Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Aug 9: “The soil of this land is sacred. It is only this country that we call as our motherland or Bharat Mata. Being born in this country, it is our responsibility that we should not forget our motherland till the very last breath," said Param Vir Chakra awardee Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav.
Subedar Yadav said these words while delivering an inspiring talk on 'Words of a Real Hero', organized by Yuva Brigade, at Canara High School here on Sunday August 9.
“The nation and society will be good when individuals inherit good qualities and culture from parents. We expect and ask about what the nation has given to us, but what we need to ask ourselves is what we have given to the nation," he said.
"I was inspired by my father who joined the army and fought many battles. When I joined the army, I got a regiment about which I had read in the books of history, and about its brave soldiers like Abdul Ashraf and Major Hoshiar Singh. My first posting was in Srinagar where I was deployed to counter terrorism."
Yadav was awarded Param Vir Chakra for his bravery in the Kargil War, where he had killed four Pakistani soldiers and survived several bullets.
Recounting the experience, he said, "On May 1, 1999, I came home on leave, got married on May 5 and I returned to my duties on May 20. When I went, I understood that our battalion from Manas sector was shifted to Dras sector. As I reached Srinagar, I came to know that a war (Kargil War) was about to start. After wearing the uniform, each soldier thinks that he should do something for this great land. I got this opportunity at a very young age. During the operation of Tiger Hill, Dras sector was extremely cold. Even in very harsh situations, our soldiers fought bravely against the enemy.
"The Indian army then moved forward without bothering about the enemies with only one aim - to acquire the Tiger Hill which is the highest position in Dras Sector. Tiger Hill is also a very steep and climbing it is a very challenging job. It is also the toughest job to go to the top and fight with enemies. We continued to fight even after suffering serious injuries and our soldiers managed to finish off the enemy platoon," he said.
He said that he had witnessed the death of his companions which was heartbreaking. "Even after sustaining bullet wounds on hands and legs, I continued to fight against the Pakistani army who had advanced arms. The Pakistani army plotted to bombard the battalion of Indian post and at any cost, I wanted to convey this message to seniors so that life of Indian army personnel could be saved. Despite serious injuries, I succeeded in conveying the message to the commanding officer about their plan," he said.
Though the death of his colleagues shattered him, he fought bravely against more than eight Pakistani soldiers. "The Pakistani army tried to study the number of Indian soldiers and they went on to pelt stones on the cantonments. With team work, we could achieve success," he said.
"The most special thing about Indian soldiers is that they fight till their last breath and the last bullet in their guns. They fight for their nation. The Pakistani army has a tendency to attack from behind," he added.
On this occasion, farmer Frank Fernandes was also felicitated for his heroic deed of stopping the train after getting to know the fragmentation on Bondel-Pachanady railway track recently.
Grenadier Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav was honoured on this occasion. He also released the logo of 1965 ‘War of Tankers’ to mark its golden jubilee.
Chakravarthy Sulibele also spoke on this occasion. MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Chakravarthy Sulibele and Naresh Shenoy were present.
Later, in a press briefing, Yadav said, “Many youths have made up their minds to join the Indian army which is a good sign. People in Jammu and Kashmir are supporting Indian army. We can see a positive change in this regard."
On being awarded Param Vir Chakra, he said, "It is the highest gallantry award. Till now 23 soldiers have been awarded posthumously and one was awarded while in service and the other one has retired."