| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Lieutenant Colonel Narindra Nath Khanna |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | 2 Sikh |
| Regiment | The Sikh Regiment |
| Award | Maha Vir Chakra, Posthumous |
| Date of Action | 06 September 1965 |
| Date of Sacrifice | 06 September 1965 |
| Place of Action | Raja Piquet, Jammu and Kashmir |
| Operation | Operation Faulad |
| Service Number | IC-4018 |
| Date of Birth | 20 May 1928 |
| Place of Birth | Larkana, Sindh, then British India |
Lieutenant Colonel Narindra Nath Khanna was an officer whose leadership during the 1965 Indo-Pak War became one of the finest examples of a commanding officer leading from the very front. Born on 20 May 1928 in Larkana, Sindh, he was the son of Shri M L Khanna. His family later settled in New Delhi, and he went on to join the Indian Military Academy. Commissioned into The Sikh Regiment in 1948, he spent the following years building a distinguished military career across different operational assignments.
By the time of the 1965 war, Lieutenant Colonel Khanna was commanding 2 Sikh, which was deployed in the Punch sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The battalion formed part of the operations undertaken to secure important enemy positions dominating the approaches between Punch and Haji Pir. Among the most difficult objectives was Raja Piquet, a strongly fortified enemy position across the cease-fire line.
Raja was situated on dominating ground and was protected by fortified positions, minefields, barbed wire and heavy automatic weapons. Its location made it strategically important, as the enemy position controlled approaches through the area. Capturing it required not only careful planning but also exceptional determination from the troops who would have to assault it under intense fire.
The initial attempts to reach the objective demonstrated just how strongly the position was defended. Lieutenant Colonel Khanna understood the difficulty his men faced and personally took responsibility for the task ahead. He planned the assault with three companies and prepared his battalion to confront the heavily defended position.
On 06 September 1965, 2 Sikh launched its assault on Raja Piquet. Almost immediately, the advancing companies came under heavy automatic and fixed-line fire from medium machine guns, Browning machine guns and other light automatic weapons. The intensity of the enemy fire forced two assaulting companies to fall back and become pinned down.
Rather than allowing the situation to break the momentum of the attack, Lieutenant Colonel Khanna moved forward to inspire his men. He was himself wounded by an enemy grenade, but the injury did not stop him. He personally went towards the two companies that had been pinned down and encouraged them to resume the assault.
The Final Assault on Raja Piquet
Lieutenant Colonel Khanna then personally led another assault towards the enemy position. Despite already being wounded, he placed himself at the head of his men and moved into the intense enemy fire.
His presence gave the troops the courage to continue. The assault pressed forward against the heavily fortified position, with Lieutenant Colonel Khanna leading from the front. His men followed their commanding officer into the danger zone, determined to capture the objective despite the heavy resistance.
During the final assault, Lieutenant Colonel Khanna was struck by a burst from a Browning machine gun and suffered mortal wounds. Even as he fell, the attack continued. Inspired by the example of their commanding officer, the soldiers of 2 Sikh pressed on and successfully captured Raja Piquet.
Lieutenant Colonel Khanna later succumbed to his injuries. His sacrifice came at the moment when the objective he had personally led his battalion to capture had finally been secured.
The loss of their commanding officer deeply affected the men of 2 Sikh. Their achievement at Raja came at a tremendous cost, but the position had been captured through the determination and leadership of the officer who had refused to leave his men behind when the assault appeared to be faltering.
The words remembered by his men after the battle captured the depth of their loss and their admiration for their commander: "Raja Litta, Raja Ditta", meaning that Raja had been captured, but their king had been sacrificed.
Lieutenant Colonel Narindra Nath Khanna was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second-highest wartime gallantry award, for his outstanding courage, determination and inspiring leadership during the capture of Raja Piquet.
His story is not simply about the capture of a heavily defended position. It is about a commanding officer who refused to ask his men to do what he was unwilling to do himself. When his companies were pinned down, he went forward. When he was wounded, he continued. And when the final assault began, he led it personally.
The Honour Post remembers Lieutenant Colonel Narindra Nath Khanna with the deepest respect. His leadership at Raja Piquet remains an enduring example of the finest traditions of The Sikh Regiment and the Indian Army. He gave his men the courage to continue when the odds were heavily against them, and he gave his life in the successful capture of the objective.
His men captured Raja. Their commanding officer became their sacrifice.
Lest We Forget. 🇮🇳
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Remembering Lt Col Narindra Nath Khanna, Maha Vir Chakra, who led 2 Sikh to capture Raja Piquet and made the supreme sacrifice on 06 September 1965.
