PM Modi names 21 Andaman islands after Param Vir Chakra recipients: Meet the bravehearts

Previously, Ross Island was renamed Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep by the Prime Minister during his visit to the Island in 2018. Neil Island and Havelock Island were also renamed Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep.

Who are these recipients of the Param Vir Chakra?

Information for the following profiles has been sourced from the National War Memorial website. 

• Major Somnath Sharma: In the Battle of Badgam that took place on November 3, 1947, Major Sharma led the solitary company of 4th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment, and tried to defend the Srinagar airport against Pakistani raiders, who heavily outnumbered the Indian troops at the post. Sharma along with one junior commissioned officer and 20 others lost their lives. He became the first-ever recipient of the PVC.
  
• Subedar and Hony Captain (then Lance Naik) Karam Singh: On October 13, 1948, Singh thwarted the Pakistani army from occupying the Tithwal sector in Jammu and Kashmir during the first Indo-Pakistani war. Despite being injured in the heavy shelling from the Pakistan side, he didn’t leave the ground and not only fought valiantly but also freed two Indian jawans from captivity.
• Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane: Played an instrumental role in helping Indian forces occupy Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, as the Pakistan Army shelled the area on April 8, 1948. Rane ducked under India’s Stuart tank and began crawling with it. “He synchronized himself with the movements of dangerous tank wheels and navigated the tank through the minefield and directed its movement by a rope tied to the tank driver, thus, securing a safe lane for the advancing Indian tanks”, the website said.
• Naik Jadunath Singh: On February 6, 1948, the Pakistan military attacked Singh, who was a post commander at Tain Dhar near Naushera in Jammu and Kashmir, and his post. Despite being severely injured and losing several of his men, he attacked the enemy with a Sten Gun and warded them off. However, Singh lost his life during the battle and was awarded the PVC posthumously.
• Company Havildar Major Piru Singh: Part of a company tasked to capture a Pakistani post at Tithwal in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh died while carrying out the operation on July 18, 1948. Records show that during the mission, Singh and other Indian troops came under a barrage of medium machine gun (MMG) firings and grenade attacks. Even after all of his comrades were killed, the Company Havildar Major managed to destroy “the enemy position before breathing his last.”
• Captain GS Salaria: Successfully defended the UN Headquarters at Elizabethville (now known as Lubumbashi) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On December 5, 1961, his Gorkha Company was supposed to remove a roadblock established by the Katangese troops but they met with a strong enemy opposition. Salaria and his men fought courageously and managed to kill around 40 of the enemy troops, forcing them to flee the spot. The Captain sustained severe injuries on his neck and died soon after.
• Lieutenant Colonel (then Major) Dhan Singh Thapa: Commander of a forward post in Ladakh during the Sino-Indian war, Thapa and his men were attacked by the Chinese troops, who substantially outnumbered them, on October 20, 1962. In their first two attempts, the Chinese failed to overrun the Indian forces and it was only when they charged for the third time with the help of tanks that they took hold of the post. “Major Dhan Singh Thapa killed several enemy soldiers in hand-to-hand combat before he was finally overpowered,” said the National War Memorial’s website.
• Subedar Joginder Singh: Died on October 23, 1962, while defending his post in Bumla, Arunachal Pradesh, against the Chinese military. Despite losing most of his men, Singh, who was the commander of the platoon posted there, didn’t evacuate and held his position. The National War Memorial’s website mentions, “Subedar Joginder himself manned an LMG (light machine gun) and shot down a number of enemy troops.”
• Major Shaitan Singh: Put up a brave fight on November 18, 1962, against the Chinese attack while he was commanding his platoon at Rezang La in Jammu and Kashmir, located at a height of about 17,000 feet. Singh incurred grievous injuries yet continued to move from one platoon post to another while motivating his men and helping them fight the enemy. When he was asked to evacuate, Singh refused to go and fought till the end.
• Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid: Is best remembered for commanding a jeep-mounted RCL Gun Detachment and destroying two of Pakistan’s tanks during the Indo-Pak war of 1965. Hamid didn’t stop attacking the enemy even when they spotted his jeep and he helped his detachment to destroy seven more Pakistani tanks before sustaining fatal injuries.
• Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore: On September 11, 1965, Lieutenant Colonel Tarapore’s Regiment was attacked in the Sialkot Sector. However, his regiment held its ground and gallantly attacked Phillora. Despite being wounded, Lieutenant Colonel Tarapore refused to be evacuated and led his Regiment to capture Wazirwali, Jassoran and Butur-Dograndi. Inspired by his leadership, his team destroyed 60 Pakistan tanks.
