Ratan Salam

Biography

Rifleman Ratan Salam hailed from Makha Leikai village in the Kakching district of Manipur. He was recruited into the 4th Battalion of the Assam Rifles, the oldest paramilitary force of India, with its headquarters at Shillong. During 2020, the battalion was engaged in defending the Indo-Myanmar border and conducting counter-insurgency operations in the surrounding areas. In 2020, Rifleman Salam's unit was deployed in the Chandel district along the Indo-Myanmar border. As the unit's area of responsibility was affected by militancy, its troops were frequently engaged in operations against militants and launched regular patrols to monitor suspicious activity. On 29 July 2020, 4 Assam Rifles launched an area domination patrol at Khongtal, a village falling under the jurisdiction of Chakpikarong in Chandel district, roughly 100 km from Imphal. The patrol team comprised fifteen soldiers, including Rifleman Salam. As the patrol was returning after the operation, suspected militants detonated IED blasts, which were followed by heavy firing. The blast was devastating and gave the soldiers no time to react. Rifleman Ratan Salam, along with Havildar Pranay Kalita and Rifleman Methna Konyak, was seriously injured and later succumbed to his wounds, while the other injured soldiers were evacuated to the Army hospital. The Manipur Naga People's Front, the Revolutionary People's Front, and the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) claimed responsibility for the ambush. A brave and dedicated soldier, Rifleman Ratan Salam laid down his life in the line of duty.