Paratrooper Kamlesh Kumar

Paratrooper Kamlesh Kumar hailed from the Sultanpur village of Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh and was born on 09th Apr 1948. Son of Shri Laxman Ram and Smt Jai Devi Sharma, Ptr Kamlesh Kumar had five sisters as his siblings. After his preliminary education, he joined the Army and was recruited into the  Parachute Regiment of the Indian army. Later on, he joined 4 Para Special Forces, the elite unit of the Indian Army raised in 1961.

Battle of Nagi: 27/28 Dec 1971

During Dec 1971 Ptr Kamlesh Kumar’s unit 4 Para was deployed on the western border in Rajasthan. Indo-Pak war of 1971 ended on 16 Dec 1971 with a decisive victory for Indian forces on the eastern front. Despite the cease-fire, Pakistani forces took a provocative step of occupying a Sand Dune in Nagi village located in Sri Karanpur Tehsil in Sri Ganga Nagar district of Rajasthan. The enemy forces had occupied the Indian territory probably with an intention to embarrass the Indian Army and avenge to a small degree the humiliation they had suffered in the war. 4 Para (SF) under the commando of 51 (Independent) Para Brigade of the Indian Army was tasked to evict the enemy forces and regain control of the area. It was decided to launch the attack with the elements of 4 Para, 9 Para field regiment, and 410 field company on 27 Dec 1971. Ptr Kamlesh Kumar was part of 4 Para troops tasked to undertake the attack.

As planned the attack was launched at 0400 hours on the dark, moonless night of 27/28 December by “C” Company of 4 Para. The enemy forces had fortified the area and it was dominated by heavy machine guns and mines. As the troops of “C” Company approached the Sand Dune, they faced heavy and devastatingly accurate Artillery fire from the Pakistan side. It was a very determined and aggressive attack by the enemy forces but the soldiers of 4 Para displayed exceptional courage and stood their ground. At the same time, 9 Para Field Regiment gave a befitting reply to the artillery barrage while 410 Field Company of the Corps of Engineers worked in tandem with the 4 Para troops to clear the minefield and obstacles laid by the enemy forces.

The troops of 4 Para continued their advance and finally succeeded in reclaiming the Nagi Sand Dune by 6 am on 28 Dec 1971. However, during the fierce battle, the 4 Para battalion suffered many casualties. Ptr Kamlesh Kumar and 20 other soldiers including three officers Maj Arun Kumar Kanal, Maj KJ Singh and 2nd Lt VRYR Dubbal later succumbed to their injuries and were martyred. The other fallen brave-hearts included Hav Tek Bahadur Gurung, Lance Hav Bala Ram Gurung, Hav Partap Singh, Nk Ganga Datta, L/Nk S Chellaiah, Ptr VD Varkey, Ptr Anand Singh, Ptr Anand Singh Bisht, Ptr Babu Ram, Ptr Bhim Bahadur Thapa, Ptr Gajendra Singh, Ptr Gaur Singh, Ptr Joseph PT, Ptr KP Udayan, Ptr Pritam Ram, Ptr Tej Singh and Gnr VP Maran. Ptr Kamlesh Kumar was a valiant soldier who laid down his life at the age of 23 years in the line of his duty. A Nagi war memorial, “Shaurya Sthal” has been erected at Nagi village to honour the martyrs of the Nagi battle. The Army commemorates ‘Nagi Day” every year in the memory of gallant soldiers who laid down their lives for the nation during the famous Battle of Nagi on 27-28 December 1971.