Vikram Batra
The Kargil war fought on the Himalayan peaks is well-known, and Captain Vikram Batra, who played a key part in its victory, likewise requires no introduction. When Pakistan unlawfully conquered much of the heights of Kargil in 1999, the Indian Army began Operation Vijay to reclaim the summits, with Captain Vikram Batra playing a key role. For his courage, Captain Vikram Batra was posthumously awarded India’s highest and most prestigious medal, the Param Vir Chakra. The courage of this Param Vir has been talked about worldwide since the premiere of the film Shershah, which is based on the biography of Captain Vikram Batra, who fought till his last breath for Mother India.
Captain Vikram Batra Birth & Early Life
On September 9, 1974, Vikram Batra was born in the Himachal Pradesh village of Palampur to Girdhari Lal Batra and Kamal Kanta Batra. Girdhari Lal Batra, Vikram’s father, was a government school headmaster, and Kamal Kanta Batra, Vikram’s mother, was also a teacher.
Vikram has two sisters, Seema and Nutan, and a twin brother named Vishal. Because Vikram’s mother was spiritual, she called his twin brother ‘Kush’ and used to call Vikram ‘Luv’.
Captain Vikram Batra Education
Vikram Batra attended D.A.V. in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, for his early education. He then transferred from public school to the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Palampur, where he studied from class VIII to class XII.
He used to play table tennis during his studies at Kendriya Vidyalaya, and he had mastered the sport better than his studies. Vikram’s Kendriya Vidyalaya was in the Army area, so he saw army training, discipline, and other things every day, which sparked his desire to join the Army.
Vikram entered Chandigarh’s D.A.V. College to get his degree in science after completing his schooling up to class XII.
Vikram joined Panjab University, Chandigarh, to pursue an M.A. in English after finishing his degree in science at D.A.V. College in Chandigarh in 1995. He also began preparing for the Combined Defense Services (C.D.S.).
Vikram Batra’s Career in the Army
He completed the Combined Defense Services (C.D.S.) test to enter the Army in 1996, and the Services Selection Board in Allahabad chose him. He was one of the top 35 exam candidates, and he dropped out of college to join the Indian Military Academy. He was posted to a five-month Young Officers Course at the Infantry School in Madhya Pradesh in March 1998. After finishing his training, he was appointed as a lieutenant in the Army’s 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles on December 6, 1997, at Sopore, Jammu.
After finishing the training, he obtained an alpha grade and was re-inducted into his Battalion in J&K. In addition to commando training, he completed various other courses in 1999. He visited his home on vacation from the Army for the Holi holiday when he saw his closest friend and fiancée, Dimple Cheema, before he died in the Kargil war, during which the war was also discussed, to which the Captain replied, “I or So I will come after waving the tricolor or wrapping myself in the tricolor, but I will come.”
Captain Vikram Batra Training
Vikram Batra joined the Manekshaw Battalion in 1996. After finishing his 19-month training, Vikram was discharged from the Manekshaw Battalion (IMA) in 1997.
After finishing his training, Vikram was appointed as a lieutenant in the 13th Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. He had to go to Jabalpur and Madhya Pradesh for 30 days of training after joining the 13th Battalion.
Captain Vikram Batra Posting
Vikram Batra was commissioned as a lieutenant on December 6, 1997, after completing 30 days of training at Sopore, Jammu, and Kashmir.
Vikram Batra completed the Young Officers Course in Madhya Pradesh from 1998 to 1999 after entering the Indian Army. After completing the training, Vikram Batra received an alpha grading and was returned to his duty in Jammu & Kashmir.
He completed a two-month commando training in Karnataka in 1999. After finishing the course in Karnataka, Vikram received the highest grade – Instructor’s Grade.
Kargil war, 5140 summit victory
His unit was dispatched to the Kargil War on June 1, 1999. Vikram was promoted to Captain after defeating the Hump and Raki Nab locations. Captain Batra’s detachment was then tasked with liberating the most vital mountain, 5140, directly above the Srinagar-Leh route, from the Pakistani troops. Captain Batra and his troops approached the region from the east, completely unaware that the enemy was approaching. Captain Batra and his allies launched a frontal attack on the opposing fortifications. He led the unit to the front and zealously engaged the enemy, killing four adversaries in a one-on-one fight.
