Manoj Kumar Pandey: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Recipient of Param Vir Chakra}}

{{Distinguish |Manoj Pandey (actor)|Manoj Kumar Pandey (politician)}}

{{EngvarB|date=March 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}

| death_date    = {{death date and age|df=yes|1999|07|03|1975|06|25}}

'''Manoj Kumar Pandey''', [[Param Vir Chakra|PVC]] (25 June 1975 – 3 July 1999) was an officer of the [[Indian Army]] who was posthumously awarded India's highest military honour, the [[Param Vir Chakra]], for his audacious  courage and leadership during the [[Kargil War]] in 1999. An officer of the 1st battalion, [[11 Gorkha Rifles]] (1/11 GR), he was martyred in battle on Jubar Top of the Khalubar Hills in [[Batalik|Batalik Sector]] of [[Kargil]].

Pandey was born on 25 June 1975 in Rudha village, in the [[Sitapur district]] of [[Uttar Pradesh]]. He was born to Gopi Chand Pandey, a small-time businessman living in [[Lucknow]], and Mohini. He was eldest in his family. He was educated at [[Uttar Pradesh Sainik School, Lucknow]] and [[Rani Laxmi Bai Memorial Senior Secondary School]]. He had a keen interest in sports with boxing and body building in particular. He was adjudged the best cadet of junior division [[National Cadet Corps (India)|NCC]] of Uttar Pradesh directorate in 1990.<ref>{{Cite book|title=National Cadet Corp, Youth in Action|publisher=Directorate General National Cadet Corps|year=2003|isbn=8170622980|location=New Delhi}}</ref>

{{Quote box|width=300px|bgcolor=#E0E6F8|align=right|quote="Some goals are so worthy, it's glorious even to fail!"|source=<ref>{{cite web |title=Salute to our asli heroes |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/salute-to-our-asli-heroes/story-imsqPdmzDhkChrnCQ2Qu9O.html |website=Hindustan Times |language=en |date=15 August 2012}}</ref>|title=Entry in Pandey's personal diary|title_fnt = Arial |tstyle = font size="25";}}

He graduated from the [[National Defence Academy (India)|National Defence Academy]] in 90th course and belonged to Mike Squadron (Mustangs).<ref>mike squadron (Mustangs)</ref> Pandey was commissioned a lieutenant in the 1st battalion, [[11 Gorkha Rifles]] on 7 June 1997.<ref name="commission">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1110 |date=1 August 1998|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1998/O-0155-1998-0031-5129.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref name="TOI">{{cite web |last1=May 31 |first1=TNN  |title='He died the most glorious death' {{!}} Pune News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/He-died-the-most-glorious-death/articleshow/709608.cms |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref>

In early May, the intrusion in the Kargil sector was reported.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Opinions |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110726/edit.htm#6 |website=www.tribuneindia.com}}</ref> The 1/11 Gorkha Rifles battalion had finished a one-and-a-half year tenure in the [[Siachen Glacier]] and was on-the-move to its peace-time location in [[Pune]]. The battalion was asked to move to the Batalik sector in Kargil. It was among the first units to be inducted into this sector. The unit, commanded by [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]] [[Lalit Rai]], was assigned responsibility of the Jubar, Kukarthaam and Khalubar areas and their battalion headquarters was in Yeldor.<ref name="HT">{{cite web |title=20 years after Kargil: The Gorkha Rifles' Pune-to-Kargil about turn, a move for the nation |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/pune-news/the-gorkha-rifles-pune-to-kargil-about-turn-a-move-for-the-nation/story-2ZGRoOLOwUXzxoTOBakOKJ.html |website=Hindustan Times |language=en |date=26 July 2019}}</ref>

{{Quote box|width=300px|bgcolor=#E0E6F8|align=left|quote="If death strikes before I prove my blood, I promise (swear), I will kill death!"|source=|title=Entry in Pandey's personal diary|title_fnt = Arial |tstyle = font size="25";}}

In early July, 'B' Company of 1/11 GR was assigned the task to capture Khalubar top. Pandey was commanding a [[Platoon]] in this [[Company (military unit)|company]].<ref name="Honourpoint">{{cite web |title=Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey PVC {{!}} Honourpoint |url=https://www.honourpoint.in/profile/captain-manoj-kumar-pandey-pvc/}}</ref> Quickly sizing up the situation, the young officer led his platoon along a narrow, treacherous ridge that led to the enemy position. While still short of the objective, the enemy fired upon the [[India]]n soldiers effectively stalling the Indian attack. Displaying great courage, he surged ahead of his troops and charged at the enemy with a full-throated battle cry through a hail of bullets. Fearlessly assaulting the first enemy position, he killed two enemy personnel and destroyed the second position by killing two more.

Although wounded in the shoulder and leg, he pressed on his solitary charge with grim determination, until he closed in on the first bunker. The two armies engaged in a ferocious, hand-to-hand combat. The troops charged at the enemy and fell upon them.  Undaunted and without caring for his grievous injuries, he continued to lead the assault on the fourth position urging his men and destroyed the same with a grenade, even as he got a fatal burst on his forehead. He collapsed at the final bunker and succumbed to his injuries.{{sfn|Bellamy|2011}}<ref name=PVC/>

{{Quotation|<center>'''CITATION'''<br>

'''CAPTAIN MANOJ KUMAR PANDEY'''<br>

'''1/11 GORKHA RIFLES'''</center>

On the occasion of [[Independence Day (India)|Independence Day]] 1999, a month after the war ended, the [[President of India]] approved the award of the Param Vir Chakra to Pandey and three others - Captain [[Vikram Batra]], Rifleman [[Sanjay Kumar (soldier)|Sanjay Kumar]] and Grenadier [[Yogendra Singh Yadav]].<ref>{{cite web |title=INDEPENDENCE DAY GALLANTRY AWARDS FOR OPERATION VIJAY |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1999-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1999-08-14_057.pdf |website=pibarchive.nic.in |date=14 August 1999}}</ref> His father, Gopichand Pandey, received the award from the President of India [[K. R. Narayanan]] during the [[Delhi Republic Day parade|Republic Day Parade]] in [[New Delhi]] on 26 January 2000.{{sfn|Bellamy|2011}}

** The constructed an auditorium in his name, which was inaugurated by his parents.<ref>{{cite web |title=RLB CHINHAT |url=http://rlbcn.org/pride/ |website=rlbcn.org}}</ref>

* The main gate named after him.

* The Army Welfare Housing Organisation ([[AWHO]]) designed and constructed an apartment complex for veterans in [[Ghaziabad district, India|Ghaziabad district]], Uttar Pradesh, and named it for Pandey as "Manoj Vihar".

* A gallery in the [[Dras War Memorial|Kargil War Museum]] at [[Dras]] is named after him.<ref>http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-drass-memorial-invoking-memories-of-kargil-war/20110727.htm#4</ref>