Subedar Nirmal Singh was an Indian army soldier who led his men from the front and laid down his life in the service of the nation in 1999’s Kargil War.

 

Subedar Nirmal Singh hailed from Gurdaspur district of Punjab. Joined army before he could reach 20. He was enrolled into the 8th Sikh battalion of the Sikh Regiment, an infantry regiment.

 

 

On 5 July 1999, Subedar Nirmal Singh was leading a small team to establish a foothold on an objective in Drass sub-sector as part of 'Operation Vijay'. While assaulting, Subedar Nirmal Singh noticed enemy movement. Before enemy could react, he directed fire of own automatic weapons on enemy and inflicted heavy casualties. The enemy was forced to retreat. Subedar Nirmal Singh quickly reached on the objective and captured it. Rest of the company followed up next day and reorganized defences. Subedar Nirmal Singh deployed his platoon on forward slope of Helmet.

 

At 0600 hrs, enemy opened fire on Helmet and India Gate from Tiger Hill and Trig Height and followed it up with a counter attack on the position held by Subedar Nirmal Singh's men. Heavy hand-to-hand fight ensured. Subedar Nirmal Singh and his men despite being seriously wounded kept fighting the enemy with extreme bravado and courage and continued fighting till the last man last round. They kept the enemy away till they all succumbed to their fatal injuries.

 

His single handedly taking on the enemy face-to-face at close quarter motivated the troops around him to mount an assault on the enemy and to repulse their counter attack. The supreme sacrifice made by Subedar Nirmal Singh was in the highest tradition of the Indian Army and in service of the nation.

 

Subedar Nirmal Singh was given "Vir Chakra” posthumously for his exceptional courage, unyielding fighting spirit and supreme sacrifice.