(This story was originally published on 26 July 2018. It has been reposted from The Quint's archives to commemorate Kargil Vijay Diwas.)
On 3 July 1999, when the Indian Army recaptured Kargil from Pakistani militants, many believed that the war had come to an end. As the country rejoiced this victory, the Indian Army knew that the war wasn’t over until Batalik, an area 56 km away from Kargil, wasn’t taken back from another set of Pakistani infiltrators.
At this time, TV channels and newspapers were rife with footages of war from the conflict areas in Tiger Hills and Tololing in Kargil. However, voices from Batalik mostly went unheard as the media was dissuaded to go that zone for security reasons.
Batalik region came under the hold of the Indian Army on 7 July, persuading the Pakistani troops under the command of General Pervez Musharraf to fall back – resulting in India's victory in the 1999 Kargil War.
The war witnessed the death of 527 men from the Indian Army and left thousands wounded.
Among those martyred was 24-year-old Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, who earned the nickname 'Hero of Batalik' for his valour in Jubar Top and Khalubar – the crucial points of the Batalik region known for their strategic advantage.
He succumbed to death on 3 July 1999, after being hit by bullets on his forehead whilst commanding a platoon in these conflict areas. Even today, Captain Pandey is largely credited for the recapture of Batalik and posthumously received India's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra.
Capt Pandey was born in Rudra Village, Uttar Pradesh, on 25 June 1975. As a student of Rani Laxmibai School and Uttar Pradesh Sainik School, Lucknow, he was regarded as the school’s star athlete and one of the best cadets of the junior division of Uttar Pradesh NCC.
After finishing training at National Defence Academy in the early 90s, and then the Indian Military Academy, Capt Pandey was commissioned in 1/11 Gorkha Rifles.
1/11 Gorkha Rifles and Operation Vijay
After getting commissioned into the First Battalion of 11 Gorkha Rifles, an infantry regiment consisting of fierce soldiers of the Gurkha origin, Capt Pandey was assigned to capture Jubar Top and Khalubar of the Batalik region as part of Operation Vijay. In the book, Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle, author Ian Cardozo, wrote:
“On 9 May, it was he who covered the dead bodies of four jawans of another unit who were part of a patrol ambushed by the Pakistanis. Soon after, it was his mission that established contact with Kukar Thang which led to its eventual capture.”
Yet again, he was part of the team that captured Jubar and it was he who established the first post there.Ian Cardozo in Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle
The Final Hour at Khalubar
On the night of 2 July 1999, the battalion marched towards Khalubar, but was soon halted due to heavy firing from advantageous Pakistani position. It was a tricky situation for the team led by Capt Pandey as waiting in the area would have exposed them to the intruders in the daylight.
Cardozo wrote that Capt Pandey was assigned to clear the bunkers. He manoeuvred his platoon to a position of advantage and assigned Havildar Bhim Bahadur to assault two right bunkers, while he himself proceeded to clear the four bunkers on his left.
In his final hours, the author writes, that it was while throwing a hand grenade at the fourth bunker, that he received a medium machine gun (MMG) burst on his forehead. The grenade, however, found its target and the occupants of the fourth bunker were annihilated but Manoj Pandey was himself killed.
Captain Manoj Pandey’s display of valour in Batalik made him the eighteenth out of the 21 recipients of Param Vir Chakra. The medal was handed over to his father, Gopi Chand Pandey, by former president KR Narayanan.
Movie Tribute
The story of Capt Pandey was captured in the movie ‘LOC Kargil’, with actor Ajay Devgn playing the role of the brave officer.
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