This day that year #7 February 1948, legend of Major Malkit Singh Brar (MVC awardee)
| 07-Feb-2023 |
7 February 1948, on this day, Major Malkit Singh Brar laid down his life in the service of nation in J&K’s Poonch district during 1947-48’s Indo-Pak War. Brar hailed from Alamwala in Faridkot district of Punjab.
Born on 15 August 1918, he joined the Indian Army in 1941 and was commissioned into the Kumaon Regiment as 2nd Lieutenant. His discipline and commitment towards his duty got him promoted to the rank of Major in less than seven years of time.
During 1948, Major Singh’s unit was deployed in J&K’s Poonch district and the war with Pakistan which started in 1947 was still going on. In the month of February 1948, Brar’s unit was engaged in an intense gunfight with the Pakistani forces to capture and hold on to the strategically important ground features.
On February 7, 1948, Brar was commanding B company of his batallion, which captured an important hill feature against heavy opposition. The enemy launched heavy attack and the forward platoon had already suffered heavy casualties and only two men were left in the position to fight. Major Brar with a Bran gun ran towards the forward post irrespective of his personal safety, fired at advancing enemy from point blank range. His valour prevented the enemy from proceeding further as they ran back and hid themselves behind the rocks.
Major Brar with his bravery saved the platoon from being over run by the enemy and he himself evacuated most of the wounded soldiers under heavy enemy fire. In spite of the orders from the high command to withdraw, he kept supervising the evacuation of the company’s casualties. It was during this process, a 3-inch mortar bomb landed very close to him and wounded him mortally. Later, he succumbed to his injuries and attained martyrdom.
Major Malkit Singh was awarded `Mahavir Chakra’ nation’s second highest gallantry award posthumously for his outstanding valour, unyielding fighting spirit and supreme sacrifice.