Major Sylvester Rajesh Ratnam

Major Sylvester Rajesh Ratnam hailed from Bangalore and was born on 31st Dec 1972 to Shri Rajkumar Ratnam and Smt Hemala Ratnam. He was a student of Bangalore’s St Joseph’s Boys High School and graduated from Christ college in Bangalore. Nicknamed as “silly” by his friends, Maj Sylvester was a very jovial person and was very popular among his friends and comrades.

Maj Sylvester’s father served as a police officer and his grandfather had served with Indian Air Force. Maj Sylvester always had a dream to serve in the armed forces and he continued to pursue his dream after his graduation and also during his brief employment with Jet Airways. Finally, his wish came true when he was selected to join the Officers’ Training Academy in Chennai and passed out on 05 Sep 1998. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant into 21 Jat of the famed Jat Regiment, an infantry Regiment known for its gallantry and various battle honours.

He was an intrepid & highly motivated officer, who always led his men with tremendous dedication & zeal. He soon gained expertise in battle craft skills and evolved into a committed soldier and a fine officer. His unit 21 Jat moved to J & K in Oct 2001 and by then he had been promoted to the rank of Major.

Op Parakram: 02 Aug 2002

During 2002, Maj Sylvester’s unit 21 Jat was deployed in Kupwara district of J & K along the LoC as part of “Op Parakram”. The AOR (Area of Responsibility) of the unit fell in the part of LoC that was very volatile with frequent cross border violations. The area was prone to infiltration by the militants and the Pakistani forces often resorted to cross border firing to help the infiltration attempts. 21 Jat battalion had to launch regular armed patrols to check infiltration attempts in its AOR. Besides enemy firing, the troops also faced spells of hostile weather which invariably played havoc with the communication lines and other military equipment deployed in the area. On 02 Aug 2002, few soldiers were tasked to repair the damaged communication lines of the unit, which had gone unserviceable owing to inclement weather. As the repair operation was underway, the Pakistani troops launched unprovoked firing in the Keran sector.

Maj Sylvester who was in a nearby bunker realized the imminent danger to his soldiers and rushed out of the bunker to move them to safety.  He directed the soldiers to immediately jump into the bunkers to avoid direct hits. Maj Sylvester without caring for his own safety, made way for the soldiers to get into bunkers. However while doing so, an enemy shell landed near him and he got severely injured having received multiple splinters. Maj Sylvester later succumbed to his injuries and was martyred.  By his action, Maj Sylvester showed exemplary courage, camaraderie  and leadership in saving the lives of his fellow soldiers. Maj Sylvester was a gallant soldier and courageous officer who led from the front and laid down his life in the line of his duty.

Major Sylvester Rajesh Ratnam is survived by his mother Smt Hemala Ratnam and sister Dr. Joseline Ratnam.