Service No : 4075505W
Date of Birth : January 19, 1975
Place of birth : Pauri Garhwal, (UK)
Service : Army
Last Rank : Rifleman
Unit : 17 Garh Rif
Arm/Regt : The Garhwal Rifles
Operation : Op Vijay ( Kargil )
Martyrdom : June 30, 1999
Rifleman Vijay Singh
Rifleman Vijay Singh Bhandari was born on 19th January 1975. He was a resident of Ambiwala Shyampur in Pauri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand. After completing his formal education, he was recruited into 17 Garh Rif battalion of the Garhwal Rifles Regiment, one of the most decorated infantry regiments of the Indian Army, renowned for its legacy of courage, discipline, and sacrifice. In 1999, as tensions escalated along the Line of Control due to the Kargil conflict, Rifleman Vijay Singh’s battalion was deployed to the Jammu and Kashmir region as part of "Operation Vijay", the Indian Army’s large-scale military campaign to drive out infiltrating enemy forces from Indian territory. His unit was tasked with a critical mission in the Batalik sub-sector, a strategically significant area that witnessed intense fighting during the war. After serving for a few years, he got married to Ms Asha.
Batalik Sector Operation (Op Vijay): 29/30 Jun 1999
During the Kargil war, Rfn Vijay Singh's unit, 17 Garh Rif, was deployed in the Batalik-Yaldor area of the J&K sector as part of "Op Vijay". The unit was functioning under the command of the 70th Infantry Brigade, with the overall control being with the 3 Infantry Division. By early May 1999, Pakistani forces had intruded well across the LOC, in the Mushkoh, Dras, Kaksar, and Batalik sectors. The extent of penetration across the LOC varied from 4 to 8 km in each sector. The intrusions in the Batalik-Yaldor area were first detected in the first week of May 1999. In many vital points, neither artillery nor air power could dislodge the enemy forces, who were not within visible range. On discerning the layout of the ground and enemy intrusions, it was decided to first drive a wedge in the enemy intrusion area by opening a corridor to the LOC through the Junk Lungpa and thereafter tackle each area piecemeal. This task was given to 12 JAK LI along with 10 Para(SF) and a company of Ladakh Scouts and was completed by 03 June 1999. However, the enemy continued to occupy the ridges to the West, East, and North. Having secured the corridor through the Junk Langpa, it was decided to capture the other ridges one by one. After the capture of Pt 5203 on 08 June 1999, it was decided to capture the northern heights of the western flanks on Jubar Ridge in the general area of Bump II & III and Kala Pathar. Rfn Vijay Singh's unit, 17 Garh Rif, was given this task. The plan was to capture the enemy positions of Bump III, Kala Pathar, and Mound with a Company each. The enemy positions were all located between Bump II and Bump III, where para special forces had been sent earlier. The battalion planned to establish a firm base at a distance of 4-5 Km at a location known as Flat Area in China Nala, where they could carry out the final preparations for the attack.
The attacking columns comprising Rfn Vijay Singh and other soldiers under the leadership of Capt Gogoi commenced their movement in the last light of 29 June 1999. The troops set course towards the objective, which entailed an arduous climb of nearly 1 km. However, they were spotted by the enemy and were surrounded from all directions. On being asked to surrender, Rfn Vijay Singh and other troops of 17 Garh Rif led by Capt Jintu Gogoi charged at the enemy troops with their Regimental war cry, “Badri Vishal Lal Ki Jai (Victory to the Sons of Lord Badri Nath)”. Rfn Vijay Singh and his comrades fought valiantly and engaged in a fierce gun battle. However, during the exchange of fire, Rfn Vijay Singh got seriously injured. He later succumbed to injuries and was martyred. Besides Rfn Vijay Singh, eleven other soldiers of 17 Garh Rif laid down their lives during this entire operation. The other martyred brave hearts included Capt Jintu Gogoi, Naik Shiv Singh, Lance Naik Madan Singh, Lance Naik Devendra Prasad, Lance Naik Dinesh Datt, Rfn Birendra Lal, Rfn Amit Negi, Rfn Bhagwan Singh, Rfn JS Bhandari, Rfn Ranjeet Singh, and Rfn SC Sati. The battalion launched fresh attacks in the subsequent days and took over the given objective. This paved the way for further successes – the battalion proceeded to take another dominating feature in the Muntho Dhalo complex, finally taking Point 5285 despite heavy snowfall and effective enemy fire. The battalion was later awarded the Battle Honour ‘Batalik’ for its exploits in 'Op Vijay'. Rfn Vijay Singh was a brave and dedicated soldier who laid down his life at the age of 24 years in the line of his duty.
Rfn Vijay Singh is survived by his wife, Smt Asha Bhandari.
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