Sudhir Kumar Walia

Major Sudhir Kumar Walia AC, ADC, SM & Bar
Portrait of Major Sudhir Kumar Walia
Born	(1969-05-24)24 May 1969 Banuri, Palampur, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
Died	29 August 1999(1999-08-29) (aged 30) Killed in Action at Haphruda Forest, Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir
Allegiance	India
Service/branch	Indian Army
Years of service	1988 – 1999
Rank	Major
Service number	IC-47623P
Unit	9 Para (SF) 4 Jat
Battles/wars	Operation Vijay Counter-Insurgency
Awards	Ashoka Chakra Sena Medal (Bar) Sena Medal
Alma mater	Indian military academy, National Defence Academy Sainik School Sujanpur Tihra

Major Sudhir Kumar Walia, AC, ADC, SM & Bar (24 May 1969 - 29 August 1999), was an Officer in the Indian Army serving in the elite 9 Para (SF). He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime military decoration, by then President, late K. R. Narayan, in January 2000.

Early life

Sudhir was born in a Kalal family on May 24, 1969 in village Banuri tehsil Palampur in the Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh to an Army Veteran Subedar Major Rulia Ram Walia and Smt. Rajeswari Devi. He attended the Sainik School at Sujanpur Tihra. He then gained admission into the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla.

Army career

Sudhir graduated from the Indian Military Academy and was commissioned as second lieutenant into the 4th battalion, The Jat Regiment on 11 June 1988. He was a member of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) who were sent to Sri Lanka on a peace mission. After he returned from Sri Lanka, he opted for the 9th battalion, Para (Special Forces) unit, a special force of the Indian Army that specializes in mountain operations. He also served two six-month terms at the Siachen Glacier. He was promoted lieutenant on 11 June 1990.

Walia was promoted captain on 11 June 1993, and was awarded the Sena Medal in 1994 for gallantry on two occasions for combating militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. In 1997, he was sent to the United States for a specialized course and got first position. He also spoke at the Pentagon during this mission. Fondly and out of respect for his competence, he was called 'Colonel' during that course!

He was later deputed as an Aide-de-camp (ADC) to the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Ved Prakash Malik. When the Kargil War broke out, he obtained special permission from the COAS to go to the battlefield. Within ten days of his departure from Delhi, he led his team to capture Zulu Top at 5200 metres, in the Mushkoh Valley sector. When asked about his attack on Zulu Top without acclimatization, Maj Sudhir said: "Sir, you know that I'm a pahari (from the mountains). I don't need acclimatization."

After the Kargil War ended, his team was assigned the duty of fighting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

On 29 August 1999, he led an assault on a militant hideout in the Haphruda jungles of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir. He killed 9 of a total of 20 militants and sustained gunshot wounds in the process. Though he was unable to move, he continued to give orders to his team till they succeeded. He allowed himself to be evacuated only 35 minutes after the operation ended. He was airlifted to the army base hospital but he succumbed to the injuries en route. For his bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, the highest peace time military decoration in India.