Today, 25 years later, some of them are household names—Capt Vikram Batra, Capt Manoj Pande, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, and Rifleman Yogendra Yadav (all four Param Vir Chakra awardees, the two Captains posthumous), Capt Amol Kalia, and Capt Saurabh Kalia.

As the nation celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Indian Army’s victory over the Pakistan Army in Kargil, Dras, Mushkoh, and Batalik, we take a look at some brave troops who are not commonly known but whose uncommon courage stands as a testimony to the spirit of courage and sacrifice of the Indian soldier.

Victory over death

Rifleman Shyam Singh,
Vir Chakra (Posthumous), 13 JAKRIF

Rifleman Shyam Singh was born on January 26, 1974, in Kalara village, Shimla District, Himachal Pradesh. A keen Army aspirant, he enlisted in the 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAKRIF) in 1994.

During Operation Vijay in Kargil, Rifleman Shyam Singh volunteered to be a member of the Charlie Company Commander’s assault force entrusted with capturing area Flat Top at Point 4875 in Mushkoh Valley. He braved tough and unforgiving terrain and heavy enemy shelling to lead the column confidently towards the goal. As daylight broke, Shyam Singh carried on with the assault, not caring for his safety.

He pounced on one Pakistani infiltrator with his bayonet, killing him and wounding another. However, he was critically injured by an enemy sniper from an adjacent position and succumbed to his injuries, but not before securing the objective.

He took on the enemy

Subedar and Honorary Captain Raghunath Singh,
Vir Chakra, 13 JAKRIF

Born in Gurdaspur di trict, Punjab, in December 1962, Subedar Raghunath Singh was tasked on July 7, 1999, with capturing the strongly fortified area known as “Ledge,” beyond Point 4875 in Mushkoh Valley.

As the leading Platoon Commander of Delta Company, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Subedar Raghunath found that the company was unable to advance beyond Point 4875 due to heavy artillery shelling and automatic gunfire from well-fortified sangars along the 700-meter-long cliff. Outflanking the enemy position was impossible due to the harsh terrain. Therefore, Subedar Raghunath Singh, sensing the gravity of the situation, volunteered to lead the Company on a risky daylight operation.

He killed two intruders in the ensuing hand-to-hand struggle and continued firing on the fleeing adversary, not caring for his own safety.

Wounded, he fought on

Subedar Randhir Singh,
Vir Chakra (Posthumous), 18 Grenadiers

A resident of Bhiwani district, Haryana, the 44-year-old but superbly fit and agile Subedar Randhir Singh was given the task to lead his platoon for an assault on the tactically important Tololing Ridge in the Drass Sector on June 3, 1999.

The well-stocked and fortified post of the Pakistan Army infiltrators was in a treacherous mountainous terrain covered with snow at a height of over 15,000 feet. The advance of the platoon, led by Subedar Randhir Singh, was impeded due to heavy machine gun fire from one of the sangars of the intruders.

Subedar Randhir Singh, who was in the lead, immediately deployed his platoon and, with a small team, crawled ahead to the sangar and neutralized the machine gun in close combat, killing two intruders.

In the process, Subedar Randhir Singh sustained grievous injuries but pressed ahead, directing, motivating, and leading his platoon from the front and refusing to be evacuated or abandon the mission.

On encountering a second enemy sangar, though badly injured and bleeding, he charged at the enemy, killing one intruder in hand-to-hand combat.

His daredevil act inspired his men to charge at the enemy, thus gaining vital ground on Tololing Ridge, which facilitated the capture of Point 4590.

Subedar Randhir Singh later succumbed to his injuries, making the supreme sacrifice for the nation.

The marksman

Rifleman Mehar Singh,
Vir Chakra, 13 JAKRIF

Rifleman Mehar Singh was born on June 1, 1975 in Village Uperkot, Baloh, District Mandi of Himachal Pradesh. He was enlisted in 13 JAKRIF in August 1995, at the age of 20.

On June 20, 1999 Rifleman Mehar Singh was manning a Light Machine Gun when his company was tasked to attack and dislodge enemy intruders occupying Point 5140, a tactically important peak overlooking the entire Drass sector.

He was asked to provide covering fire to the assaulting column. Rifleman Mehar Singh, with utter disregard to his personal safety and notwithstanding the almost unscalable rocky terrain, severe cold, heavy enemy shelling and direct fire, stealthily moved forward and opened accurate covering fire on the enemy causing panic while his fellow soldiers moved in for the decisive hand to hand assault.

Seeing no further requirement of covering fire, Mehar Singh pounced on the enemy and got into a hand-to-hand fight which finally led to the capture of the vital post.

He led from the front

Naik Dev Prakash,
Vir Chakra, 13 JAKRIF

Naik Dev Prakash was born in Dhundala village of Una District, Himachal Pradesh and was enlisted in the Indian Army in March 1980.

During the Kargil conflict, Naik Dev Prakash was the Section Commander in the Bravo Company of his battalion that was tasked to assault and recapture Point 5140.

