Service No : 3173498
Place of birth : Jhajjar Dist (Haryana)
Service : Army
Last Rank : Sepoy
Unit : 11 Jat
Arm/Regt : The Jat Regiment
Operation : Op Meghdoot
Martyrdom : March 13, 1986
Op Meghdoot: 13 Mar 1986
As part of Operation Meghdoot, launched in April 1984 to secure the strategically vital Siachen Glacier, Sepoy Balga Nand was deployed along the formidable Saltoro Ridge. The operation was a response to a long-standing territorial dispute between India and Pakistan over the glacier, which lies in one of the most inhospitable regions on Earth. The roots of this conflict date back to the 1949 Karachi Agreement, which established the Ceasefire Line (CFL) in Jammu and Kashmir following a UN-brokered truce after the first India-Pakistan war. However, the easternmost segment of the CFL beyond a point known as NJ9842 was left undefined, with the agreement vaguely stating that the line would extend “thence north to the glaciers.” For years, the harsh and uninhabited terrain deterred both nations from militarizing the area.
The situation changed between 1964 and 1972 when Pakistan began altering its maps to extend the CFL beyond NJ9842 westward toward the Karakoram Pass, contrary to the original agreement. This cartographic aggression led to a territorial dispute, with Pakistan laying an illegal claim to the Siachen Glacier. To counter this, India launched Operation Meghdoot on April 13, 1984. In an unprecedented military operation, Indian forces, supported by helicopters, secured key passes such as Bilafond La and Sia La, bringing approximately 3,300 square kilometers of territory under India's control. By 1986, Sepoy Balga Nand had joined the ranks of soldiers stationed on the Saltoro Ridge, where they endured some of the harshest conditions on the planet. The region's extreme environment—marked by sub-zero temperatures, snowstorms, avalanches, and frequent unprovoked shelling by Pakistani forces—posed constant challenges. Patrolling and securing the glacier demanded exceptional courage, resilience, and unwavering determination.
On March 13, 1986, a patrol team from the 11 Jat Battalion, led by Naib Subedar Nafe Singh, embarked on a mission to survey and secure the region. Sepoy Balga Nand was an integral part of this team. While on patrol, the enemy launched unprovoked shelling, which triggered a massive avalanche that buried the team under layers of snow. Despite a large-scale rescue operation launched by the Indian Army, Sepoy Balga Nand, along with Naib Subedar Nafe Singh and six other brave comrades, made the supreme sacrifice. The other martyrs included Naik Pema Ram, Naik Risal Singh, Sepoy Ram Pratap, Sepoy Man Singh, Sepoy Dilbag Singh, and Sepoy Ram Singh Sheoran. Their sacrifice remains a testament to the indomitable spirit and courage of the Indian Army. Sepoy Balga Nand's legacy, like that of his comrades, serves as a poignant reminder of the price paid to secure the sovereignty of the nation.
Sepoy Balga Nand Ahlawat is survived by his wife Smt Saraswati Devi.
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