Kargil hero who shone the light on a legacy of valour

Captain Vikram Batra (25) made the supreme sacrifice for his country, but not before giving the Indian Army a foothold that it desperately needed.

As the news of the heroic deeds of Captain Vikram Batra of the 13 JAK Rif reached his home town in Palampur in Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh, spontaneous celebrations broke out all around. His heroic deeds acted as a balm on the wounds inflicted by the news of the brutal killing of Lt Saurabh Kalia of 4 Jat. The town was looking forward to welcoming the hero once the Kargil conflict ended. But destiny willed otherwise.

India lost over 500 soldiers in the nearly three-month-long Kargil war.  (Dipak Das/ht archive)

Captain Vikram Batra (25) made the supreme sacrifice for his country, but not before giving the Indian Army a foothold that it desperately needed.

The “Sher Shah” fought like a hungry lion and repeatedly led from the front to wrest the enemy-held cliffs. The battle prowess of Captain Batra left even the enemy agape. He recaptured Point 5140 which set in motion a string of successes for the army.

Commissioned into the army on December 6, 1997, Batra had completed his commands course in “A” grade from Belgaon on March 7 this year. His unit was moved to the front on June 1 to flush out the Pakistani intruders from Kargil. He was ordered to recapture the strategically important Point 5140.

Batra and his men were challenged by the enemy, who even gave him a name: “Sher Shah, upar to aa gaye ho, ab vapas nahin ja sakoge” (you have managed to reach the top, but will not be able to return). He retorted by saying: “Ek ghante mein dekhte hein kaun upar rahega “ (let us see in one hour who stays on top). Captain Batra led his men towards the enemy-held cliff. He stormed the enemy position, killed about nine intruders, and by 3.30am, June 20, he and his men recaptured the first major position for India.

It was after this victory that Batra, bubbling with enthusiasm, sent a message to his base: “Yeh dil mange more.” He and his men wanted more action.

Following this victory, Batra was promoted as Captain and recommended for the country’s second highest gallantly award, Maha Vir Chakra. Army chief General VP Malik personally congratulated Batra and advised him to take “calculated risks”.

“Batra, however, never liked calculated risks,” his father Mr GL Batra reminisces. “Whenever he faced challenges he was least bothered about the consequences.”

Batra probably knew that he would never go back from the battlefront.

“We come across shells at every step. Anything can happen, take care of mother and father,” wrote Batra in his June 26 letter to his 14-minute younger identical twin brother, Vishal.

The saga of his valour, commitment and fighting capabilities came to an abrupt end on the evening of July 7 when he caught a volley of bullets on his chest at Point 4875. The end came when he was resisting and repulsing the counter attacks on this point and at Twin Bumps in Mushkoh valley.

Excerpts from a report published in HT’s edition of July 23, 1999.