Nb Sub Parshotam Kumar

Naib Subedar Parshotam Kumar hailed from  Majua Uttami village in Bishnah tehsil of Jammu district and was born in the year 1979. Like many young lads of his village, he too was fascinated with army life and nursed a dream of joining the army since his childhood. Consequently following his dream, he joined the army after completing his school education in the year 1996 at the age of 17 years. He was recruited into the 14 Dogra Battalion of the Dogra Regiment, an infantry regiment known for its gallant soldiers and numerous battle honours.

After serving for a few years, he got married and the couple was also blessed with a daughter and son. By 2023, he had put in around 27 years of service in the Army and had been promoted to the rank of Naib Subedar. By that time he had evolved into an experienced Junior Commissioned Officer, having served in areas with different terrain and operational environments.

Machhal sector Operation (J&K) : 10 Jan 2023

During Jan 2023, Nb Sub Parshotam Kumar’s unit 14 Dogra was deployed in Kupwara district of J&K. The unit troops besides manning the forward posts, were also engaged in counter-infiltration operations. The posts of the unit were located in high-altitude areas with inhospitable terrain and extreme weather conditions. In addition to manning the stationary posts, the unit launched regular armed patrols to monitor the area between the posts.  On 10 Jan 2023, Nb Sub Parshotam Kumar along with Hav Amrik Singh and Sepoy Amit Sharma were tasked to take over one of the forward posts falling in the AOR(Area of Responsibility) of the unit in the Machhal Sector. Nb Sub Parshotam Kumar and his comrades set off for the post on the planned route on the evening of 10 Jan.

The tracks to the forward posts passed through difficult terrain, dotted by sides with deep gorges and crevices. The soldiers had to exercise extreme caution while treading on these tracks. As Nb Sub Parshotam Kumar and other soldiers were moving towards the forward post, at about 5:30 PM in the Machhal Sector, the snow along the narrow track gave way. As a result, the soldiers lost their balance suddenly and slipped into a deep gorge. Consequently, the soldiers got throwdown onto the rocks, and sustained serious injuries.  A rescue operation was launched by the unit, but the extreme weather conditions impeded the operation to extricate the soldiers. Nb Sub Parshotam Kumar and his comrades Hav Amrik Singh & Sepoy Amit Sharma, could not survive and were martyred. Eventually the bodies of the martyrs were recovered on 11 Jan 2023. Nb Sub Parshotam Kumar was a brave and determined Junior Commissioned Officer, who laid down his life in the line of his duty.

 Nb Sub Parshotam Kumar is survived by his wife and two children.