Profiles in Heroism: Archive

The Military Issues & History Forum is a venue to discuss issues relating to the military aspects of the Indian Armed Forces, whether the past, present or future. We request members to kindly stay within the mandate of this forum and keep their exchanges of views, on a civilised level, however vehemently any disagreement may be felt. All feedback regarding forum usage may be sent to the moderators using the Feedback Form or by clicking the Report Post Icon in any objectionable post for proper action. Please note that the views expressed by the Members and Moderators on these discussion boards are that of the individuals only and do not reflect the official policy or view of the Bharat-Rakshak.com Website. Copyright Violation is strictly prohibited and may result in revocation of your posting rights - please read the FAQ for full details. Users must also abide by the Forum Guidelines at all times.
Post Reply
Shishir
BRFite
Posts: 153
Joined: 22 Mar 2002 12:31
Location: B,lore

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Shishir »

Captain Jha was profiled in the BBC series 'Commando'

Captain Dilip Kumar Jha (7 Jat)- Op Parakram
Image

Death in Kashmir is a routine and faceless affair. Earlier this month, a young army captain died in the Mendhar sector when his unit intercepted a group of militants. His major says he killed six and was then hit by a stray bullet which caught him just under his bullet proof vest. He was the only casualty on the army side. One more statistic? So it seemed. Until the news filtered back to Delhi and the production house that had produced the reality series "Commando" for the BBC realised that this was Captain Dilip Kumar Jha, the 24-year-old, always-smiling officer that they had filmed as he underwent the commando training course in Belgaum. The series was telecast from January this year. As they rewound the tapes, there he was over 13 episodes, one of the four trainees they had followed through a grim course that tested the men to their limits.

There he was, talking about his buddy, doing stand up imitations of both his course mates and the "Commando" crew, going off with a bunch of roses to see a girl on his day off, dropping out of the final 30 km run to fall back and motivate course mates who he knew would not pass the course if they did not complete the run. He himself already had the requisite marks.

Not knowing how to pay tribute, Miditech sent off a camera team to his village in Darbhanga to shoot the funeral. And came back with footage of how one more death in Kashmir becomes a sombre vignette of martyrdom in a dusty village setting in distant Bihar. Crowds, slogans of Dilip Kumar Jha amar rahe, a grim guard of honour in full regalia firing guns in salute, and a retired railwayman father reading out the last "Dear Daddy" letter he received from his son last month. Together with the full set of "Commando" tapes, the footage gives his family something to hold on to.

Link
Last edited by Shishir on 05 Aug 2004 23:53, edited 1 time in total.
Shishir
BRFite
Posts: 153
Joined: 22 Mar 2002 12:31
Location: B,lore

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Shishir »

Constable Bindu Kumre - 88 (M) Bn (CRPF)

JAWARKATHI (SEONI, MP), JANUARY 19: Jiski chandan ho gayi mati, wo hai gram Jawarkathi/Jisne chandan kar di mati, wo hai Bindu Kumre beti

Sung in a choked voice, this dirge rose over the thousands who gathered at this nondescript village today to salute a daughter of the soil who had done them proud. A constable in the 88 women's battalion of the CRPF, 27-year-old Bindu Kumre died in the attack by militants at Srinagar airport on Tuesday, in the process saving the lives of many of her colleagues. She is the second woman soldier to die fighting militancy in the Valley (CRPF's Rekha Kumari had been killed in 1991 when militants attacked her vehicle).

Bindu came from a family which had overcome the handicaps of its tribal origin and entered the mainstream. Now it has become a part of the tribal folklore of the region.Bindu, the headstrong daughter of Shivnath and Gindiya Kumre, never told her family she was posted in the troubled Valley. For them she was in distant Delhi but they had no address. She had come here on leave last month and no one could have guessed that she would return so soon amidst booming of the guns and sounding of the last post.

Tens of thousands of people lined the streets from the Madhya Pradesh border near Gopalganj, where state transport minister Harwant Singh received the body brought from Nagpur airport. ``In 86 years of my life, I have not seen such a sea of humanity in this area,'' said an overwhelmed Pannalal Sahu. Shops remained closed at Barghat, a tehsil near Jawarkathi, and placards paying tributes to Bindu hung on lampposts. ``With the crowds surging to have a look at the coffin draped in the tricolour, it took three hours to cover the last 30-km stretch up to the village,'' said Bindu's cousin, S S Kumre, who is district manager at Village Industries at Vidisha.

And in a telling comment on the politicians of the state, no MLA, MP or minister was present at the funeral. A helipad constructed at the village for VIPs to arrive was never used. Only after people gheraoed Collector Vijay Singh Niranjan on Wednesday night did the administration step in to raise a platform for the pyre.

This for a family that's no stranger to the forces. Bindu's elder brother, Rameshwar, is a CRPF constable at Durg while her elder sister Jaswanti's husband, Yogendra, is a BSF jawan. Her 61-year-old father Shivnath, who can't forget his daughter's affection for him -- she bought him a motorcyle recently so that he won't have a problem going to the fields -- was pensive: "She always refused to get married. So we let her do what she wanted to after she did her HSSC". "As a child, she used to dress up like a boy and mingle with them. She was quite adventurous," said Shyam Singh Kumre, a deputy secretary in the state PWD. Bindu's maternal uncle, Ranjit Singh, remembers: ``When she became a soldier in 1997, none of us was surprised. She always said there was nothing that wasn't possible.'' And she lived up to her words.

Bindu was hit by a barrage of bullets fired by the militants while trying to protect her two colleagues inside the X-ray room at the entrance of the airport. ``She saved us. She was so brave. She had been critically wounded in the shootout but insisted everything was alright,'' said Tarawati Boro, a constable from Assam who was with Kumre when the militants attacked.

``We were four constables and a head constable on duty. We were all inside the room, where women passengers would come to get frisked, when the first gunshots were fired outside,'' Tarawati recalled. ``Our head constable, Jayanti Parihar, had reached for her bulletproof vest when she was hit in the arm and fell down. Then a bullet hit Bindu and she fell on us to give us cover, saving our lives. She had been hit in her belly and foot and there was blood everywhere.''

Outside the man who used to operate the X-ray machine was dead and a constable had been hit. ``All the men had been hit by bullets. Some were dead and others injured,'' recalled Tarawati.

Bindu had been on duty despite a fracture in her hand. Company havaldar Major Jeevanti Joshi said ``she had spoken to me in the morning that day and was planning to go on leave. The fracture had been giving her a lot of trouble but she insisted on working.'' Company commander Inspector Abilas Singh is proud of his soldiers. ``The girls are as good as any male soldier''. There are three women companies of the CRPF camping in the building of the youth hostel near Bakhshi Stadium here. ``They are equally trained and efficient in combat.''

Bindu, of course, wanted to see action. ``She abhorred the idea of being posted to a peaceful place. She used to say she wanted to do something for the country,'' said Bindu's brother-in-law, Narendra Singh Nagbhire, who is an assistant labour commissioner at Nagpur. Motilal Verma, father of Bindu's colleague and best friend Santosh Verma, who was witness to the fidayeen attack, recalls her commitment: ``When Santosh was in two minds over going to Chennai for training, it was Bindu who gave us the courage by promising to take care of our daughter.'' Santosh's parents, with their shocked daughter, today came all the way from Neemuch for the funeral.

When Bindu's elder brother, Baijnath, lit the pyre, the slogan Har ma Ki beti kaisi ho, Bindu Kumre jaisi ho rent the air.

Link
Anindya
BRFite
Posts: 1539
Joined: 02 Feb 2003 12:31
Location: USA

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Anindya »

Lest we forget: Kargil's first hero

On May 15, Lt Kalia along with five jawans -- Sepoys Arjun Ram, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria, Bhika Ram, Moola Ram and Naresh Singh -- had gone for a routine patrol of the Bajrang Post in the Kaksar sector when their patrol was captured by the enemy.

They were barbarically tortured for 22 days, after which their mutilated bodies were returned to the Indian Army.

Sepoy Arjun Ram was only 18. Lt Kalia, only 22.

Lt Kalia's brother, Vaibhav, now 25, identified his body when it arrived in a coffin wrapped in the national flag in Palampur. Saurabh's face, he
recalls,
"was the size of my fingers, his eyebrows were the only visible feature, no eyes, no jaw, there were cigarette burns. it was very bad. My
parents couldn't have seen him."

Vaibhav pauses, then stops talking.

He does not mention that his brother's eyes and eardrums were pierced, the private organs cut, his chest burned. the details are mentioned in the
appeal that his father has sent out to Indian citizens in the last five years.

Their father Dr N K Kalia, a senior scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, has written to every important department in government, to the prime minister, to every embassy and consulate he could
find addresses of, to take up the case of human rights violations and the flouting of the Geneva Convention by Pakistan
Surya
BRF Oldie
Posts: 5034
Joined: 05 Mar 2001 12:31

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Surya »

Can anyone tell me where the BBC series Commando can be purchased??

Thanks

SUrya
Guest

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Guest »

Can anyone tell me where the BBC series Commando can be purchased??
I contacted the BBC online video store. The series has apparently not been put up for sale.
Surya
BRF Oldie
Posts: 5034
Joined: 05 Mar 2001 12:31

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Surya »

thanks - time to send emails and ask them to do so.

