Service No : 1494437N
Place of birth : Gurdaspur Dist(Pun)
Service : Army
Last Rank : Naik
Unit : 235 Engr Regt
Arm/Regt : The Corps of Engineers
Operation : Op Meghdoot
Martyrdom : January 28, 2007
Naik Bikram Datt
Naik Bikram Datt hailed from Marara village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. Son of Smt Soma Devi, he had a brother Yudh Veer and a sister Meena as his siblings. Like many youngsters in Punjab, he wanted to serve in the Armed Forces since his younger days. Consequently, he joined the army and was recruited into 235 Engg Regt of Bengal Engineer Group (BEG) of the Corps of Engineers, one of the oldest arms of the Indian Army. After completing his training, he got posted to his unit 235 Engineer Regiment and got involved into various operations. Within a short span of time, he learnt the required field craft skills and earned the praise of his peers and seniors as well.
Operation Meghdoot : 28 Jan 2007
During 2007, Nk Bikram Datt was serving in Siachen glacier as part of 'Operation Meghdoot'. Nk Bikram Datt's 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. On 28 Jan 2007, the glacier in the mountainous northern region of the Kashmir valley received heavy snowfall resulting in avalanches in the area. On that day Nk Bikram Datt was part of the patrol team carrying out the assigned task in the rugged and inhospitable terrain. While the patrol was on its way, it got struck by an avalanche and Nk Bikram Datt got swept away. The Army launched concerted efforts and pressed the specially equipped Avalanche Rescue Teams into service to search for the missing soldier.
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 usually took place due to the accumulation of snow and were triggered by morning sunlight. In other cases, when the slope of accumulated snow was between 60 to 80 degrees, the instability led to an avalanche. Despite unstinted efforts, the rescue team could not save the life of Nk Bikram Datt. Nk Bikram Datt was a valiant and committed soldier, who laid down his life in the service of the nation.
Naik Bikram Datt is survived by his mother Smt Soma Devi, brother Shri Yudh Veer and sister Smt Meena.
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