Amol Kalia, VrC

Biography

Captain Amol Kalia hailed from the town of Nangal in the Rupnagar district of Punjab, where he was born on 26 February 1974. He studied at the Fertilizer Model School in Nangal and, setting aside an engineering seat, chose a life of service when he qualified for the National Defence Academy in 1991. After completing his training at the NDA and the Indian Military Academy, he was commissioned in 1995 into the 12th Battalion of the Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry. During Operation Vijay in June 1999, Captain Kalia was tasked with capturing Point 5203, a formidable feature standing at around 17,000 feet in the Batalik–Yaldor sub-sector. Leading a small team of thirteen soldiers, he scaled the treacherous heights and seized the position from the enemy. When the Pakistani troops launched repeated counter-attacks to retake the feature, he personally manned a light machine gun and held the assault at bay, cutting down several of the attackers. On 9 June 1999, while fighting in the thick of this action, Captain Kalia was fatally wounded and laid down his life at the age of twenty-five. For his conspicuous gallantry and inspiring leadership he was awarded the Vir Chakra. A school and a park in Nangal were named in his honour, keeping alive the memory of a young officer who led from the front to the very end.