Brave Sons of the Motherland

Mike_Brando · Aug 15, 2015

10 Param Vir Chakra Stories Every Indian Needs To Read

Living a very comfortable life, we often forget that this life doesn't come to us for free. There are some men in uniform giving their sweat and blood 24x7 for us to live that way. Here are 10 stories of such brave men, who not only saved the lives of many with their gallantry but also showed us the true meaning of bravery.

For their supreme acts of bravery, cold courage and devotion to duty, they were also decorated with the Param Vir Chakra, the highest Indian gallantry award.
1. Major Som Nath Sharma
Major Sharma was awarded the medal for his bravery in the Kashmir operations in November 1947. Even though his right hand was cast in a plaster, he insisted on being with his comrades in battle.
While he was busy fighting the enemy, a mortar shell exploded on the ammunition near him. His last message to Brigade HQ was received a few moments before he was killed. He said, "The enemies 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 our last man and our last round."
The brave soldier gave his life fighting, but prevented the fall of Srinagar and perhaps the Kashmir Valley to Pakistan.
Som Nath Sharma - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2. Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria
When a civil war-like situation developed in Congo after the Belgians quit the country, the United Nations opted for military intervention to retrieve the situation in which India contributed by sending an army of around 3000 men to the UN Force.
Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, who was commissioned in the 1 Gorkha Rifles in June 1957, prevented the enemy from going to the roundabout, saving the UN Headquarters in Elizabethville from encirclement. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his extraordinary leadership and devotion to duty.

3. Major Dhan Singh Thapa
Major Thapa was commissioned at the 8 Gorkha Rifles in August 1949.
The Sirijap Valley in the north of the Pangong Lake, Ladakh, was considered important for the defence of Chushul Airfield. The 1/8 Gorkha Rifles had outposts there to thwart th enemy from encroaching. Sirijap-1 - one of these posts - was held by a platoon of D Company under the command of Major Thapa when the Chinese attacked India in October 1962. Major Thapa revolted the attack and the enemy had to pay heavy losses.
Dhan Singh Thapa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

4. Abdul Hamid
During the 1965 Indo-Pak War, 4 Indian Division was entrusted with the responsibility of capturing Pak territory East of Ichhogil Canal and containing possible enemy attack on Kasur-Khem Karan axis.
The enemy tanks had penetrated the forward company positions. Hamid was commanding a recoilless gun detachment and knocked out two enemy tanks, following which the enemy brought down their concentrated machine gun and shot high explosive fire at him. Even though he was badly wounded and bleeding profusely, he didn’t care about himself and kept firing.
Abdul Hamid (soldier) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Abdul Hamid (soldier) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Jeep used by Hamid.

5. Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon
During the 1971 operations, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was with No. 18 Flying Bullets Squadron flying the Folland Gnat fighter-based in Srinagar. He, along with his colleagues, fought successive waves of intruding Pakistani aircraft with fearlessness.
Srinagar Airfield was attacked by a wave of six enemy Sabre aircraft in December 1971. Sekhon took off and immediately engaged a pair of the attacking Sabres. He succeeded in damaging two of the enemy aircrafts, but his own aircraft crashed and he was killed. He was awarded for his heroism and supreme gallantry.
Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

6. Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran
Many Indian Army units were dispatched to Sri Lanka to maintain law and order under the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement. In November 1987, Major Parameswaran and his column were trapped by a group of militants. Showing great presence of mind, Major Parameswaran encircled them from the rear.
This was followed by a hand-to-hand battle in which one of the militants shot him in the chest. Impervious of his injury, he snatched the rifle from the militant and shot him dead. Even though he was critically wounded, he continued to give orders and inspired his command till he his last breath.

Ramaswamy Parameshwaran - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mike_Brando · Aug 15, 2015

Continued.....
7. Manoj Kumar Pandey
Captain Pandey was the platoon commander in the 1999 Operation Vijay during the advance to Khalubar in the Batalik sector.He led his men to recapture the Jubar Top. The battalion's progress was halted by a determined enemy firmly entrenched on commanding heights. Pandey stepped forward to take on the mission. Displaying great courage, he surged ahead of his troops and charged at the enemy with a full throated battle cry through a hail of bullets.

Although wounded in the shoulder and leg, he pressed on his solitary charge with determination from trench to trench. Critically bleeding, he collapsed at the final trench and finally succumbed to his injuries, but not before all the enemies were destroyed. His last words were, 'Na Chodna' (Don't leave them).
Manoj Kumar Pandey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey (circled) with other officers during Operation Vijay

8. Yogender Singh Yadav

Grenadier Yadav was honoured for displaying exemplary courage during the 1999 Kargil war. He was part of the leading team of a Ghatak Platoon to capture Tiger Hill. Unmindful of the danger involved, Grenadier Yadav volunteered to lead and fix the rope for his team to climb up the steep, snowbound and rocky top.

On seeing them, the enemy opened intense grenade, rocket and artillery fire killing the Commander and two of his colleagues. Realising the gravity of the situation, Grenadier Yadav crawled up to the enemy position to silence it, sustaining multiple bullet wounds. However, he continued climbing and firing, killing four enemy soldiers in close combat. He refused to be evacuated and continued the charge despite taking numerous bullet hits. Inspired by his gallant act, the platoon finally captured Tiger Hill Top. He was awarded for his courage and determination under extreme adverse circumstances.
Yogendra Singh Yadav - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

9. Rifleman Sanjay Kumar

Rifleman Sanjay Kumar was posted with 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and led the scout of a team tasked to capture Area Flat Top of Point 4875 in the Mushkoh Valley held by Pakistani-backed militants in 1999. He crawled alone up the ledge towards the enemy bunker through a storm of fire not giving two hoots about his own safety.

