Naik Digendra Kumar was a part of the 2 Rajputana Rifles during the Kargil War and had been involved the significant and momentous Battle of Tololing in the Drass sector. His incredible feats in the battlefield and matchless contribution to the recapture of Point 4590 earned this ‘Cobra’ the nation’s second highest gallantry award, the Maha Vir Chakra. In that battle of Tololing, he not only challenged the other side by neutralizing as many as 48 of the enemy, he also cheated death by emerging alive and triumphant even after taking 18 bullets to his body armor.
The ‘Cobra’ of Tololing
He was then a commando in the Indian army and a part of the elite unit comprising Major Vivek Gupta, Subedar Bhanwar Lal Bhakar, Lance Naik Jasvir Singh, Naik Surendra, Naik Chaman Singh Tewatia and others. Naik Digendra Kumar was commander of the light machine gun group that devised a plan involving heavy duty ropes and crampons to scale a sheer cliff face in the dead of night. The plan was executed in subzero temperatures, overlooking a 5000 feet deep chasm over 14 grueling hours. Though he was struck by a bullet in the arm he continued to fire at the enemy. He lobbed grenades and shot at the enemy while keeping his platoon motivated; ultimately mowing down 48 of the enemy to recapture the crucial Tololing point.
It was Niak Digendra Kumar who hoisted the Indian tricolour atop the peak at 4 AM on 13th June 1999. When the other soldiers reached the spot later, they found many dead soldiers as well as Naik Kumar who was unconscious, but miraculously alive!
Niak Digendra Kumar – Maha Vir Chakra
He retired from the army in 2005 and sadly there was some controversy about the soldier not receiving his war benefits. He was denied disability benefits and Kargil war benefits for about two years. This, in spite of the fact that this commando had done his tour of duty as part of the Indian Peacekeeping Force in Sri Lanka (where he earned himself the ‘Cobra’ sobriquet) before the Kargil war as well. Two of his children today are national level sports players – his daughter is a national level kabaddi player and his son a national level basketball player.
The Cobra of the Indian army had assured General Malik that he would plant the Indian tricolour atop the peak and he did. Now the country needs to stand by the assurances given to the soldiers in the same way!
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)
