Bhagwan Singh

Biography

Rifleman Bhagwan Singh hailed from Kyunja village in the Ukhimath tehsil of Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand and was born on 25 January 1972. He joined the Army on 19 June 1989 at the age of 17, after completing his school education, and was recruited into the 17th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles, an infantry regiment renowned for its gallant soldiers. By 1999 he had served around ten years and had developed into a professionally competent and committed soldier. During the Kargil War, his unit was deployed in the Batalik-Yaldor area as part of Operation Vijay, tasked with capturing enemy positions on the Jubar Ridge in the area of Bump II and III and Kala Pathar. On the last light of 29 June 1999, the attacking columns under Captain Jintu Gogoi began an arduous climb of nearly a kilometre towards the objective. The troops were spotted and surrounded by the enemy. Refusing to surrender, Rifleman Bhagwan Singh and his comrades charged with their regimental war cry, "Badri Vishal Lal Ki Jai," and engaged in a fierce gun battle. He was seriously injured during the exchange of fire and later succumbed to his wounds, laying down his life at the age of 27.