Lekh Ram

Biography

Havildar Lekh Ram hailed from Sohla village in the Mahendragarh district of Haryana. He joined the Army after completing his early education and was inducted into the 22 Grenadiers Battalion of the Grenadiers Regiment, an infantry regiment renowned for its valiant soldiers and numerous battle honours. By 1999 he had put in several years of service and had risen to the rank of Havildar, developing into a professionally competent and committed soldier. During June–July 1999, his unit was deployed in the Batalik sector of Ladakh as part of Operation Vijay, tasked with capturing the formidable Khalubar and Point 5287 complex on the Khalubar–Padma Go ridgeline. The assault commenced on the night of 30 June/01 July 1999. Led by Major Ajit Singh Shekhawat, Lekh Ram and his comrades reached their objective but faced fierce enemy counter-attacks. Heavily outnumbered, the Grenadiers fought continuously for three nights, inching forward through heavily fortified bunkers defended by artillery and automatic weapons. During the exchange of fire, Havildar Lekh Ram was severely injured and succumbed to his wounds on 03 July 1999, having played a significant role in the eventual capture of Khalubar.