Lance Naik Ram Ugram Pandey MVC

Lance Naik Ram Ugrah Pandey was born on 01 July 1942 to Shri Harakh Nandan Pandey and Smt. Samarth Devi in the village of Hema-Bansi, located in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh. Growing up with values of courage, discipline and patriotism, he was inspired to serve the nation at a young age. Answering his call to duty, he joined the Indian Army on 31 December 1962 at the age of 20. He was enrolled into the 8 Guards Battalion of the prestigious Brigade of the Guards, an elite infantry regiment known for its gallant soldiers and distinguished martial history marked by numerous battle honours and sacrifices.

Over the years, he served in various field areas and operational environments, gaining valuable combat experience and developing excellent field-craft skills that shaped him into a capable and battle-ready soldier. By 1971, with nearly nine years of service, he had risen to the rank of Lance Naik, entrusted with greater responsibilities and leadership roles within his unit. The Brigade of the Guards holds a special place in the Indian Army as an infantry regiment that draws soldiers from all regions of the country. Known for its valour and professionalism, the regiment has been at the forefront of several major operations, upholding a legacy of bravery and sacrifice—values that Lance Naik Ram Ugrah Pandey embodied throughout his service.

Eastern Theatre Operation (Indo-Pak War) - 24 Nov 1971

By late 1971, the situation in East Pakistan was rapidly deteriorating, making war inevitable. Though the Indo-Pak War officially began on 03 December 1971, following Pakistan Air Force strikes on Indian air bases, cross-border clashes and aggressive enemy activity had already escalated. During this tense build-up, 8 Guards, the unit of Lance Naik Ram Ugrah Pandey, was deployed in the Eastern sector, tasked with supporting offensive and defensive actions as part of India’s operational plans. On the night of 23/24 November 1971, even before the formal declaration of war, 8 Guards was ordered to launch an assault on a strongly fortified enemy post at Hilli, a strategically significant location that guarded the approach to Bogra in East Pakistan. The terrain was treacherous—barbed wire, minefields, waterlogged paddy fields and well-camouflaged bunkers made movement difficult. Yet, the battalion pressed forward under heavy and accurate enemy automatic fire.

During the assault, Lance Naik Ram Ugrah Pandey was commanding a section of his company that spearheaded the attack. When the advancing troops were pinned down by intense fire from fortified Pakistani bunkers, he displayed exceptional courage and initiative. Crawling forward through open ground, fully exposed to enemy fire, he reached an enemy bunker and destroyed it using hand grenades. Without pausing, he advanced again and neutralized a second bunker in a similar daring fashion, allowing his comrades to push ahead. In the heat of battle, he came across an enemy rocket launcher lying nearby. Seizing the weapon, he loaded it himself and fired directly into a third bunker, completely destroying it. His fearless action broke a major portion of the enemy defence line. However, while engaging the bunker at extremely close range, he was hit by enemy fire and sustained grievous injuries. Despite his fatal wounds, his action paved the way for the assaulting troops to continue the operation. He succumbed to his injuries on the battlefield, laying down his life at the age of just 29 years. The Battle of Hilli later became known as one of the bloodiest battles of the 1971 War, with hand-to-hand combat, close-quarter assaults and heavy casualties on both sides. The valour of soldiers like Lance Naik Ram Ugrah Pandey was instrumental in breaching the defences that eventually led to the fall of Morapara and paved the route towards Bogra.

For his conspicuous gallantry, fearless leadership and supreme sacrifice in the face of the enemy, Lance Naik Ram Ugrah Pandey was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (Posthumous) – India’s second-highest wartime gallantry honour.

The citation of the "Maha Vir Chakra" awarded to him reads :

Lance Naik Ram Ugrah Pandey was commanding a section of a company of a battalion of the Brigade of the Guards which was engaged in an attack on an enemy post as part of our defensive action on the Eastern Front. The assaulting troops were held up by heavy and accurate fire from well fortified enemy positions. Lance Naik Pandey crawled up and destroyed in succession two enemy bunkers with hand grenades. He then took up a rocket launcher and destroyed a third bunker where he was mortally wounded and died on the spot.

Lance Naik Ram Ugrah Pandey showed exemplary valour and leadership and made the supreme sacrifice.