Arun Bhimrao Harolikar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 December 1934 Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India |
| Died | 16 November 2007 (aged 72) Pune, Maharashtra, India |
| Allegiance | India |
| Service/ | Indian Army |
| Years of service | 1950s–1980s |
| Rank | Brigadier |
| Unit | 5 Gorkha Rifles (3/5 GR, 4/5 GR) |
| Battles/wars | Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 (Operation Cactus-Lilly) |
| Awards | Maha Vir Chakra |
Arun Bhimrao Harolikar, MVC (6 December 1934 – 16 November 2007) was an officer of the Indian Army who served with the 5 Gorkha Rifles. As a Lieutenant Colonel commanding the 4th Battalion, 5th Gorkha Rifles (4/5 GR), he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second-highest wartime gallantry award, for his leadership during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in the Eastern Sector (present-day Bangladesh).[1][2][3]
Early life and education
Harolikar was born on 6 December 1934 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.[4][3] He completed his matriculation at New High School, Kolhapur, and attended the first year of his higher education at Rajaram College, Kolhapur.[3] He was subsequently commissioned into the 3rd Battalion, 5th Gorkha Rifles (3/5 GR), and later commanded a battalion in active service.[2][3]
Military career
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
During Operation Cactus-Lilly in the Eastern Sector, then-Lieutenant Colonel Harolikar was commanding the 4th Battalion, 5th Gorkha Rifles (4/5 GR), which was part of 59 Mountain Brigade under the 8 Mountain Division.[5][6]
Harolikar’s battalion was tasked with capturing a well-fortified enemy position. The position was held by two enemy companies covering all approaches. When two assaulting companies were held up by intense enemy fire, Harolikar led the remaining battalion in an assault along a difficult approach from behind the enemy lines. He personally took part in hand-to-hand fighting, and the battalion successfully captured the position.[2][3] The resolute action broke the enemy’s will to resist, leading to the early surrender of the entire garrison of several thousand enemy personnel.[7][2]
Later in the campaign, on 7 December 1971, after his battalion was landed by helicopters at Sylhet in the Indian Army’s first heliborne operation, his defensive position came under a series of well-coordinated enemy counter-attacks, which were decisively repulsed under his command.[8][9][10]
Maha Vir Chakra
For his conspicuous gallantry, inspirational leadership, and devotion to duty in the face of the enemy, Lieutenant Colonel Arun Bhimrao Harolikar was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.[1][2][3] According to the official record, the award was notified with a date of action of 15 August 1972, and his service number was IC-7916.[1] The citation specifically recognised his role in the operations in the Eastern Sector, where his battalion’s action contributed to the liberation of a large part of the area and facilitated further operations by the brigade group.[2][1]
Later life and legacy
After retiring from active service as a Brigadier, Harolikar settled in Pune, Maharashtra.[11] He died on 16 November 2007.[11]
His legacy has been commemorated in Pune in several ways. In 2013, the residents of Salunke Vihar Society created and named a garden after him; he was the only Maha Vir Chakra recipient who had resided in the society until his death.[11] In October 2021, as part of the nationwide Swarnim Vijay Varsh celebrations marking 50 years of India’s victory in the 1971 war, the Victory Flame was received in Salunke Vihar by Jaya Harolikar, his widow, along with other veterans and war heroes.[11]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Awardees – Maha Vir Chakra". Gallantry Awards, Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "5th Royal Gurkha Rifles". Internet Archive. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Brigadier Arun Bhimrao Harolikar, MVC". One India One People Foundation. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ "Arun Bhimrao Harolikar". Pudhari (in मराठी). Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ "List of Maha Vir Chakra awardees". Internet Archive. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ "The Tribune". The Tribune. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ "Jammu Kashmir Now". Jammu Kashmir Now. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ Cardozo, Ian. "The Battle for Sylhet". Scholar Warrior. Centre for Land Warfare Studies. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ Kaul, Rattan. "Army Day 2022". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ "BBC Hindi". BBC Hindi (in हिन्दी). Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Swarnim Vijay Varsh" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
Further reading
- Cardozo, Ian (Spring 2020). "The Battle for Sylhet". Scholar Warrior. Centre for Land Warfare Studies. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- Kaul, Rattan (15 January 2022). "Army Day 2022". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 17 October 2026.
- Bravest of the Brave: 4/5 Gorkha Rifles in the 1971 Indo-Pak War. Military History Publications. 2010.