Service No : IC-37542F
Date of Birth : 1956
Place of birth : Rupnagar Dist(Punjab)
Service : Army
Last Rank : Captain
Unit : 1 Para (SF)
Arm/Regt : The Parachute Regiment
Operation : Op Pawan
Martyrdom : June 23, 1988
Captain Harpal Singh
Captain Harpal Singh hailed from Makrauna village in Chamkaur Sahib Tehsil in Rupnagar district of Punjab. Born in 1956 into a Jat Sikh family, he seemed destined for a life of valour. His father, Major Pritam Singh, was an army veteran, and the spirit of service ran deep in the family. He was one of five siblings, with one brother and three sisters. Captain Harpal Singh began his education at the Punjab Public School (PPS), Nabha, where he was admitted in 1965. Over the next seven years, he distinguished himself not only academically but also in extracurricular activities. Affectionately known as “Phoola,” he was admired for his cheerful personality and was immensely popular among his peers. A natural leader and outstanding sportsman, he rose to become the School Head Boy.
Inspired by his father's military legacy, Capt Harpal Singh joined the Indian Army in 1976. He was commissioned into the elite 1st Para (Special Forces) battalion of the Parachute Regiment—an infantry regiment renowned for its daring operations and exceptional para commandos. Once in service, Captain Singh undertook a series of advanced military training courses and excelled in all of them. He further specialized in Deep Sea Diving, adding to his diverse skill set and tactical capabilities. By 1988, after 12 years of committed service, Captain Harpal Singh had earned a reputation as a dedicated and fearless officer—one who truly embodied the spirit and honor of the Indian Army.
Op Pawan (Sri Lanka): 23 June 1988
In June 1988, Captain Harpal Singh was serving with the 1st Para (Special Forces) battalion, which had been deployed in Sri Lanka as part of Operation Pawan—a major military initiative launched by India under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987. The operation was aimed at disarming the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and restoring peace in the region. Following the induction of the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) in August 1987, the LTTE was expected to lay down arms. However, rather than comply, the militant group reneged on the agreement and launched a full-scale guerrilla war against Indian forces. Initially, only the 54th Infantry Division of the Indian Army was deployed, but as the conflict escalated, three more divisions—the 3rd, 4th, and 57th—were brought in to strengthen the operation. By mid-1988, the IPKF had conducted several intense military operations against the LTTE, but the insurgency continued unabated. It was in this volatile and high-risk environment that 1 Para (SF) was assigned a critical mission on 23rd June 1988.
Based on confirmed intelligence, an LTTE training camp had been identified deep within a densely forested region falling under the battalion’s area of responsibility. Captain Harpal Singh’s team was chosen to lead the assault. The operation involved an airborne assault, with the special forces commandos being inserted directly into the hostile jungle terrain. At approximately 0950 hours on the morning of 23rd June, Captain Harpal Singh and his comrades approached the designated drop zone aboard an M-18 helicopter gunship from 109 Helicopter Unit of the Indian Air Force. Their objective was to neutralize the insurgents and dismantle the enemy camp. As the helicopter hovered at a low altitude—approximately 15 to 20 meters above the ground—the hidden LTTE militants suddenly emerged from under the jungle canopy and opened fire with automatic weapons. At that moment, Captain Harpal Singh was positioned at the open rear of the helicopter, fully exposed. Without hesitation, he engaged the attackers, returning fire with remarkable courage and composure under pressure. Despite the overwhelming danger, Captain Singh’s quick response provided crucial covering fire for his team. However, in the process, he was struck in the chest by enemy bullets. Gravely wounded, he continued to fight until he succumbed to his injuries. He was martyred in the line of duty, displaying extraordinary bravery and selflessness.
Captain Harpal Singh’s actions on that fateful day exemplify the highest ideals of courage, leadership, and devotion to duty. He made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation, upholding the proud legacy of the Indian Army and the elite Para Special Forces.
Captain Harpal Singh is survived by his wife, Smt Prabha Singh.
