Balidan Diwas
20 March 1986
Place of Supreme Sacrifice
Saltoro Ridge, Siachen Glacier
State of Origin
Bharatpur, Rajasthan
Service Number
3164376
Unit / Regiment
11 Jat Battalion, The Jat Regiment
Operation
Operation Meghdoot
Biography
Naik Bhagat Singh (Service No. 3164376) served in the 11 Jat Battalion, The Jat Regiment, hailing from Didwari village, Kumher tehsil, Bharatpur district, Rajasthan. He was deployed to the treacherous Saltoro Ridge during Operation Meghdoot, the 1984 military initiative to secure the Siachen Glacier. Stationed at one of the highest and most hostile battlefields in the world, he endured relentless blizzards, bone-chilling sub-zero temperatures, treacherous avalanches, and relentless enemy shelling. On 20 March 1986, while on patrol through the glacier, Naik Bhagat Singh and his team were struck by a devastating avalanche triggered by enemy shelling. A rescue operation was immediately launched, but he succumbed to the extreme conditions. Two of his companions — Sepoy Rameshwar and Sepoy Tola Ram Khileri — also made the supreme sacrifice alongside him. Their loss was part of the significant casualties suffered by 11 Jat Battalion during the intense period of 19-24 March 1986. His sacrifice on the frozen heights of Siachen stands as a testament to the courage and endurance of the Indian soldier.