Anuj Nayyar
Encyclopedia
Captain
Anuj Nayyar (August 28, 1975 - July 6, 1999) was an officer of the 17 Jat Regiment
of the Indian Army
, who was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra
, India's second highest gallantry award, for exemplary valour in combat during operations in the Kargil War
in 1999.
He was born to a Punjabi Khatri
family and grew up in Delhi
, India
. His father, S.K. Nayyar, worked as a visiting professor in Delhi School of Economics
while his mother, Meena Nayyar, worked for the South Campus library of Delhi University.
Capt. Nayyar received his high-school education from Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi
(1993 batch). He was a bright student who consistently performed well in academics and sports. He graduated from the National Defence Academy (90th course, Echo Squadron) and later was commissioned into the 17th Battalion Jat Regiment in June 1997 from the Indian Military Academy (100 Reg).
i military and paramilitary forces in the Kargil
region of Jammu and Kashmir
. The army quickly mobilized its forces to drive out the Pakistani infiltrators from Indian territory. Capt. Nayyar, a junior commander in the 17 Jat Regiment, was one of the more than 500,000 Indian troops deployed in the region. His first major operation involved securing Pt. 4875, also known as Pimple II, a strategic mountain
peak
on the western side of Tiger Hill which was occupied by Pakistani infiltrators.
Due to its strategic location, securing Pt. 4875 was a top priority for the Indian Army. The peak, which stood at 15,990 feet above sea level, had extremely steep slopes and capturing the peak without aerial support was considered near impossible. In a last ditch attempt, Nayyar's Charlie Company decided to secure the peak without waiting for any aerial support on July 6, 1999.
was injured. After the initial setback, the assault team split into two groups, one led by Captain Vikram Batra
and other by Capt. Nayyar. The Pakistani infiltrators had constructed several bunkers on Pt. 4875. Nayyar's company, which consisted of 7 personnel, located 4 enemy bunkers. The company began to ascend Pt. 4875 during which it came under heavy artillery and mortar fire
from Pakistani infiltrators. However, the team counter-attacked, which also included hand-to-hand combat, forcing the Pakistani soldiers to retreat. During the battle, Nayyar killed 9 Pakistani soldiers and destroyed three medium machine gun bunkers.
Under Captain Nayyar's leadership, the company had successfully cleared three of the four bunkers and began its assault on the last remaining bunker. While clearing the fourth bunker, an enemy rocket propelled grenade
fell directly on Nayyar. Despite being grievously injured, Nayyar continued to lead the remaining men in his company. He succumbed to his injuries but not before clearing the last bunker on Pt. 4875.
None of the soldiers from Nayyar's team of the Charlie Company survived the battle. Two days after Pt. 4875 was secured, it was counter-attacked by Pakistani infiltrators during which the second team of the Charlie Company, led by Captain Batra, successfully defended the peak. During the entire battle for the Pimple complex area, 46 regular members of Pakistani Army, an unknown number of Pakistani paramilitary troopers and militants, and 11 Indian Army men, including Captain Nayyar and Captain Batra, were killed. The securing of the Pimple Complex area paved the way for the recapture of Tiger Hill which finally forced Pakistan to retreat its forces to pre-conflict positions.
S.K. Nayyar, Anuj's father, was allotted a gas station in Delhi by the Government of India
in recognition of the services of his son. Tejbir Singh, a fellow soldier of the Jat Regiment, named his son Anuj in honour of Captain Nayyar.
running full-page description of his Kargil mission. The plight and ill-treatment of his parents by Indian government officials after his death became the subject of several short telefilms and was widely reported in the Indian news media. Several books and Indian films were made to depict Anuj's life and glorify his contribution to the Indian Army.
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
Anuj Nayyar (August 28, 1975 - July 6, 1999) was an officer of the 17 Jat Regiment
Jat Regiment
The Jat Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army and is one of the longest serving and most decorated regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment has won 19 battle honours between 1839 to 1947 and post independence 5 battle honours, Two Ashok Chakras, eight Mahavir Chakras, eight Kirti...
of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
, who was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra
Maha Vir Chakra
The Maha Vir Chakra is the second highest military decoration in India and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It may be awarded posthumously. Literally Maha Veer means extraordinarily brave.-Appearance:The medal is made...
, India's second highest gallantry award, for exemplary valour in combat during operations in the Kargil War
Kargil War
The Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...
in 1999.
He was born to a Punjabi Khatri
Khatri
Khatri is a caste from the northern Indian subcontinent. Khatris in India are mostly from Punjab, region but later they migrated to regions like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber...
family and grew up in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His father, S.K. Nayyar, worked as a visiting professor in Delhi School of Economics
Delhi School of Economics
Delhi School of Economics , commonly referred to as DSE or D School, is a centre of post graduate learning of the University of Delhi. The centre is situated in the university's North Campus in Maurice Nagar, and is surrounded by a host of other prestigious academic institutions of the country...
while his mother, Meena Nayyar, worked for the South Campus library of Delhi University.
Capt. Nayyar received his high-school education from Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi
Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi
The Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan is a public school located at Delhi, India. It is operated under Indian Army supervision under the aegis of Indian Army welfare Education society . The school was founded in 1953 and has about 6000 students...
(1993 batch). He was a bright student who consistently performed well in academics and sports. He graduated from the National Defence Academy (90th course, Echo Squadron) and later was commissioned into the 17th Battalion Jat Regiment in June 1997 from the Indian Military Academy (100 Reg).