Thanks again
Aditya G
BRF Oldie
Posts: 3565
Joined: 19 Feb 2002 12:31
Contact:

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Aditya G »

note: the rediff link posted above is just one of 15 pages.

<img src="http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/jun/07k2.jpg" alt="" />
abhejit
BRFite -Trainee
Posts: 63
Joined: 30 Nov 2003 12:31
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by abhejit »

The Solder who became a legend

Writeup on Lieutenant Vikram Batra and the capture of Peak 5140
putnanja
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4665
Joined: 26 Mar 2002 12:31
Location: searching for the next al-qaida #3

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by putnanja »

Tributes paid to Brigadier Usman
The Union Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, on Saturday described Brigadier Mohammad Usman as a great hero who saved Jammu and Kashmir from being invaded by the Pakistan army.

As Brigade Commander of the 50 Para Brigade, Brigadier Usman laid down his life while fighting the Pakistan Army and the tribal raiders on July 3, 1948. He succeeded in saving Naushera and Jhangar, two highly sensitive locations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking at a function held to commemorate Brigadier Usman's martyrdom day, Mr. Mukherjee said: "It was his love for the motherland that prompted this great son of our country to keep his head high and remain committed to its cause and ideals." On the occasion a 50-minute film directed and produced by Upender Sood on the life of Brigadier Usman -- who was honoured with the Mahavir Chakra posthumously -- was also shown.
Adi
BRFite -Trainee
Posts: 42
Joined: 01 Nov 2001 12:31

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Adi »

Adi
BRFite -Trainee
Posts: 42
Joined: 01 Nov 2001 12:31

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Adi »

Gallantry awards presented

- Constable C. Stanly, BSF (Kirti Chakra, posthumous)

- Commandant Virender Prasad Purohit, BSF (Kirti Chakra, posthumous)

- Grenadier Anil Kumar (Kirti Chakra, posthumous)

- Major Inderjeet Singh Babbar, Kirti Chakra (posthumous)

- Sub. Dil Bahadur Thapa, 9 Assam, Kirti Chakra

- Lt. Col. Kanwar Jaideep Singh, 6 Dogra (Shaurya Chakra, posthumous)
Javee
BRF Oldie
Posts: 2377
Joined: 13 Jan 2003 12:31
Location: NJ

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Javee »

Did any one get a chance to see this website ?? Was it designed by some BR jingos??
Very nice compilation of Kashmir martyr's.

http://www.kashmir-information.com/Heroes/
Khalsa
BRFite
Posts: 1769
Joined: 12 Nov 2000 12:31
Location: NZL

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Khalsa »

The website used to be called heroes of Kargil .com during/after kargil was and put up by a company out of Bombay or Bangalore...

someone must have bought the content... excellent move and great dedication...

Well Done whoever it is...
Jagan
Webmaster BR
Posts: 3032
Joined: 01 Jan 1970 05:30
Location: Earth @ Google.com
Contact:

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Jagan »

<img src="http://www.forceindia.net/images/hero.jpg" alt="" />

Hero of Akshardham

Commando Surjan Singh, KC

From Force India Website
Aditya G
BRF Oldie
Posts: 3565
Joined: 19 Feb 2002 12:31
Contact:

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Aditya G »

In memory of a soldier and a braveheart

General (Retd) V P Malik

Sudhir Kumar would have been 33 years old on May 24 this year. Balraj Kakkar, my ADC (Security), recommended him to me as his own relief before quitting the Army. Both belonged to the same unit, 9 Parachute Commandos.

Sudhir was slightly older and senior. He had more battle experience and had been awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry twice. He was wounded in the last action but was now physically fit. After he reported to me, I also learnt that he had attended a Special Forces course in USA and topped it. Fondly and out of respect for his competence, he was called Colonel during the course.

In the performance of his duties, I found Sudhir always very alert, responsible and mature. He was well-read and took interest in all types of books. Off parade, he was full of life. He had a good sense of humour and enjoyed company. During his last Lohri with us in the Army House, he sang many Hindi, Punjabi and Himachali songs. In fact, he could sing in several languages.

A bachelor, he was reticent about his family. Gradually, we learnt about his father who had retired from the Army as a Subedar and his mother, whom he was very fond of. He had a physically handicapped younger brother, and a sister studying in college. Being the eldest, he felt responsible for the family and, being 30 years of age, was in no hurry to get married. He told us that he might do so after his tenure with me.

Gradually, like the other ADCs, he became a member of our family. Being the oldest and seniormost, he felt responsible and would guide other ADCs in the office and at home. He spoke less to me but would chat more easily with my wife. He travelled with us very often, within India and abroad.

I recall his trip with us to Vietnam. The Vietnamese officers, friendly and hospitable, kept proposing toasts to India, Indo-Vietnam friendship, between our armies and to us. At one stage, I felt the younger lot were competing to get each drunk. Sudhir was enjoying this on a separate table. He gave me a reassuring look that nothing untoward would happen.

The next day, we were taken to the famous Qu Chi tunnels, which have withstood every type of American aerial and ground attack during the war. The three storeyed tunnel network, now preserved as a historical and motivational monument, was a self-contained underground Viet Cong unit. The size of the tunnels gets narrower as you go down from one to the next storey. I walked through the top one but on being good-humouredly challenged, Sudhir insisted on going through all three. He wanted Vietnamese officers to know the fitness standard of our special forces.

When the Kargil war started, Sudhir had finished his tenure with me and asked to be sent back to his unit fighting the war. Not wanting to break laid down norms or his spirit, I let him go. The Army House gave him an affectionate send-off.
Within 10 days of his departure, I learnt that he had led an attack on Zulu Ridge, over the 5,200 metre high feature in Mushkoh Sector, which the Pakistanis had refused to vacate even after agreeing to pull out. He led his A Team to capture Zulu Top on July 25, 1999. Thirteen Pakistani soldiers belonging to 19 Frontier Force were killed. Our own casualties were five soldiers . (As per papers received by the Board of Officers in Army HQ subsequently, Sudhir was recommended for a Vir Chakra).

A few days later, I saw him in Srinagar. His Para Cdo Team had reverted to anti militancy operations in the Valley. He had come specially to see me, and was wearing the Viet Cong jungle cap given to us by the Vietnamese during our visit to Qu Chi Tunnels. I asked him about his attack on Zulu Ridge without any acclimatisation. He smiled and said, ‘‘Sir, you know I am a Pahari. I don’t need acclimatisation.’’ With a smile, I told him not to break such rules again.

Three days after my return to Delhi, while eating breakfast, on a sudden impulse, I rang up Lt Gen Krishan Pal, GOC 15 Corps. I told him to be careful in employing Sudhir and his team. Sudhir was a brave and overenthusiastic lad who would volunteer for every challenging mission. We should not allow him to take risks day after day. My wife, could not believe what I had done. I had never said such a thing earlier for anyone.

Exactly a month after Kargil, my wife and I were returning a visit to Major Aima’s bereaved family. In the car, I received a phone call informing me that, while leading an assault on a terrorist hideout in Haphruda Forest, Sudhir had been fatally wounded and died before he could be evacuated to hospital. He and his buddy Naik Kheem Singh had surprised the terrorists deep in the jungle. They had killed nine terrorists. It was a daring action, led all the way from the front. Sudhir was recommended for, and received, the Ashok Chakra, the highest gallantry award in peacetime. On August 29, 1999, the nation lost a gallant and a specially gifted soldier.

My loss was personal.
Adi
BRFite -Trainee
Posts: 42
Joined: 01 Nov 2001 12:31

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Adi »

Bose
BRFite -Trainee
Posts: 6
Joined: 11 Jun 2001 11:31
Location: New Delhi,India(not anymore!)

Re: Profiles in Heroism: Archive

Post by Bose »

Major Walia has been a personal hero of mine. The ashok Chakra (or even the param vir chakra can never be enough for his achievements).

Another account of his exploits can be found in OP Sabharwal's book on special forces...'Killer Instinct' alongwith other brave actions of 9 para SF personnel.
Originally posted by Aditya_C:
Rediff feature on Maj. Sudhir Kumar Walia
Adi
BRFite -Trainee
Posts: 42
Joined: 01 Nov 2001 12:31

Post by Adi »

up
Shishir
BRFite
Posts: 153
Joined: 22 Mar 2002 12:31
Location: B,lore

Post by Shishir »

Captain Sajjan Singh (10 Para SF ) - Op Rakshak

Image
From forceindia.net

NEW DELHI: Captain Sajjan Singh of the 10 Para (Special Forces) laid down his life on Friday after single-handedly tracking and gunning down three terrorists in Gundpur district, Baramulla. Bleeding from bullet injuries, Singh refused to be taken to hospital until the operation was wrapped up.

Singh had led several operations since he was commissioned into the elite unit in 2001. He had been maintaining a close watch on the terrorist group for several days before going after it on Wednesday. He tracked their movements until he got “actionable intelligence'' on their trail through the forests. On Wednesday night, Singh started after them himself, following their way through the forests surrounding Gundpur village.

Once he drew near, he contacted his men and led them into the village, chasing the terrorists through the bylanes. The terrorists scattered and opened fire, leaving Singh open to attack from all directions. Singh returned the fire, killing two terrorists. Throwing grenades at the fleeing terrorists, Singh got after one of them and gunned him down at close quarters. By then, he was bleeding from bullet injuries but refused to be evacuated until the operation was over. Within minutes, he died at the site of the encounter.