He was part of the troop sent to attack Point 5140 on 20 June, 1999. As per the plan, Naik Dev Parkash approached the feature covertly with his Section. Displaying effective command and control, he reorganised his Section and inspired them to attack the enemy sangar along the Western Spur.

He offered to lead the way with his Section and, exhibiting excellent field craft, stealthily reached 30 metres short of the enemy sangar. Braving the intense enemy artillery shelling and direct fire, he and his Company Commander personally attacked the enemy sangar, taking the enemy by surprise.

This act of valour led to the killing of two enemy intruders in a hand-to-hand fight and the retaking of a strategically significant feature.

Immortal in death

Naib Subedar Karnail Singh,
Vir Chakra (Posthumous), 8 SIKH

Naib Subedar Karnail Singh was born on April 4, 1962, in Raniwala village of Amritsar District in Punjab to Sardar Gurnam Singh and Bhajan Kaur. He enlisted in the 8 SIKH on September 29, 1982.

During the Kargil War he fought in the battle of Tiger Hill, which is one of the highest peaks in the Dras-Kargil area of Jammu and Kashmir. The recapture of Tiger Hill was among India’s major objectives during the war. Naib Subedar Karnail Singh displayed exemplary bravery, courage and kept motivating his comrades to fight till the last in the face of enemy.

Naib Subedar Karnail Singh and a Section of 8 SIKH were deployed on the reverse slope of Area Helmet when they came under heavy enemy fire from Tiger Hill, Rocky Knob and a feature called Trig Height at around 0600 hours on July 6, 1999.

Heavy fire from three directions was soon followed by a counter-attack with 15 enemy personnel. The enemy managed to close in and an intense hand-to-hand fight ensued. Though outnumbered, Naib Subedar Karnail Singh and his men fought back with immense courage and gave back measure for measure.

Leading from the front and rallying his men around him, Naib Subedar Karnail Singh and the jawans with him were seriously wounded in the fire-fight but managed to hold on. The enemy launched a second counterattack with 40 to 45 personnel.

Despite his wounds, Naib Subedar Karnail Singh challenged the enemy and charged at them with his men, inflicting heavy casualties in close combat. He killed four enemy intruders and injured many more, once again forcing them to withdraw.

Along with his valiant men, Naib Subedar Karnail Singh kept the enemy at bay till he succumbed to his injuries. In fact, the remaining men with him also made the supreme sacrifice.

He fought till his last breath

Subedar Nirmal Singh,
Vir Chakra (Posthumous), 8 SIKH

A native of Chhina Bet village of Gurdaspur District, Nirmal Singh enrolled in Indian Army on Sept 21, 1976.
During the recapture of Tiger Hill, he displayed extreme bravery, and kept motivating his comrades to fight till the last in the face of a marauding enemy.

Subedar Nirmal Singh was leading a small team to establish a foothold on Tiger Hill in Dras Sub Sector on July 5, 1999. While assaulting, Subedar Nirmal Singh noticed enemy movement.

But before the enemy could react, he fired at the enemy and inflicted heavy casualties, forcing them to retreat. Subedar Nirmal Singh then quickly approached the objective and captured it.

Then Subedar Nirmal Singh deployed his platoon on a forward slope. At 0600 hours, the enemy opened fire and followed it up with a counter attack on the position held by Subedar Nirmal Singh’s men with 15-16 intruders. Heavy hand to hand fight ensued and he noticed that the Pakistani soldiers were led by a tall young man who was later identified as Captain Karnal Sher Khan. Subedar Nirmal Singh exhorted his men to kill this tall man who was leading the Pakistani counter attacks again and again. Despite being seriously wounded, Nirmal Singh kept fending off the enemy with great courage and continued fighting till he succumbed to his injuries.

He felled Nishan -e- Haider

Sepoy Satpal Singh,
Vir Chakra, 8 SIKH

A native of Village Fatehpur, in District Patiala of Punjab, Satpal Singh joined 8 Sikh in April 1992 at the young age of 18 years.

Sepoy Satpal Singh and his Section were deployed in the Drass Sector in Area Helmet of Tiger Hill. They came under heavy enemy fire from Tiger Hill, Rocky Knob, Charlie Feature and Trig Height at 0600 hours on July 6, 1999.

The enemy launched a counter attack and intense fire fight ensued between Sepoy Satpal Singh and the intruders.
While repulsing the counter attack, Sepoy Satpal Singh got seriously wounded. Showing utter disregard to his personal safety, he kept firing incessantly inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy.

He did not allow enemy to come close and beat back the counter attacks. The enemy launched a second counter-attack with 40-45 intruders. Though suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, he kept engaging the intruders and killed four of them.

Among the Pakistani soldiers killed by Sepoy Satpal Singh was Captain Karnal Sher Khan who was later awarded the highest gallantry award of Pakistan, Nishan-e-Haider, on the recommendation of Indian Brigadier Commander, Brigadier MPS Bajwa.