Background
In 1999, the Indian Army detected a massive infiltration by PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i military and paramilitary forces in the Kargil
Kargil District
Kargil is a district of Ladakh, Kashmir, India. Kargil lies near the Line of Control facing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Baltistan to the west, and Kashmir valley to the south. Zanskar is part of Kargil district along with Suru, Wakha and Dras valleys...
region of Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
. The army quickly mobilized its forces to drive out the Pakistani infiltrators from Indian territory. Capt. Nayyar, a junior commander in the 17 Jat Regiment, was one of the more than 500,000 Indian troops deployed in the region. His first major operation involved securing Pt. 4875, also known as Pimple II, a strategic mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
peak
Pyramidal peak
A pyramidal peak, or sometimes in its most extreme form called a glacial horn, is a mountaintop that has been modified by the action of ice during glaciation and frost weathering...
on the western side of Tiger Hill which was occupied by Pakistani infiltrators.
Due to its strategic location, securing Pt. 4875 was a top priority for the Indian Army. The peak, which stood at 15,990 feet above sea level, had extremely steep slopes and capturing the peak without aerial support was considered near impossible. In a last ditch attempt, Nayyar's Charlie Company decided to secure the peak without waiting for any aerial support on July 6, 1999.
Operation
During the initial phase of assault on Pt. 4875, the Company Commander of the platoonPlatoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
was injured. After the initial setback, the assault team split into two groups, one led by Captain Vikram Batra
Vikram Batra
Captain Vikram Batra, PVC , was an officer of the Indian Army, posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest award for valour, for his actions during the 1999 Kargil War in Kashmir between India and Pakistan....
and other by Capt. Nayyar. The Pakistani infiltrators had constructed several bunkers on Pt. 4875. Nayyar's company, which consisted of 7 personnel, located 4 enemy bunkers. The company began to ascend Pt. 4875 during which it came under heavy artillery and mortar fire
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
from Pakistani infiltrators. However, the team counter-attacked, which also included hand-to-hand combat, forcing the Pakistani soldiers to retreat. During the battle, Nayyar killed 9 Pakistani soldiers and destroyed three medium machine gun bunkers.
Under Captain Nayyar's leadership, the company had successfully cleared three of the four bunkers and began its assault on the last remaining bunker. While clearing the fourth bunker, an enemy rocket propelled grenade
Rocket propelled grenade
A rocket-propelled grenade is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system which fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable while others are single-use. RPGs, with the exception of...
fell directly on Nayyar. Despite being grievously injured, Nayyar continued to lead the remaining men in his company. He succumbed to his injuries but not before clearing the last bunker on Pt. 4875.
None of the soldiers from Nayyar's team of the Charlie Company survived the battle. Two days after Pt. 4875 was secured, it was counter-attacked by Pakistani infiltrators during which the second team of the Charlie Company, led by Captain Batra, successfully defended the peak. During the entire battle for the Pimple complex area, 46 regular members of Pakistani Army, an unknown number of Pakistani paramilitary troopers and militants, and 11 Indian Army men, including Captain Nayyar and Captain Batra, were killed. The securing of the Pimple Complex area paved the way for the recapture of Tiger Hill which finally forced Pakistan to retreat its forces to pre-conflict positions.
Recognition and legacy
Capt. Nayyar was posthumously awarded the Mahavir Chakra for his bravery and leadership in combat.S.K. Nayyar, Anuj's father, was allotted a gas station in Delhi by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
in recognition of the services of his son. Tejbir Singh, a fellow soldier of the Jat Regiment, named his son Anuj in honour of Captain Nayyar.
In Media
Following Capt. Nayyar's death, his heroics during the war was largely covered by Delhi's print media with editorials like Times of India and Hindustan TimesHindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
running full-page description of his Kargil mission. The plight and ill-treatment of his parents by Indian government officials after his death became the subject of several short telefilms and was widely reported in the Indian news media. Several books and Indian films were made to depict Anuj's life and glorify his contribution to the Indian Army.
- In 2003, LOC KargilLOC KargilLOC Kargil is a 2003 Bollywood war film based on the Kargil War, directed and written by J. P. Dutta. The film stars a large number of Bollywood stars.- Plot :The film is an attempt to dramatize a synopsis of the 1999 Kargil War ....
, a HindiHindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
film directed by J.P. Dutta which depicted the endeavours of the Indian Army during the Kargil War, was released in which BollywoodBollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
superstar Saif Ali KhanSaif Ali KhanSaif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
played the role of Anuj Nayyar.
- In 2003, Hindi movie named "DhoopDhoopDhoop is a 2003 Indian film directed by the award winning director Ashwini Chaudhary. The film stars Om Puri and Revathi and is based on the true story of Captain Anuj Nayyar, MVC and his family.-Plot:...
" directed by national award winner, Ashwini Chaudhary, was released which depicted the life of Anuj's parents after his death. Om PuriOm PuriOm Puri is an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Indian films and art films. His credits also include appearances in British and American films. He has received an honorary OBE.-Early life:...
plays the role of S.K. Nayyar, Anuj's father.
See also
- Vikram BatraVikram BatraCaptain Vikram Batra, PVC , was an officer of the Indian Army, posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest award for valour, for his actions during the 1999 Kargil War in Kashmir between India and Pakistan....
, fellow army officer - Indo-Pakistani WarsIndo-Pakistani WarsSince the partition of British India in 1947 and creation of India and Pakistan, the two South Asian countries have been involved in four wars, including one undeclared war, as well as many border skirmishes and military stand-offs...
- Kargil WarKargil WarThe Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...
- Military of India
- Maha Vir ChakraMaha Vir ChakraThe Maha Vir Chakra is the second highest military decoration in India and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It may be awarded posthumously. Literally Maha Veer means extraordinarily brave.-Appearance:The medal is made...