Narain Singh, VrC

Biography

Major Narain Singh was born on 19 August 1936 in Krimchi-Mansar village of Udhampur district, Jammu & Kashmir. The eldest son of army veteran Kartar Singh and Dhan Devi, he was affectionately called Kaku. After completing his early schooling in Krimchi and middle school in Udhampur, he joined the Army Boys Company, from where he began his military career. His leadership qualities and hard work drew the attention of senior officers, leading to his commission into the army. On 30 June 1963 he was commissioned into the 4 Jat Battalion of the Jat Regiment. During the 1965 Indo-Pak War he was deputed to the Assam Rifles and served in the North-East. In December 1971 his unit, 4 Jat, was deployed on the western border near Fazilka, Punjab. When Pakistani forces intruded through the Sulaimanki sector and captured positions near Beriwala, Major Narain Singh, a company commander, was tasked to launch a counter-attack and secure the main bridge. Amid intense artillery and small-arms fire that inflicted heavy casualties, he fearlessly led his men onto the objective. Hit by a machine-gun burst, he continued to direct the operation, engaging the enemy in close combat until he was mortally wounded. For his outstanding courage, leadership and supreme sacrifice, he was awarded the Vir Chakra.