'Yeh Dil Maange More !'- Celebrating the Lion of Kargil, Captain Vikram Batra(PVC)

What does 3300 meters and world's second coldest inhabited place bring to your  mind? Mountains, thin oxygen levels and extreme weather conditions right? Even a trek in such a region would be physically and mentally challenging then how would an uncalled war in the same region sound like? 
Drass Region and the peaks where the war was fought

In case your wondering, Drass, India's coldest place is ranked world's second coldest inhabitable place and while it is a popular tourist destination for bikers and travelers going to Ladakh it is also the land of martyrdom. A land that lives to tell the tale of several young officers who in their early 20's decided to give their all, including their lives for the nation in the 1999 war of Kargil.
 
There is something about the forces that drives the spirit and soul of the soldier even in the most unprecedented times and although a single post does not suffice to commemorate this spirit, this is a humble attempt at glimpsing one of those rare, unknown moments during the war of one such Braveheart whose Dil always yearned for more opportunities to serve his motherland. Here's a little tribute to one of the most selfless, brave, lively and happy-go-lucky soul, Capt. Vikram Batra (PVC) a.k.a Shershaah, his code name during the war. 

'Mummy, ek dum fit hoon, fikar mat karna'  The last phone call that Capt. Vikram Batra made and the last words that he ever told his mother. To a mother that had spent all her life amidst the mountains, she knew the invincible nature of the mountains and to hear her son's reassuring words while he fought on the icy peaks that were at the height of 17000 ft probably did not lessen her fears. But being a soldier's mother, she knew how to be brave too.



As parents, they always had several reasons to be proud of their son way before he showed his valor and caliber in the Indian Army. Did you know that Capt Vikram Batra was to join merchant navy in Hong Kong before getting commissioned into the Indian army? His uniform had been stitched and tickets were booked and he could have happily sailed into a lavish life of comfort, rainbows and sunshine but as though he peeped into the future, he realized that this was not his true calling. 
"Money is not everything in life; I have to do something bigger in life, something great, something extraordinary, for my countryHe told his parents as he rejected the lucrative career path offered by Indian Oil and a decade later the company lauded his decision by paying him a tribute in one of their ad campaigns 'Sometimes an ordinary Indian can make a Rs 120,000 crore company feel humble. For every step we take, there's an inspired Indian leading the way'
Capt Vikram Batra with captured Pakistani ammunition 


Coming from a family that had no military background, the love for serving the nation came naturally through the ambience that he was brought up in. The school that was surrounded by army cantonment, the late 80's show 'Param Vir Chakra' and friends from military families influenced both Capt. Vikram Batra and his twin brother Vishal Batra to join the forces but only the former could make it through the SSB and join the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun. 
The mother however felt that it was destiny's part to let just one of her son's clear the SSB. "Maybe there was some reason why God gave me twins -- one he had marked for the country and one for me"

As a matter of fact, were you all aware that the last battle that Vikram Batra fought, he had actually been ill and almost down with fever yet he repeatedly insisted on leading the troops at point 4875 now known as Batra Top. This peak was of high significance as it gave the enemy a clear view of the Leh-Srinagar highway, one of the key logistical endpoints for ammunition's and food supply for soldiers deployed at Kargil and staying true to the ethos of Indian army, Capt. Vikram Batra did not hesitate for a second to put nation before himself. 
A particular incident during that time that his father still recalls is an interview, when the interviewer asked Capt.Vikram Batra as he took command of his 2nd and last operation, "Vikram you are going for another crucial operation, what are your thoughts at this moment?"
"I wish the families of the deceased soldiers are looked after well by the government and society," Capt. Vikram replied and turned his face from the camera. Sitting in his home, hundreds of miles away, his father read the facial expressions of his son and instantly knew what was going on in his mind. Capt. Vikram doubted his return which broke his father down as somewhere deep down he realized it too, that his son was not going to return. 



Even before leaving for Kargil when someone had asked Capt Vikram to be careful during the war he replied in his usual cheerful and casual manner, "Don't worry, I'll either come back after raising the Indian flag in victory or return wrapped in it, but I will come back for sure! "   After breathing his last on July 7th 1999 while rescuing a junior lieutenant from an enemy bunker on point 4875 he indeed came home wrapped in the 'Tiranga'. 

Reading such excepts one can only understand that it's not just the soldier that goes to the war but his entire family along with him. Our heart goes out to every such brave family who go to war everyday yet manage to stay optimistic and cheerful during tough times. 
During Kargil, there were many such families and a majority of soldiers that were deployed were of the age group 22-25 years. A normal man in his 20's would probably aim at going on hikes with his friends at half the height's that these men fought, let alone risk their lives! But the Kargil war was a unique showcase of such young, freshly passed out heroic and selfless men who had their priorities sort out, 'Desh Keliye aur Desh ke baad'. 
Today 22 years later a line from the movie LOC Kargil aptly summarizes the collective emotion of the nation to all the fallen but not forgotten 527 soldiers who were martyred in the war. 
Jaao Jo Laut Ke Tum Ghar Ho Khushi Se Bharaa

Bas Itnaa Yaad Rahe Ek Saathi Aur Bhi Thaa


 

Remembering all the sacrifices made by all the soldiers and their families, IndianBuff wishes everyone a Happy Kargil Vijay Diwas. 
Do let us know in the comment section below if you found some new interesting facts that you were not aware of about Capt. Vikram Batra or the Kargil war or if you had ever heard of the famous catch phrase Yeh dil maange more or anything else about Capt. Vikram Batra! 

Until next time,
JAI HIND!
Stay safe, stay happy
Adios! 


Comments

  1. Very touching. खूप छान लिहिले आहेस👌👌

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great story ! Equally well written! Salute to Capt. Vikram Batra and the other Kargil heroes!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Amazing heart-touching story and really beautifully penned down!

    ReplyDelete

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