Som Lal, SM

Biography

Som Lal was born on April 27, 1962, in Karalian village, Ramgarh tehsil, Samba district, Jammu & Kashmir, to Shri Joginder Singh and Smt Harnam Kaur. He completed his education at Government Higher Secondary School Ramgarh before joining the Indian Army on March 27, 1980, driven by aspirations to serve his nation. Recruited into the 11 JAK LI battalion, he participated in Operation Pawan (1987-1989) in Sri Lanka. After 16 years of dedicated service, he was promoted to Lance Havildar in 1996 and deputed to 1 Rashtriya Rifles for counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir. On April 19, 1997, during a cordon-and-search operation targeting militants in Shopian district, Lance Havildar Som Lal displayed commendable courage by entering a suspected house through a window to neutralize terrorists. After neutralizing one militant, he was shot by a second terrorist and severely injured. Despite evacuation and medical intervention, he succumbed to his injuries at the age of 35. His exceptional courage, devotion to duty, and supreme sacrifice earned him the Sena Medal.