Vikram Batra
| Captain Vikram Batra Param Vir Chakra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s) | Sher Shah[1] |
| Born |
9 September 1974 Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India |
| Died |
7 July 1999 (aged 24) Pt. 4875, Kargil, Jammu & Kashmir, India |
| Allegiance |
 Republic of India |
| Service/branch |
 Indian Army |
| Years of service | 1996–1999 |
| Rank |
 Captain |
| Service number | IC 57556 |
| Unit | 13 JAK RIF |
| Battles/wars |
Kargil War Operation Vijay Battle of Tiger Hill |
| Awards |
 Param Vir Chakra |
Captain Vikram Batra, PVC (9 September 1974 – 7 July 1999) was an officer of the Indian Army, posthumously awarded with the Param Vir Chakra,[2] India's highest and prestigious award for valour, for his actions during the 1999 Kargil War in Kashmir between India and Pakistan. He led one of the toughest operations in mountain warfare in Indian history. He was often called as ‘'Sher Shah'’ in the intercepted messages of the Pakistan army.[3]
Early life and career
Vikram Batra was born on 9 September 1974 in Ghuggar village near Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, to G.L. Batra and Jai Kamal Batra. He got his primary education from his mother, who herself was a teacher. He received his education up to Middle Standard at the D.A.V. Public School in Palampur and up to senior secondary stage in Central School, Palampur. After passing his 10+2 in 1992 from Central School Palampur, he got admitted in D.A.V. College, Chandigarh in B.Sc where he was adjudged the best N.C.C. Cadet (Air Wing) in two zones. Later, he was selected to join the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun in 1996 in Jessore company of Manekshaw Battalion, and was commissioned in the Indian Army as a Lieutenant of the 13 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles at Sopore, in Jammu and Kashmir. He rose to the rank of Captain.[4]
Kargil War
 Video about Captain Vikram Batra on YouTube showing a reenactment of his final battle during Kargil War, narrated by his then-commanding officer, Yogesh Kumar Joshi |
During the Kargil invasion of 1999 by Pakistan, Lt. Batra (at time), 13 JAK Rifles, and his Delta Company were ordered to recapture peak 5140 on June 19, 1999 five weeks after the war began. Nicknamed Sher Shah ('Lion King') in Urdu for his courage which also doubled as his call sign,[1] he decided to approach the hill from the rear, aiming to surprise the Pakistani defenders. He and his men ascended the sheer rock-cliff, but as the group neared the top, the enemy pinned them on the face of the bare cliff with machine gun fire. Captain Batra, along with five of his men, climbed up regardless and after reaching the top, hurled two grenades at the machine gun post. He single-handedly killed three enemy soldiers in close combat. He was seriously injured in the process, but insisted on regrouping his men to continue with the mission. Inspired by the courage displayed by Captain Batra, the soldiers of 13 JAK Rifles charged the enemy position and captured Point 5140 at 3:30 a.m. on 20 June 1999. His company is credited with killing at least eight Pakistani intruders and recovering a heavy machine gun.[4]
The capture of Point 5140 set in motion a string of successes, such as Point 5100, Point 4700, Junction Peak and Three Pimples. Along with fellow Captain Anuj Nayyar, Batra led his men to victory with the recapture of Point 4750 and Point 4875. This led to the fall of Tiger Hill and India’s eventual hold on the valley was strengthened.
Nine days later, Vikram Batra was assigned to an urgent mission to recapture peak 4875. This was one of the most difficult peaks to capture as the Pakistani troops sat above the peak at 16,000 feet and the climb gradient was 80 degrees. The fog made matters worse for Batra and his team. In the early morning hours of 7 July 1999, he commanded a mission to rescue an injured officer during a Pakistani counterattack against Point 4875. During the rescue attempt, he pushed aside his Subedar, saying "Tu baal-bacchedar hai, hat ja peeche."(You have children, step aside)[4] and was killed in action while clearing enemy positions.[5] His last words were, "Jai Mata Di.",[5] which is a Punjabi creed referring to Durgadevi, the Hindu Goddess of Victory.
