Mahabir Singh

Biography

Havaldar Mahabir Singh was born on 1 October 1959 in Maina village of Rohtak district, Haryana. He was the son of Subedar Kapoor Singh, who had also served in the Indian Army and laid down his life in the service of the nation. Inspired by his father, Mahabir Singh joined the Indian Army on 10 January 1979 at the age of twenty, enlisting in the Rajputana Rifles Regiment, a unit renowned for the valour of its soldiers. By 1992, he had completed nearly thirteen years of service, having worked across varied terrain and demanding operational conditions. That year his unit, 14 Rajputana Rifles, was deployed at Nasirabad, Rajasthan. On 20 August 1992, Havaldar Mahabir Singh and his comrades were tasked with clearing old landmines that had been laid by the unit for training purposes. During his service he had gained particular expertise in handling and defusing such mines, an inherently hazardous task. While neutralising the mines that day, one of them exploded, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to a nearby army hospital, but could not be saved and succumbed to his injuries, displaying the highest order of courage and devotion to duty.