Rabin Sharma, SM

Biography

Rifleman Rabin Sharma was born in Chuwa village of the Parbat district of Nepal. Inspired by the long and storied tradition of Gorkha soldiers serving in the Indian Army, he enlisted in 2013 and was recruited into the 4th Battalion of the 1 Gorkha Rifles. Though young in service, he was known for his alertness, physical toughness and keen sense of duty. In May 2017, his battalion was deployed in the Naugam sector of Handwara in the Kupwara district of Jammu & Kashmir, a region used repeatedly by militants attempting to cross the Line of Control. On 20 May 2017, Rifleman Sharma detected suspicious movement along a known infiltration route and alerted his unit, which launched an operation against the group of heavily armed militants. During the intense thirty-six-hour firefight that followed, he engaged the enemy with determination and courage and contributed to the elimination of four militants before sustaining grievous injuries to which he succumbed. For his alertness, bravery and supreme sacrifice in the face of armed militants, Rifleman Rabin Sharma was posthumously awarded the Sena Medal.