Sub Randhir — A Kargil War Hero

Haryana has been a nursery of brave-hearts since the Mahabharata times. If the gallantry medal tally is any indicator, Haryana, with just about 2 per cent of the total population of India, outclasses all medium and large states. One such brave-heart was Subedar Randhir Singh, who fought the last battle of his glorious Army career fighting the enemy in the 1999 Kargil War and was awarded the coveted Vir Chakra for his bravery.

Subedar Randhir belonged to a military family; his father Kanahiya Lal was part of live action in the first war with Pakistan in 1947-48 as well as in the 1962 war with China. Randhir and his elder brother Umed Singh carried forward the legacy and joined the Army, both in Grenadiers.
Randhir was born in Balkara village of Bhiwani district on July 15, 1955. He studied only up to eighth standard in his village high school and then took up wrestling and soon became a known wrestler in the district. Grenadier Regiment of the Indian Army, on the lookout for promising wrestlers for its team, spotted Randhir during a tournament and caught him young. Wrestler Randhir Singh became a Sepoy in 18 Grenadiers on June 30, 1975.

In April 1999, Pakistan unilaterally breached the provisions of the 1972 Simla Agreement and violated the sanctity of the Line of Control (LoC) by infiltrating its regular soldiers into the Indian side. These intruders established themselves on the top of high mountain ridgelines from the Muskoh valley in the west to Chorbat La in the east of the Kargil sector. In a failed attempt to pass them off as ‘indigenous Kashmiri freedom fighters’, the Pakistan army ordered its soldiers to dress in civilian ‘salwar-kameez Pathani’ suits.

Once the nature and extent of the intrusion was ascertained, plans were formulated to evict the intruders at the earliest. One of the highest features on the ridgeline occupied by the intruders was Pt 4590. Its tactical significance in the Kargil sector can never be overemphasized since it also overlooked the National Highway No. 1A, the lifeline of entire Ladakh. The intruders occupying this massif could effectively interfere with the movement of vehicular traffic, especially with observed artillery fire. The task to capture Pt 4590 was assigned to 18 Grenadiers, a task it accomplished remarkably well against all possible odds. During this most difficult yet successful operation, Subedar Randhir Singh played a challenging role and even laid down his life to facilitate the early capture of the objective with minimum casualties to own troops. For his utmost bravery and dauntless courage, he was deservedly awarded the Vir Chakra. The account of his bravery is recorded in War Diary of 18 Grenadiers.

Despite having lost his father in the war, his son Dilbag Singh carried forward the legacy by becoming the third generation soldier in the Indian Army.

The acount of his brave act in War Diary of 18 Grenadiers reads…

During an assault on Pt 4590 on the night of June 2 and 3, 1999, Subedar Randhir Singh was Ghatak Platoon Commander in Alfa Company of 18 Grenadiers Battalion. Soon after advancing about 200 yards, the advance led by Subedar Randhir was impeded due to accurate machine gun fire by the enemy from one of the ‘sangars’ (improvised bunkers). Undeterred, Subedar Randhir crawled ahead with a small team and neutralised the machine gun in close combat, killing two intruders. Though he was grievously injured, living up to the finest traditions among the Grinders (as the Grenadiers are called), he continued to press forward and refused to get evacuated. On encountering a second enemy ‘sangar’, he charged onto the enemy and killed one of them in hand-to-hand combat. His immense courage inspired and motivated his men to repeatedly charge onto the enemy and gain ground that eventually facilitated the capture of the formidable Pt 4590. Due to excessive loss of blood, Subedar Randhir Singh finally succumbed to his injuries.

For his dauntless courage and conspicuous act of bravery in the face of the enemy, Subedar Randhir Singh was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra.

Col Dilbag Dabas (Retd)

Source:Tribune India

Image Courtesy:Getty Images/Tribune India