Hav Daler Singh Bhou

Havildar Daler Singh Bhou hailed from Panjtut-Pallanwala village in the Khour block of the Akhnoor sector in the Jammu district of Jammu and Kashmir and was born on 17 Jan 1963. Son of Shri Baldev Singh Bhau and Smt Shanti Devi, he joined the Indian Army after completing his initial studies. He was recruited into the 12 JAK Light Infantry of the famed Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment, a regiment known for its brave soldiers and numerous successful operations in various wars and ongoing border skirmishes.

Battle of Point 4812 (Kargil War): 01 July 1999

During June-July 1999, Hav Daler Singh Bhou's unit was deployed in the Batalik sector of Ladakh and was part of "Operation Vijay". The unit was functioning under the command of the 70 Infantry Brigade with the overall control being with the 3 Infantry Division. By early May 1999, Pakistani forces had intruded well across the LOC, in the Mushkoh, Dras, Kaksar, and Batalik sectors. The extent of penetration across the LOC varied from 4 to 8 km in each sector. In many vital points, neither artillery nor air power could dislodge the enemy forces, who were not in visible range. The Indian forces had no option but to send up the soldiers for direct assaults which were slow and took a toll. One such mission was assigned to 12 JAK LI unit on 30 June 1999 to capture the strategically important Point 4812 in the Batalik sector. Capt Nongrum was tasked to lead the assault team for this critical mission along with Hav Daler Singh Bhou and a few other soldiers.

On the night of 30 June/01 July 1999, Hav Daler Singh Bhou set off along with his leader to assault the feature from the southeastern direction. Hav Daler Singh Bhou and his comrades went on to do the challenging task and made the ascent steadily yet stealthily to get to the enemy shelters at the top. On reaching the top, Hav Daler Singh Bhou and other soldiers faced strong opposition from the enemy forces as they were well entrenched in interconnected positions carved out of boulders and could not be attacked by even artillery fire. The enemy pinned down the attacking soldiers with heavy automatic fire for about two hours. Hav Daler Singh Bhou and his comrades led by Capt Nongrum realized that the enemy forces were in fortified positions and a daredevil action was needed to overrun them. Capt Nongrum leading from the front, charged through the fire zone and threw grenades at the enemy bunker. The audacious action of Capt Nongrum not only stunned the enemy but also gave valuable reaction time to his troops to close in and finally clear the position. However during the heavy exchange of fire, Hav Daler Singh Bhou got severely injured and later succumbed to his injuries. Besides Hav Daler Singh Bhou, Capt Nongrum and two other soldiers Hav Abdul Kareem, and L/Hav Yougal Kishor also succumbed to their injuries and were martyred. This courageous act of Hav Daler Singh Bhou and his comrades finally paved the way for the ultimate capture of Point 4812. Hav Daler Singh Bhou was a valiant and committed soldier, who laid down his life at the age of 36 years in the service of the nation.

Havildar Daler Singh Bhou is survived by his wife Smt Sharada Devi.