Sarvan Kumar Thakur

Biography

Naik Sarvan Kumar Thakur hailed from Hawani village in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. After completing his early education, he joined the Indian Army and was enrolled into the 315 Field Regiment of the Regiment of Artillery, the combat support arm renowned for its guns and heavy weaponry. Over years of service he rose to the rank of Naik and developed into a brave soldier and a proud gunner. In 1999, during the Kargil War, his unit was among the first artillery formations to deploy at Drass in the initial phase of the conflict. From 14 to 31 May his regiment supported the operations of 1 Naga, 8 Sikh, 17 Jat and 16 Grenadiers, providing continuous fire cover that helped secure objectives such as Tololing, Point 5140, Black Tooth, Tiger Hill and Point 4875. Tasked with softening enemy defences ahead of the assault on Tiger Hill, the guns of 315 Field Regiment kept firing to protect the advancing infantry. On the evening of 2 July 1999, while manning a gun and pounding enemy positions to inflict maximum damage, Naik Sarvan Kumar was gravely wounded by an enemy shell and laid down his life in the line of duty.