Hyderabad: At least 20 Indian soldiers, including a commanding officer posted in Galwan Valley along with subedars, havildars and sepoys, were martyred following a skirmish with Chinese troops on the fateful night of June 15, 2020. As per reports, the bulk of the fatalities and injured were from 16 Bihar Regiment including the Commanding Officer Col B Santosh Babu and 12 soldiers including a Naib Subedar, a Havildar and Jawans.
They belonged to the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and one from Odisha. Two JCOs and one NCO of Artillery Regiments from Punjab and Tamil Nadu and a signalman from the Brigade signal Company amongst others. Naik Deepak Kumar from Army Medical Corps (AMC) who was attached with 16 Bihar as a nursing assistant was also killed in the clash.
They fearlessly made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the national and territorial integrity of India. It was reported that Col Santosh Babu and two jawans were attacked by Chinese Army personnel with iron rods while removing a tent put up by China at patrol point 14, leading to hand-to-hand combat. While three soldiers were killed in action, 17 others succumbed to their injuries.
In a fitting tribute, their names were later engraved at the National War Memorial in Delhi. The names of 20 Indian soldiers, including Col Santosh Babu, were added to the monument which honours the soldiers who have made the supreme sacrifice for India while protecting its sovereignty.
- Here is the full list of the soldiers killedNation remembers the heroes of Galwan valley clash
- Valour of Col Santosh Babu and his men
Col Santosh Babu, the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 16 Bihar infantry battalion, was tasked to ensure that the Chinese have moved back beyond Patrolling Point 14 in the Galwan Valley and personally verify these details. He led his troops from the front before attaining martyrdom.
His posting at Ladakh was nearing its end, and he had already been looking for schools for his children in Secunderabad, where he was to be posted next. An officer whom most recall as being soft-spoken and gentle, Colonel Babu displayed a remarkable degree of courage and fortitude, fighting a ferocious battle armed with nothing more than barbed wire batons and stones.
He was posthumously awarded the second-highest military award, Mahavir Chakra, for acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy. Four other soldiers -Naib Subedar Nuduram Soren, Havildar (Gunner) K Palani, Naik Deepak Singh and Sepoy Gurtej Singh-- who also laid down their lives were awarded Vir Chakra awards posthumously. Havildar Tejinder Singh from the 3 Medium Regiment was also awarded Vir Chakra award.
- 'Galwan Vatika' to commemorate sacrifice of martyred soldiers
To commemorate the scarifice of the martyred soldiers, Uttarakhand's forest Research Centre had planted as many as 20 trees and named the garden in honour of the martyred soldiers. The garden named 'Galwan Vatika' commemorates the sacrifice of the soldiers. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) had also planted more than 1,000 saplings a few kilometres away from the side where the violent face-off had taken place. This area was later named as 'Galwan ke Balwan'
- Telangana govt appoints wife of Col Babu as deputy collector
Santoshi, the wife of Col Babu, was appointed as deputy collector in Telangana. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had personally handed over the appointment letter to Santoshi at Pragathi Bhavan. The CM also allotted her a house site in the city and a cheque of Rs 5 crore.
- Punjab govt amends rules to give jobs to Galwan Valley martyrs' siblings
Making an exception to the state government's existing ‘Policy of Appointments of Honour and Gratitude’, the Punjab govt had approved an amendment to the existing rules to provide jobs in the state services to married siblings of three bachelor battle casualties of the Galwan Valley. The decision was taken by the Captain Amarinder Singh government in recognition of the supreme sacrifice made by Sepoy Gurtej Singh, Sepoy Gurbinder Singh and L/Nk Saleem Khan.
- Bihar CM announces compensations to kin of five jawans from state
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 11 lakhs, in addition to a government job for the closest dependent of each of the five soldiers from the state martyred in bloody clashes with the Chinese army.
The brave soldiers - Chandan Kumar of Bhojpur, Jai Kishor Singh of Vaishali, Aman Kumar Singh of Samstipur, Kundan Kumar of Saharsa and Sunil Kumar of Patna Bihta- were from Bihar regiments. A sum of Rs 25 lakhs was also announced to the nearest dependent of each of these five martyrs in addition to Rs 11 lakhs, from the Chief Minister's relief fund.
- West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announces compensation
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and a government job for kin of each of the two soldiers from the state who died during the clashes. Rajesh Orang of Birbhum district and Bipul Roy of Alipurduar were two soldiers from the state who laid down their lives at Galwan valley.
Also Read: India-China clashes at Galwan valley: A timeline of key events
