Naik Nar Singh MVC

Naik Nar Singh hailed from Gangoli Kotuli village of Almora District in Uttarakhand and was born on 14 March 1926. He was recruited into the 4 Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment, one of the most decorated infantry regiments of the Indian Army which traces back its history to the 18th century. 

1947-48 Indo-Pak War : 31 May 1948

During May 1948, Naik Nar Singh's unit 4 Kumaon was deployed in J&K and was engaged in operations against the Pak forces. On 31 May 1948, 4 Kumoan battalion was tasked to attack a hill feature named Master feature as part of ongoing operations. Naik Nar Singh, was commanding a section of the company that was spearheading the attack. The Master feature was a narrow steep feature covered with dense pine forests. The approach to this feature was along a very narrow and bridle path. The enemy was holding this feature with two companies, a section of MMGs and a detachment of 3-inch mortars.

The attack commenced at 0530 hours but it did not succeed owing to lack of space for manoeuvring and intense enemy fire. During the second assault Naik Nar Singh was hit by an enemy bullet in the right shoulder. He was ordered by the company commander to be evacuated to safety. But as the third wave of the attack started, Naik Nar Singh quietly slipped out unnoticed and went on to lead his section which was the leading section of the assault wave. Shouting in his Kumaoni language, "Kumaoni ko bachhao; jan chali jae lekin dushman ke aj tukre kar dalo. Picche nahin hatna", and firing his sten gun, he jumped into an enemy LMG bunker. In a daring move, Naik Nar Singh bayoneted two of the enemy LMG gunners and captured the gun. However by this time he had lost too much blood and collapsed in the bunker itself. Naik Nar Singh was martyred displaying outstanding gallantry and fighting spirit. The attack went off successfully and the objective was captured by 1130 hrs. 

Naik Nar Singh was a gallant and committed soldier who laid down his life in the line of his duty. Naik Nar Singh was given the nation’s second highest gallantry award ” Maha Vir Chakra” posthumously for his cold courage, unfaltering leadership and supreme sacrifice.

The citation for the Maha Vir Chakra awarded to him reads:

On 31 May 1948, Naik Nar Singh, in command of a section of 4 Kumaon, was wounded during the attack on a hill feature named Master feature in J&K but refused to be evacuated. The Master feature was a narrow steep feature covered with dense pine forests. The approach to this feature was along a very narrow and bridle path. The enemy was holding this feature with two companies, a section of MMGs and a detachment of 3-inch mortars.

The attack commenced at 0530hours. All advantages lay in the enemy hands as he was holding the high ground. Twice the feature was attacked but owing to lack of space for maneuvering and intense enemy fire, the company had to stay put at the same place where they had been pinned down.

During the second assault Naik Nar Singh was hit by an enemy bullet in the right shoulder. He was ordered by the company commander to be evacuated to the RAP. But as the third wave of the attack started, this NCO quietly slipped out unnoticed and went on to lead his section which was the leading section of the assault wave. Shouting in his faint but courageous voice he inspired his men by telling them in his Kumaoni language, “Kumaoni ko bachhao; jan chali jae lekin dushman ke aj tukre kar dalo. Picche nahin hatna”, With his bayonet fixed, firing his stengun from the hip he jumped into an enemy LMG bunker – his pre-selected target bayoneted two of the enemy LMG gunners and captured the gun. By this time he had lost much blood. The attack had gone on successfully. The feature was in our hands by 1130 hrs. But nobody could hear a single word from Naik Nar Singh. He was found lying dead in the enemy bunker on top of his two victims-one of his hands still clutching the Bren gun that he so gallantly captured.

Naik Nar Singh’s supreme example of selfless sacrifice, devotion to duty, determination to exterminate the enemy and guts are among the rare examples of gallantry.  

• The Army Welfare Housing Organization's project in Noida in Uttar Pradesh has been named as "Nar Vihar" after Naik Nar Singh in his honour.
• Kumaon Regimental Centre at Ranikhet has a Ground named after “Naik Nar Singh”. The ground is flanked on either side by two beautifully constructed churches, St Peter’s Church and the Presbyterian Church, both of which are being maintained and used by the Kumaon Regimental Centre for welfare activity (for War Widows and retired personnel) as they house the Shawl Factory. Today the Nar Singh Ground is the Centre of all cultural activities, being the only ground available to the people of Ranikhet. People from all walks of life flock the Nar Singh ground for all occasions, be it a religious discourse, a school fete, the Annual Autumn Festival or Ram Lila. Over the years this ground symbolizes the bond between the military and civil population of the brotherhood which ties the entire population of this unique township into one.