Naik Umesh Chandra KC

Naik Umesh Chandra was born in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, into a humble and patriotic family. He was the son of Shri Daya Krishna Pathak and Smt Naruli Devi, who instilled in him strong values of discipline, integrity, and devotion to the nation. From an early age, he displayed a keen sense of responsibility and deep-seated patriotism, which eventually shaped his aspiration to serve in the Indian Army.  Determined to contribute to the defence of his country, Naik Umesh Chandra pursued his education diligently. Upon completing his schooling, he chose the path of military service and was recruited into the 4 Kumaon Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment.

The Kumaon Regiment is one of the most distinguished and battle-hardened infantry regiments of the Indian Army, known for its fearless soldiers and a rich legacy of bravery in various military operations. His enlistment in such a prestigious regiment marked the beginning of his journey as a dedicated soldier. Aftera few years of dedicated service, Naik Umesh Chandra got married to Ms Devki Devi. 

Rescue Operation (J&K): 11 Dec 1982

On 11th December 1982, a rescue team comprising one Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and eight Other Ranks from the 4 Kumaon Battalion was dispatched to an outpost in a high-altitude region. The mission was critical—the extreme weather conditions had left five soldiers stranded, and the team had to navigate treacherous terrain to extricate them. Naik Umesh Chandra, was positioned at the forefront of the party, taking on the arduous task of breaking the deep, waist-high snow to create a path for his fellow soldiers. The team had secured themselves with a rope tied around their waists, ensuring that they remained connected from the leading Naik Umesh Chandra to the last man in the formation. The terrain they were traversing was not only rugged but also highly avalanche-prone, making the journey even more perilous.

As the team carefully made their way through the hazardous route, a sudden, sharp blast shattered the silence—a telltale sign of an impending avalanche. In a matter of seconds, an enormous mass of snow began hurtling down the mountain, heading directly toward the rescue party. Recognizing the imminent danger, Naik Umesh Chandra acted with instinctive bravery and remarkable presence of mind. Demonstrating complete disregard for his own safety, he anchored himself firmly by driving his rod deep into the snow and shouted to his comrades to grip the rope tightly. His quick thinking and unwavering determination ensured that the rest of the team had a fighting chance to withstand the force of the avalanche. As the avalanche struck with full force, Naik Umesh Chandra bore the brunt of its impact. Despite being engulfed by the rushing snow, he held his ground, ensuring that his fellow soldiers remained connected and did not get swept away. His selfless act allowed the soldiers positioned behind him to gradually extricate themselves from the snow, preventing what could have been a catastrophic loss of lives.

By the time the team managed to reach him, Naik Umesh Chandra was completely buried under the snow—but even in that dire state, he was found still gripping the stick he had planted in the snow. His incredible act of perseverance and heroism had saved the lives of his comrades. Despite the team's relentless efforts to revive him, Naik Umesh Chandra succumbed to the extreme cold and injuries sustained during the avalanche. For his supreme sacrifice, unparalleled bravery, and selfless service, Naik Umesh Chandra was posthumously awarded the "Kirti Chakra", one of India's highest peacetime gallantry awards on 26 Jan 1984.

Lance Naik Ramesh Singh is survived by his wife Smt Devki Devi.

The Citation for the "Kirti Chakra" awarded to him reads:

On the 11th December, 1982, a party consisting of one Junior Commissioned Officer and eight Other Ranks of 4 Kumaon Battalion was proceeding towards an out-post of their Unit to extricate five personnel of the out-post who had got stranded due to extremely bad weather in the high altitude area. Naik Umesh Chandra was in the lead and had to beat down the soft snow coming to over waist height to make a path for the party to proceed. The members of this party had a rope tied around their waist connecting leading Naik Umesh Chandra to the last man of the party. The area through which the party had to proceed was highly avalanche prone. All of a sudden, the noise of a sharp blast was heard and it was seen that a large avalanche was sliding towards the party. Naik Umesh Chandra in to tel disregard of his own safety anchored himself firmly by planting the rod he was carrying deep into the snow and shouted to the others to hold on to the rope strongly. The slide hit Naik Umesh Chandra who maintained his position stood fast.

The members of the party gradually thereafter extricated themselves from the rear. By the time the party reached Naik Umesh Chandra who had borne the brunt of the avalanche, he was found buried deep in snow in an unconscious condition but still holding firmly to the stick planted in the snow. In spite of best efforts, he could not be revived and died shortly thereafter. Naik Umesh Chandra thus displayed conspicuous courage with total disregard to his personal safety.