Balwinder Singh Shergill

Biography

Brigadier Balwinder Singh Shergill was born on 04 March 1951 and hailed from Sangrur district of Punjab. He completed his schooling from Gangarh village in Sangrur before being selected for the prestigious National Defence Academy, joining its 39th course, and later moved to the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, for further training. He was commissioned into 3 Punjab of the Punjab Regiment on 14 November 1971 at the age of 20. Soon after being commissioned he took part in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, and thereafter served in various operational areas across the north and north-east of the country. Brigadier Shergill had the distinction of commanding his battalion twice — once during the period of militancy in Punjab and again in the North East. He served as Colonel General Staff of 6 Mountain Division and also had a tenure with the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka. After a short posting in Bareilly, he was assigned to the Kashmir valley as Commander of Sector-7, Rashtriya Rifles, controlling several RR battalions. By the year 2000 he had put in around 29 years of service and was regarded as a die-hard soldier and an excellent officer who always led from the front. Having taken over as Commander, 7 Sector RR on 18 August 2000, Brigadier Shergill set out on a familiarisation tour to the 21 RR battalion headquarters on 21 August 2000, travelling with the Commanding Officer, Colonel RS Chauhan. Militants had planted a remote-controlled IED on the road near Warpora village, about 12 km from Handwara, and detonated it as their vehicle neared Jachal Dor around 3.30 pm. The devastating blast left no time for retaliatory action, and Brigadier Shergill, along with Colonel Chauhan, succumbed to his injuries, laying down his life in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.