Colleagues recall Singh as a “motivated and daredevil youngster'' who was inducted into 10 Para (Special Forces), known as the Desert Scorpions, at the peak of Operation Parakram. In February, Singh was part of an operation where he gunned down two terrorists.

Coming from a Rajasthani family where serving in the Army is a tradition, Singh chose the Special Forces over the Jat Regiment, where his father retired as Honorary Captain. His mortal remains were flown from Srinagar on Friday morning and taken to Churu district in Rajasthan.

Link
Last edited by Shishir on 09 Aug 2004 20:10, edited 1 time in total.
Shishir
BRFite
Posts: 153
Joined: 22 Mar 2002 12:31
Location: B,lore

Post by Shishir »

Head Constable Bachu Bhai Rathwa (Gujarat Police)

NEW DELHI, JULY 5: Dressed in his khaki uniform of the Gujarat police, Head Constable Bachu Bhai Rathwa ( 38 ) stood out in the sea of the Army’s olive green at the Shaurya Chakra gallantry award distribution ceremony here today.

The police colours that put him apart were just one part of the story. The other, that has amazingly remained unknown, was this: two years ago, on March 5, 2002, as the riots swept Gujarat and his colleagues stood by silently, Rathwa fought off an armed mob of nearly 200 tribals in Melu Village of Chote Udepur tehsil to save a Muslim family of seven.

Shot through the thigh, both his arms broken by the angry crowd, Rathwa ensured that the family was taken away to safety. It took all his strength and courage. ‘‘I pleaded with the mob that I had children with me and that they were innocent, but they kept shouting at me that these people were Muslims and they had to be killed,’’ Rathwa recalls. On March 5, he was told by his superiors to rush to Melu village to save a family trapped in the riots. With resources spread out thinly, Rathwa found himself facing the tribals numbering around 200 without a police vehicle—he had to borrow a civilian vehicle, a tempo—and with a hastily put together team of available personnel.

‘‘I had two members of the local village protection force and two Home Guard constables, besides a young police constable recruit fresh from the training academy. With everone heavily committed, this was the only force that I could put together at that moment,’’ Rathwa says. ‘‘The moment we arrived at the village, they started stoning us. We had to fight through the mob to enter the house. I managed to send off a few people with their belongings in the tempo and pushed two girls and another woman into my jeep, and we started off for the police station.’’

But by the time Rathwa managed to extricate the family, the mob had barricaded the road with stones and barbed wire. ‘‘They started throwing stones at us. Others came out armed with meat cleavers and knives,’’ remembers Rathwa. With the mob closing in, Rathwa fired a few shots in the air. However, the numbers made it impossible to break through. ‘‘Someone hit me from the back, others attacked me with blunt weapons, breaking both my arms. Someone grabbed my rifle and shot at me, but I was lucky and the bullet went through my thigh.’’

Bleeding from his wound, with both arms broken, Rathwa managed to keep the mob at bay and jumped into the jeep. ‘‘I ordered my driver to run over anyone who came in our way so that I could get away with the family.’’ Driving over the stones and barbed wire Rathwa finally managed to break out of the village and set off for the police station. Back in Chote Udepur police station, Rathwa was informed that the family members in the tempo had also been attacked but managed to escape. Those who he had rescued were slightly injured, but recovered soon after.

One and a half years later, on August 15 last year, Rathwa heard he had been shortlisted for the Shaurya Chakra.

Link
Shishir
BRFite
Posts: 153
Joined: 22 Mar 2002 12:31
Location: B,lore

Post by Shishir »

The creators of Lt Nawang Kapadia's website have created a new site in honour of Major Navneet Vats(4/3 GR). (URL below) Wonderful information and some rare photos..

Image

My Senior Subaltern
by J. Chanda


IC 53143F Maj Navneet Vats was my senior subaltern. For the uninitiated, the word subaltern means ‘a junior officer below rank of captain’. Traditionally, in the army, a ‘senior sub’ ( as a subaltern is often called), means the person who guides you around from the moment you first step into the Battalion. Since he is generally your immediate senior and only a few months/year senior to you—he also becomes a good friend. For me, he was my best friend and a pain in the ass, an elder brother and a bullshitter, a person who generally made your life miserable and at the same time who smothered you with care. Navi sir was all this and much more.

I knew him from the Indian Military Academy since he was a well known and hard core Gorkha Rifles optee thanks to the influence of his Platoon Commander there, then Captain Ashwini Cheema of 2/3 Gorkha Rifles. Captain Cheema was the epitome of an experienced soldier having served in Sri Lanka with the 9 Para Commandos. Captain Cheema knew that I was a second generation candidate for both 2/3 Gorkha Rifles and 4/3 Gorkha Rifles (my father had commanded both the units) and we, Navi sir and I were on his watch list to ensure that we do not stray off into the ‘glamorous’ Armoured Corps or the ‘safe’ Army Service Corps etc! There was no fear of that since we were both hard core infantarians. Hence we both knew that the other was joining the Regiment as well. At the Academy we used to often meet during the cross country runs and we were traditional rivals in the Inter Battalion Debate competitions.

His entry in to the Phor Thud ( Gorkha Rifle battalions spell their battalions numbers the way their men pronounce it, thus 4/3 Gorkha Rifles is called Four Third, pronounced and spelt Phor Thud) was chaotic. He had got commissioned into 2/3 Gorkha Rifles (Captain Cheema’s unit) We met after it was known that he was going to 2/3 Gorkha Rifles and I congratulated him. On return to the Indian Military Academy from term break, I was surprised to hear from Captain Cheema complaining that the posting order had changed and he had been posted to 4/3 Gorkha Rifles. This was probably due to the efforts of Colonel RP Singh, then Commanding Officer of 4/3Gorkha Rifles. Six months later, I too joined the Phor Thud and thus Navi sir became my senior sub.

In life, Navi sir was either loved or hated, There were no ‘in – betweens’. To the majority of his course mates and his students etc he was ‘Mr Unpopular’. To us, once we got used to tackling him- he was ‘Mr Entertainment’. The trick was not to take him too seriously and if he got too carried away – we ganged up against him. We loved him because there was never dull moment with him around. He was the Master of Hyperbole. As he himself put it in a rare moment of candour- he suffered from VD- verbal diarrhoea!

Officers of Phor Thud are traditionally called Broncos. Maj Navneet was the epitome of a Bronco-a young, wild and unbroken horse. He had flamboyance coupled with an extremely sound command over the language. He was verbose and eloquent. He commanded immense respect from officers and men alike for his ability for hard work and professionalism. He attained instructor grading in the Medium Machine Gun and Automatic Grenade Launcher Course, the Commando Course (where he was subsequently posted as an instructor) and the Anti Tank Guided Missile Course.

He complemented his intellectual capabilities with an amazing physique. He was physically extremely supple, a fall out of having spent his childhood pursuing Taekwondo. And he used to put himself through a punishing schedule of weight training. I have actually seen him go into a sulk and pump iron continuously for hours and then fall sick due to exhaustion!

He was also extremely misunderstood. His bark was far worse then his bite. He strove to attain perfection in all he sought to do. Where he could not, he would rave, rant and finally sulk. When Rahul Verma (my junior subaltern), Surya and other officers would sit down and discuss things, the topic would generally always veer around to how to tackle Navi sir. Many such discussions later we came to the consensus that he was infact, unconsciously trying to cover up for the inadequacies of Nimish, his younger brother; a special child. I still do not know whether this was indeed the fact or not. When a fearless man does a brave deed, he is courageous; but true courage is when a man overcomes his own fears and does those very things he fears. Very few people were privy to the fears of Major Navneet Vats. Only we, those closest to him, knew that he felt fear like none of us could imagine. His fears were both rational and irrational. And every time he went on an operation, he was in fact conquering his fears. His manifestation of his fears were channelised into immense preparation and rehearsals before any operation.

He passed away, the way he lived. Fighting. He had been posted to 32 Rastriya Rifles, and was commanding his company at Khreuh, near Srinagar. On 19 November 2003, an encounter started near the Indiranagar Telephone Exchange at Srinagar due to which the exchange gutted completely. By evening it was clear that things were going awry. The Commanding Officer of the unit , the Second-in-Command and another two officers had been injured. Maj Vats and his column was called in as reinforcements. Early next morning he commenced search of the building in which the terrorists were suspected to have been hiding . It was over in moments. The terrorist died immediately and Maj Vats succumbed to his injuries a few moments later.

Today when I see Inayat, his three year old daughter pout-the familiar scowl of my beloved Senior Sub floats before my eyes.

He lives – my Senior Sub lives…………

Link to Major Vats site
Link to images
putnanja
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4665
Joined: 26 Mar 2002 12:31
Location: searching for the next al-qaida #3

Post by putnanja »

Arun_S
BRF Oldie
Posts: 2800
Joined: 14 Jun 2000 11:31
Location: KhyberDurra

Post by Arun_S »

Defense india: Indian Defence Awards : Param Vir Chakra
The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is the highest gallantry award for officers and other enlisted personnel of all military branches of India for the highest degree of valour in the presence of the enemy. PVC is the post-Independence equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

The PVC was established on January 26, 1950, by the President of India, with effect from August 15, 1947, and presently it is the second highest award of the government of India after Bharat Ratna (amendment in the statute on January 26, 1980 resulted in this order of wearing).

