Naik Didar Singh

Naik Didar Singh hailed from Sindhar village in Shahkot tehsil of Jalandhar district in Punjab. Son of Shri Mohinder singh and Smt Daleep kaur, Naik Didar Singh was born on 22 Aug 1955. Like many young men of his village, he too was inclined to serve in the Armed Forces since his childhood and eventually joined the Army after completing his school education. He was recruited into the 25 Punjab Battalion of the Punjab Regiment, an infantry Regiment of the Indian Army well known for its intrepid soldiers and numerous battle & theater honours. He joined his unit after completing his training and gradually developed into a tough and committed soldier.

After serving for some time, he got married to Ms Charanjit Kaur, and the couple was blessed with two sons Gurjit Singh and Satwant Singh. By the year 1992, he had served in various operational areas and had been promoted to the rank of Naik.

Siachen Glacier Avalanche:  11 March 1992

During Mar 1992, Nk Didar Singh’s unit 25 Punjab battalion was deployed in the Siachen glacier in Ladakh. The Indian troops were deployed all along the 70-kilometer-long Siachen Glacier and its tributary glaciers, as well as manning all the main passes and heights of the Saltoro Ridge, including Sia La, Bilafond La, and Gyong La. The troops besides manning designated posts also operated regular patrols to monitor the area along the border. Nk Didar Singh and his comrades as part of the 'Bravo' Company of the battalion were deployed in the Balbir sector of the Siachen Glacier. This sector was one of the most remote parts of the glacier and remained inaccessible during winter. On 10 March 1992, Nk Didar Singh along with a few other soldiers was deployed at Point 3585 post in the Balbir sector. On the night of 10/11 March, Nk Didar Singh was tasked to lead a patrol in the Pathar Firquiyan Top area.

The soldiers faced extreme risks in manning the inhospitable terrain at heights over 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.  On the night of 10/11 March, while the patrol team led by Nk Didar Singh was traversing through the snow-clad terrain in the southern Glacier area, a horrific avalanche struck them. The avalanche was very sudden and trapped the soldiers without giving them any reaction time. Nk Didar Singh and his comrades got buried under tons of snow and could not be reached immediately. A massive rescue operation was launched by the Army using special implements but the inclement weather made the task very difficult. After struggling for a few hours the body of Nk Didar Singh was recovered who could not be saved, owing to his prolonged exposure to extreme cold conditions. Nk Didar Singh was a brave and dedicated soldier who laid down his life in the line of his duty.

Naik Didar Singh is survived by his wife Smt Charanjit Kaur, and two sons Shri Gurjit Singh and Shri Satwant Singh.