If there is one name that personifies the spirit of the Indian military – the men and women who selflessly, bravely and tirelessly guard our frontiers and win us victories when our sovereignty is threatened – it would be Captain Vikram Batra of the Indian Army. A hero of the Kargil War, not only was he an unusually fearless soldier, he exemplified the spirit and the joie de vivre of an entire generation. He is the one who gave us the unforgettable slogan – Yeh Dil Mange More – something that became the rallying cry for an entire nation.
Captain Vikarm Batra, 13 J&K Rifles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zImHyTyYhM8
The video tells the story of the battle and the soldiers that won it; about a near suicidal mission that Capt Batra headed. You find glimpses of the tough terrain and reenactments give us an idea of what the soldiers would have undergone.
Just 24 but an immortal soldier
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He was born in September 1974 and died in July 1999 when he was just 24. He successfully recaptured point 5140, during the Kargil war and then volunteered to head the mission for recapturing point 4875; at a height of well over 5000 meters and a forbidding 80 degree incline. He died while heading a mission to rescue an injured officer during a counterattack by the enemy. Reportedly, he pushed aside the subedar working under his command; telling him to get out of the line of fire because he was a family man with kids.
“I’ll either come back after raising the Indian flag in victory or return wrapped in it, but I will come for sure.”
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This is another famous quote from Captain Batra which exemplified his do or die nature; and why he was known as the “Sher Shah” in Pakistani army message intercepts (also his call sign). During the successful reclaiming of point 5140, he and his men approached the enemy from an unexpected direction via a steep rock cliff. He engaged in close combat with and killed three enemy soldiers, getting injured in the process. The capture of 5140 led to the recapture of other very difficult peaks including 4875 which resulted in the ultimate capture of Tiger Hill.
Capt Vikram Batra – Param Vir Chakra
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Capt Vikram Batra was awarded the highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra posthumously. His citation reads as above.
Author – Reena Daruwalla
This article is a part of a series on the brave hearts of the Kargil War – these are heroes young India has either forgotten 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)