The medal was designed by Mrs Savitri Khanolankar (born Eva Yuonne Linda Maday-de-Maros to a Hungarian father and Russian mother) who was married to an Indian Army officer. By sheer coincidence, the first PVC was awarded to her son-in-law Major Som Nath Sharma for his bravery in the Kashmir operations in November 1947.

The medal was designed to symbolise Rishi Dadich who donated his thigh bones to gods for making Vajra and Shivaji's sword Bhawani.

The medal is of 1-3/8 inch radius and is made of bronze. In the center, on a raised circle is the state emblem, surrounding which are the four replicas of Indra's Vajra. The decoration is suspended from a straight swiveling suspension bar. On the rear, around a plain center, two legends separated by lotus flowers. The words Param Vir Chakra are written in Hindi and English.

The ribbon which holds the PVC is of 32 mm length and purple in colour. The award carries a cash allowance for those under the rank of second lieutenant (or the appropriate service equivalent) and, in some cases, a lump-sum cash award. Subedar Major Bana Singh of the 8 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry was the only serving personnel of the Indian defence establishment with a PVC till the Kargil operations.

The award also carries a cash allowance for those under the rank of second lieutenant (or the appropriate service equivalent) and, in some cases, a lump-sum cash award. On the death of the recipient, the pension was transferred to the widow until her death or remarriage. This pension has been a rather controversial issue throughout the life of the decoration. By March 1999, the stipend stood at Rs. 1500 per month. In addition, many states have established individual pension rewards for the recipients of the decoration.

Established: 26 January 1950, by the President of India, with awards effective from 15 August 1947; the statues were amended on 26 January 1980, when it was moved to second place in the order of wearing, behind the Bharat Ratna. Mrs. Savitri Khanolankar (born as Eva Yuonne Linda Maday-de-Maros) designed the medal; by coincidence, the first recipient was her son-in-law, Major Som Nath Sharma.

Obverse: 1-3/8 inch, circular bronze medal. In the center, on a raised circle, the state emblem. Surrounding this, four replicas of Indra's Vajra (the all-powerful mythic weapon on the ancient Vedic god of war). The decoration is suspended from a straight swiveling suspension bar. It is named on the edge.

Reverse: Around a plain center, two legends separated by lotus flowers: above "Param Vir Chakra" in Hindi and, below, "PARAM VIR CHAKRA" in English.

Ribbon: 32 mm, medium purple. When the ribbon bar is worn alone, a bronze replica of Indra's Vajra is worn on the ribbon.

Param Vir Chakra winners so far :-

1. IC-- 521 Major Som Nath Sharma, 4 Kumaon Regiment, November 3, 1947, Badgam Kashmir (posthumous)

2. IC-22356 Lance Naik Karham Singh M M, 1 Sikh Regiment, October 13, 1948, Tithwal Kashmir

3. SS-14246 Second Lt Rama Raghobe Rane, Corps of Engineers, April 8, 1948, Naushera, Kashmir

4. 27373 Naik Jadu Nath Singh, 1 Rajput Regiment, February 1948, Naushera, Kashmir (posthumous)

5. 2831592 Company Havildar Major Piru Singh, 6 Rajputana Rifles, July 17/18, 1948, Tithwal, Kashmir (posthumous)

6. IC-8497 Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, 3/1 Gurkha Rifles, December 5, 1961, Elizabethville, Katanga, Congo (posthumous)

7. IC-7990 Major Dhan Singh Thapa, 1/8 Gurkha Rifles, October 20, 1962, Ladakh, India

8. JC-4547 Subedar Joginder Singh, 1 Sikh Regiment, October 23, 1962, Tongpen La, Northeast Frontier Agency, India (posthumous)

9. Major Shaitan Singh, Kumaon Regiment, November 18, 1962, Rezang La (posthumous)

10. 2639885 Company Havildar Major Abdul Hamid, 4 Grenadiers, September 10, 1965, Chima, Khem Karan Sector (posthumous)

11. IC-5565 Lieutenant-Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, 17 Poona Horse, October 15, 1965, Phillora, Sialkot Sector, Pakistan (posthumous)

12. 4239746 Lance Naik Albert Ekka, 14 Guards, December 3, 1971, Gangasagar (posthumous)

13. 10877 (P) Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, Indian Air Force, December 14, 1971, Srinagar, Kashmir (posthumous)

14. IC-25067 2/Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, 17 Poona Horse, December 16, 1971, Jarpal, Shakargarh Sector, (posthumous)

15. IC-14608 Major Hoshiar Singh, Grenadiers, December 17, 1971, Basantar River, Shakargarh Sector

16. Naib Subedar Bana Singh, 8 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, June 23, 1987, Siachen Glacier, Jammu and Kashmir

17. Major Ramaswamy Parmeshwaran, 8 Mahar Regiment, November 25, 1987, Sri Lanka (posthumous)

18. IC-57556 Captain Vikram Batra, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, July 6, 1999

19. IC-56959 Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey, 1/11 Gorkha Rifles, July 3, 1999, Khaluber/Juber Top, Batalik sector, Kargil area, Jammu and Kashmir (posthumous)

20. No 2690572 Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers, July 4, 1999, Tiger Hill, Kargil area

21. Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, July 5, 1999
Arun_S
BRF Oldie
Posts: 2800
Joined: 14 Jun 2000 11:31
Location: KhyberDurra

Post by Arun_S »

Lieutenant Nawang H. Kapadia
December 15, 1975 – November 11,2000

A Tribute



Lieutenant Nawang H. Kapadia
December 15, 1975 – November 11,2000

Lt Nawang Kapadia, who was commissioned on September 2, 2000 in the Fourth Battalion the Third Gorkha Rifles, died while gallantly fighting Pakistan based terrorists in the jungles of Rajwar in Kupwara district of Srinagar on 11th November 2000.

The happiest day in twenty four year old Mumbai-born Nawang’s life was when he joined the Officers’ Training Academy at Chennai. His parents, well-known mountaineers Harish and Geeta, encouraged him to the fullest in spite of the cynical views of others. It was a proud moment indeed at the Passing Out Parade on 2nd of September 2000 when his family and friends saw him receiving his Lieutenant stars on commissioning to the prestigious Fourth Battalion The Third Gorkha Rifles. After a brief visit home, Nawang proceeded to the Regimental Centre at Varanasi from where he joined his Battalion on 29th Oct 2000 . The Battalion was, during this period, continuously involved in operations against foreign terrorists who had infiltrated and were in the process of establishing their bases in the Kupwara area of Jammu and Kashmir.

Nawang was immediately involved in these operations where his qualities of heart and mind as well as his abundant courage were a beacon to the troops under his command.

On the 10th of Nov the Battalion received information of a large number of terrorists hiding in the notorious jungles of Rajwar near Kupwara. Search and destroy operations were immediately launched with Nawang leading his own platoon. At approximately 11 am, a large hideout was discovered by the Battalion and Nawang’s platoon came under fire from a group of eight to ten terrorists in the vicinity. Havaldar Chitra Bahadur got a burst in the stomach and fell mortally wounded. At this stage, Nawang instinctively rushed to rescue Chitra Bahadur, firing his weapon ,under the covering fire of his comrades. A terrorist who was hiding in the nearby foliage fired at Nawang. In the crossfire, Nawang got a bullet in the face and died, leading his troops in the highest tradition of valour and sacrifice.

The encounter has resulted in the killing of two terrorists of the Al Omar Tanzeem, a Pakistan based organization, with reports of two others grievously wounded and likely to have died. Large quantities of arms and ammunition have been recovered. The fight lasted over over 36 hours. Lt Nawang Kapadia died in the highest traditions of the Indian Army, living up to the ethos and standards of his Battalion, which earlier had lost two officers like him in counter insurgency operations in 1983-85 and again performed gallantly, despite severe casualties, in the Batalik Sector of Kargil.

Nawang Harish Kapadia was born on December 15, 1975, in Mumbai three years after his elder brother, Sonam . As his surname indicates, theirs is a family of traditional cloth merchants, of a community that has a scarce presence in the Defence Services.

From his early childhood, Nawang had imbibed the best adventurous talents of his parents, both of whom have many achievements under their belt. Sonam and Nawang were named after famous Sherpa mountaineers; ironically both are Gorkha names. Nawang means “leader of men”, a very apt name for an able soldier.

Nawang did his initial schooling at New Era School and subsequently at the St. Xavier’s Boys’ Academy. All through his student days, Nawang was always a free-spirited lad, spending a lot of time on the sports’ field and displayed leadership qualities from a young age. With such a fun-loving and carefree attitude, he was always making new friends, many of whom developed and maintained close and loving bonds with the entire family. He did his B. Com. from Jai Hind college, Bombay. In college, his interests included trekking, hiking, mountaineering (which of course, was in his genes), sports, martial arts and music. He enjoyed life to the maximum, and it was most evident in his passion for food. When it came to eating, no one could match him. Nawang could out-eat anyone and at anytime.

Lt Nawang Kapadia’s sacrifice will remain a shining light to inspire future generations. The city of Mumbai should be proud of its son who lived his life here and leaves behind a sorrowing family and a large circle of friends.

