Grenadier Ranvir Singh

Grenadier Ranvir Singh hailed from Dharauli village in Jaithara Block of Etah district in Uttar Pradesh and was born on 30 December 1968. Son of Shri Singhpal Singh Chauhan and Smt Vimla Singh, he had three brothers Jagveer Singh, Prempal Singh and Jayveer Singh and four sisters, Sushila, Kusuma, Shashi Kumari and Sushma as his siblings. He studied from Gandhi Sarvjanik Inter College Jaithra and later joined the Army on 24 Jan 1988 at the age of 20 years. He was recruited into 14 Grenadiers battalion of the Grenadiers Regiment, an infantry Regiment known for its brave soldiers and having a glorious history of various battle honours.

Op Meghdoot : 26 November 1990

During Nov 1990, Gdr Ranvir Singh's unit 14 Grenadiers was deployed in Siachen Glacier as part of "Operation Meghdoot". The unit was deployed in one of the most remote parts of the glacier and remained inaccessible during winter. The troops besides manning designated posts also operated regular patrols to monitor the area along the border. The soldiers faced extreme risks in manning the inhospitable terrain at heights of 19,000 feet under extreme weather conditions on the world’s highest battlefield. Avalanches too usually took place due to the accumulation of snow and were triggered by morning sunlight. Besides facing extreme weather conditions, Gdr Ranvir Singh and his comrades had to deal quite often with unprovoked firing from the enemy forces. On 26 Nov 1990, Gdr Ranvir Singh and few other soldiers detected suspicious movement in their area of control. Soon a fierce gun battle followed with a heavy exchange of fire from both sides.

The small arms fire from the enemy was accompanied by artillery shelling which proved the fact that it was a well-planned move by the enemy. The Indian forces also swung into action to give a befitting reply, however one of the enemy shells hit the Indian post. As a result, Gdr Ranvir Singh got severely injured and was moved to provide medical aid. Despite battling valiantly, he later succumbed to his injuries and was martyred. Gdr Ranvir Singh was a gallant and dedicated soldier who laid down his life at the age of 22 years, in the line of his duty, following the highest traditions of the Indian Army.

Gdr Ranvir Singh is survived by his wife Smt Geeta Devi.