Source: CitySpidey
Few people live their lives for the country, whereas the majority do it for their families. The mothers of these sons deserve our admiration for having the courage to give their lives. We should be grateful to the soldiers because it is only because of them that our house is protected. Today, we'll talk about Captain Vikram Batra, one such soldier.
Vikram Batra was born in Himachal Pradesh on September 9, 1974. He spent his early life in the beautiful town of Palampur. His father was Kamal Kant, a teacher, and his mother Girdhari Lal Batra was a principal of a government school. Vikram Batra and Vishal Batra were twin brothers, Vikram being the eldest.
His Early Years
Vikram was well-liked by his classmates and teachers since he was an all-around student. He did well in academics, sports, and extracurricular activities. He had a green belt in karate and even competed at the national level in table tennis. He was awarded the top NCC cadet in north India.
Batra attended DAV College and Panjab University for further studies. He joined the NCC Air Wing, following in the footsteps of his grandfather. He completed his undergraduate studies in the NCC's Air Wing. And was about to enlist in the Hong Kong merchant navy after being chosen with "his uniform embroidered and tickets booked."
According to his father, G.L. Batra, he took a U-turn because he had a somewhat different career goal in mind. Money was no longer Captain's top priority. He was almost accepted into the merchant navy after being chosen for it. But something caused him to reconsider. He claimed he wasn't in it for the money. He desired to take action.
Entering Into the Indian Military
After completing his undergraduate degree in 1995, Vikram Batra registered for a Master's in English. He was also studying for the Combined Defence Services Examination (CDSE). To help sustain himself, he also took a part-time job as the branch manager for a Chandigarh travel firm.
He entered the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun after passing the CDSE in 1996. He trained there for 18 months before being commissioned as a Lieutenant to the 13th battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. His initial assignment with the unit was in the militant-targeted Sopore area of J&K in 1998.
The Kargil War Conflict
Captain Vikram Batra joined the Indian Army's Jammu and Kashmir Rifles' 13th battalion on December 6, 1997. During the 1999 Kargil conflict, he was assigned to Uttar Pradesh. It was here when he received a call to join the military in the Dras sector.
On June 6, Captain Batra landed in Dras and was given a reserve position with the Rajputana Rifles' 2nd battalion. He was then a member of the 56th Mountain Brigade. He was given the code name "Shershaah" by his supervisor.
Captain Batra and his group took back control of Peak 5140 on 20th June. Later, he informed his superiors that Indian troops had taken back Peak 5140 by sending a message to them with the codeword "Yeh Dil Maange More."
Captain Batra was then given the task of hoisting the Indian flag at Point 4875. On July 7, Captain Batra and his team set out on their expedition to retake Mushkoh Valley's Point 4875.
After receiving a gunshot wound to the leg, one of Captain Batra's team members had to run for his life. As Captain Batra was attempting to get one of his squad members to safety, he was ambushed by Pakistani intruders. Captain Batra managed to flee the firing. But a rocket-propelled grenade fragment struck him in the head and quickly killed him.
The Last Interview
In his interview with NDTV's Barkha Dutt at an Army base in Kargil, Captain Vikram Batra says, “One of the Pakistani Army soldiers told me that my codename was ‘Shershaah’ and said ‘Oh Shershaah, you have come, [but] don’t try to come up otherwise you will have a tough time!’ My guys went wild, because how dare a Pakistani troop challenge us,”
Captain Batra received the Param Vir Chakra posthumously after being killed in action by Pakistani forces on July 7, just days after this interview. He was rescuing a fellow soldier.
Conclusion
Because of his gallantry, Captain Batra has been remembered in military history for the past 23 years. He had displayed the most incredible individual bravery and leadership of the highest order in the face of the enemy. Because of his bravery and heroism, he was also known as the "Lion of Kargil" and the "Kargil hero."
On August 12, 2021, the biopic "Shershaah," based on the life of Captain Vikram Batra, was released. Sidharth Malhotra plays Vikram Batra and his identical twin brother Vishal Batra in the film.
Written by Garima Jain
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