Bikram Tudu, SM

Biography

Bikram Tudu was born in Morada town, Mayurbhanj district, Odisha. After completing his schooling, he joined the Indian Army and underwent training at the Bihar Regimental Centre. Through dedicated service, he rose to the rank of Lance Naik in the 1st Battalion of The Bihar Regiment. In 1994, Lance Naik Bikram Tudu was deployed to Somalia as part of the United Nations Operation in Somalia-II (UNOSOM-II), a peacekeeping mission tasked with restoring stability in the conflict-ravaged nation. On March 28, 1994, while escorting a UNICEF vehicle through the volatile city of Kismayo, his convoy was ambushed by twelve to fourteen heavily armed Somali militants who opened indiscriminate fire. In the ensuing fierce firefight, Lance Naik Bikram Tudu sustained fatal injuries but continued to fight back with extraordinary courage, providing cover fire for the vehicle and ensuring the safety of the humanitarian personnel inside. His selfless actions allowed the convoy to escape the kill zone. Lance Naik Bikram Tudu made the supreme sacrifice alongside his comrade Lance Havildar Theophil Tiru in the same ambush. For his exceptional courage and devotion to duty beyond the call, he was posthumously awarded the Sena Medal.