Major S Bashyam was born in Chennai on 2nd September 1932 to Sri S Alavandar and Smt Ramathilakam. He was commissioned on 3 June 1956 into 9 Punjab of the Punjab Regiment. After serving in different operational areas, Major Bashyam joined his battalion in the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), the present-day Arunachal Pradesh in August 1962. His unit, 9 Punjab was part of the 7 Infantry Brigade deployed in the Kameng sector of NEFA, under the command of Brigadier Dalvi.
| Service Number | IC 7908 |
| Place of Birth | Chennai |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 9 Punjab |
| Regiment | Punjab Regiment |
| Date of Martyrdom | 22nd October 1962 |
On 21st October, China launched a major offensive in Division strength in the Kameng sector in Namkha Chu valley. Major Bashyam’s unit faced the brunt of the attack but the troops fought with outstanding courage and resoluteness. Major Bashyam was commanding one of the companies of 9 Punjab and led from the front in repulsing the sustained attacks. Major Bashyam and his soldiers were no match to Chinese forces in terms of their numbers or quality of weaponry but they more than compensated for it with their sheer daredevilry and unyielding fighting spirit. However, during the continued heavy exchange of fire, on 22 Oct, Major Bashyam got hit by a grenade. Major Bashyam succumbed to his injuries and was martyred.
Major S Bashyam is survived by his wife, Smt Varalakshmi (then 23 years), and daughters, Vaishnavi, and Vaideh.
