Remembering Kargil Hero Captain Vikram Batra On His 51st Birth Anniversary

Indian Army Officer, Captain Vikram Batra was born on September 9, 1974 in Himachal Pradesh's Palampur. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his courage during the Kargil War. Here's a brief look at his life and contributions.

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While growing up, he was greatly influenced by the inspirational stories of the Param Vir Chakra awardees. He did his schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Palampur, and later attended DAV College in Chandigarh.

In 1994, Vikram Batra passed the Combined Defence Services Examination and made his way to join the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was commissioned into the 13th Battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles in December 1997.

As part of Operation Vijay during the Kargil War, Lt Vikram Batra's unit, 13 JAK Rif, got deployed in the Dras area of Kargil in June 1999 under the operational command of 56 Infantry Brigade.

At 4:35 am on June 20, 1999, Captain Batra sent the radio message, "Chanakya… It's Shershaah reporting! We've captured the post! Yeh dil maange more." These words of victory later became the catch-phrase of the Kargil War.

Captain Vikram Batra was martyred on July 7, 1999, during the 1999 Kargil War, leading a daring assault on Point 4875.

Captain Vikram Batra was given the nation's highest gallantry award, Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his courage, leadership and supreme sacrifice.