Even though it was a challenging terrain, Vikram Batra and his friends reached the summit at 3.30 a.m. on June 20, 1999. Captain Vikram Batra’s victory chronicles were broadcast over the radio from this mountain, and he dubbed it ‘Dil Mange Mor.’ His name was covered not just in the Army but across India. He was also granted the title of Sher of Kargil and the code name Vikram. The next day, the media published a photo of Vikram Batra and his colleagues holding the Indian flag on peak 5140.
Victory and Martyrdom at Point 4875 Peak
The Indian Army then started an attack to take Point 4875 Peak on July 7, 1999. Captain Vikram and his platoon were also charged with the task of this. It was a challenging location, with steep slopes on both sides and adversaries blocking the only road. Captain Vikram Batra opted to strike the opposing positions from a limited plateau to finish the objective.
Captain Vikram Batra killed five enemy soldiers at Point Black Range during the conflict in a tough face-to-face battle. He was critically injured after coming under fire from an enemy sniper. Even after this, he crawled and killed the opponents by throwing grenades at them. He accomplished a nearly impossible mission by being in the vanguard of this fight. Captain Vikram Batra was slain because he did not care about his life and finished the mission while under intense fire from the enemy.
Honors and Awards for Gallantry
- The Indian government posthumously awarded Captain Vikram Batra the ParamVir Chakra in 1999 for his extraordinary acts of gallantry during the Kargil War.
- Due to the historic occupancy of Point 4875, the peak was dubbed Batra Top in his honor.
- The Vikram Batra Block is a hall at Allahabad’s Service Selection Center.
- Captain Vikram Batra Enclave is a residential neighborhood in Jabalpur Cantonment.
- Vikram Batra Mess is the name of the I.M.A.’s Combined Cadet Mess.
- MukarbaChowk, and its flyover in New Delhi was renamed Shaheed Vikram BatraChowk.
- The D.A.V. College in Chandigarh has a memorial commemorating war soldiers, including Batra.
Captain Vikram Batra’s Girlfriend
Captain Vikram Batra shared his favorite cafe with his fiancee Dimple Cheema before being martyred during the Kargil War in 1999. When Captain Vikram Batra went on a holiday at his home during the Holi festival before being martyred in 1999, he shared his favorite cafe with his fiancee Dimple Cheema.
Because of the Kargil conflict, Dimple Cheema, Vikram’s girlfriend, expressed concern about Vikram’s safety during their meeting. When Vikram’s fiancée advised him to take Kargil measures, Vikram Batra replied:
“I’ll either come home waving my tricolour or my body will be draped in the tricolour, but I’ll surely return.”
After his Holi break, Vikram returned to the Jammu and Kashmir Battalion.
Captain Vikram Batra’s Death
During the narrow-peaked war of 4875, he received numerous critical wounds in a one-on-one battle with the Pakistani Army. He could not walk because of his deep wound, so he crawled and used dynamite to destroy the attackers.
Vikram and his unit continued to attack the attackers without regard for their lives, killing each enemy. One of his colleagues was shot during the fight, and as soon as he stood up, he was in the eyes of the attackers. An enemy sniper shot him in the chest at close range, and after a short time, another bullet struck his head, and Vikram fell near his injured colleague, where he died and was so sacrificed. Following his death, his friends, motivated by vengeance, wreaked havoc on the adversaries and grabbed control of the narrow peak of 4875.
Vikram Batra Movie
- In 2013, actor Abhishek Bachchan represented Captain Vikram Batra in the film “LOC Kargil,” based on the Kargil war.
- Sidharth Malhotra plays Batra in the biography Shershaah, directed by Vishnuvardhan and produced by Dharma Productions and Pen India Ltd, released in 2021.
Some Facts about Vikram Batra
- Lt Col Y.K. Joshi, Vikram Batra’s commanding officer, had given him Sher Shah’s surname.
- “Either I will come after displaying the tricolour of victory or I would come wrapped in the tricolour,” Vikram Batra had assured his father before going to the Kargil war.
- Vikram Batra had shot and killed three enemy fighters even when he was injured.
- “Yeh Dil Maange More,” is Vikram Batra’s tagline.