Even though he was bleeding profusely from bullet wounds, he picked up the enemy machine gun and crawled further towards the second enemy bunker and killed three enemy soldiers. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his display of bravery.
Sanjay Kumar (soldier) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

10. Captain Vikram Batra

Captain Vikram Batra, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, and his Delta Company were given the task of recapturing Point 5140. He single-handedly killed three enemy soldiers in close combat which left him seriously injured. Unmindful of his injuries, he insisted on continuing with the task at hand.
Motivated by the amazing courage displayed by him, the soldiers of 13 JAK Rifles charged at the enemy position and captured Point 5140 in June 1999. The brave soldier was tragically killed when he tried to rescue an injured officer during an enemy counter attack.

Vikram Batra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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(Left to Right) Captain Vikram Batra, Major Vikas Vohra, Major Rajesh W Adhau and LT Colonel YK Joshi

Courtesy:-Rachna Bisht Rawat's The Brave

10 Param Vir Chakra Stories Every Indian Needs To Read
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Mike_Brando · Aug 15, 2015

Naik Jadunath Singh
Naik Jadunath Singh was in command of a forward post in Kashmir during the 1947-48 operation there.

The enemy attacked early one Feb morning. Jadunath and his men beat back the attack but four of them were wounded. The second attack came shortly afterwards. The nine men in the picket were heavily outnumbered and soon all of them were bleeding from variuos wounds but Jadunath spurred them on with words of encouragement. When his gunner was hit he took over the gun himself and the accuracy of his fire power and his daring forced the enemy to withdraw.

When the third attack came, Jadunath rushed out firing from his sten gun. The enemy was taken back in surprise and fled in disorder. However two bullets hit Jadunath, one in the head and other in the chest.

He died of his wounds but he had saved his picket from being overrun by the enemy.
Jadunath Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously.
Jadu Nath Singh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lt. Rama Raghoba Rane
In April 1948 at the height of the Jammu and Kashmir Operations, the Indian advance towards Rajauri was held up by several enemy road blocks and mine fields.
But over a period of two days, by the 10th of April, 2nd Lt. Ramaa Raghoba Rane and his men of the corps of Engineers had cleared the area of mine fields despite losing two sappers in the operation. Despite the injuries sustained by Rane and five others, they worked through all the night of 8-9th April preparing a safe lane for the armour advance. Next morning braving incessant enemy machine gun fire they cleared a huge road block surrounded by mines within two hours.
When the Indian progress was held up by another roadblock 13 kms ahead, an unfazed Rane drove up to it in a tank and blasted the obstructions away. A day later he again worked for seventeen hours to open up the road to Chingas and beyond.
Without the Herculean efforts, the Indian advances to Rajuari might never have happened. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his ' grim determination and tireless diligence.
Rama Raghoba Rane - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Company Havildar Major Piru Singh
During an Indian offensive in the Tithwal sector in July 1948, a Company of 6 Rajputana Rifles came under heavy fire while traversing a mountainous path. Seeing his comrades mowed down by machine guns, Company Havildar Major Piru Singh was filled with rage. Shouting his battle cry"Raja Ramchandra ki Jai" he charged the enemy by post. Grenade splinters pierced several parts of his body but that could not stop him. He bayoneted the crew of the machine gun and occupied the post. Bleeding profusely he crawled to the next enemy gun post and on reaching it, leaped into the enemy trench and then fell down dead.
On the night of 14/15 April ,1948, he marched his men 13 kms to launch a drawn attack on the enemy at Kopra which was defended by two companies with more in reserve. The surprise attack however evened the odds in favour of the outnumbered Indians. The enemy was routed.
Company Havildar Major Piru Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for the extraordinary courage he had shown while confronting the enemy.
Piru Singh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lance Naik Karam Singh
Lance Naik Karam Singh was in command of a forward post in the Tithwal sector during the Jammu & Kashmir operations in 1948.
The enemy attacked the outpost again and again, eight times in all but despite being heavily outnumbered Karam Singh and his men beat back every attack.
Though wounded Karam Singh crawled from place to place encouraging his men to fight on. He refused to be evacuated even when wounded a second time. At one stage whe it looked as if the enemy would break through, he drove him back with hand grenades.
During one attack two enemy soldiers almost reached the trenches. If Karam Singh had fired he might have hit his own men so he leaped out of the trench and bayoneted the two men. Awed by his fury the other enemy soldiers turned and fled abandoning all the ideas of capturing the post.

Lance Naik Karam Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his heroic defence of his post.
Karam Singh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Subedar Joginder Singh Sahnan
During the Sino Indian conflict of 1962 a Sikh platoon commanded by Subedar Joginder Singh in Tawang sector, came under attack on the morning of 23rd October.

The first two attacks were beaten back, but the platoon lost half of its men and the commander was wounded in the high.

The third attack was the fiercest. The enemy came in waves. When their ammunition ran out Subedar Singh called out to his few remaining men to follow him and shouting the Sikh battle cry"Wahe Guruji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guruji ki Fateh" they charged the enemy with their bayonets and went down fighting. Subedar Joginder Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his inspiring courage and devotion to duty, posthumously.

Lance Naik Gurung was posthumously awarded the Mahavir Chakra for his courage and gallantry.
Joginder Singh Sahnan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia