Rifleman Makar Singh Negi VrC

Rifleman Makar Singh Negi hailed from Chamoli district of Uttar Pradesh (Now in Uttarakhand) and was born on 04 June 1948.  Son of Shri Diwan Singh and Smt Bhaguli Devi,  Rfn Makar Singh Negi joined the army on 04 Jun 1968 at the age of 20 years. He was recruited into the 6th Gharwal Battalion of the Gharwal Rifles Regiment, an infantry regiment well known for its gallant soldiers. After serving for some time, he got married to Ms Mangsiri Devi hailing from Uttarakhand. 

Battle of Nawapind (Indo-Pak War): 05 Dec 1971

During the Indo-Pak 1971 war, Rfn Makar Singh Negi’s unit 6 Gharwal Rifles was deployed on the western border. Though the Indo-Pak war officially commenced on 03 Dec 1971, when the Pakistani Air Force attacked 11 Indian Air Fields, the border skirmishes had started months before that when the refugees from across the border had started pouring in as a result of atrocities committed by the Pakistani forces. Prior to the outbreak of open hostilities, 6 Gharwal Rifles had been engaged in a number of operations during aggressive patrolling that had been undertaken. On 04/05 Dec 1971, the 6 Garh Rif battalion was operating in the Sialkot sector of Punjab. By 04 Dec, the enemy had intruded and occupied an Indian post in Nawapind in that sector. As per the operational plan, it was decided to launch an attack, to recapture the post and deny the enemy any operational advantage. Rfn Makar Singh Negi’s 6 Garh Rif battalion was assigned that task along with other supporting elements. 

On December 5, 1971, two Infantry platoons of the 6th Gorkha Rifles, supported by two troops of tanks, artillery, and 81mm mortars, launched an attack on an enemy company at Nawapind in the Sialkot sector. Rifleman Makar Singh Negi was the No. 1 of a Light Machine Gun (LMG) detachment, part of the assaulting troops. As the troops reached their objective, Rfn Negi charged with his LMG into the enemy’s medium machine gun post with lightning speed, showing utter disregard for his personal safety. Despite being wounded by a burst from the enemy’s medium machine guns, he continued his assault. Undeterred by his serious wounds, Rfn Negi succeeded in silencing the enemy’s medium machine gun, which was accurately targeting the assaulting Indian troops. His brave action not only silenced the enemy’s machine gun post but also inflicted additional casualties on the enemy. This enabled the assaulting troops to charge through and successfully capture the objective. Unfortunately, Rfn Negi succumbed to his wounds after ensuring the success of the mission. Rfn Makar Singh Negi was a resolute and gallant soldier who laid down his life at the age of 23 years in the line of his duty. 

Rfn Makar Singh Negi was given the nation’s third highest gallantry award “Vir Chakra” for his raw courage, devotion to duty, and the act of supreme sacrifice beyond the call of duty. Rfn Makar Singh Negi is survived by his wife Smt Mangsiri Devi. 

The citation for the "Vir Chakra" awarded to him reads:

On 05 Dec 1971, two Infantry platoons of 6 Ghar Rif supported by two troops of tanks, artillery and 81mm Mortar launched an attack on the enemy company at Nawapind (Sialkot sector). Number 4049455. Rfn Makar Singh Negi was No 1 of Light Machine Gun detachment, as part of the assaulting troops. On reaching the objective, he dashed and charged with his light machine gun with lightening speed into the enemy medium machine gun post with utter disregard to his personal safety. In doing so, he got wounded by a burst from the enemy medium machine guns. Undaunted by his serious wounds. Rfn Makar Singh Negi with his light machine gun succeeded in silencing the enemy medium machine gun. Which was accurately showering bullets on our assaulting troops apart from silencing medium machine gun post, he inflicted few more causalities on the enemy with his light machine gun untill finally collapsing and succumbing to his wounds. This brave action of his enabled the assaulting troops to charge through the objective and finally enabled the successful capture of the objective. For his act of conspicuous gallantry, boldness and high sense of devotion to duty in the presence of highly determined enemy during the action in the battle of Nawapind (Sialkot sector). He was awarded Vir Chakra (posthumous).