Grenadier Surender Singh

Grenadier Surender Singh was born and raised in the small, village of Subana in the Jhajjar tehsil of Jhajjar district, Haryana. Known for its rich cultural heritage and a strong tradition of military service, the region has produced numerous soldiers who have served the nation with honour and distinction. Growing up in this environment, Surender Singh was inspired by the stories of valour and sacrifice of local heroes. He was the son of Shri Ram Singh, a respected member of the community who instilled in him a sense of discipline, and the desire to serve the nation.

Like many young men from Haryana, who see a career in the armed forces as a matter of pride and a noble way to serve the country, Gdr Surender Singh aspired to join the Indian Army from a young age. His upbringing in a rural, patriotic community and his determination made him well-suited for the rigors of military life. Gdr Surender Singh's dream became a reality when he was selected to join the Indian Army. After successfully completing the recruitment process, he was inducted into the 18 Grenadiers Battalion of the Grenadiers Regiment, one of the oldest and most distinguished infantry regiments of the Indian Army, known for its brave soldiers and a rich history of battle honours. 

Battle of Tololing (Kargil War): 13/14 Jun 1999

During 1999, Gdr Surender Singh's unit 18 Grenadiers was deployed in the J & K along the LOC. On 03 May 1999, the intrusions by Pak forces were detected and on 26 May 1999, the first air-to-ground strike was launched by the Indian Airforce (IAF), followed by Operation Vijay, by the Indian Army to evict the intruders from the Indian areas. The army quickly mobilized its forces to drive out the Pakistani infiltrators from Indian territory. Gdr Surender Singh's 18 Grenadiers battalion, under the command of Col Kushal Thakur, was inducted into the Drass area by 3rd week of May 1999. The battalion was functioning under the command of 56 Mtn Bde, with overall operational control being exercised by 8 Mtn Div under Maj Gen Mohinder Puri. The Tololing Heights was the deepest penetration beyond the LC by the Pakistani intruders. The task of capturing the Tololing feature was assigned to 56 Mtn Bde. The Tololing feature comprised Pt 4590, Tololing Top, South East Spur, South Spur, and Hump to its north. Pt 4590 and Tololing Top dominated all the approaches leading to it. As per the plan of attack of 56 Mtn Bde, 2 Raj Rif was tasked to capture the Tololing top by 0600 Hr on 13 June 1999. 18 Garh Rif battalion was to capture Pt 5140 by 0700 hrs on 13 June. Two companies of 18 Grenadiers were to provide a firm base and the balance of the battalion was to act as reserve to 2 Raj Rif.  

After the capture of Tololing top by the 2 Raj Rif battalion, by 13 June 1999, the 18 Grenadiers Battalion was tasked to capture Hump in conjunction with 18 Garh Rif battalion. Gdr Surender Singh was part of the team of 18 Gren that was assigned the task. Gdr Surender Singh and his comrades launched the attack on the Hump on the night of 13/14 June 1999 preceded by heavy shelling by the Artillery. The area was heavily fortified, but Gdr Surender Singh along with his comrades kept on neutralizing the enemy’s resistance en route. Despite stiff resistance by the enemy, 18 Gren carried on with the attack and by morning captured part of Hump. However during the fierce exchange of fire, Gdr Surender Singh got severly injured and was martyred. By mid day on 14 June 1999, the Hump feature was captured which later facilitated the capture of Point 4590. Besides Gdr Surender Singh, twelve other soldiers of 18 Grenadiers were martyred during this entire operation. The other brave hearts martyred on 13 June 1999, included Nk Praburam Chotiya, Nk Rajvir Singh, L/Nk Raj Kumar, L/Nk Shyam Singh, L/Nk Vinod Kumar, Gdr Sukhbir Singh, Gdr Sita Ram Kumawat, Gdr Manohar Lal, Gdr Naresh Kumar and Gdr Ved Prakash. Two other soldiers, Hav Udham Singh and Hav Sidh Kam were later martyred on 14 Jun 1999 Gdr Surender Singh was a valiant and determined soldier, who laid down his life in the line of his duty. 

Gdr Surender Singh is survived by his wife Smt Monty Devi.