Captain Vikram Batra, PVC was an officer of the Indian Army. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest and most prestigious award for valour, for his actions during the 1999 Kargil War, during which he led one of the most difficult mountain warfare operations in Indian military history.
September 9 marks the birth anniversary of Captain Vikarm Batra who died in the Kargil war. Born on September 9, 1974, in Ghuggar village near Palampur in Himachal Pradesh, Captain Vikram Batra was from a humble middle-class background. He was immensely popular among his classmates and teachers, and was an all-rounder at school. He was also a keen sportsman and used to take part in all the co-curricular activities.
From the sub-sectors of Drass and Batalik, Captain Vikram Batra’s Delta Company were ordered to recapture one of the most arduous and crucial peaks, peak 5140 on June 19.
Nicknamed Sher Shah, he along with his Delta Company decided to attack the enemy by surprise from the rear. At a height of 17,000 feet, Captain Batra and his men planned to approach the hill from the rear, so as to take his enemies by surprise. They ascended the rocky cliff but as they neared the top, the Pakistani defenders pinned them on the face of the cliff with machine gunfire.
Captain Vikram Batra alone killed three soldiers in close combat and despite being badly injured during the exchange; he regrouped his men and continued the mission. Despite being seriously injured, he inspired his team to fulfil their mission. The point 5140 was captured at 3:30 am on June 20, 1999.
He was given the nation’s highest gallantry award, Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his outstanding courage, steadfast resolve, leadership, and supreme sacrifice.
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