Kargil War Heroes

Cdt Ritu Santosh Botre 1MAH Girls BN NCC Mumbai B group JBC thane. Kargil war heroes Captain Vikram Batra, (13 JAK RIF) "I will either come back after raising the Indian flag in victory or return wrapped in it." Captain Vikram Batra of the 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifle immortalised himself by turning a soft-drink ad's tagline "Yeh dil mange more" (My heart asks for more) into an iconic war cry while showcasing on national television the enemy's machine guns he had captured in his first gallant exploits in the Kargil war. He died fighting Pakistani forces during the Kargil war in 1999 at the age of 24. He was given the highest wartime gallantry award Param Vir Chakra posthumously. Due to his exemplary feat, Captain Vikram was awarded many titles. He came to be fondly called the 'Tiger of Drass', the 'Lion of Kargil', the 'Kargil Hero', and so on. Pakistanis called him Sher Shah after the ferocious warrior king of medieval India. Captain Vikram’s most difficult mission was the capture of crucial peak – Point 4875. He had led his team despite high fever and got fatally injured trying to save another officer. Lieutenant Balwan Singh (18 Grenadiers) "Tiger Hill pe Tiranga fahrake ayenge, chahe kuchh bhi ho jaye." ("We will hoist the Tricolour atop Tiger Hill, come what may.") Lt Balwan Singh, now a Colonel, was the Tiger of Tiger Hill -- the decisive battle of the Kargil wara. Singh was tasked with the recapture of Tiger Hill. At 25, he led soldiers of the Ghatak platoon through a steep, treacherous path on 12-hour journey to reach the hilltop. The assault took the enemy by surprise as India was not expected to take such a difficult route. In the ensuing close combat, Lt Singh killed four enemy soldiers despite being serious injured. Rest of the Pakistani soldiers opted to flee than facing wrath of the brave Indian officer. He planted the Indian tricolour atop the Tiger Hill and was later awarded the Mahavir Chakra for his bravery. Before setting off for the Tiger Hill, Lt Singh took a vow with his soldiers: Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav (18 Grenadiers) Then 19-years-old, Yogendra Singh Yadav (now Subedar Major) was the youngest person to ever be awarded the Param Vir Chakra. He was the sole survivor of an attack on Tiger Hill in which he took 15 bullets. He was a part of the Ghatak platoon that recaptured three strategic bunkers on Tiger Hill on July 4, 1999. Yadav led the assault but halfway through enemy lines opened fires, killing his colleagues. Yadav, was himself hit by several bullets which rendered his left arm immobile. 2 Determined to achieve his objective, Yadav strapped his arm in a belt, wrapped a bandana around his leg and continued to fight the enemy. He killed four enemy soldiers in close combat and silenced the automatic fire. This gave the rest of his platoon the opportunity to climb up the cliff and capture the positions Major Rajesh Adhikari (18 Grenadiers) On May 14, 1999, Major Rajesh Adhikari was leading the central arm of three 10-man teams trying to capture a bunker at 16,000 ft at the Tololing feature. He displayed exemplary valour in recapturing Tololing, where he engaged in direct combat with the Pakistani soldiers guarding the bunkers. Major Adhikari suffered serious bullet injuries to which he succumbed beyond enemy lines on May 15. He was the second army officer to be martyred in Kargil war. His body was recovered 13 days later. In his pocket was an unread letter from his wife. He was posthumously awarded Mahavir Chakra for his bravery. Major Vivek Gupta (2 RR) Vivek Gupta of the 2 Rajputana Rifles was leading a dangerous uphill assault against the Pakistani intruders. He captured two bunkers before being enemy bullets tore open his torso in Drass. The Major lay in the snow alongside dead colleagues for two days. He died fighting exactly seven years after being commissioned in the 2nd Rajputana Rifles – June 13, 1992. 3 .

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