Bishuni Rai

Biography

Naik Bishuni Rai belonged to Bathai village in the Chhapra district of Bihar. After completing his early schooling, he joined the Indian Army and was enrolled into the 315 Field Regiment of the Artillery Regiment, the combat support arm renowned for its guns and heavy weaponry. Over years of service he rose to the rank of Naik and matured into a proud and capable gunner. His unit, under the command of Colonel NA Subramanian, was among the first artillery formations to deploy at Drass during the opening phase of the Kargil War in May 1999. From 14 to 31 May the regiment provided sustained fire support for the 1 Naga, 8 Sikh, 17 Jat and 16 Grenadiers, aiding the capture of key features including Tololing, Point 5140, Black Tooth, Tiger Hill and Point 4875. As second-in-command to Major Dwivedi, Naik Bishuni Rai chose to keep his gun firing to protect advancing infantry rather than fall silent. On the evening of 2 July 1999, while manning his gun and continuing to strike enemy positions amid heavy shelling, he was gravely wounded by an enemy shell and laid down his life.