SRINAGAR: Captain Kalia, Captain Batra and Lance Naik Khan were among over 500 soldiers who made supreme sacrifice to recapture all heights in Kargil and Drass sectors from Pakistani intruders who had occupied these heights when Indian troops had withdrawn as per agreement during winter in 1999. Capture of heights near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kargil and Drass with the intention by Pakistan to snap strategically important road link between Srinagar and Leh came to light in March, when there was several feet of snow.
The Army is celebrating ” Vijay Diwas” on July 25 and 26 at Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia. family members of martyrs besides, senior Army and civil officers will pay floral tributes at the War Memorial.
Giving some details of the dare devil actions by Indian troops who without caring for their lives, offensive against the Pakistani intruders who were occupying heights, a defence ministry spokesman said.
He said in May 1999 the 12 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAK LI) was inducted into Yaldor sub sector with a task to drive a wedge between the enemy’s defence, on Point 5203 and those on the Khalubar Ridge, which were separated by the Junk Lungpa (Lungpa translates as stream from Ladakhi).
The Battalion inducted through the Junk Lungpa at night under the nose of the enemy. Consequently, heavy artillery and machine gun was directed upon them with the result on June 1, the Battalion captured Point 5390, which was thereafter utilised to bring down artillery fire onto enemy defence, which caused massive damage to their positions.
On June 7, 1999, 12 JAK LI and 5 PARA launched their attack and by the next morning, they had reached within striking distance of the enemy’s position, where they lay quietly throughout the day.
In the evening, the enemy launched counter attacks just as our forces were about to launch their assault. 12 JAK LI lost Captain Amol Kalia in a valiant action to beat back the enemy’s second counter attack. On that fateful night, 13 brave hearts of 12 JAK LI made the supreme sacrifice, beating back counter attack after counter attack launched from well prepared defences by the enemy.
Captain Amol Kalia, Subedar Bahadur Singh and Lance Naik Ghulam Mohammad Khan were awarded Veer Chakra (Posthumous) for their acts of bravery that night, he said.
For 12 days, the troops held on to their tenuous defences under fire. Finally, on June 20, a multi directional attack was launched on the feature by one company of 5 PARA and two companies of Karakoram Wing Ladakh Scouts, which succeeded in making the enemy abandon their defences and run for their lives.
By 0700 Hour on June 21 1999, Point 5203 had been recaptured. Seven dead bodies of the troops of 7 NLI of Pakistan which had been left behind by their comrades were given a military funeral by the troops of 12 JAK LI.
Captain BM Cariappa of 5 PARA was awarded a Veer Chakra for his act of gallantry that night and for later battles. Spokesman said on June 7, 12 JAK LI launched their attack on Point 5203 under Major Sanjiv Dutt and Captain Amol Kalia.
Climbing from the Junk Lungpa, the troops reached close to the enemy position by first light of June 8, where they lay quietly throughout the day to avoid alerting the enemy.
The enemy was alerted in the same evening just as our troops were preparing to launch the assault. A fierce counterattack at 2300 Hours was beaten back by our soldiers.
Leading from the front, Captain Amol Kalia assaulted the nearest enemy position with a handful of men and managed to capture the position. At 0300 Hours on June 9, the enemy launched a second counter attack supported by artillery, machine guns and RPGs from two directions.
In the hand-to-hand fight that followed, Captain Kalia’s LMG crew was killed. The Officer took over the LMG himself and killed three enemy personnel, injuring three others. During this action, he was seriously injured by a burst of bullets.
In spite of this, he continued to fight till his last breath and succumbed to his injuries only when the counter attack had been beaten back and the position had been reinforced by our forces.
For showing raw courage beyond the call of duty in the face of the enemy, dynamic leadership and utmost professional dedication with complete disregard for his own safety, Captain Amol Kalia was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra.
Giving details about recapture of Tololing, he said Naik Digendra Kumar was Commander of the Light Machine Gun Group during his company’s assault on the night of June 12-13, 1999. When the assault group was nearing its objective, it came under effective fire from well-concealed UMGs, HMGs and other small arms, leading to heavy casualities.
Naik Digendra Kumar was hit by a bullet in his left arm. Undaunted and unmindful of his own injury, he took up a position in the open and kept firing with one hand. Throughout the assault, he brought down effective and accurate LMG fire on the enemy, keeping his head down and enabling the assault group of his company to advance towards the objective.
Finally, under the cover of his effective fire, our troops physically assaulted the enemy position and cleared it after a fierce hand-to-hand fight.
Despite being seriously wounded, Naik Digendra Kumar placed duty and service before self. It was his courageous action in exposing himself to risk to facilitate the assault of his comrades that, enabled the assault group to finally capture the peak.
For displaying conspicuous gallantry, single-minded devotion to duty and exemplary determination despite being seriously injured, Naik Digendra Kumar was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.
Major Vivek Gupta was in command of the leading ‘C’ Company during the attack on Tololing Top in the Drass sub-sector on the night of June 12-13 1999. Despite heavy artillery and withering automatic fire, under the inspiring leadership of Major Gupta, the company was able to close in with the enemy.
As soon as the company emerged in the open, they came under intense multi-directional fire. Major Gupta reacted immediately and fired a rocket launcher at the enemy position. Before the shocked enemy could recover, Major Gupta personally led a charge on the enemy position and was hit by two bullets.
Despite the injuries sustained by him, he kept leading from the front and urged his men forward. On reaching the position he fearlessly engaged the enemy in fire and hand-to-hand combat and killed three enemy soldiers. Taking inspiration from the gallant deeds of their leader, the rest of the company charged onto the enemy position and soon overran it.
However, in the ensuing close quarter combat, Major Gupta was hit by another volley of enemy bullets and made the supreme sacrifice on Tololing Top with victory at his feet.
For conspicuous gallantry and inspiring leadership in the face of overwhelming odds, despite grave injuries Maj Vivek Gupta was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.
He said on July 7, 1999 Captain Vikram Batra volunteered to assault and recapture the area north of Point 4875 from where an enemy locality was interfering actively in the operations of 13 JAK RIF.
The task involved an assault along a narrow ridge with sharp cuttings on either side to clear a heavily fortified feature. Personally leading the assault Captain Batra engaged the enemy in a fierce hand to hand fight and killed five enemy soldiers at point blank range.
During the assault he sustained grievous injuries. Despite his injuries. Captain Batra crawled towards the next enemy sangar and continued to hurl grenades and fire from his AK 47.
However, despite stiff resistance from the enemy this gallant officer refused to yield ground. He was focused on only one direction of movement and that was forward. He rallied his men, pressed home the attack and finally succeeded in achieving what had seemed to be a militarily impossible task. Inspired by this extraordinary display of fearlessness and raw courage by their leader the troops fell upon the enemy with vengeance and vanquished him.
Earlier, on June 20 1999, Captain Vikram Batra then leading ‘D’ Company had displayed sterling leadership qualities by leading from the front to physically assault enemy positions on point 5140 in the Drass sub- sector. He had launched a daredevil assault on the enemy, who was well entrenched and armed to the teeth with sophisticated weapons.
Pouncing in the enemy, he personally killed four intruders in a hand to hand fight. With victory at this feet and cries of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Durge Mata ki jai” resounding in his ears, this brave son of India made the supreme sacrifice and wrote a new saga of courage that will further enrich the traditions of the Indian Army.
For his unparalleled feats of personal gallantry and fearlessness in the face of enemy, exceptional fighting spirit, exemplary junior leadership and selfless devotion to duty, Captain Vikram Batra was posthumously awarded the Pram Vir Chakra India’s highest military award. (AGENCIES)
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