Sumedh Waman Gawai

Biography

Sepoy Sumedh Waman Gawai was born in Lonagra village in the Akola district of Maharashtra. Born into a poor family, he worked as a farm labourer to support his parents before joining the army, paying his own school fees from his earnings and completing his Class 12 education at a nearby village school. Driven by a strong childhood desire to serve in the army, he fulfilled that ambition after finishing school, enlisting in 2011 and being inducted into the Mahar Regiment, a unit renowned for its brave soldiers and many battle honours. After serving with his parent unit for a few years, he was later deputed to the 1 Rashtriya Rifles battalion, deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for counter-terrorism operations. On 13 August 2017, security forces received intelligence that hardcore militants were meeting a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander in Awneera village of the Zainapora area in Shopian district, South Kashmir. A joint team of 1 RR and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a cordon and search operation. The militants opened fire, triggering a fierce gun battle that continued into the night. During the exchange, Sepoy Gawai was critically wounded and evacuated to the 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar, where he succumbed to his injuries and attained martyrdom.