Rajvir Singh Sheoran

Biography

Havaldar Rajvir Singh Sheoran hailed from Maudi village in the Bhiwani district of Haryana. From his childhood, he aspired to serve the nation in uniform and after completing his schooling enlisted into the 4 Jat Battalion of The Jat Regiment, a unit known for its valiant soldiers and numerous battle honours. In May 1999, his battalion was deployed in the Kaksar sub-sector of Kargil. Following the capture of Captain Saurabh Kalia's reconnaissance patrol by Pakistani intruders at Bajrang Post on 15 May 1999, a rescue mission of thirty soldiers under Captain Amit Bhardwaj was launched on 17 May 1999 to locate the missing patrol and engage the intruders. As the team closed in on the post, it came under intense fire from a numerically superior enemy holding dominating heights. Realising that withdrawal was the only way to save the team, Captain Bhardwaj ordered a tactical pull-back and volunteered to stay behind to provide covering fire. Havaldar Rajvir Singh Sheoran chose to stay back with his officer and together they engaged the enemy with raw courage, drawing fire on themselves and allowing the rest of the team to fall back safely. In the prolonged exchange, both soldiers sustained grievous injuries and continued to fight until they succumbed to their wounds. His mortal remains were recovered on 13 July 1999, fifty-seven days after his last stand. Havaldar Rajvir Singh Sheoran laid down his life in the highest traditions of the Indian Army during Operation Vijay, displaying exemplary devotion to duty and supreme sacrifice in the icy heights of Kargil.