He was cremated with military honours on Tuesday 14 November, 2000.Nawang lies in peace, having chosen a career as he desired and dying for the country, trying to save a life, in best traditions of the army.

About the 3rd Gorkha Rifles
Varanasi : Army Cantonment and the Ganga
Special Commemoration Service
mail us for "The Khukri of Honour Badge" at info@defenceindia.com
Kuttan
BRFite
Posts: 439
Joined: 12 Jul 1999 11:31

Post by Kuttan »

A slightly different sort of courage - or maybe just the same - blunt refusal to sell out or back down.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_936237,0008.htm
Who did this man die fighting?
Vishal Thapar
New Delhi, August 9

An upright naval commander refuses to approve a faulty weapons system in Russia. He and his commissioning team are flown back to India. Six months later he is killed in a mysterious hit-and-run case. A year after his death, the commander gets a gallantry award. People, especially those in the navy, are drawing the obvious conclusion: that an arms mafia had him killed.

This is the story of Commander Nawaz Ahmed. As the commissioning officer of the Russian-built Krivak-III class frigate, christened INS Talwar, he realised during acceptance trials in 2002 that a key on-board weapon system — the Shtil-1 surface-to-air missile — was malfunctioning.

The Talwar was to be the first of the three stealth frigates inducted into the navy at an aggregate cost of $1 billion. But Ahmed resisted allurement and intimidation in insisting that the Shtil snag first be rectified.

With penalty clauses for delays specified in the contract, the stakes for the sellers were high. They pressed for acceptance of the ship and promised to rectify the problem post-delivery. But on Ahmed's advice, the navy refused to take delivery of the warship till the ability of Shtil-I to hit airborne targets was demonstrated. The 180-strong commissioning crew was flown back. This set the delivery schedule back by over a year.

Six months after returning to New Delhi, the commander was killed near Chanakyapuri. He was on his regular morning jog when a speeding water tanker hit him near the Italian Embassy at Satya Marg on June 19, 2003.

The driver absconded. He continues to elude the police. Eight raiding parties they sent to his native Bihar have returned empty-handed.

But the general belief in the navy is that Ahmed was killed by an arms mafia. Recently, Ahmed was posthumously awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal for taking a tough call in the national interest. So deep is naval sentiment that the gesture did not end here. In an exceptional move, Ahmed's widow, Ansari Begum, was recruited as an officer into the navy's logistics cadre. The age limit was relaxed to enable her commissioning.
Shishir
BRFite
Posts: 153
Joined: 22 Mar 2002 12:31
Location: B,lore

Post by Shishir »

Major Sandeep Shankla (18 Dogra) - Op Rakshak
Image
Catption: Soldiers pay homage to Major Sandeep Shankla at the Shankla War Memorial in Sector 2, Panchkula

PANCHKULA: He always believed in living without fear, and in being unconventional. Major Sandeep Shankla had died the same way. Making a mark for himself, even after his death, Major Shankla or popularly known as ‘Chocolate Officer Shanky' will always be remembered as a true martyr.

His memories came alive in the hearts of all the ranks of 18 BN of Dogra Regiment, family members and friends during the 12th solemn ceremony observed at his memorial in Sector 2 here on Friday.

An IMA pass out of 1986 batch, Major Shankla was posthumously awarded with Ashok Chakra after he laid down his life during the antiinsurgency operations in Zafarkhani village of Kupwara area in Srinagar on August 8, 1991. ‘‘We never expected to lose him- he was the unbeatable one- we have no words to explain his bravery and the presence of mind,'' said Brig R K Sharma,who was second in command of his regiment and the one who supervised the operations carried out in Zafarkhani. ‘‘His martyrdom was only confirmed when we saw his body.''

Even as he was seriously wounded by a splinter from AK 56 of a terrorist, Shanky threw back one of the two grenades hurled on him and rescued his colleague, who had sustained injuries during the crossfire,'' said Sharma, recalling how he fought the insurgents while leading the Quick Reaction Team tasked to clear the Zaffarkhani village of militants.

‘‘He was so fond of chocolates that I had to go around the whole Kupwara area to get some for him when I met him a couple of weeks before he attained martyrdom,'' said Major General Mohunty,who commanded the brigade at that time. He said the Major could do a back flip twice if any one showed him just a small piece of chocolate.

Besides Western Command Chief Lt Gen P K Grover, who was the first to lay a wreath on Major Shankla's memorial, the then commanding officer of his regiment and current GOC of 28 Division Major General P H Grover, the then 2 IC of the regiment and currently posted in Northern sector, Brig R K Sharma, Western Command station commander Brig Kuldeep Singh also paid floral tributes. The contingent of his own unit headed by Major H R Saklani gave the guard of honour. Major Shankla's father Lt Col J S Kanwar (retd), HUDA chief administrator N C Wadhwa, Panchkula DC Satwanti Ahlawat were present.

Link
Vasu
BRFite
Posts: 869
Joined: 16 Dec 2002 12:31

Post by Vasu »

I think this is the most appropriate thread for this:


A flame of freedom at Cellular Jail

Indian Oil Foundation (IOF) has installed a Swatantrya Jyot (flame of freedom) in the Cellular Jail at Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands on August 9 in remembrance of hundreds of brave Indians who suffered incarceration in this jail during the freedom struggle.

The eternal flame of the Jyot would mark the sacrifices of those freedom fighters who went through the dark phase of their lives at the jail to provide the light of freedom to their countrymen.

"The five-feet-tall Jyot is surrounded by a 14-feet-high structure made of bronze cast metal. Built at a cost of Rs 35 lakhs, the structure will adore the entrance of the magnificent Cellular Jail occupying the pride of place near the Martyrs' Platform."
Shishir
BRFite
Posts: 153
Joined: 22 Mar 2002 12:31
Location: B,lore

Post by Shishir »

Independence Day 2004 Gallantry awards

New Delhi, August 14
Two Lieutenants of the Army have been awarded the Kirti Chakra, the nation’s second highest peacetime gallantry award on the occasion of Independence Day, for their fight against militants in Jammu and Kashmir.Lt Kanavdeep Singh and Lt Dheerendra Singh have been given the award posthumously, along with a BSF officer Narindera Nath Dubey. The three figure on the list of 243 armed forces personnel figuring on the President’s Independence Day honours list. The awardees include 33 Shaurya Chakra, with as many as 21 of them being honoured for making supreme sacrifice of their lives in fighting militancy.

Following is the list of Gallantry award winners.

KIRTI CHAKRA: Lt Kanavdeep Singh, 10 Sikh (posthumous), Lt Dheerendra Singh Atri, ASC 3 Rajput (posthumous), Narindra Nath Dhar Dubey, BSF.

SHAURYA CHAKRA: Major Sanjay Singh Tanwar, SM, 16 Punjab, Major Aditya Chauhan, 6 Mahar, Major Lalit Prakash, 3 Rajput (posthumous), Capt Vivek Mishra, 16 Garhwal Rifles, Capt Perikalamkattil Abraham Mathew, SM, 3 Sikh, Subedar Prit Pal Singh, 4 Grenadiers, Subedar Jai Singh Jat/45 Rashtriya Rifles (posthumous), Subedar Khilona Singh, 14 Jat (posthumous), Subedar Moshat Lamkang, SM, 8 Assam (posthumous), Naib Subedar Ajit Singh, Punjab/37 Rashtriya Rifles (posthumous), Naib Subedar Babu Ram, 25 Punjab, Havildar Ramakant Singh, 5 Assam Rifles (posthumous), Havildar Virendra Singh, Guards/21 Rashtriya Rifles (posthumous), Havildar S Samy Kannan, 4 Corps INT and FS Coy (posthumous), Naik Munna Lal Mundel, 9 Jat, Naik Anil Kumar, 16 Jat (posthumous), Lance Naik Deshpal Singh, Rajputana Rifles/9 Rashtriya Rifles (posthumous), Sepoy Jasbir Singh, 7 Sikh, Sepoy Kiran Kumar, 6 Mahar (posthumous), Rifleman Lakshman Singh, Rajputana Rifles/9 Rashtriya Rifles (posthumous), Rifleman Hasta Bahadur Gurung, 4/4 Gorkha Rifles (posthumous), Grenadier Arjan Singh, 12 Grenadiers (posthumous), Sappper G Prakash, Engineers/44 Rashtriya Rifles (posthumous), Paratrooper Chetan Kumar Rana, Para/31 Rashtriya Rifles (posthumous), Gunner Bobichen Koyikalam Alex, Artiller/19 Rashtriya Rifles, CP Labour Shiring Dorjee, Border Roads Organisation, Constable Balbir Singh, BSF (posthumous), Vivek Saxena, BSF (posthumous), Dilip Agrawal, Indore, Madhya Pradesh (posthumous), Farooq Ahmed, J&K police (posthumous), Abdul Rashid, J&K police (posthumous), K Sudarshan Reddy, BSF (posthumous), Miss Udita Karmakar, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal.

