Jagmal Singh Shekhawat

Biography

Rifleman Jagmal Singh Shekhawat hailed from Roru Badi village in the Laxmangarh tehsil of Sikar district, Rajasthan. Born on 22 July 1977, he came from a family steeped in military tradition. His father, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, was an army veteran who had served in the 2 Rajputana Rifles battalion and taken active part in the 1971 war. Inspired by his father, Jagmal Singh developed an early inclination towards soldiering, and after completing his schooling he joined the Indian Army. He too was enrolled into the 2 Rajputana Rifles — the very battalion his father had served — making father and son part of one proud unit. During the Kargil War, 2 Rajputana Rifles, part of the 81 Mountain Brigade in the Lolab Valley, was inducted into the Dras sector on 4 June 1999 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel MB Ravindranath. The battalion was tasked with the assault on the Tololing and Three Pimples (Black Rock Complex) features, vital heights dominating National Highway 1A. In the course of these fierce, high-altitude operations to evict the intruders, Rifleman Jagmal Singh Shekhawat laid down his life for the nation.