Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav is the living legend of the Indian Army who was honoured by the highest gallantry award; the Param Vir Chakra on January 26, 2000; for his high-spirited actions in the Kargil War of 1999. Yogendra Singh Yadav was born in the year 1980 in Aurangabad Ahir in a small village of Bulandshaher. He did his schooling from SK Inter College of Sanota in Bulandshaher. Since childhood his ideology and lifestyle was very much influenced because his father Ram Karan Singh was himself a retired Army Personnel and his brother Jitendra Singh Yadav was also serving in the Indian Army. Thus Yogendra Singh Yadav had been brought up in an atmosphere where he was every moment encouraged to serve for the country in his future.
Tiger Hill, Kargil War, 1999
Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav of the 18 Grenadiers was one of the Commando of the ‘Ghatak (Lethal or deadly) Platoon, that was given the task of capturing the three strategic bunkers on the Tiger Hill in the Drass Sector. It was the morning of July 5th 1999 when Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav along with other 25 soldiers of the 18 Grenadiers unit moved on to advance. Those bunkers were snow covered and positioned vertically, the height was also a deterrent; 16,500 foot higher above the sea level. The platoon was constantly measuring and scaling the rocks and they were just 50 meters below the Tiger Hill.
Yogendra Singh Yadav was very well prepared to face the attack from the enemies; he was doing the preparations like climbing the cliff face and fixing the ropes to face the further attacks. But during the scaling process a stone unfortunately slipped down the hill that eventually cautious the Pakistani soldiers and it also resulted in a heavy cross firing from the enemy’s side. Since it was a heavy cross fire 18 soldiers of the Indian platoon had to evacuate and finally 7 soldiers went to advance the bunkers. It was a crucial situation for the Indian soldiers thus Yogendra Singh Yadav made an intelligent decision of waiting for the right time and opportunity, since evacuation or attacks neither of them was not possible at that time.
While those seven Indian soldiers were waiting for the right time meanwhile the Pakistanis had already positioned their 135 soldiers on the Tiger Hill. Here Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav motivated his crewmen to maintain their cool and calm and to act intelligently. Those all seven soldiers then began to crawl slowly to capture the Pakistani bunker. At around 11.30 am the Indian soldiers opened up the firing at the bunkers and killed four of the Pakistani soldiers. They finally captured the first bunker. But at the same time 100 Pakistani Army men attacked the Indian bunker. Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav was carrying 25kgs of ammunition with him; it was immensely exhausting for him. Being unmindful of the severe wounds, Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav prepared himself for the second bunker. He took two of his crew men with him and sooner got engaged in a hand-to hand combat with the enemy soldiers. This ferocious combat finally favoured Grenadier Yadav and was able to neutralize the firing as well as killing three Pakistani soldiers.
This astonishing act of Grenadier Yadav motivated the rest of the platoon who hurriedly passed through the dangerous terrain and to advance the hostile fire on to the enemy to capture Tiger Hill that was indeed a strategic and greatest objective for the Platoon to be achieved. Grenadier was honoured with The Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his eminent courage and bravery but it was sooner discovered that Yogendra Yadav was actually getting healed in a hospital, and it was his namesake that had been dead in the operation.
At present Grenadier is posted in Jammu as Hawaldar. He in his own words says the “”For a committed soldier nothing compels him except to execute his given duty and have courage to safeguard the country at any cost. He must forget everything backyard while he is on the battle ground since he has only responsibility to save the nation.”