• Lance Naik Albert Ekka: On December 4, 1971, during the battle of Gangasagar, Lance Naik Ekka noticed an enemy LMG inflicting heavy casualty on his company. With disregard for his personal safety, he charged the enemy bunker, bayoneted two enemy soldiers and silenced the LMG. Suddenly another MMG opened up from a building. Despite being mortally injured, he crawled forward and lobbed a grenade, killing one soldier. The MMG was finally silenced after Lance Naik Ekka entered the building and took down the gunner in hand-to-hand combat.
• Major Hoshiar Singh: On December 15, 1971, Major Hoshiar Singh’s company was ordered to capture the enemy locality of Jarpal. During the assault, his company came under intense shelling. Undeterred, he led the charge and captured the objective after a fierce hand-to-hand fight. He then successfully motivated his troops to repulse wave after wave of enemy counter attacks, despite being heavily wounded, even manning a machine gun post just by himself after enemy fire had taken down its operators. His leadership and bravery helped the Indian Army to keep control of the objective and eventually win the War.
• Second Lt Arun Khetarpal: On December 16, 1971, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal voluntarily moved to reinforce ‘B’ Squadron at Shakargarh sector, Punjab, on receiving an urgent call for reinforcements. Enroute, his tanks came under heavy fire from enemy strong points which he destroyed to reach ‘B’ Squadron. What followed was a fierce tank battle destroying ten enemy tanks – Khetarpal himself took out four. Despite being badly injured, he refused to pull back, shooting down one more enemy tank, before succumbing to a second enemy shell.
• Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon: On December 14, 1971, Srinagar airfield was bombed by two Pakistani Sabre aircraft. Despite the risk to his own life, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon took off on his Gnat fighter, which was seriously disadvantaged over the Pakistani Sabres in low altitude, from the damaged runway and engaged with the enemy.  He brought down one aircraft and seriously damaged another. By this time four more Pakistani Sabre aircraft had arrived. Heavily outnumbered, Flying Officer Sekhon’s aircraft was shot down, killing him in the crash. Till date, he remains the only PVC awardee from the Indian Air Force.
• Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran: On November 25, 1987, while returning from a search operation in Sri Lanka, Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran’s team was ambushed. Showing presence of mind, he quickly organised his forces, outflanking the militants. When shot in the chest, Major Parameswaran snatched back the rifle from the militant, shooting him dead. Gravely wounded, he continued to give orders and inspired his command till he breathed his last. His action not only saved his team but also helped eliminate five militants and retrieve a big cache of weapons and ammunition.
• Naib Subedar Bana Singh: On June 26, 1987, Naib Subedar Bana Singh volunteered for a task force to clear Quaid Post, held by Pak Army in the Siachen Glacier, at an altitude of 21,000 feet. Siachen’s extreme climate with intense blizzards, temperature of nearly – 50 degree celsius and shortage of oxygen were the biggest threat to survival. Scaling a 457 m high ice wall amidst zero visibility, Naib Subedar Singh and his team charged Pakistani positions, killing the enemy with grenades and bayonets.
• Captain Vikram Batra: On July 7, 1999, his company was tasked to capture a feature on Point 4875 in Ladakh. In a fierce hand-to-hand fight, he killed five enemy soldiers. Despite sustaining grave injuries, he led his men from the front in the face of heavy enemy fire, before attaining martyrdom. Inspired by his courageous act, his troops annihilated the enemy and captured Point 4875 . Captain Batra’s catchphrase “Yeh Dil Maange More” has become an enduring symbol of the courage of the Indian Army.
• Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey: On July 3, 1999, his company came under heavy enemy fire. According to his PVC citation, he fearlessly assaulted the enemy, killing four enemy troops and destroying two bunkers. Although bleeding profusely, he continued to lead his men clearing bunker after bunker, often taking on the enemy in fierce hand-to-hand combat. Leading his men to successfully capture their objective, he made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.
• Subedar Major (then Rifleman) Sanjay Kumar: On July 4, 1999, Rifleman Kumar charged at the enemy firing at his team from well-entrenched positions. In the subsequent physical combat, he sustained grave injuries but killed 3 enemy soldiers in one position before attacking the next. His surprising attack made the enemy flee and enabled the Indian Army to capture the previously occupied Flat Top point.
• Subedar Major and Hony Captain Yogesh Singh Yadav (retired): On July 3/4, 1999, his team came under intense firing from the enemy camped in strong points on top of Tiger Hill. Yadav crawled to the enemy position in an attempt to silence it, killing four enemy combatants in close combat despite suffering grave injuries himself. His gallantry inspired the rest of his team to capture the Tiger Hill Top, a major objective for the Indian Army.