Saurabh Kalia

Infobox Military Person
name=Captain Saurabh Kalia
placeofbirth=Amritsar, India
lived=29th June 1976 - 21 June 1999


caption=Kargil Martyr
allegiance=India
serviceyears=1 year
rank=Captain
unit=4 JAT Regiment (Infantry) IC No. 58522F
battles=Kargil war

Personal life

Saurabh Kalia was born on 29 June 1976 at Amritsar, India to Mrs. Vijay and Dr. N.K. Kalia. His schooling took place in the D.A.V. Public School, Palampur. Saurabh graduated in (B.Sc. Med.) from H. P. Agriculture University, Palampur in 1997. He was brilliant in studies securing first Division and winning scholarships throughout his academic career. [ [http://www.hpkangra.nic.in/warriors.htm##kalia Lt. Saurabh Kalia] ]

Career

He was selected in the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun in August 1997 through Combined Defence Services and commissioned on 12 December 1998. He got posting in the 4 JAT Regiment (Infantry) in the Kargil Sector and joined there in mid-January, 1999 after reporting at the JAT Regimental Centre, Bareilly on 31 December 1998.

Fateful events

In the first fortnight of May 1999, he went out for patrol duty three times in the Kaksar area of Kargil. He observed and reported large-scale intrusion of Pak Army and foreign mercenaries in Indian side of LoC (Kargil). He assumed guard of "Bajrang Post" at the height 13,000-14,000 feet to check infiltration along with 5 soldiers in the Kaksar area.Fact|date=February 2007

On May 15 1999, after a continuous cross fire with Pakistan armed forces from across the LoC, he and his troops ran out of ammunition. It is also believed that their signal instrument was out of order, or not working in those conditions. They were finally encircled by a platoon of Pakistan rangers and captured alive before any Indian reinforcement could reach for their help. No trace of this entire patrol was left and Skardu Radio of Pakistan reported that Lt. Saurabh Kalia and five of his men were captured alive.

They were in their captivity for over twenty-two (May 15 1999 – June 7 1999) days and subjected to unprecedented brutal torture as evident from their bodies handed over by Pakistan Army on June 9 1999. The postmortem revealed that the Pakistan army had indulged in the most heinous acts; of burning their bodies with cigarettes, piercing ear-drums with hot rods, puncturing eyes before removing them, breaking most of the teeth and bones, chopping off various limbs and private organs of these soldiers besides inflicting all sorts of physical and mental tortures before shooting them dead, as evidenced by the bullet wound to the temple. [ [http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/jun/07kalia.htm Kargil's First Hero] ] [ [http://www.tehelka.com/story_main10.asp?filename=Cr021205History.asp Notes on patriotism] ]

After death

The Himachal Pradesh Government raised "Saurabh Van Vihar" in a sprawling area of 35 acres besides renaming the road to his house as Capt. Saurabh Kalia Marg and the area as Saurabh Nagar (earlier known as Sugghar). A museum (Saurabh Smiriti Kaksha) has been raised in his house at Palampur. [ [http://www.hvk.org/articles/0602/125.html A Kargil memorial in the time of war] ]

National outrage

The mutilated bodies were handed over by the Pakistan army on June 9 1999. There was a national outrage over the barbarism. In what then ensued as Saurabh's parents fight for justice, they have since approached highest echelons of Indian Government and various foreign ambassadors to bring to book the perpetrators behind the tragedy.

Their crusade has found millions of supporters, but neither has the Pakistan Government acknowledged torture, nor has any Human Rights Group been able to get them justice.Fact|date=February 2007

The nation was further outraged since Indian Government awarded no gallantry award to these soldiers who died in the line of duty to ensure that the sovereignty of their motherland was not compromised. [ [http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/nov/03dilip.htm Is this how we treat our heroes?] ] [ [http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/jun/07karglet.htm Letter from Ministry of External Affairs] ]

Indian public and media expressed continued disgust on the barbarism demonstrated by Pakistan. Pakistan army had violated international laws by capturing them alive but not having intimated their POW status to the Indian counterparts. They subjected them to unprecedented brutal torture that violated the Geneva Convention. [ [http://www.indianembassy.org/pic/PR_1999/June_1999/PR_June_16_1999.htm Embassy of India press release] ] [ [http://www.indianembassy.org/new/NewDelhiPressFile/Kargil_June_1999/Criminal_State.htm Embassy of India outrage] ] [ [http://www.indianembassy.org/new/NewDelhiPressFile/Kargil_June_1999/Kargil_International_Law1.htm Embassy of India: Kargil & International Law] ] [ [http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99jun12/head1.htm Action barbaric] ]

References