Baljit Singh Randhawa, MVC

Biography

Major Baljit Singh Randhawa was born on 11 November 1934 in Isapur village of the Amritsar district of Punjab, to Shri R S Randhawa. Drawn to a life of service in uniform, he joined the Indian Army and was commissioned into the 4 Rajput Battalion of The Rajput Regiment on 14 December 1958. Through nearly seven years of service, he grew into a dedicated and inspiring officer. In May 1965, with tensions escalating along the western border, his company was tasked to attack a strongly held enemy position in the Kargil sector. At around 0200 hours on 17 May 1965, the assault was launched in the face of heavy mortar, light machine gun and small arms fire. Major Randhawa led his men from the front with great determination and successfully captured the peak of the feature. During the advance, an enemy light machine gun post obstructed further progress and threatened heavy casualties. Realising that this position had to be silenced at once, he charged the post in a daredevil action and was hit by enemy fire, sustaining grievous injuries. Despite his wounds, he continued to encourage his men to press the attack and refused to allow his comrades to attend to him, subsequently succumbing to his injuries on the captured objective. For his raw courage, indomitable spirit and exemplary leadership in the face of the enemy, Major Baljit Singh Randhawa was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, the nation's second-highest gallantry award. A memorial gate, Randhawa Dwar, stands in Fatehgarh Cantonment, Uttar Pradesh, in his honour.