Rizwan Tyagi

Biography

Grenadier Rizwan Tyagi hailed from Vigyana village in the Budhana tehsil of Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh, and was born on 01 August 1971 to Shri Abdul Khalik Tyagi and Smt Noorjahan Begum. After completing his early education, he joined the Army in 1990 at the age of 19 and was inducted into the 22 Grenadiers Battalion of the Grenadiers Regiment, an infantry unit renowned for its valiant soldiers and battle honours. During June-July 1999, his unit was deployed in the Batalik sector of Ladakh as part of Operation Vijay. The 22 Grenadiers were tasked with capturing the formidable Khalubar and Point 5287 complex along the Khalubar-Padma Go ridgeline, among the enemy's strongest defences. The assault commenced on the night of 30 June/01 July. Led by Major Ajit Singh Shekhawat, Grenadier Rizwan and his comrades reached the objective but faced a fierce enemy counter-attack. Though heavily outnumbered, the Grenadiers fought continuously for three nights, inching forward through intensified artillery barrages and fortified bunkers at extreme altitude. During the exchange of fire, Grenadier Rizwan was severely wounded and succumbed to his injuries on 03 July 1999. He was 28. His unit's efforts were instrumental in the eventual capture of Khalubar.