Remember and Never Forget: Captain Chander Narain Singh, 2 Garhwal Rifles

By Anish Kumar | First Published Aug 5, 2022, 7:00 AM IST

Captain Chander Narain Singh was awarded India's second highest gallantry award, Maha Vir Chakra, for displaying conspicuous bravery, leadership and courage in the highest traditions of the Indian Army before laying down his life.

Following his father's footsteps and serving the motherland, Chander Narain Singh joined the Indian Army's 2 Garhwal Rifles regiment at the age of 21 years in 1961.

During the 1965 India-Pakistan war, Captain Chander Narain Singh's unit was deployed in the Poonch sector of Jammu & Kashmir. He and his men had to engage in a fierce battle with the objective of holding on to the ground.

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On August 5, 1965, his unit got intelligence input about the infiltration of over 150 Pakistani soldiers in the Poonch area and their movement in civilian clothes at Dabrot village between Galuthi and the ceasefire line.

After reaching the Dabrot village, he asked his patrol team to conduct a search operation on the evening of August 5. Around 19.30 hours, the team established contact with the Pakistani infiltrators. The enemy side used heavy and light machine guns, mortars, and grenades from higher positions.

During the course of the gunfight, he asked his teammates to continuously keep firing upon the infiltrators while he crawled towards one of the flanks to engage the enemy perched at an advantageous position.

In this process, Capt Chander silenced one of the machine guns firing from the hilltop. Sensing the situation, he changed the strategy to counter them. He decided to carry out attacks at night.

Capt Chander and a few soldiers reached near the enemy's position and charged. A fierce battle broke out. Capt Chander killed 6 Pakistani soldiers and severely injured many. However, during the fight, Capt Chander was hit by a Light Machine Gun burst. He succumbed to his injuries.

He was posthumously awarded India's second highest gallantry award, Maha Vir Chakra, for displaying conspicuous bravery, leadership and courage in the highest traditions of the Indian Army before laying down his life.

He hailed from Dharamshala of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.

Captain Chander Narain Singh laid down his life for his motherland on August 5, 1965. Let us 'Remember and Never Forget' this braveheart's supreme sacrifice.

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