Capt Ramesh Chandra Bakshi VrC

Captain Ramesh Chandra Bakshi hailed from New Delhi and was born on 25 July 1941. Son of Shri KD Bakshi, he joined the Army after completing his initial education. He passed out of the Training Academy on 17 Dec 1961 as Second Lieutenant at the age of 20 years. He was commissioned into 6/8 GR of the 8 Gorkha Rifles Regiment, an infantry Regiment well-known for its brave soldiers. 8 GR Regiment was raised in 1824 as part of the British East India Company and later transferred to the British Indian Army after the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The regiment served in World War I and World War II, before being one of the Gurkha regiments transferred to the Indian Army after independence in 1947. Since then it served in a number of conflicts including the Indo-Pak war of 1947-48 and Sino-Indian War of 1962. It got deployed in J&K again, when the war with Pakistan became imminent in 1965.  

Indo-Pak War (J&K): 06 Sep 1965

During Sep 1965 Capt RC Bakshi's unit 6/8 GR was deployed in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indo-Pak war actually commenced on 01 Sep 1965, when Pakistani forces attacked the Chhamb sector. As part of ongoing operations against the enemy, Capt RC Bakshi's unit was tasked to attack and capture an enemy post in the Lahore sector. Capt RC Bakshi, who was functioning as a 'Company Commander' of one of the companies of 6/8 GR at that time, was tasked to lead that operation. The assigned task was to secure the enemy post by 0400 hours in Lahore Sector in Pakistan. Capt Bakshi swung into action along with his soldiers and deployed the troops for the planned assault. He managed to infiltrate his company stealthily opposite his objective by 0355 hours and launched a fierce attack on the enemy.

As the enemy post had strategic importance for the enemy, it had been alerted and reinforced. As the attack commenced, the enemy used MMG and mortar and put up a stiff resistance. But Capt Bakshi and his comrades fought aggressively and soon over-ran the enemy forward positions. The post was eventually captured after severe hand-to-hand fighting. However while doing so, Capt Bakshi got seriously injured. Despite being severally injured, he continued to encourage his men and ultimately succeeded in capturing the objective. Capt Bakshi however, succumbed to his wounds and was martyred. Besides Capt Bakshi, his soldiers too fought with outstanding bravery and resoluteness and one of them was Guardsman Dambar Bahadur Chhetri from the Brigade of Guards, who was also martyred during this operation. Capt RC Bakshi showed commendable bravery in the face of the enemy with utter disregard for his personal safety and made the supreme sacrifice. Capt RC Bakshi was a valiant soldier and committed officer, who laid down his life in the line of his duty at the age of 24 years. 

Capt RC Bakshi was posthumously awarded “Vir Chakra” on 15 August 1966, for his dauntless courage, leadership, devotion to duty and supreme sacrifice.

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

On the 6th of September 1965, Captain Ramesh Chandra Bakshi, who was the Company commander of a battalion of a Gorkha Regiment, was ordered to secure by 0400 hours an enemy post on the border in Lahore Sector in Pakistan. He managed to infiltrate his company stealthily opposite his objective by 0355 hours and launched a fierce attack on the enemy. The post had been alerted and reinforced but was captured after severe hand-to-hand fighting, In which Capt Bakshi sacrificed his life. In this action, he was at the forefront of his company and displayed indomitable courage, dash, and determination in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.