Param Vir Chakra
The Param Vir Chakra citation on the Official Indian Army Website reads as follows:
| “ | CAPTAIN VIKRAM BATRA During “Operation Vijay”, on 20 June 1999, Captain Vikram Batra Commander Delta Company was tasked to attack point 5140. he skirted around the feature from the East with his company and maintaining surprise reached within the assaulting distance of the enemy. Reorganising his column, he motivated his men to physically assault the enemy positions. Leading from the front in a daredevil assault, he pounced on the enemy and killed four of them in a hand-to-hand fight. On 7 July 1999, in another operation in the area of Point 4875, his company was tasked to clear a narrow feature with sharp cutting on either side and heavily fortified enemy defences that covered the only approach to it. In a speedy operation, Captain Batra assaulted the enemy positions along narrow ridge and engaged the enemy in a fierce hand-t-hand fight and killed five enemy soldiers at point blank range. Despite sustaining grave injuries, he crawled towards the enemy and hurled grenades clearing the position. With utter disregard to his personal safety leading from the front he rallied his men and pressed on the attack the helped achieve a near impossible military task in the face of heavy enemy fire. The officer, however, succumbed to his injuries. Inspired by his daredevil act, his troops fell upon the enemy with vengeance, annihilated them and captured Point 4875 Captain Vikram Batra, thus, displayed the most conspicuous bravery and leadership of the highest order in the face of the enemy and made supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the India Army. |
” |
| — Indian Army, [5][6] | ||
In popular culture
In the 2003 Hindi film LOC Kargil, based on the entire Kargil conflict Abhishek Bachchan[7] played the role of Captain Batra.
Legacy
Captain Batra is also well known in India for using the slogan, Yeh Dil Maange More! as his signal to communicate mission success.[1] He is also known for an interview in which he stated that Pakistani Soldiers were aware of him as "Sher Shah" and addressed him as such in the middle of engagements.[1][4][8][9]
He is also honoured with several landmarks being named after him: The historic capture of point 4875 led to the mountain being named 'Batra top' in his honor. A hall at Service Selection Center Allahabad is named 'Vikram Batra Block', a residential area in the Jabalpur Cantonment is called 'Captain Vikram Batra Enclave' and the combined cadet's mess at the IMA is named 'Vikram Batra Mess'.[10]
A memorial for war veterans including Batra stands at his alma matter DAV College, Chandigarh honouring the services of the soldiers.
Quotes
"Either I will come back after hoisting the Tricolour (Indian flag), or I will come back wrapped in it, but I will be back for sure."
"Yeh Dil Maange More! (My heart asks for more!)"
"Don't worry about us, Pray for your safety."
Batra's last words were the battle-cry "Jai Mata Di!" ("Victory to Mother Durga!" in Dogri/ Punjabi)"[11]
See also
- Captain Anuj Nayyar, fellow commander
- Indo-Pakistani Wars
- Kargil War
- Military of India
- Param Vir Chakra
- Yeh Dil Maange More!
References
- 1 2 3 4 'Yeh Dil Maange More'..Remembering Captain Vikram Batra, NDTV, retrieved 9 September 2014
- ↑ "Kargil Update: Indian Army". Param Vir Chakra. Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
- ↑ Gandhi, Anshul (7 July 2015). "The Story Of Vikram Batra Aka Sher Shah Who Gave His Life In Kargil War For The Nation". MensXP.com. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Archana Masih; Dominic Xavier; Rajesh Karkera (17 June 2004). "The soldier who became a legend". Rediff.com. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
- 1 2 3 The Param Vir Chakra Winners (PVC), Official Website of the Indian Army, retrieved 28 August 2014
- ↑ "Param Vir Chakra (PVC) Awardee: Capt Vikram Batra, PVC". The War Decorated India. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "LOC: Kargil (2003)". IMDb. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
- ↑ ABP News (11 Aug 2012), Captain Vikram Batra said 'ye dil maange more'!
- ↑ Capt Batra lived up to his code name, The Indian Express, retrieved 9 September 2014
- ↑ "Armed Forces - Panorama". Sainik Samachar. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H23SvcJQ7Ps