Subedar Malkiat Singh MVC and the Battle of Garibpur in 1971 Indo-Pak War

Subedar Malkiat Singh s/o Shri Gurcharan Singh was born on 31 May 1929.  Hailed from village Lohat Baddi in Sangrur district of Punjab, he was barely 18 years of age when he joined the army in May 1947 and was recruited to the 14 Punjab battalion of the Punjab Regiment.  The name of Punjab Regiment in itself bears the testimony of being one of the most decorated infantry Regiments of the Indian Army.  Having put in glorious service of about 24 years, he was promoted to the rank of Subedar by the time the 1971 Indo-Pak War broke out.  

During the War, Sub Malkiat Singh’s unit was deployed on the Eastern border.  The Division he was part of was tasked to capture Jessore district in the southwestern region of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to secure a bridgehead across the Kabadak River near the international border at Bayra by launching a preliminary operation which came to be known as 'Battle of Garibpur'. 

As the activities of Pakistani increased across the border, orders to capture Garibpur were received.  As ordered, the operation to capture the target was launched in the early morning of 21 November to take the enemy by surprise.  The fierce battle for Garibpur ensued.  Despite the use of machine guns and other sophisticated weapons in the counter attack by the Pakistan Army, Subedar Malkiat Singh defended the position. On the night of 21 Nobember, 14 Punjab and the 45 Cavalry engaged the enemy bravely inflicting massive casualties on the enemy. 

Subedar Malkiat Singh kept encouraging his men not to give in and hold on to the position while retaliating the attacks by Pak Army.  But when the enemy troops advanced until 50 metres from his position, he took it upon himself to take the battle to enemy camp and crawled forward to engage the Pakistan forces. He succeeded in killing two Pak machine gunners, but was badly wounded by a tank shell. He later succumbed to his injuries and was thus killed in the line of duty.  But throughout the operation, Subedar Malkiat Singh displayed exemplary courage and resolute leadership by leading the charge from the front.

He was posthumously awarded the second highest gallantry award the Maha Vir Chakra.

Subedar Malkiat Singh’s role in defending the position he was tasked to while keeping the spirit of his men high in fighting the battle will keep inspiring the youth of India for ever.  The Rising Panjab salutes to the real hero of India.