Captain Vikram Batra PVC was an Indian Army officer. He is famous for his outstanding courage, steadfast resolve, leadership, and supreme sacrifice. He was also good at karate and won Green Belt at National Level camp at Manali. Vikram Batra was killed while fighting Pakistani troops around Area Ledge, Point 4875, in the Kargil district of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir on 7 July 1999. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, for his actions during the Kargil War.
Captain Vikram Batra's Earlylife and Background
- Name : Vikram Batra
- Born : 9 September 1974, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
- Allegiance : Republic of India
- Service : Indian Army
- Years of Service : 1997-99
- Service Number : IC-57556
- Unit : 13 JAK RIF
- Battle : Kargil War (1999), Battle of Point 5140, Battle of Point 4875
- Father Name : Girdhari Lal Batra
- Mother Name : Kamal Kanta Batra
- Died : 7 July 1999, Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir
Captain Vikram Batra was born in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh on 9 September 1974. His Father Girdhari Lal Batra was a government school principal and mother Kamal Kanta Batra was a school teacher. He was the eldest of twin sons, and was born fourteen minutes before his brother, named Vishal. He had two sisters Seema and Nutan.
Captain Vikram Batra received his primary education from his mother. He studied up to middle standard at D.A.V Public School in Palampur, then he attend Central School, Palampur. He was brilliant in studies and also a great sportsperson. He represented hi school in table tennis, Karate and other such games at the national level during the Youth Parliamentary competitions at Delhi. He was also a green belt winner in karate. He and his twin brother represented their school in table tennis at All India KVS Nationals in 1990.
Captain Vikram Batra got 82% marks in his 12th class in 1992. Then he joined DAV College, Chandigarh in B.Sc Medical Sciences. In his first year at college, he joined the NCC and was adjudged the best NCC Air Wing cadet of Punjab Directorate in North Zone. He was the president of the Youth Service Club of his college.
Captain Vikram Batra attained the rank of Senior Under Officer in his NCC unit, after being qualified for the 'C' certificate in the NCC. He was selected in the Republic Day parade as an NCC cadet in1994. He was selected for the merchant navy at a shipping company headquartered in Hong Kong, while still in college in 1995 but he rejected the offer. In 1995, he completed his bachelor's degree.
Then he took admission in MA English course at Punjab University in Chandigarh. At Punjab University, he met Dimple Cheema. Soon, they fall in love. Captain Vikram Batra passed the CDS examination in 1996, and received a call for an interview at the Services Selection Board (SSB) at Allahabad and got selected. In the Order of Merit, he was amongst the top 35 candidates. He left the University after completing one year to join the Indian Military Academy.
Military Career
In June 1996, Captain Vikram Batra joined the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun in Manekshaw Battalion. On 6 December 1997, he graduated from the IMA after completion 19 months training course and was commissioned as a lieutenant into the Indian Army. He was commissioned into the 13th battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. After completing one month regimental training from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, he got his first posting at Sopore in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, an area with significant militant activity.
Captain Vikram Batra had many encounters with militant during his posting in Sopore. In one such encounter he escaped when bullet fired by a militant grazed his shoulder and struck one of Batra's men behind him, killing the soldier. By the morning Batra and his team killed all the militants.
In 1999, Captain Vikram Batra completed his two months Commando course, and was awarded the highest grading the 'Instructor's Grade' at Belgaum, Karnataka. He last visited his hometown in 1999 during Holi festival.
Captain Vikram Batra received orders to proceed to Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. On 5 June 1999, his deployment orders were changed and his battalion received orders to move to Dras, due to outbreak of the Kargil War. He informed hi parents about the movement and told his parents not to worry.
Kargil War, battle of Point 5140 and Point 4875
On 6 June, Captain Vikram Batra's battalion 13 JAK Rif, reached Dras and was placed under the command of 56 Mountain Brigade. The Tololing mountain was captures by 2 raj rif on 13 June 1999. After the capture of Tololing, 13 JAK Rif marched from Dras to Tololing.
On 17 June 1999, the task of capturing Point 5140 was assigned to 13 JAK Rif under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Yogesh Kumar Joshi. Yogesh Kumar Joshi decided to attack Point 5140 with Bravo Company, under the command of Lieutenant Sanjeev Singh Jamwal, and Delta Company, under the command of Lieutenant Vikram Batra, from two sides; East and South. Captain Vikram Batra choose the word "Yeh Dil Mange More" to be the success signal for his company. Batra killed three enemy soldiers in close combat and got seriously injured. But, he continued the operation until he captured the point 5140. At 4:35 hours, Batra radioed his command post, saying the words "Yeh dil mange more!" Not even a single Indian soldier was killed in that operation which was a great achievement.
Captain Vikram Batra was promoted to the rank of captain after the capture of Point 5140. His triumph was being played out on television across all the nation.
On 30 June, the 13 JAK Rif battalion then moved to Mushkoh Valley and was placed under the command of 79 Mountain Brigade. The next assignment for Batra's battalion was to capture the Point 4875, a strategically important peak located in the Mushkoh Valley.
On 4 July 1999, 13 JAK Rifles, had launched its attack on Point 4875. captain Vikram Batra was lying in a sleeping bad in a tent as he was ill. During the operation captain Nagappa got seriously injured by a shell fired by fired by the Pakistani soldiers. Captain Vikram Batra approached his commanding officer and said him, "I will go up sir". But the officer did not let him go because he was ill.
That same day, the enemy launched a second counterattack on Flat Top and the Indian troops succeeded in beating them too, but they urgently needed reinforcements. On the night of 6–7 July, Batra along with the 25 men of his Delta Company, the opposing forces were so close that besides exchanges of small arms fire. Captain Vikram Batra killed 4 enemy soldiers in a close battle.
Captain Vikram Batra realized one of his men had been shot. He resolved to evacuate him with Subedar Raghunath Singh. Batra exposed himself to enemy fire to drag the injured soldier to safety, and in the process was shot in the chest by an enemy sniper from very close range, and a split-second later, by a splinter from an RPG which hit him in the head. Batra collapsed next to the injured soldier and died at the spot.
Awards and Legacy
- On 15 August 1999, Captain Vikram Batra was awarded the Param Vir Chakra. His father received the honour for his deceased son from the President of India.
- Captain Vikram Batra is also well known in India for using the slogan; Yeh Dil Maange More!
- The historic capture of Point 4875 led to the mountain being named Batra Top in his honour.
- A hall at the Service Selection Centre Allahabad is named 'Vikram Batra Block
- The combined cadet's mess at the IMA is named 'Vikram Batra Mess'.
- Government College Palampur was later renamed as Shaheed Captain Vikram Batra Government College, Palampur.
- Shaheed Captain Vikram Batra Stadium at Palampur was named after Batra.
- A bust of Param Vir Chakra (PVC) Captain Vikram Batra was unveiled at Palampur military station on the eve of R.D '22.
- The biopic of Vikram Batra was made in 2021 named as Shershah. Sidharth Malhotra played the role of Captain Vikram Batra.
