scorecardresearch
Friday, March 29, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomeDefenceMajor Hoshiyar Singh Dahiya — the first living officer to get a...

Major Hoshiyar Singh Dahiya — the first living officer to get a Param Vir Chakra

Exactly 48 years ago, Major Hoshiyar Singh Dahiya led his Company to a victory in the Bangladesh Liberation War that left 85 Pakistani soldiers dead.

Follow Us :
Text Size:

New Delhi: For three days — beginning 15 December — a seriously-wounded Hoshiyar Singh Dahiya, then a young Major, kept up the assault on the enemy, inspired his men to “stand fast” and repulsed all the attacks.

Those three days of unrelenting courage and bravery during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War resulted in the deaths of 85 Pakistani soldiers.

Dahiya — who lived to tell the tale —  was given the Param Vir Chakra, and became the first living officer to get the country’s highest gallantry award.

Born on 5 May 1936 in Sisana village of Rohtak district in then undivided Punjab (now Sonepat district), Dahiya joined the Jat Regiment as a sepoy and was later commissioned as an officer in June 1963 in 3 Grenadiers.

He is often confused with his namesake, Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, a hero of the 1962 India-China war, who died fighting the invading Chinese troops.

The act that won him PVC

On 15 December 1971, a battalion of the Grenadiers was assigned the task of establishing a bridgehead across the Basantar River in the Shakargarh Sector.

Major Dahiya, who retired as a Colonel, was commanding the Left Forward company and was ordered to capture the enemy locality at Jarpal.

This was a well-fortified position and was held in strength by the Pakistani troops.

During the assault, Dahiya’s company came under intense shelling and effective crossfire from enemy medium machine guns.

“Undeterred, he led the charge and captured the objective after a fierce hand-to-hand fight. The enemy reacted and put in three counter-attacks on 16 December, two of them supported by armour. Major Hoshiar Singh, unmindful of the heavy shelling and tank fire, went from trench to trench, motivating his command and encouraging his men to stand fast and fight,” read his citation.

Inspired by his courage and leadership, his company repulsed all the attacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy.


Also read: 5 heroes of 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War who led India to decisive win over Pakistan


Again, the following day, the enemy made another attack with a battalion supported by heavy artillery fire.

“Though seriously wounded by enemy shelling, Major Hoshiar Singh again went from trench to trench, moving about in the open with utter disregard for his personal safety, when an enemy shell landed near the MMG post injuring the crew and rendering it inoperative,” read the citation.

It added that the young Major, realising the importance of the machine-gun fire, immediately rushed to the machine gun pit and, though seriously wounded himself, manned the gun, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy.

The attack was successfully repulsed and the enemy retreated, leaving behind 85 dead, including their Commanding Officer and three other officers.

“Though seriously wounded, Major Hoshiar Singh refused to be evacuated till the cease-fire. Throughout this operation, Major Hoshiar Singh displayed most conspicuous gallantry, indomitable fighting spirit and leadership,” the citation read.

What is a Param Vir Chakra

The Param Vir Chakra (PVC), equivalent to the Medal of Honour in the United States and the Victoria Cross in the United Kingdom, is India’s highest military decoration awarded for the most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self sacrifice in the face of the enemy whether on land, at sea or in the air.

Literally, Param Vir Chakra means ‘Wheel (or Cross) of the Ultimate Brave’. In Sanskrit, ‘Param’ means Ultimate, ‘Vir’ (pronounced veer) means Brave and ‘Chakra’ means Wheel.

Since January 26, 1950, when the PVC was established, 21 soldiers have been honoured with the award.


Also read: India remembers 1965 PVC winner Abdul Hamid, and here’s how many Pattons he really smashed


 

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular