TAKING SIX BULLETS TO HIS CHEST, THE BRAVE SON ATTAINED IMMORTALITY

TAKING SIX BULLETS TO HIS CHEST, THE BRAVE SON ATTAINED IMMORTALITY

27-JULY-ENG 7

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------Bhojpur in Bihar is a land of heroes; its sons have never turned their backs on the enemy. Who can forget the valiant warrior Babu Kunwar Singh, who single-handedly gave the British a tough fight? Vidyanand Singh, another son of this very soil, made the supreme sacrifice during the Kargil War while battling Pakistani forces, displaying immense zeal, spirit, courage, and valour.

On June 7, 1999, while fighting against Pakistan during the Kargil War, Vidyanand Singh laid down his life for the nation. Even today, the residents of the district feel proud to pay tribute to Martyr Vidyanand, who cheerfully sacrificed his life for the country's defence. Martyr Vidyanand Singh was born on January 12, 1966, in Panpura, a small village under the Sandesh police station area of ​​Bhojpur district.

Martyr Vidyanand’s parents, Sakaldip Singh and Lakshmina Devi, belonged to a humble farming family. His uncle, the late Chandradip Singh, and his cousin, Ramprasad Singh, also served in the Indian Army. Inspired by them, Vidyanand Singh decided to join the Indian Army and eventually enlisted.

During the 1999 Kargil War, Vidyanand Singh, a brave soldier of the 1st Battalion of the Bihar Regiment, displayed extraordinary valour. He was martyred for the country on June 7, 1999, at a freezing altitude of 18,000 feet. A year prior to the outbreak of the war, his unit had been deployed in the extremely difficult terrains of Jammu and Kashmir.

The martyr's elder brother, Ramprasad Singh (an ex-serviceman), recounted that as soon as the conflict began, his unit received orders to reach Kargil. Subsequently, his detachment arrived at the battlefront on May 21. Renowned for his impressive physique and commanding presence, Vidyanand Singh was serving the nation in Nagaland prior to the Kargil War.

Ramprasad Singh further mentioned that he had been awarded the 'Sena Medal' for conducting outstanding operations against insurgents in Nagaland. When the Kargil conflict broke out, his team was entrusted with the crucial mission of recapturing a vital peak in the Batalik sector—situated at an altitude of 18,000 feet—from enemy control.

"As soon as the fighting began, his unit received orders to deploy to Kargil. His team was tasked with recapturing a strategic peak in the Batalik sector, located at an altitude of 18,000 feet. He had previously received the 'Sena Medal' for his excellent operations against insurgents in Nagaland." — Ramprasad Singh, the martyr's elder brother.

The high peaks of Dras and Batalik held immense strategic importance for the Indian Army. Pakistani infiltrators, entrenched on these heights, were directly targeting army vehicles and supply convoys moving along the main road and National Highway below.

The task of capturing this peak was assigned to the brave Vidyanand's unit on June 5. Subsequently, on the dark night of June 6, his team navigated a perilous, near-vertical ascent and launched a surprise assault on the Pakistani bunkers.

A fierce, close-quarters battle ensued; the valiant Indian soldiers drove back the Pakistani troops and hoisted the Tricolour atop the bunker. However, amidst this, a barrage of enemy fire suddenly rained down from all directions.

In this attack, Vidyanand Singh—a son of the soil from Bhojpur—sustained six bullet wounds to his chest and body, leaving him critically injured. Yet, driven by an unwavering spirit of patriotism, he refused to abandon his machine gun despite the excruciating pain and single-handedly eliminated more than six Pakistani soldiers. Before the medical team could reach the site to transport the injured Vidyanand to the hospital, he had already attained martyrdom.

Currently, Martyr Vidyanand Singh's wife, Parvati Devi, resides in Hazaribagh with her entire family. A petrol pump has been allotted in her name, which operates in Hazaribagh under the name 'Kargil Point'. An NGO named the 'Martyr Vidyanand Singh Educational and Social Foundation' also operates there. His two sons, Shivshankar and Ravishankar, used to run their businesses while living with their mother in Hazaribagh.

Last year, the family was once again plunged into grief following the death of the elder son, Shivshankar, in a road accident. However, the family is now striving to overcome that tragedy. The younger son, Ravishankar, supports the family by running a business in Hazaribagh.

A memorial for Martyr Vidyanand Singh was erected in 2003 in his ancestral village, Panpura, where he is commemorated every year on the anniversary of his martyrdom. The nation will forever honor the sacrifice of this son of Bihar, who proved to be the nemesis of the enemy until his very last breath.