Indian Air Force during the India-Pakistan War of 1971
• Border (1997) directed by J.P. Dutta, based on the India-Pakistan War, 1971
• Kannathil Muthamittal (2002, Tamil) directed by Mani Ratnam, in the
backdrop of the civil war in Sri Lanka
• LOC Kargil (2003) directed by J.P. Dutta, based on the Kargil conflict, 1999
• Lakshya (2004) directed by Farhan Akhtar, in the backdrop of the Kargil
conflict
• 1971 (2007) directed by Amrit Sagar, based on a story of Prisoners of War
after the 1971 war
• Kurukshetra (2008, Malayalam) directed by Major Ravi, based on the Battle of
Tololing during the Kargil conflict
• Madras Cafe (2013) directed by Shoojit Sircar, about the conflict in Sri Lanka
and India’s role
• Children of War: Nine Months to Freedom (2014), directed by Mrityunjay
Devrat, based on the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971

136
 Veer Gaatha

Websites
Ministry of Defence http://mod.nic.in/
Indian Army http://indianarmy.nic.in/
Indian Navy http://indiannavy.nic.in/
Indian Air Force http://indianairforce.nic.in/
Integrated Defence Staff http://ids.nic.in/welcome.html

Tri Services Institutions

National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Pune, Maharashtra
http://nda.nic.in/index.html
Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington (Nilgiris), Tamil Nadu
http://www.dssc.gov.in/
College of Defence Management (CDM), Secunderabad, Telangana
http://cdm.ap.nic.in/
Educational Institutions
Rashtriya Indian Military College, Garhi Cantt, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
http://rimc.gov.in/rimcindex.aspx
Rashtriya Military Schools (Ajmer, Bangalore, Belgaum, Chail, Dholpur)
http://www.rashtriyamilitaryschools.in/index.html
UP Sainik School, Lucknow
http://www.upsainikschool.org/
Sainik Schools
http://www.sainikschoolsociety.org/listofsainik.html

Andhra Pradesh (Korukonda, Kalikiri) Madhya Pradesh (Rewa)

Assam (Goalpara) Maharashtra (Satara)
Bihar (Nalanda, Gopalganj) Manipur (Imphal)
Chhattisgarh (Ambikapur) Nagaland (Punglwa)
Gujarat (Balachadi) Odisha (Bhubaneswar)
Haryana (Kunjpura, Rewari) Punjab (Kapurthala)
Himachal Pradesh (Sujanpur Tira) Rajasthan (Chittorgarh)
Jammu & Kashmir (Nagrota) Tamil Nadu (Amaravathinagar)
Jharkhand (Tilaiya) Uttarakhand (Ghorakhal)
Karnataka (Bijapur, Kodagu) West Bengal (Purulia)
Kerala (Kazhakoottam)

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Image credits
ADGPI, MoD
Army Postal Service
Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research, United Service Institution of India
http://drop.ndtv.com
http://mea.gov.in
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Indian_soldiers_fighting_
in_1947_war.jpg
http://www.jktourism.org
http://www.thehindu.com
http://www.tribuneindia.com
Indian Military Academy
M.V.S.V. Prasad, NCERT
Maps of DR Congo and Sri Lanka
“Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, the University of Texas at Austin”
National Defence Academy
Philately Division, Dept. of Posts
Photo Division, DPR, MoD
Poornima Thapa
Press Information Bureau
Raj Kumar Dahiya
Satnam Singh
Shaunik, Sagat (2013, November, 5). © Mrs. Savitri Bai Khanolkar [Web log post].
Retrieved from http://general-salute.blogspot.in/2013/11/mrs-savitri-bai-khanolkar.html
Vijay Seth, APS Special Cover (Capt G.S. Salaria)

Sources for the Citations of the PVC Awardees:

Gazette of India
http://www.indianarmy.gov.in
Cardozo, Ian (2003), Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle

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Select Commemorative Postage Stamps on

Institutions of Education and Training
Institutions make individuals by moulding their character. The following
institutions of education and training are among those which have played a
decisive role in shaping the personality of some of the Param Vir Chakra
Awardees and of so many others.

25 November 1973 10 December 1982 13 March 1997

27 June 1989 4 October 1997

19 February 1999 7 March 2013 15 December 2014

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Veer Gaatha

(L to R) The three living PVC Awardees — Subedar Major & Honorary Captain Bana Singh, PVC (Retd), Subedar Yogender Singh Yadav, PVC
and Naib Subedar Sanjay Kumar, PVC at the beginning of the Republic Day Parade on Rajpath in New Delhi on 26 January 2016
 PVC Awardees at a Glance

No. Awardee Date of Birth Date of Award Age Awarded

1 Somnath Sharma 31 January 1923 3 November 1947 24 Posthumously

2 Jadunath Singh 21 November 1916 6 February 1948 31 Posthumously

3 Rama Raghoba Rane 26 June 1918 10 April 1948 29 In person

4 Piru Singh 20 May 1918 18 July 1948 30 Posthumously

5 Karam Singh 15 September 1915 13 October 1948 33 In person

6 Gurbachan Singh Salaria 29 November 1935 5 December 1961 26 Posthumously

7 Dhan Singh Thapa 10 April 1928 20 October 1962 34 In person

8 Joginder Singh 28 September 1921 23 October 1962 41 Posthumously

9 Shaitan Singh 1 December 1924 18 November 1962 37 Posthumously

10 Abdul Hamid 1 July 1933 10 September 1965 32 Posthumously

11 Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore 18 August 1923 11 September 1965 42 Posthumously

12 Albert Ekka 27 December 1942 3 December 1971 29 Posthumously

13 Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon 17 July 1945 14 December 1971 26 Posthumously

14 Arun Khetarpal 14 October 1950 16 December 1971 21 Posthumously

15 Hoshiar Singh 5 May 1936 17 December 1971 35 In person

16 Bana Singh 6 January 1949 23 June 1987 38 In person

17 Ramaswamy Parameswaran 13 September 1946 25 November 1987 41 Posthumously

18 Manoj Kumar Pandey 25 June 1975 2 July 1999 24 Posthumously

19 Yogender Singh Yadav 10 May 1980 3 July 1999 19 In person

20 Sanjay Kumar 3 March 1976 4 July 1999 23 In person

21 Vikram Batra 9 September 1974 7 July 1999 24 Posthumously

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ISBN 978-93-5007-765-8