MAJOR SURINDER SINGH: VIR CHAKRA

Major Surinder Singh was born on 8th December 1959 in Shillong, Meghalaya to an army officer, Lt Colonel MS Labana. He followed his dream and got selected to join the prestigious NDA in Khadakwasala. Major Surinder Singh got commissioned into the Rajputana Rifles Regiment.   

After the induction of Indian forces in Aug 1987, as part of the Indo-Sri Lanka accord signed on 29 July 1987, the militants were supposed to surrender but the dreaded LTTE backed out and unleashed a war on Indian forces. By June 1989, Indian forces had undertaken numerous operations against LTTE but the war was far from over. In June 1989, Major Surinder Singh’s unit was deployed in the Jaffna peninsula and was operating in the Puttur area. Based on information from intelligence sources, a decision was taken to attack a suspected hideout of the LTTE militants in Puttur on 05 Jun 1989. Major Surinder Singh was tasked to lead that assault operation. Major Surinder Singh along with his troops consequently swung into action and reached the suspected area and cordoned it off. Major Surinder Singh leading a team of 15 soldiers soon spotted the militants in the hideout and shot two of them. On seeing the militants escaping Major Surinder Singh decided to chase them and ordered his troops accordingly. However, one of the injured militants fired at Major Surinder Singh from closed range injuring him badly. Major Surinder Singh despite being seriously wounded turned around and shot dead the injured militants and continued the chase till he collapsed. However, he refused to be attended to and ordered his troops to continue the operation and his troops eventually killed one more militant. Major Surinder Singh later succumbed to his injuries and was martyred.  

Major Surinder was a brave officer and for that, he was awarded the prestigious ‘Vir Chakra’ posthumously.