Harendra Singh

Biography

Naik Harendra Singh hailed from Pipalsari village in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. The son of army veteran Chhavan Singh Rawat and Smt Sarojini Devi, he grew up wanting to wear the army uniform like his father. After completing his school education he fulfilled that ambition, enlisting with the 17 Garhwal Rifles battalion of the Garhwal Rifles Regiment, an infantry regiment renowned for its brave soldiers and rich legacy of battle honours. After some years of service, Naik Harendra Singh was deputed to the 48 Rashtriya Rifles battalion deployed in Jammu & Kashmir for counter-insurgency operations. In October 2021 his unit was operating in the Poonch district, an area where the Line of Control remained volatile with frequent ceasefire violations and a persistent threat of infiltration. The unit carried out regular armed patrols and search operations to counter the active militancy in its area of responsibility. On 15 October 2021, following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists, the security forces including troops of 48 RR launched a search-and-destroy operation in the Nar Khas forest area of the Mendhar sector. Naik Harendra Singh was part of the team that moved into the suspected area and established a cordon. The troops soon made contact with the hidden terrorists, who opened fire on being challenged, triggering a fierce gun battle. As the cordon was tightened, the terrorists fired indiscriminately in desperation. During the heavy exchange, Naik Harendra Singh and Subedar Ajay Singh were struck by gunfire and gravely wounded. Both succumbed to their injuries, their bodies recovered the following day. A determined and valiant soldier, Naik Harendra Singh laid down his life in the line of duty.