17 October 1987 | Operation Pawan | Sri Lanka
Second Lieutenant Rajinder Singh Nagar of 16 Sikh, The Sikh Regiment, made the supreme sacrifice during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka while leading his men through intense enemy fire during the advance towards Jaffna Fort.
Born on 23 August 1964 in Machgarh village in Haryana's Faridabad district, Rajinder Singh Nagar came from a military family. His father, Lieutenant Colonel C. S. Nagar, was an Army veteran. Rajinder Singh Nagar studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours at University College, Kurukshetra, before pursuing his ambition of serving in the Indian Army. He was commissioned into 16 Sikh on 14 June 1986 and subsequently deployed to Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force.
On 17 October 1987, his battalion moved from a road junction with the task of linking up with Jaffna Fort. During the advance, troops came under heavy fire from LTTE positions in the Manippe area. The battalion's movement was pinned down by a heavy machine gun, making further progress difficult.
Second Lieutenant Nagar took the initiative, encouraged his men to move forward and went ahead of the column despite the danger. He identified the heavy machine-gun position responsible for the intense firing and recognised that it had to be silenced for the advance to continue.
He charged the position with a grenade and attacked the bunker. After the grenade exploded, he continued the assault by physically charging the position. During this action, he was struck by a burst of bullets and fell. His conspicuous courage and leadership inspired the battalion to resume its advance and carry out its assigned tasks. The unit reached Jaffna Fort as part of the operation.
For his dauntless courage, leadership and supreme sacrifice, Second Lieutenant Rajinder Singh Nagar was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra.
Second Lieutenant Rajinder Singh Nagar, The Honour Post pays tribute to your courage and supreme sacrifice. Your decision to lead from the front under intense enemy fire remains an enduring example of leadership and devotion to your comrades.
