Vijayant Thapar

Captain Vijayant Thapar (26 December 1976 - 29 June 1999), originally from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, was an officer of the Indian Army and belonged to the infantry regiment 2 Rajputana Rifles. Thapar was posthumously awarded India's third highest military honour, the Vir Chakra, for his acts of bravery during the Kargil War. He died on duty while leading an attack of the 2 Rajputana Rifles regiment in the Battle of Tololing on 29 June 1999, at the age of 22.
Early life and education
Vijayant was born on 26 December 1976 at Nangal, Punjab. His father, Colonel V. N. Thapar, came from along line of army officers . At the time of his birth, his father was posted at Pathankot with an armoured brigade. The child was named 'Vijayant' after the name of the main battle tank of the army. His uncle was an ace fighter pilot at Pathankot. Vijayant always wanted to be in the Air Force or Army. He spent his early life in an old mansion at Barrackpore, a military cantonment near Calcutta.
He studied at Tara Hall, St. Mary's Academy (Meerut), St Josephs Academy, Army Public School, and finished his schooling from DAV College Chandigarh. He graduated from Khalsa College, Delhi University, following which he joined the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun.
Military career
At IMA, he received a Silver medal for being the second best cadet in his first term. He was also awarded a Gold Medal for water polo. After being commissioned on 12 December 1998, he joined 2 Rajputana Rifles at Gwalior. He stayed at Gwalior with the battalion for about a month before they moved to Kupwara in Kashmir.
While involved in counter-insurgency tasks, orders were received for the unit to move to Dras on 25 May 1999 to evict the enemy who had occupied Tololing, Tiger Hill, and adjoining heights.
The Kargil War
Vijayant moved to Dras with his unit under Col. M.B. Ravindernath, commanding officer, and his company commander Major Padmapani Acharya. The battalion was then given the task of capturing Tololing. Earlier attempts to capture Tololing by other units had failed with heavy losses. After the initial assault by Major Mohit Saxena was held up, on the night of 12 June 1999, Capt Vijayant Thapar led his platoon to capture a Pakistani post called Barbad Bunker. A photo in the newspapers shows him sitting with soldiers and captured arms that the fleeing enemy left behind. His letter after the battle describes the scene with dead Pakistani soldiers lying all around and his disappointment at not being able to catch two enemy soldiers alive.
After the victory at Tololing (termed as the turning point of the war), Vijayant was tasked to capture Three Pimples, Knoll in Black Rocks Complex, an ugly mountain sandwiched between Tololing and Tiger Hill. It was a full moon night and the enemy had good visibility. The troops of 6 had all the advantages. Well entrenched in strongly prepared positions, well stocked and with only one narrow 'knife edge' ridge to cover, with precipitous slopes on both sides, and ravines thousands of feet deep, devoid of cover and almost vertical climbs at an altitude of 15000 ft and temperatures of -15 °C, it was a challenging mission. Image Reference.
However, the climb was completed nonetheless. The attack started with a fierce artillery barrage of a hundred guns, with his platoon leading. The enemy responded with an equally intense and accurate bombardment on the attacking troops. In this artillery attack, he lost some of his men and some more were injured causing the attack to be disrupted. However, Vijayant was able to get together his remaining team, move through a ravine and rejoin his company.In the melee earlier, his platoon had got separated from his company. While the exchange of fierce fire was going on, Vijayant reached his company, which had already secured a small foothold on Knoll.
By this time, his company commander Major P. Acharya had been killed. At this news, he surged ahead along the narrow ridge with his colleague Naik Tilak Singh Image Reference. Both of them started engaging the enemy merely 15 m away. There were two enemy machine guns firing towards them. After about an hour and a half of fierce exchange of bullets, Vijayant decided that he had to finish the enemy. In a brief lull in firing he rushed ahead to do so but a burst of fire struck him on his head. He fell in the arms of his comrade Naik Tilak Singh. It was after that the men of his company charged and fully captured Knoll.
For this act of outstanding bravery and his ultimate sacrifice, Capt. Vijyant Thapar was awarded the Vir Chakra a gallantry award by the President of India, K. R. Naraynan, which was received by his 82-year-old grandmother. Image Reference
Shortly before he went into the attack, he wrote a last letter to his parents. This letter epitomises the soldierly virtues of the Indian Army and shows the values of an inspired Indian. This has motivated a whole generation of Indian soldiers and youth alike. He was just 22 years old. Noida, his hometown, gave him a memorable farewell with about hundred thousand people attending his last rites. The Army dedicated to him the helipad at Dras, which is known as Vijyant Helipad.
Vir Chakra Citation
On 28 June 1999 Captain Vijyant Thapar was commanding the Leading platoon of Alfa Company, which was tasked to assault area Knoll in Drass Sector from the north during Operation Vijay While advancing, the platoon was hit by accurate enemy artillery barrage and it suffered heavy casualties. Captain Thapar organized evacuation of the casualties and quickly rallied his shell-shocked platoon for the attack. Personally leading the attack from the Northern face against enemy's Medium Machine Gun fire, which was holding up the Company's assault, he fearlessly charged at the enemy position firing from the hip and throwing grenades. During this act, he was grievously injured in the hand and stomach but continued to advance ordering his men to follow him. Roused by the actions of their young Platoon Commander barely out of the Academy, the platoon charged up the hill against the dominating enemy position. This audacious action unnerved and forced the enemy to abandon a tactically superior position. The officer, however, succumbed to his injuries.
Captain Vijyant Thapar, thus, displayed remarkable cool, raw courage and exemplary valor and made the supreme sacrifice while facing the enemy.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu