Service No : IC 64259X
Date of Birth : January 24, 1981
Place of birth : Senapati Dist, (Manipur)
Service : Army
Last Rank : Lieutenant Colonel
Unit : 3 Engr Regt
Arm/Regt : The Corps of Engineers
Operation : CI & IS Ops
Martyrdom : May 14, 2020
Lt Col Robert TA hailed from Maram Center village in Senapati district of Manipur and was born on January 24, 1981. Son of Shri Thoiba Angelus and Smt K Karaila, Lt Col Robert was the eldest among eight siblings. He joined the Army in the year 2004 at the age of 23 years and became the first person from the Maram Naga community to don the Army uniform as an officer. He joined the Army through the Technical Entry Scheme (TES) examination and was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers, an important combat support arm of the Indian Army.
Besides being a committed soldier, Lt Col Robert was a keen sportsman and excelled in various sports including football. During his training days he was called “Ronaldo” by his course-mates a name kept after the famous football player. In 2008, Lt Col Robert was awarded the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff Commendation after his squad under his leadership as a captain completed in the prestigious Army Adventure Challenge Cup and emerged as the winner. He got promoted to the rank of Lt Col in the year 2017 and by 2020 had put in around 16 years of service after having worked in various operational areas.
North Sikkim Operation : 14 May 2020
During 2020, Lt Col Robert’s unit was deployed in North Sikkim near the Indo-China border. The AOR(Area of Responsibility) of the unit spanned over remote rugged mountainous terrain with extreme weather conditions specially in the winter season. The troops were deployed on various forward posts and often undertook patrol to monitor the area in between the manned posts. Also heavy snow fall often blocked the roads and hampered the movement of troops which necessitated frequent clearance operations. Lt Col Robert was leading one such patrol cum snow clearance team comprising three officers and 18 other soldiers on 14 May 2020 in Lugnal La region of North Sikkim. As the troops were traversing through the planned route, a horrific avalanche struck them.
The magnitude and suddenness of the avalanche did not give any time to the team to take any evasive actions. As a result Lt Col Robert and his comrades got trapped under tons of snow. A massive rescue operation was launched jointly with the elements of Army, Indian Air Force and ITBP. The rescue team eventually managed to extricate a number of soldiers but Lt Col Robert and Sapper Sapala Shanmukha Rao lost their lives owing to prolonged exposure to extreme cold conditions. Lt Col Robert was a committed soldier and a fine officer who laid down his life in the line of his duty.
Lt Col Robert TA is survived by his wife Smt P Chingpai and two daughters Pungdila Deborah and Hinga.
vikas rohilla
2023 at 10:19 pmSir
Really sorry
I tried my best but couldn’t save u
I miss ur smile n our daily meets n chit chats
Chingpai Rangnamei
2023 at 10:20 pmThank you all for the wishes.
We missed you papa
Yours loving daughter
Deborah and Evylene
P.Touthang
2023 at 10:20 pmJAI HIND SIR..
YOU WILL BE REMEMBER FOREVER.
Ayush Fomra
2023 at 10:20 pmWe are forever indebted by your ultimate sacrifice. Words are not enough to describe your loss to the country and your family. A BIG Salute to your wife and daughters. JAI HIND
Paul
2023 at 10:21 pmThanks for your wishes from the family
Ronald
2023 at 10:21 pmJai hind sir.. you will be remembered forever.
Valsan Kunnath
2023 at 10:22 pmBig Salute Lt Col Robert TA, the Brave Son of Bharath
You gave your today for our tomorrow and will always be saluted for your ultimate sacrifice.
Nation First, No Compromise.
Indian Flag Will Always Fly High………Jai Hind.
Heartfelt Condolences to your Brave Family
Mohit Chauhan
2023 at 10:22 pmJai hind …. Khusnasib h aap jo ye mukaam apke hisse aaya..
APURVA MISHRA
2023 at 10:23 pmSir you will always be an inspiration for the younger generation. We pray to God to give us the same courage and mental strength to do something for our nation . I pray to God to give strength to your family members.
Jai Hind