Nation’s real hero Lance Naik Shangara Singh MVC

The Rising Panjab Bureau

Born on 14 January 1943 in the village Chola Sahib of Amritsar, Punjab, Lance Naik joined the Indian army in 1963 when he was 20 years of age and got enrolled in the Sikh Battalion.  

Known for his discipline and commitment to the cause of serving his nation, he was sent to fight a war with Pakistan towards the end of 1971.  Pakistan had been carrying out genocide in East Pakistan causing displacement and migration of millions of people.  In one of the worst kinds of exodus of people in the history of mankind, India faced an unprecedented crisis of sheltering and managing the refugees crossing over to the Indian side.  The uncontrollable situation forced India to go to war with Pakistan to deal with the problem.  Fought on the eastern and northwestern borders, India won the war and a new country Bangladesh was created what was earlier known as East Pakistan.

However, despite the end of the war in December 1971 with the surrender of about 93,000 Pakistani soldiers before the Indian Army, some clashes between the two forces continued on the western front.  Lance Naik Shanghara Singh’s unit that was deployed in Amritsar fought the war on this front.  When the Pakistan Army captured the village Pul Kanjari near the international border, 2 Sikh battalion was tasked to free it from the Pakistan forces and take it back.  

While braving the attack of the Pakistan forces, being second in command of his unit Lance Naik Shangara decided to take it upon himself to blunt the enemy’s attack as the enemy’s guns were posing threats to his fellow soldiers.  Risking his personal safety and security, Lance Naik Shangara Singh charged towards the enemy’s post where a machine gun was installed, and threw a grenade in a bunker.  He did not rest or stop at that.  Continuing with his charge on the enemy, he crawled his way to reach the next target and by sheer dent of his physical strength he snatched the machine gun from the enemy soldiers sending shockwaves in the enemy camp.  Completely shaken by the valiant move of Lance Naik Shangara Singh, the enemy lost its nerve and hastily fled from the battleground even leaving behind its weapons.

During the rare display of bravery of the highest order, Lance Nair Shanghara Singh, however, received serious injuries in the retaliatory attack by the enemy.  Succumbing to life-threatening injuries, Lance Naik Shangara later lost his life in the line of duty.  For the sterling display of courage and bravery, he was awarded the nation’s second-highest gallantry award “Maha Vir Chakra”.

The Rising Panjab Bureau salutes the indomitable spirit of and the supreme sacrifice made by the real hero of India Lance Naik Shanghara Singh.