Bar to Sena Medal (gallantry): Major Sukhminder Singh, SM, Artillery/45 Rashtriya Rifles, Capt Rajeshwar Singh Bazad, SM, Rajput/23 Rashtriya Rifles, Lance Havildar Fazal Hussain, SM, 5 J & K Light Infantry. Lt Colonel Vijay Mehta, 11 Jat, Major Sujan Singh Kular, Jat/45 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Virender Singh, 12 Grenadiers, Major Arjun Segan, 10 Para (Special Forces), Major Sanjay Prakash Sinha, 7 Rajputana Rifles, Major Alok Mathur, Engineers/85 Road Construction Company (posthumous), Major Rajender Singh 28 Madras, Major Rajesh Sethi, 4 Jat, Major Amit Kabthiyal, 16 Garhwal Rifles, Major Jagdeep Singh Maan, Artillery/2/3 DET EC LU, Major Hrishikesh Bhalchandra Gramopadhye, 11 Maratha Light Infantry, Major Ajit Singh Yadav, Artillery/52 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Vikash Slathia, J & K Rifles/3 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Mandeep Singh, 16 Garhwal Rifles. Major Navneet Vats, 3 Gorkha Rifles/32 Rashtriya Rifles (posthumous), Major Neelesh Anand Pagulwar, 8 Assam, Major Jitender Singh Rathore, Armoured Corps/28 Assam Rifles, Major Nikhil Ganapathy, Armoured Corps/35 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Kundan Sharma, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles/28 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Fazaluddin Jelal, Engineers/1 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Sunil Raina, 12 Jammu and Kashmir Rilfes, Major Krishan Singh Bandhwar, Rajput/23 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Shabbarul Hasan, Arty/14 FD Regt, Major Jaishankar Chaudhari, 8 Assam, Major Ajay Singh, Armoured/3 Ladakh Scouts, Major Pawan Pal Singh, Mahar/51 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Sarjeet Yadav, AD Arty/17 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Chandar Dev Singh Sambyal, 12 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Major Aditya Singh, 7 Rajputana Rifles, Major Sameer B Gujar, 19 Garhwal Rifles, Major Amit Dogra, 5 Para, Major Sachin Jain, 18 Maratha Light Infantry, Major Zosangliana Hualngo, 5/3 Gorkha Rifles, Major Piar Singh Attri, 18 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. Capt Pathiyeri Sunil Kumar, Mech Infantry/28 Assam Rifles, Captain B Shyam Vijaya Simha, Army Service Corps/31 Rashtriya Rifles, Capt Jitesh Bhutani, Armoured/31 Composite Intelligence Unit (posthumous), Capt Mridul Sharma, Air Defence Artillery/51 Rashtriya Rifles (posthumous), Capt Harish Raman, Artillary/13 Rashtriya Rifles, Capt Amit Ashok Kumar Verma, Artillery/15 Rashtriya Rifles, Captain Arindam Ghosh, 7 Rajputana Rifles, Capt Harsh Kumar Jha, 10 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Capt Vijay Singh Rawat, Army Service Corps/11 Raj RIF, Capt Sanjeev Bajpai, Maratha Light Infantry/17 Rashtriya Rifles, Capt Ajay Singh Rana, Artillery/60 Field Regiment (posthumous). Capt Prasad Santosh Krishna, Artillery/22 Assam Rifles, Capt Pradeep Sharma, Engineers/19 Rashtriya Rifles, Lt Sachin Wakankar, Artillery/22 Special Forces, Lt Deepak Singh Patwal, 12 Grenadiers.

Lt Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, 19 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Lt Mupparty Sanjeev, 21 Jat Regiment, Lt Prashant Shantappa Appaji, Signals/45 Rashtriya Rifles, Lt Inder Pal Singh, 19 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Lt Shashank Tripathi, 237 Engineer Regiment, Lt Rakesh Madaan, Army Ordinance Corps/2 Jat, Lt Vishesh Arora, 15 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Lt Joginder Singh, 4 Grenadiers, Lieutenant Ankur Vashishtha, 7 Sikh Regiment, Lt Srikant Ramachandran, 14 Jat, Lt Pankaj Kumar Arora, 18 Maratha Light Infantry (posthumous), Lt Pawanmeet Brar, 18 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Lt Nithin Hariram, 9 Jat Regiment. Subedar Anurag Chandra Singh, Grenadiers/29 Rashtriya Rifles, Subedar Gurbachan Singh, 3 Sikh Regiment, Subedar Suresh Kumar Yadav, Artillery/30 Rashtriya Rifles, Subedar Dhyan Singh, 13 Punjab (posthumous), Subedar Shanikar Ganapati Devkate, Maratha Light Infantry/41 Rashtriya Rifles, Subedar Dharampal Singh, 7 Rajputana Rifles, Subedar Bhura Ram, Jat/5 Rashtriya Rifles, Subedar Albel Singh 21 Jat Regiment, Subedar Khem Singh, Mahar/1 Rashtriya Rifles, Subedar Daulat Ram, 8 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Subedar Ali Mohammad, Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry/51 Rashtriya Rifles, Subedar Ram Bahadur Roka, 5/8 Gorkha Rifles, Naib Subedar Sultan Singh Rathore, Artillery/45 Rashtriya Rifles, Naib Subedar Dharam Singh, Artillery/17 Rashtriya Rifles (posthumous), Naib Subedar Akbal Ahmed Khan, Grenadiers/29 Rashtriya Rifles, Naib Subedar Shaik Akbar, 11 Maratha Light Infantry (posthumous), Naib Subedar Prabhu Singh, 3 Rajput (posthumous), Naib Subedar Bharat Singh Gurjar, 3 Rajput, Naib Subedar Diwan Singh, 12 Garhwal Rifles (posthumous), Naib Subedar Dharamvir, 6 Mahar Regiment (posthumous), Naib Subedar Satyapal, 6 Mahar Regiment, Naib Subedar Gopal Singh Saini, 12 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Naib Subedar Pukar Lama, 19 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Naib Subedar Ramesh Chander, Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry/8 Rashtriya Rifles, Naib Subedar Girman Rana, 1 Gorkha Rifles/15 Rashtriya Rifles, Havildar Bhupinder Singh, 9 Para (Special Forces), Havildar Ramappar Mirji, 18 Maratha Light Infantry (posthumous), Havildar Sumer Singh, 11 Rajputana Rifles, Havildar Harpal Singh, 9 Jat, Havildar Pratap Singh, 21 Rajputana Rifles, Havildar Shishupal Singh, 16 Garhwal Rifles, Havildar Dabal Singh, 16 Garhwal Rifles, Havildar Trilok Singh, Garhwal Rifles/36 Rashtriya Rifles, Havildar Ramdhan Boro, 6 Assam (posthumous), Havildar Kesh Bahadur Chhetri, 2/9 Gorkha Rifles, Havildar Manzoor Ahmed Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry/23 Rashtriya Rifles, Havildar Badri Prasad, 10 Para (Special Forces), Havildar Vinod Janardhanan, Madras/8 Rashtriya Rifles (posthumous), Havildar Jaswant Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles/28 Rashtriya Rifles.

Link
Shishir
BRFite
Posts: 153
Joined: 22 Mar 2002 12:31
Location: B,lore

Post by Shishir »

BSF personnel honoured for gallantry.

Image
nandy_a
BRFite -Trainee
Posts: 2
Joined: 19 Jul 2004 11:31
Location: India

Post by nandy_a »

Just got this in my mail and wanted to share with fellow BRites
To Moderator: Please move to any other thread if inappropriate.

A must read for all…….
Vivek Pradhan wasn't a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the First Class
air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi Express couldn't cool his frayed
nerves. He was the Project Manager and entitled to air travel. It was not
the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin guy, it was
the savings in time. A PM had so many things to do!
He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to
some good use.

"Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was staring
appreciatively at the laptop.
Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now
with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car.
"You people have brought so much advancement to the country sir. Today
everything is getting computerized."
'Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a detailed look. He
always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and
stocky like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that
little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was
a Railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.
"You people always amaze me," the man continued, "You sit in an office and
write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside."
Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naivety demanded reasoning not anger. "It is not
as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few
lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it." For a moment he was
tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained
himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex."
"It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply.
This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence came
into his so far affable, persuasive tone.
"Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have
to put in." "Hard work!" "Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work.
Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office doesn't mean our brows
don't sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me
that is no less taxing."
He had the man where he wanted him and it was time to drive home the point.
"Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation
system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations
from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country.
Thousands of transactions accessing a single database at a given time;
concurrency, data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the
complexity in designing and coding such a system?"
The man was stuck with amazement, like a child at a planetarium. This was
something big and beyond his imagination.
"You design and code such things."
"I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "But now I am the project manager,"
"Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, "so your life is easy
now."
It was like being told the fire was better than the frying pan. The man had
to be given a feel of the heat.
"Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility
only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I
don't do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more
stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest
quality. And to tell you about the pressures! There is the customer at one
end always changing his requirements, the user wanting something else and
your boss always expecting you to have finished it yesterday."
Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realization.
What he had said was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the
truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth.
"My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you don't know what it is to be in
the line of fire."
The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he
spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.
"I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire," He was staring
blankly as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.
"There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover
of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where
the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we
finally hoisted the tricolor at the top only 4 of us were alive."
"You are a..."
"I am Subedar Sushant Singh from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in
Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a land
assignment. But tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life
easier. On the dawn of that capture one of my colleagues lay injured in the
snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. It was my job
to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain refused me permission
and went ahead himself. He said that the first pledge he had taken as a
Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost
followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded. His own personal
safety came last, always and every time. He was killed as he shielded that
soldier into the bunker. Every morning now as I stand guard I can see him
taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir, I
know what it is to be in the line of fire."
Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of his reply. Abruptly he switched
off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a word document in
the presence of a man for whom valor and duty was a daily part of life; a
valor and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical
heroes.
The train slowed down as it pulled into the station and Subedar Sushant
Singh picked up his bags to alight.
"It was nice meeting you sir."
Vivek fumbled with the handshake. This was the hand that had climbed
mountains, pressed the trigger and hoisted the tricolor. Suddenly as if by
impulse he stood at attention, and his right hand went up in an impromptu
salute.
It was the least he felt he could do for the country.
PS: The incident he narrates during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true life incident during the
Kargil war. Major Vikram Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one
of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and his
various other acts of bravery he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir
Chakra - the nation's highest military award
Kuttan
BRFite
Posts: 439
Joined: 12 Jul 1999 11:31

Simple patriotism

Post by Kuttan »

Youth pays heavy price for patriotism

Daily Pioneer, August 2003.