Rajat Y
2022 at 5:55 pmPlease refer to link to know more about Capt Harpal.
https://www.ppsona.com/article/harpal-an-indomitable-character-r-1731973/
Sgt NS Basanti, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
2023 at 10:03 amCaptain Harpal Singh was my Chachaji. I last saw him in person in March, 1984 when I was 10 years old. Fortunately, I enjoyed corresponding with him over the next few years by letter. He was a larger than life person who made a positive impression on everyone he met. He was the epitome of a dashing Army officer. I can vividly recall that tragic day when our family was shattered forever by the news of his passing. I have thought about him every single day since. I can only hope to have made half the impression as this great man. Thank you to Honour Point for paying tribute. It means so much to know he is not forgotten. I wish all those who have served past and present, in the mighty Indian Armed Forces, especially those from the vaunted Para Commando units. I would welcome contact from any of his former comrades. Safe journey to you all❤️
Manju bains
2023 at 11:34 amYou did very good job about Harpalsingh’s life .He was very brave young man .very respectful, loving faithful and caring human being .we miss him everyday .
Bhupinder K Dhillon
2023 at 3:46 amCaptain Harpal my younger brother .My hero so proud to be his sister. Tnx for honouring him.
Manpreet Singh Mander
2025 at 8:32 am“A Gate, A Helicopter, and an Unseen Bond: A Tribute to Capt Harpal Singh
Some connections in life go beyond what’s visible-beyond friendship, family, or even acquaintance. This is one such story-of a soldier, a helicopter, a village gate, and my father.
Captain Harpal Singh, a proud son of Macrona village near Chamkaur Sahib, was a para commando in the elite 1 Para (SF) Regiment. On 23rd June 1988, during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, he was martyred while bravely engaging LTTE militants from the open rear of a helicopter gunship. In that moment, Capt Harpal Singh gave everything he had for his comrades and his country.
What few may know is that the very helicopter, tail number Z2354, was part of the Indian Air Force’s 109 Helicopter Unit, where my father, Ex-Sergeant Balwinder Singh Mander, was serving at the time. He was stationed in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, responsible for the operational maintenance of that aircraft. After Capt. Harpal Singh’s martyrdom, the helicopter remained parked on the tarmac for days for the Court of Inquiry. It was my father and his team who later repaired it and returned it to service. That same helicopter eventually came to 3 Base Repair Depot, Chandigarh, for overhaul- again under my father’s watch. He often spoke of it-not just as a machine, but as a vessel that once carried a hero.
At the time, he had no idea who Capt Harpal Singh was, or where he came from.
It was only after my father’s marriage in 199, when he visited my mother’s village, Macrona-that he noticed a memorial gate honoring a martyred soldier. To his surprise, the name on the gate was Capt Harpal Singh. Suddenly, everything from his time in Sri Lanka-the mission, the helicopter, the sacrifice-came together. Standing before that gate, my father told my newlywed mother the story-of the helicopter, of that day, of the young officer whose courage left a mark on him.
Incidentally, the memorial gate honoring Capt. Harpal Singh was constructed by the Indian Army with the support of the village Panchayat, during the tenure of my maternal grandfather, Late Sh. Balbir Singh, who was serving as the village sarpanch at the time.
My mother, too, carries a memory of Capt. Harpal Singh. She vividly recalls the day his ashes were brought home to Macrona. Though he had been cremated in Sri Lanka, there was a flood of humanity that came to pay their respects. When Capt. Harpal’s mother was handed the urn containing the ashes of her son-she hugged the urn as if it were her son himself. That moment left an imprint on everyone present. It was, as my mother says, “a truly emotional scene-one that the village never forgot.”
I wasn’t even born then, but I grew up hearing this story- of courage, of loss, of deep, silent respect. My father often spoke of that day, that helicopter, and Capt. Harpal Singh with a sense of reverence that stayed with him for life. Though Capt Harpal Singh’s family may never know of my father’s quiet connection to their son, I share this today as a tribute-not just from a soldier to a soldier, but from a son carrying the memory of both.
Capt Harpal Singh, your bravery echoes not just in history books or on memorial plaques-but in the hearts and lives of those who served alongside your legacy, even without knowing you.
You are remembered. Always.”
Navtej Singh
2025 at 1:42 amHi Manpreet,
I wanted to personally thank you on behalf of my entire family, for posting your beautiful sentiments. Any family who has lost a loved one, especially in this manner, knows first hand that your entire universe is forever changed in a moment. I had never observed my own father Mehar Singh, ever display any outward weakness or emotion. He was the toughest man I had ever known (and still is at age 83) but on that day when we heard the terrible news, a part of him died as well. In any event, the memorial gate is dedicated not just to my Chacha, but to all of India’s sons and daughters who have made the sacrifice on behalf of their flag and for the rest of us to enjoy our daily freedoms. Wherever you are, I wish you all the positivity in this world.