2nd Lt Bharat Singh Kasana VrC

Second Lieutenant Bharat Singh Kasana hailed from Jawali village of Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh and was born on 05  August  1949. Son of Shri  Kharak Singh Kasana, 2nd Lt Bharat Singh was fascinated with army life like many youngsters of his village and nursed a dream of joining the army since his childhood. Following his passion he eventually passed the Combined Defence Services Examination and got selected to join the OTA Chennai. He joined the SS-10 Course at OTA Chennai and passed out on 14 March 1971 along with 337 other officers as a Second Lieutenant at the age of 21 years.

He was commissioned into the 9 Dogra Battalion of the Dogra Regiment, an infantry regiment known for its gallant soldiers and numerous battle honours. Barely a few months into service, 2nd Lt Bharat Singh Kasana got involved in the thick of operations as his unit got deployed on the eastern border when the war with Pakistan became imminent. 

Battle of Suadih (Eastern Sector: Indo-Pak War): 04 Dec 1971

During Dec 1971, 2nd Lt Bharat Singh Kasana's unit 9 Dogra battalion was deployed in the Eastern Sector. The unit was functioning under the operational control of 41 Mountain Brigade. This Mountain Brigade was functioning under 4 Mountain Division with overall operational control being exercised by 2 Corps. Though the war with Pakistan actually commenced on 03 Dec 1971, when Pakistani Air Force attacked Air Bases of India, the border skirmishes were going on much before that and 2nd Lt Bharat Singh Kasana's unit was involved in several operations as early as November 1971. After the declaration of the war, as part of the operational plan, it was decided to capture Suadih village on the way to Kot Chandpur. The overall plan of the Indian Army was to move toward Kaliganj and Jhenida to cut off the Pakistani escape routes to Dacca, the East Pakistani capital. In order to tackle the enemy defences at Suadih, it was necessary to capture the enemy positions at Madurbere. 9 Dogra battalion was tasked to capture the border town of Madurbere. 

2nd Lt Bharat Singh Kasana was functioning as platoon commander of one of the Companies of 9 Dogra Battalion. His Company was tasked with capturing the strategic location of Madurbere, a mission that would prove to be both challenging and perilous. As dawn broke, the company launched an attack to seize the railway bridge north of Madurbere. The enemy, however, was well-prepared, and intense automatic fire from bunkers overlooking the bridge halted their advance. The air was thick with the sound of gunfire and the smell of gunpowder, as the soldiers fought valiantly to neutralize the enemy positions. After successfully silencing one bunker, the Company faced another deadly threat. A second bunker, positioned about 150-200 yards away, unleashed a barrage of fire, stopping the company in its tracks. It was at this critical juncture that 2nd Lt Bharat Singh Kasana’s leadership shone through. Despite the heavy artillery and automatic fire raining down on them, he rallied his platoon and led a daring assault on the enemy bunkers.

2nd Lt Bharat Singh Kasana’s courage was unwavering, even as a burst of medium machine gun fire struck his leg. Without caring for the pain and his injury, he pressed on, determined to achieve their objective. As he advanced, another burst of automatic fire hit him on the forehead. He soon succumbed to his injuries and was martyred. Eventually, the enemy defences were neutralized and 2nd Lt Bharat Singh Kasana’s Company achieved its objective. Besides 2nd Lt Bharat Singh Kasana, the other martyred brave hearts of the 9 Dogra Battalion included Sub Onkar Singh, Lance Naik Diwan Chand, Lance Naik Ram Chander, Sep Paras Ram, Sep Roshan Lal, Sep Harnam Singh, Sep Sep Janak Ram and Sep Sher Singh. This victory by the 9th Dogra Battalion was responsible for the eventual fall of Suadih, which was a strong bastion of the Pakistan Army's most fortified position in the country. This facilitated the Indian Army's advance toward Dacca as per the overall operational plan. For this task, the 9 Dogra Battalion was awarded the battle honour of Suadih. During this operation, 2nd Lt Bharat Singh Kasana showed remarkable gallantry in the face of the enemy beyond the call of his duty and made the supreme sacrifice. He was posthumously given the nation's 3rd highest gallantry award, "Vir Chakra" on 15 Aug 1972 for his outstanding courage, determination, and supreme sacrifice.

2nd Lt Bharat Singh Kasana is survived by his wife Smt Nirmal Kasana.

Citation for the "Vir Chakra" awarded to him reads:-

Second Lieutenant Bharat Singh Kasana was a platoon commander with a Battalion of the Dogra Regiment which was given the task of capturing Madurbere in the Eastern Sector. An attack was launched by a company of the Bat- talion to capture the railway bridge north of Madurbere but it was held up by intense automatic fire from enemy bunkers overlooking the bridge. After the company had neutralised one bunker, another one opened up at a distance of about 150-200 yards which halted the company's advance. At this stage, Second Lieutenant Bharat Singh Kasana mustered his platoon and though under very heavy artillery and auto- matic fre, he led the assault on the enemy bunkers. In the process, he was hit by a burst of medium machine gun fire in the leg but unmindful of his injury, he pressed home the assault. He was again hit by a burst of automatic fire on his forehead, and he succumbed to his injuries.

In this action, Second Lieutenant Bharat Singh Kasana displayed gallantry, determination and leadership of a high order.