According to reports, Shubhan, a Muslim youth, dared to hoist the National Flag on August 15, in spite of threats from some youths of the same community. He was reportedly asked to unfurl the Pakistani flag on August 14 - Pakistan's independence day.

Some anti-social elements named Nausad, Shabeer, Naim and others had asked Shubhan to unfurl the Pakistani flag and had threatened him with dire consequences if he hoisted the Tricolour.
Rishi
Forum Moderator
Posts: 746
Joined: 29 Sep 2002 11:31
Location: Maximum City

Post by Rishi »

http://www.captainvijyantthapar.com/

I dont know if this has been posted before....

But its really something everyone must go through.

I read the "last letter" and it totally screwed me up.

Read it, and you'll understand why.
shiv
BRF Oldie
Posts: 34982
Joined: 01 Jan 1970 05:30
Location: Pindliyon ka Gooda

Post by shiv »

I know this has been featured on BR - still..

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanheral ... 04/n12.asp
Remembering an epic battle

It was an instance of heroism displayed by 21 men who took on 10,000 tribal marauders from Afghanistan in 1897.

FROM PUJAA AWASTTHI

DH NEWS SERVICE LUCKNOW:



War veterans and their relatives descended on Lucknow on Sunday to pay their honours and relive one of the finest battles the world has ever seen: The Battle of Saragarhi. The anniversary celebrations included a hair-raising enactment of what was titled the Mesmerising Epic Battle of Saragarhi.

Listed by UNESCO among the top eight examples of collective courage and part of the school curriculum in Punjab, some 16 kilometres from Lahore, a memorial thus remembers the heroism of 21 men from the 36th Sikh Regiment (now the 4th Sikh) of the Bengal Infantry who took on 10,000 tribal marauders from Afghanistan on September 12, 1897.

The Government of India has caused this tablet to be erected... a perpetual record of the heroism shown by these gallant soldiers fighting against overwhelming numbers thus providing their loyalty and devotion to their sovereign...

Commanded by Haviladar Ishwar Singh, the soldiers were guarding the Saragarhi Fort, an important link between Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulsitan on what was then the Indo-Afghan border when in the wee hours of that morning, Afridi and Orakzai tribals descended upon the fort. The gritty Sikhs held on to their post and foiled three attacks by afternoon.

As they fell to enemy firing, just one man, signaller Gurmukh Singh remained by 3 pm. Over his heliograph he signalled to the Battalion headquarters, The enemy are in! Shall I go on signalling or shall I take the rifle. Permission granted, he picked up his rifle and attacked the enemy with gusto, killing 20 of them before laying down his life. It is this instance of valour that gave to military vocabulary the phrase Last Man Last Bullet. On last count the soldiers had left 180 enemy tribesman dead and many more wounded.

The stunning display of courage brought battle honours to all the brave soldiers who fought it. It also got the regiment the Indian Order of Merit Class III (equivalent to the Param Veer Chakra) while the British Parliament suspended work to give the bravehearts a standing ovation.

Today the replica of a cairn raised from the Saragarhi fort (the original lies at the office of the NWFP governor) occupies the place of pride in the mess of the 4th Sikh officers and as Commanding Officer of the battalion Subhash Panwar says, Flickers like the brightest jewel in the Sikh turban. It was a sentiment echoed in the upright pride of former battalion members who attended the celebrations.
cbelwal

Post by cbelwal »

Today hearing the Beeb on NPR it was brought out that a newly de-classified British Intelligence document revealed that 3000 soldiers of the British Indian Army had fought for the Nazis. Apparently Netaji Subash Chandra Bose had met German top brass in Berlin and had formed the idea of captured Indian troops being trained to fight against the British. Their motivation was if they fought against the British it will help in India getting liberated.

Though the a!!hole of the beeb was saying this is the worst form of treachory I think those 3000 soldiers did a very bold and patriotic thing. There sole aim was to get India liberated and they sacrificed their vows for that. Though they will never be honored it will be a good idea to bring forth these men who othwerise will remain unsung.
parikh
BRFite -Trainee
Posts: 77
Joined: 30 Nov 2003 12:31

Post by parikh »

By the time dudes were trained the war was almost over,they got some mild action against the partisans in france in 1944-1945 when they were covering the german retreat from france ,they surrendered to the US forces in germany but where handed over to british who executed most of them
vksac
BRFite -Trainee
Posts: 17
Joined: 09 Jul 2004 11:31
Location: LA, USA

Post by vksac »

nandy_a wrote:Just got this in my mail and wanted to share with fellow BRites
To Moderator: Please move to any other thread if inappropriate.

A must read for all…….
Vivek Pradhan wasn't a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the First Class
air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi Express couldn't cool his frayed
nerves. He was the Project Manager and entitled to air travel. It was not
the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin guy, it was
the savings in time. A PM had so many things to do!
He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to
some good use.

"Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was staring
appreciatively at the laptop.
Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now
with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car.
"You people have brought so much advancement to the country sir. Today
everything is getting computerized."
'Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a detailed look. He
always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and
stocky like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that
little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was
a Railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.
"You people always amaze me," the man continued, "You sit in an office and
write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside."
Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naivety demanded reasoning not anger. "It is not
as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few
lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it." For a moment he was
tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained
himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex."
"It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply.
This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence came
into his so far affable, persuasive tone.
"Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have
to put in." "Hard work!" "Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work.
Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office doesn't mean our brows
don't sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me
that is no less taxing."
He had the man where he wanted him and it was time to drive home the point.
"Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation
system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations
from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country.
Thousands of transactions accessing a single database at a given time;
concurrency, data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the
complexity in designing and coding such a system?"
The man was stuck with amazement, like a child at a planetarium. This was
something big and beyond his imagination.
"You design and code such things."
"I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "But now I am the project manager,"
"Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, "so your life is easy
now."
It was like being told the fire was better than the frying pan. The man had
to be given a feel of the heat.
"Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility
only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I
don't do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more
stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest
quality. And to tell you about the pressures! There is the customer at one
end always changing his requirements, the user wanting something else and
your boss always expecting you to have finished it yesterday."
Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realization.
What he had said was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the
truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth.
"My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you don't know what it is to be in
the line of fire."
The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he
spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.
"I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire," He was staring
blankly as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.
"There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover
of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where
the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we
finally hoisted the tricolor at the top only 4 of us were alive."
"You are a..."
"I am Subedar Sushant Singh from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in
Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a land
assignment. But tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life
easier. On the dawn of that capture one of my colleagues lay injured in the
snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. It was my job
to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain refused me permission
and went ahead himself. He said that the first pledge he had taken as a
Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost
followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded. His own personal
safety came last, always and every time. He was killed as he shielded that
soldier into the bunker. Every morning now as I stand guard I can see him
taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir, I
know what it is to be in the line of fire."
Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of his reply. Abruptly he switched
off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a word document in
the presence of a man for whom valor and duty was a daily part of life; a
valor and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical
heroes.
The train slowed down as it pulled into the station and Subedar Sushant
Singh picked up his bags to alight.
"It was nice meeting you sir."
Vivek fumbled with the handshake. This was the hand that had climbed
mountains, pressed the trigger and hoisted the tricolor. Suddenly as if by
impulse he stood at attention, and his right hand went up in an impromptu
salute.
It was the least he felt he could do for the country.
PS: The incident he narrates during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true life incident during the
Kargil war. Major Vikram Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one
of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and his
various other acts of bravery he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir
Chakra - the nation's highest military award
Very good to read.
Kartik
BRF Oldie
Posts: 5722
Joined: 04 Feb 2004 12:31

Post by Kartik »

true. nicely written.
putnanja
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4665
Joined: 26 Mar 2002 12:31
Location: searching for the next al-qaida #3

Post by putnanja »

Thambis' Triumph
On September 22/23, 1965, Ichhogil Bund was captured by the 9th battalion of Madras Regiment, under the command of Lt Col BK Satyan in a terrific hand-to-hand fight. The fight ended with the annihilation of approximately two Pakistani companies which attempted to re-occupy the eastern bund of Ichhogil Canal.

