Neikezhakuo Kenguruse, MVC

Biography

Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse, born on 15 July 1974 in Kohima, Nagaland, was commissioned into the Army Service Corps and attached to 2 Rajputana Rifles during the Kargil War. In June 1999, as the battalion launched its assault to capture the strategic feature of Lone Hill in the Drass sector, he was tasked with leading a Ghatak commando platoon to clear an enemy position on a near-vertical rocky cliff. The icy approach was so steep that he removed his shoes to gain a better grip and climbed barefoot in sub-zero temperatures. On reaching the top, he came under heavy automatic fire from a machine-gun bunker. With complete disregard for his own safety, he charged the position, killing two enemy soldiers with his rocket launcher and bayonet. Despite being wounded, he pressed the attack and silenced the bunker, enabling his platoon to secure the objective. He was killed in action on 28 June 1999 while displaying conspicuous gallantry and inspiring leadership. For his exceptional bravery, Captain Kenguruse was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, the first soldier from Nagaland to receive the nation's second-highest wartime gallantry honour.