Kheem Singh Kunwar, SM

Biography

Naik Kheem Singh Kunwar hailed from Pachpakria village in Banbasa town of Champawat district in Uttarakhand and was born on 12 February 1972. The son of a humble farmer, Shri Ganga Singh Kunwar, he was drawn towards a life in uniform from his younger days. After completing his school education, he joined the Army and was recruited into the 9 Parachute Regiment, a special force of the Indian Army that specialises in mountain operations. By August 1999, Naik Kheem Singh was serving with 9 Para (Special Forces), a unit known for its daredevil covert operations. In Kashmir, its operators frequently moved in militant disguise to locate terrorist hideouts and neutralise them. Following the end of the Kargil War on 26 July 1999, the Army maintained a high state of alert. Operating in militant disguise, Naik Kheem Singh and his comrades were tasked with tracking down hidden militants who posed a threat to the security forces. On 29 August 1999, he was part of a squad led by Major Sudhir Kumar Walia on a search-and-destroy mission in the dense Hafruda Forest of Kupwara district in Jammu & Kashmir, when the team chanced upon a well-camouflaged hideout holding around twenty terrorists. Major Sudhir swiftly organised his men and attacked the hideout, triggering a fierce gun battle. Naik Kheem Singh and his fellow soldiers swung into action and eliminated four militants. During the heavy exchange of fire, he sustained gunshot wounds and later succumbed to his injuries. For his cold courage, devotion to duty and supreme sacrifice, Naik Kheem Singh was awarded the Sena Medal posthumously.