Arms and ammunition recovered in the battle of Ichhogil Bund


A company was sent away for a different task only that evening. The battalion had three rifle companies at its disposal. Orders were given in no time. But there was hardly any time for the Company Commanders to pass the orders. However, they knew their Thambis. With brief orders, companies went in the following order : ‘D’ company was given the task to clear the bund upto KG Hut; ‘C’ company to clear from KG Hut to Centre Hut and ‘B’ company upto Broken Hut. The whole of divisional artillery and mortars opened up at ‘H-20’. The tanks also lined up in front of village Barka-Kalan and started pounding on the bund and kept the enemy pinned down with their Brownings. ‘B’ and ‘D’ companies reached their positions without much casualties. But when ‘C’ company got out of its position, it was caught up in enemy’s cross-fire. Fifty per cent got wounded including the Company Commander, Maj Dharam Pal.

Young Uniyal, a gallant fighter from Tehri Garhwal, and a school teacher before joining the Army, was the first to lead his platoon into the battle. With a bayonet fixed on his sten, he led his men right into the bund in the face of thousands of tracers from enemy MMGs. When he reached two hundred yards short of the objective, heavy MMG and LMG fire came from a pill-box north of the KG Hut and the platoon was held up.

Thambis at Bakri in Pakistan

Uniyal knew that clearing of this position was very important for the success of the whole operation. He crawled forward with his men. Two gallant young volunteers of his platoon, Sep Narayanan and Sep Bhaskaran came forward to silence the enemy guns. They crawled under the cover of tall grass and within twenty minutes those guns were silenced. No one knew what Thambis’ Triumph Arms and ammunition recovered in the battle of Ichhogil Bund happened to them in the thick of the battle. Uniyal and his platoon rushed forward, cleared the enemy and occupied the pill-box, and from then onwards, charged and cleared trench after trench. Sometimes, the Thambis lifted the enemy out physically and pushed them into the water. It was a hand-to-hand fight. A good number of Pakistani soldiers, leaving their arms, jumped into the canal in an attempt to cross, but hardly anyone reached the other side as they were swept away in the fast current of the canal. The rest were found dead in the trenches with shell or bayonet wounds.

The battalion captured one officer and ten ORs in this operation. The bund was echoing with war cries of Adi Kollu for one hour. Killing, firing and hurling of grenades across the canal went on unceasing till 3 am. The way battalion’s stretcher- bearers evacuated and treated casualties during the battle put everybody in awe. A good piper, Reddy, was hit by an enemy MMG and he fell dead. When the ambulance jeep attached from the advance dressing station went out of action, the medical NCO, Thankappan known as Rasam in the battalion, took the wheel of the Medical Inspection Room truck and made at least ten trips, evacuating the casualties throughout that night. The battalion had killed fortyeight Pak soldiers and presumably eighty Pak soldiers were washed away in the canal while attempting to cross. This figure was verified by the Pak Commanding Officer who came to collect the dead after the ceasefire.

The outstanding feature of this battle was that an attack was launched by one battalion less a company against a well co-ordinated defence position occupied by approximately two Pak companies with a complex of MMGs and pill-boxes. The attack was launched within the minimum time with brief orders. In the morning of September 23, when the Pakistani CO met his counterpart, he did not speak a word. He came with a grim look accompanied by a company commander and a few men, collected the dead bodies and rowed across the canal.

In the wee hours of September 23, Sep Narayanan and Sep Bhaskaran of the leading platoon were found dead in a pool of blood. Sep Narayanan was within a few feet of the pill-box, presumably after throwing a grenade through the slit of the pill-box which held three Pak soldiers—a machine gunner, a light machine gunner and a rifleman with unlimited quantity of ammunition. Sep Narayanan had six bullets across his face.

Mother of Late Sep Bhaskaran Nair receiving Vir Chakra

The whole battalion was able to sweep past only because of gallant fighters and the supreme sacrifices of men. Sep Mallappan was sitting dead holding his MMG tight and Sep Ramachandran was dead with a big splinter in his stomach. The concrete pill-box and the bund, splashed with the blood of young heroes, twisted telephone poles with traces of blood and shell holes were evidence of the heroic actions of Thambis.

In this heroic action, 27 Terrors made supreme sacrifice. The battalion was honoured with one Vir Chakra, two Sena Medals, twelve mentioned -in- despatches and theatre honour - Punjab.
putnanja
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4665
Joined: 26 Mar 2002 12:31
Location: searching for the next al-qaida #3

Post by putnanja »

Captain Courage
Capt Gurbachan Singh Salaria is the only Indian soldier to have earned the coveted Param Vir Chakra (PVC) in any UN Peacekeeping mission. He earned the honour in Congo.


The portrait of Capt S Salaria being
unveiled at National Defence Academy
by his brother Prof Salaria

Congo, a colony of Belgium, became independent on June 30, 1960. The people of the colony remained extremely backward. Foreign commercial elements continued to exploit them even after independence. In addition to it, Congo had many other teething problems on attaining independence. Its army mutinied which prompted Belgium to intervene without the concurrence of the Congolese government. Later, the mineral-rich province of Katanga seceded. It was followed by another province, Kasai. Congo appealed to the UN for help, which was promptly agreed to on July 14, 1960. Belgium was called to withdraw its troops and UN forces were dispatched to restore order and normalcy.

About the same time, Brig IJ Rikhye was detached from the UNEF in Gaza and was appointed Chief Military Adviser to the UN Secretary General. Incidentally, the UN operation in Congo, termed as Organisation de Nations Unies au Congo (ONUC) 1960-63, stands out as the mission in which the largest number of Indian troops participated.

The initial Indian contribution to the ONUC included personnel from 152 General Hospital, a signal company, military police and postal services. Brig Harmander Singh was appointed as the Commander of the Indian contingent. Subsequently, at the behest of the UN, India enlarged its contingent to a brigade group. The formation selected was 99 Infantry Brigade Group commanded by Brig KAS Raja. Based at Albertville, it consisted of 1 Dogra, 2 Jat, 3/1 Gorkha Rifles, a squadron of 63 Cavalry, 120 Heavy Mortar Battery, 13 Field Company, a Company from 4 Mahar (Machine Gun) and 95 Field Ambulance. The infantry units alongwith the personnel of supporting arms and services were turned over after a year.

Mr Moise Tshombe, the leader of the breakaway Katanga province, had a gendarmarie (French term for soldiers performing police duties) comprising thousands of troops under Belgian army officers. The UN Command initially tried to effect reconciliation between the breakaway province and the Congolese central government but it did not succeed. It was, therefore, decided to use force to bring the province back into the folds of the country. The 99 Infantry Brigade, less a battalion, was sent to Katanga province for this purpose. The brigade succeeded in clearing parts of Katanga province but, in the meantime, Mr Tshombe escaped to Northern Rhodesia. Subsequently, in September 1961, a ceasefire was brought about. But within a month the situation once again seemed to be getting out of hand. The Indian troops were directed to deal with the situation firmly.

During the second half of November, while elements of 3/1 Gorkha Rifles were moving out for deployment within and around ElizabethVille, there were violent attacks on UN personnel. On November 28, two senior UN officers were taken captive, beaten and later released. Maj Ajit Singh of 3/1 Gorkha Rifles was also taken captive and driver was brutally murdered when they went to the rescue of some UN officials.

Some days later, a company of 3/1 Gorkha Rifles was fired upon and many UN personnel were abducted from various parts of ElizabethVille. The Gorkhas soon re-consolidated. On December 5, one of 3/1 Gorkha Rifles companies, supported by two Swedish armoured cars, attacked a road-block that the gendarmarie had put up between the headquarters of Katanga Command and the airfield and isolated 38 people belonging to faction groups.

As a part of the attack plan, a detachment, consisting of two sections of this battalion, had advanced from the airfield in two Swedish armoured personnel carriers so as to cut off the enemy’s retreat from the road-block. This small body, under Capt Gurbachan Singh Salaria, came under heavy fire from an enemy position when they reached about a mile from the road-block. Salaria at once decided to attack the enemy position which, it was later discovered, had about 90 men defending it together with two armoured cars. Supported by a rocket-launcher, Salaria led his bands comprising 16 Gorkhas into a tactical position using grenades and unsheathed khukris. Fully realizing the disproportionate ratio of force of his small platoon of 16 men, against more than 90 opponents, he soon rallied his men behind him and charged the enemy position in a fierce khukri assault. More than 40 rebels were killed in the course of action. Capt Gurbachan Singh Salaria was also wounded in the fight. Two bullets pierced his neck and he collapsed on the last line of trenches. The ferocity of the attacked, the blood curdling war cry of the Gorkhas - Ayo Gorkhali (the Gorkhas have arrived) and the flashing khukris was too much for the gendarmarie which fled in confusion leaving its dead and wounded behind. Though Salaria was wounded by a burst of automatic fire during the action, he continued to fight till he collapsed.

By January 1962, the ONUC, with the help of the Indian Brigade particularly 3/1 Gorkha Rifles, had creditably regained full control over Katanga, but not without the supreme sacrifice made by many Indian soldiers in ‘blue berets’ of the likes of Capt Gurbachan Singh Salaria.
Rishi
Forum Moderator
Posts: 746
Joined: 29 Sep 2002 11:31
Location: Maximum City

Post by Rishi »

http://pib.nic.in/archieve/phtgalry/pg0799/pjul99.html

Note:To whoever is making the site..

Please go through the pictures above
Post Reply