Dharambir Singh Sihag, NM

Biography

Lieutenant Dharambir Singh Sihag hailed from Miran village in Toshan tehsil of Bhiwani district, Haryana. From childhood he was drawn to service in the armed forces, and after completing his education he joined the Indian Navy. After his training he served with an operational naval unit and later became part of the Marine Commandos, MARCOS, undergoing the rigorous training that equips these commandos to operate across sea, air and land. He and his comrades were trained for special maritime operations along the Jhelum river and the vast Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir. When the Kargil War broke out in May 1999, MARCOS units were deployed in Jammu and Kashmir to support military operations. On 12 August 1999, Lieutenant Sihag led a task force of commandos into the Gurura area of Bandipora district, acting on specific intelligence. The route to the objective was heavily mined and had to be cleared for the safe advance of troops. Together with his comrade PO CD I Mahavir Singh, he began defusing the mines and successfully neutralised two of them while under enemy observation. Frustrated by his progress, a militant remotely detonated a third mine, and the resulting blast proved fatal. Leading from the front in the highest traditions of the Indian Navy, Lieutenant Sihag laid down his life in the line of duty and was awarded the Nao Sena Medal.