Param Vir Chakra (PVC ) Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat

Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat was the fifth recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. He was indeed a brave hearted man who was even admired by our First Indian Priminster Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru; who called him the man with determination and eminent bravery. He felt to be very grateful for having such a brave-hearted man like Major Piru Singh Shekhawat who sacrificed his life in the service of the Motherland. Major Piru Singh Shekhawat was born on May 20th 1918 in a Shekhawat Rajput family of village Rampura Beri situated in the District Churu, Rajasthan. His mother’s name was Tarawati Kanwar. He was very enthusiastic and inspired to join the Indian Army since his early childhood. Thus in the year of 1936 Piru Singh Shekhawat was finally able to accomplish his long desired dream of joining the Indian Army. And this event became more memorable for him since he joined the 6th Rajputana Rifles on the same day on his 18th Birthday; 20th May 1936. Major Piru Singh Shekhawat later on joined the British Indian Army. He died on July 18th 1948 while serving the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously.

Military Life and the Battle of Tithwal

The Pakistani troops were constanly trying and attacking to vacate the Indian Posts over the river Kishanganga (163rd Brigade) in the Tithwal sector in the Jammu & Kashmir operation. In order to advance more assistance and to compete with the enemies the 6th Batallion Rajpuata Rifles was called on. It was then CHM Piru Singh Shekhawat who was leading the ‘D’ Company of the Rajputana Rilfes. Under the non-stop attack from the Pakistani invaders CHM Piru Singh had lead his men with the war cry; “Raja Ramchandra Ki Jai”.

In the South of Tithwal ‘D’ Company of Piru Singh was persistently attacking the enemies who had occupied a hill unit. The enemy was well settled in its position and had fixed its MMGs. With the time attacks from both the sides got vigorous with heavy MMG fires. CHM Piru Singh was heading the forward section of the company. More than half of the members of the section got badly wonded but this did not dishearten Piru Singh in fact he immensely motivated the rest of the men to face off the enemy with great courage and determination. Enemy bunkers were constantly firing from the grenades. Grenades fragments pierced Piru Singh’s clothes and injured his whole body at many spots. His wounds did not make him weak rather they lightened the spark of more courage and bravery in him that further led him to confront the MMG crew fearlessly and crushing the enemy till their death.

CHM Piru Singh sooner realized that he was the last member to survive in the section but he kept facing the hurdles of the battle field all alone. Another grenade again made him wounded and severly injured his face but Piru Singh was a lionhearted soldier who ignored his deep wounds and jumped over two of the enemies with a loud battle cry, bayoneting them to death.

While attacking the 3rd enemy bunker CHM Piru Singh Shekhawat was hit by a bullet in his head. He fell down on the edge of the enemy trench but the next moment there was an explosion the in enemy trench that proved that CHM Piru Singh’s singlehanded brave acts and his grenade had succeeded in crushing the enemy trench. His wounds had become ruinous and incurable. This bravado of Piru Singh Shekhawat set a remarkable example for other comarades that also made him to receive the gallantary award of Param Vir Chakra.