Naik Nirbhay Singh Sisodiya AC

Naik Nirbhay Singh was born on 1st May 1958 in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, to Late Mr. Nand Singh and Mrs. Mata Basant Kanwar. His father, Mr. Nand Singh, served as an Aide-de-Camp to the Tehsildar, while his mother was a devout and simple homemaker who instilled in her children strong values of discipline and devotion. Born into a large and close-knit family, Naik Nirbhay Singh was the eighth among nine siblings, which included five brothers and four sisters. His elder sisters were Shashikala Sisodiya, Hansa Sisodiya, and Vijya Sisodiya, while two of his brothers were named Kalyan Singh Sisodia and Abhay Singh Sisodia. From an early age, Nk Nirbhay Singh displayed a strong inclination towards physical activity and excelled in sports, earning a reputation as a keen and energetic sportsman. He pursued his early education in Jhalawar and studied up to Class IX at the Government Higher Secondary School. However, his heart was firmly set on serving the nation, and from a young age, he nurtured the ambition of joining the armed forces.

Driven by this aspiration, Nk Nirbhay Singh made the decisive move to enlist in the Indian Army after completing his Class IX. He was subsequently recruited into the 15 Kumaon Regiment, a distinguished infantry unit known for its valour and exemplary service record. This marked the beginning of his military journey, through which he would go on to serve the nation with dedication and courage.

Operation Blue Star: Jun 1984

During the early 1980s Punjab was racked by militancy, and by mid-1984 extremists had turned the precincts of the Sri Harmandir Sahib—revered worldwide as the Golden Temple—into a virtual fortress. Concrete firing positions, sand-bagged parapets and an arsenal of automatic weapons transformed the holy complex into their operational headquarters. Confronted with this desecration and the mounting law-and-order crisis outside, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi authorised Operation Blue Star, an Indian Army assault that unfolded from 1 June to 8 June 1984. Its twin objectives were to restore the sanctity of the shrine and to neutralise the militant leadership ensconced within. Among the troops ordered into the labyrinthine lanes of the complex was ‘A’ Company of 15 Kumaon, and within that company Naik Nirbhay Singh—already respected for his steadiness under fire—was appointed Light Machine-Gun (LMG) Detachment Commander. The assault plan allotted ‘A’ Company the task of securing a heavily fortified building that guarded a key approach to the sanctum. Intelligence indicated multiple inter-locking arcs of fire and at least one militant LMG position covering the only viable entry.

As the company advanced, it was met by a storm of automatic fire that halted the platoons in the open courtyard. Assessing the situation in an instant, the Company Commander prepared to dash forward alone to identify a breach point. Recognising the mortal risk to his officer, Naik Nirbhay Singh swung into action. Without waiting for orders he sprinted to an exposed vantage, threw himself prone, and brought his LMG into play, laying down a sheet of accurate suppressive fire that pinned the militants and allowed the officer to move. Almost immediately, the militants redirected their full fury on the solitary gunner blazing away in the open. Amid splinters of marble and the hiss of tracer rounds, Naik Nirbhay Singh spotted the greatest threat: a militant LMG firing from a recessed porthole cut into the wall ahead. Realising that this gun could cut down the assault element at point-blank range, he shifted his own weapon, but the angle was too acute for sustained fire. Displaying raw courage, he rose, hobbled forward through the withering fire, and—after taking a burst that shattered his leg—crawled the remaining distance until he was almost at the porthole. With immense effort he primed a grenade and shoved it through the aperture, silencing the gun with a deafening blast.

The explosion bought precious seconds for ‘A’ Company to surge past the killing zone, but the act cost its hero dearly. As Naik Nirbhay Singh tried to drag himself back, he was struck by a second burst of automatic fire at close range. Even then, witnesses recall him urging his men onward, insisting the advance must not stall. Moments later he succumbed to his wounds on the temple forecourt he had fought to clear. By ignoring certain death to protect his comrades and ensure the assault’s success, Naik Nirbhay Singh upheld the highest traditions of the Indian Army and lived up to the literal meaning of his name—“fearless.” In recognition of his most conspicuous bravery, cool judgment and unwavering devotion to duty, the President of India posthumously awarded him the "Ashoka Chakra", the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry award. His sacrifice remains a shining example of selfless service and an enduring inspiration to generations of soldiers.

The citation for the "Ashok chakra" awarded to him reads:

Naik Nirbhay Singh of 15 Kumaon was the Light Machine Gun Detachment Commander of ‘A’ Company during anti-terrorist operations in Punjab. His company was tasked to clear an important building complex which was heavily fortified and strongly held by highly motivated terrorists. As the company advanced towards its objective, it came under heavy fire and suffered heavy casualties. The advance came to a halt At this stage, the company commander rushed forward all by himself towards the building Seeing his company commander charging in the face of intense fire, Naik Nirbhay Singh ordered his Number 2 to follow him they reached the base of the building quickly, mounted a Light Machine Gun and started firing to cover the move of their company commander. The Light Machine Gun detachment came under intense machine gun fire of the terrorists from three to four posts from different directions but Naik Nirbhay Singh continued to remain in the open under heavy fire covering the move of his company commander. At this stage, he detected a Light Machine Gun firing from a port hole endangering the life of his company commander.

He immediately stood up exposing himself to grave danger and charged towards the Light Machine Gun. While doing so, he was hit by a machine gun burst on his leg. Undeterred by the injury suffered by him, Naik Nirbhay Singh crawled towards the Light Machine Gun post exposing himself to the effective fire and without caring for his personal safety, lobbed a hand grenade into the Light Machine Gun position and successfully silenced it In the process, he was hit by a burst of machine gun fire for the second time and was killed instantaneously.

Naik Nirbhay Singh thus displayed most conspicuous bravery, cool courage, devotion to duty of an exceptionally high order and laid down his life in the highest traditions of the Army.

• In remembrance of Naik Nirbhay, the family and relatives have built a ‘Nirbhay Circle’  in Jhalawar.