The story of Lt. Balwan Singh, of the 18 Grenadiers, Indian army is a tale not only of bravery and valour in the battlefield but also of grit and determination, and of survival. Lt. Balwan Singh Panghal, was among those Kargil heroes who triumphed not only over the enemy but also cheated death. He was awarded one of the highest gallantry awards of the country; the Maha Vir Chakra for his role as a part of the Ghatak assault team tasked with the recapture of Tiger Hill. Lieutenant Balwan Singh (now Colonel Balwan Singh) has been portrayed on celluloid by Akshaye Khanna in the film LOC Kargil.
Lt. Balwan Singh the recapture of Tiger Hill and Operation Vijay
Operation Vijay was a multi pronged operation that involved several teams that ultimately led to the recapture of the key feature Tiger Hill; a steep, snow bound, treacherous crag that was occupied by the enemy. Just 25 then the newly commissioned officer was one of the main reasons for this turning point in the Kargil war. The idea was a scale a sheer cliff face and to take the enemy by surprise by approaching from an unexpected side. Approaching 30 of the enemy in fortified positions, there were several casualties on the Indian side and the young lieutenant took bullets to his left arm and leg.
He continued to lead his men and following a fierce gun battle and hand to hand combat, the mission was finally accomplished. It was Lt. Balwan Singh who set the tricolour atop Tiger Hill on 2nd July 1999.
Lt. Balwan Singh – Maha Vir Chakra
His father was in the army and he had grown up listening to tales of the army from Havildar Shobha Chand and dreaming of being in the army himself one day. When he returned to his village Sarsoli in Jhajjar District in Haryana after the Kargil War, he was given a hero’s welcome. When Tiger Hill was captured, he had not even realized the significance of the event and his actions that led to it. All he knew was the elation of triumph to him, when Tiger Hill was finally captured; this was the happiest day of his life.
Author – Reena Daruwalla
This article is a part of a series on the brave hearts of the Kargil War – these are heroes India has either forgotten about or has never heard of. This series is our tribute to our country’s men and women in uniform ahead of Kargil Divas (26 July)
