Anuj Nayyar

Captain Anuj Nayyar (died July 6, 1999) was a junior 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 his heroics during the Kargil War in 1999.

Early life

Anuj was born to a Punjabi Khatri family settled in Janakpuri, 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. Anuj received his high-school education from Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi(1993 batch). Anuj 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 Regt in June 1997 from the Indian Military Academy (100 Reg).

Kargil operation

In 1999, the Indian Army detected a massive infiltration by Pakistani paramilitary forces in Indian-administered Kashmir. The army quickly mobilized its forces to drive out the Pakistani infiltrators from Indian territory. Anuj, a junior commander in the 17 Jat Regiment, was sent to Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir, to secure the region surrounding Tiger Hill from Pakistani militants. His first major operation involved securing Pt. 4875, a strategic mountain peak also known as "Pimple II" on the western side of Tiger Hill, which was occupied by Pakistani armed forces. Pt. 4875 was an extremely strategic mountain peak second only to the Tiger Hill and securing it from the Pakistani infiltrators was a top priority for the Indian Army. Pt. 4875, which stood at 15,990 feet above sea level, had extremely steep slopes and capturing the peak without aerial support was considered near impossible. However, the below-average performance of Indian Air Force's MiG-21 and MiG-29 during the conflict delayed aerial assistance and with each passing day, the Indian Army came under extreme pressure to secure the peak. In a last ditch attempt, Anuj's Charlie Company decided to secure the peak without waiting for any aerial support on July 6, 1999. During the initial phase of assault, the Company Commander of Anuj's platoon was injured after which the command of the company fell on Captain Anuj Nayyar. After the initial setback, the Indian assault split into two groups, one led by Captain Vikram Batra and other by Anuj Nayyar. The Pakistani infiltrators had constructed several bunkers on Pt. 4875. Anuj's company located 4 enemy bunkers and charged the first bunker. During the assault, Anuj fired a Rocket propelled grenade and destroyed the first bunker. The company then charged towards the remaining 3 bunkers during which they came under heavy mortar fire from Pakistani infiltrators. However, under Anuj's leadership, the company cleared two more bunkers and engaged in numerous hand-to-hand combat. It was while clearing the 4th bunker, that an enemy RPG shell fell directly on Anuj killing him on the spot. This scene was dramatically portrayed in the film LOC Kargil. During the assault, Captain Anuj Nayyar killed more than 9 Pakistani infiltrators and destroyed 3 to 4 enemy bunkers. Soon after Anuj's death, the second Charlie Company, led by Captain Batra, successfully cleared the 4th bunker and secured Pt. 4875. The success of this mission was largely due to the bravery and leadership skills of Captain Anuj Nayyar. The success of this mission paved the way for the Indian recapture of Tiger Hill.

Recognition and legacy

Anuj Nayyar was posthumously awarded Mahavir Chakra for his bravery and combat skills. 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.

In Media

Following Anuj Nayyar's death, his heroics during the war was largely covered by Delhi's print media with editorials like Times of India and Hindustan Times running full-page description of his Kargil mission. The plight and ill-treatment of Anuj's parents by Indian government officials after his death became the subject of several short telefilms and was widely reported in the Indian news media. [ [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/articleshow?artid=284080 No dhoop for Kargil martyr's kin-Delhi Times-Cities-The Times of India ] ] Several books and Indian films were made to depict Anuj's life and glorify his contribution to the Indian Army.

* In 2001, L.O.C Kargil, a Hindi film directed by J.P. Dutta which depicted the endeavours of the Indian Army during the Kargil War, was released in which Bollywood superstar Saif Ali Khan played the role of Anuj Nayyar.

* In 2003, Hindi movie named "Dhoop" directed by national award winner, Ashwini Chaudhary, was released which depicted the life of Anuj's parents after his death. Om Puri plays the role of S.K. Nayyar, Anuj's father.

See also

*Vikram Batra, fellow army officer
*Indo-Pakistani Wars
*Kargil War
*Military of India
*Maha Vir Chakra

References

External links

* [http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/HEROISM/Nayyar.html Bharat Rakshak biography on Anuj]
* [http://kargil.myiris.com/Gallantry/galstory.html List of Kargil heroes]
* [http://www.ikashmir.net/kargilheroes/anuj.html S.K. Nayyar's viewpoint on Kargil]
* [http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/02diary.htm An article on Anuj by Lokesh Sopre]