Pawan Kumar

Biography

Naik Pawan Kumar hailed from Maheshe Chak village in the Hiranagar tehsil of Kathua district in Jammu & Kashmir, where he was born on 30 December 1970. He was enrolled into the Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry on 20 May 1987 and served with its 12th Battalion, where his ability and dependability saw him promoted to the rank of Naik. During Operation Vijay in June 1999, his battalion was tasked with retaking Point 5203, a fortified height of around 17,000 feet in the Batalik–Yaldor area. As part of the assault led by Captain Amol Kalia, Naik Pawan Kumar advanced up the precipitous slopes and closed in on the enemy positions under intense fire. On 9 June 1999, in the ferocious firefight that followed, he displayed extraordinary courage and made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation, falling with his commanding officer and comrades. A memorial gateway was dedicated in his honour at Hiranagar, and he is remembered with deep respect for his gallantry and devotion to duty.