When Vikram Batra used to lash on to the enemies, he used to tell fellow soldiers that you stay aside as you have a wife and children to take care of.
In the Kargil War, Vikram unfurled the tricolor on the peaks one by one and said 'Yeh Dil mange More'. This punch line of advertisment was resonated as the voice of the army in the whole country during the Kargil War.
It was the Midnight of 20 June 1999, When more than half of India's population was fast asleep. Thousands of feet above sea level, the snow-capped mountains were buzzing with sounds of ammunition and mortar.
Amid snow, the soldiers were covered with smoke of the ammunition. These ghats were trembled by the slogans of Bharat Mata ki Jai and Indian Army Zindabad.
In fact, the soldiers of the Indian Army were going all guns blazing to liberate the enemy at a very important peak (5140) on the Srinagar-Leh road.
Captain Vikram Batra the name became popular in the country more than a celebrity while the soldiers were fighting tooth and nail by shootings and bomb blasts carried out by the Pak Rangers.
However, the nation remains grateful to every martyr Jawan, But the velour of Captain Vikram Batra impressed all the citizens. Thus he emerged as the poster boy of the Kargil war stoked between India and Pakistan.
In 1996, Vikram Batra was selected in the Indian Military Academy. He rejected a whopping offer of crores to join the Merchant Navy as the goal was to serve the nation, not to mint money. That's not all, he did not let his love interest pose as a hurdle in the way of this patriotism.
Vikram was posted as Lieutenant on 13 December 1997 in 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles after rigorous training.
During the Kargil War with Pakistan, his battalion was handed over to win Hamp and Raki Nab peak on 1 June 1999. Vikram and co. managed to achieve both these targets without much ado. Later, Vikram was promoted as the captain. The real mission before him was to liberate the most important 5140 peaks from the Pak Army just above the Srinagar-Leh road.
Extremely acrobatic and gallant Vikram Batra, along with his soldiers, took possession of the above peak at 3:30 am on 20 June 1999 and hoisted the tricolor.
After witnessing Vikram's valor and caliber, the Indian Army was confident that he would create rampage in Pakistan contingent. Perhaps, This was the reason why he was handed the mission to capture peak 4875 as well. As soon as the mission started, Vikram along with Lieutenant Anuj Nayyar began an onslaught and neutralized many Pakistani soldiers. The mission was on the brink of getting accomplished, but an explosion near junior officer Lieutenant Naveen injured both of his legs.
Captain Batra's runs towards Naveen and got hold of him. He starts dragging him back to save and at the same moment a bullet hits his chest by Pak Army. The brave son of motherland becomes a martyr on 7 July 1999.
While unfurling Tricolor on the peak, Vikram Batra and his punch line 'Yeh Dil Maange More', remains immortal even after 24 years.
Born on 9 September 1974 at the house of GL Batra and Kamalakanta Batra in Palampur, Vikram Batra opted to join the Indian Army after studying in Chandigarh and was laid to rest with full state honors.(WD)
