Twice decorated soldier dies fighting militants

NEW DELHI: A twice decorated Indian Army soldier who also served a stint abroad as a UN peacekeeper died fighting militants in Jammu and Kashmir, an official here said on Monday.

Naib Subedar Chunni Lal was killed Sunday in a fierce firefight with militants who were trying to sneak across the Line of Control (LoC) in south Kashmir's Kupwara sector, an action in which all the intruders were also shot dead.

Chunni Lal belonged to the Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry (JAK LI) and had been decorated with the Vir Chakra, the country's third highest gallantry award, and the Sena Medal.

Apart from serving with an Indian UN peacekeeping contingent in Sudan, he had played a key role in capturing the now famous Bana Post at 21,153 feet in the Siachen glacier, the highest and coldest battlefield.

The valiant junior commissioned officer (JCO) belongs to Bhaar village in Doda district of Jammu. He will be cremated with full military honours on Wednesday.

His wife Chinta Devi and two children - a 16-year-old son and an eight-year-old daughter - survive him.

Giving details of Sunday's incident, Indian Army spokesman Col. S.K. Sakhuja said suspicious movements were noticed near the LoC during the night of Saturday-Sunday.

However, due to low clouds and poor visibility, the movement of terrorists could not be tracked very effectively at night. 

A search party led by Chunni Lal was launched in Sunday morning to ascertain the facts. 

"The JCO led his troops from the front, though with caution. The troops were fired upon by a group of terrorists hiding near the LoC. The JCO retaliated immediately with heavy volume of fire," Sakhuja said.
  
"The young JCO, putting his acumen into act manoeuvred his troops to block all escape routes of the terrorists. This led to elimination of two fleeing terrorists at the outset. The remaining terrorists, finding themselves surrounded and outmanoeuvred, made a suicidal bid to escape, injuring two soldiers," Sakhuja added. 

"Sensing the criticality of the situation and threat to life of his fellow soldiers, Chunni Lal, with total disregard to personal safety not witnessed very often, charged at the terrorists. 

"This act of daredevilry took the remaining three terrorists by total surprise.  The JCO, though wounded and profusely bleeding, continued to fire at the terrorists till the remaining three were killed. 

"This act of great bravery, leadership and supreme sacrifice by Chunni Lal not only resulted in elimination of the five Pakistan-trained terrorists but also saved the lives of his fellow soldiers under his command," Sakhuja said.
 
Chunni Lal was born in 1968 in Baderwah. He joined the JAK LI in 1984. 

"During the course of training he excelled in military subjects, displayed courage and camaraderie, displaying the potentials of making of a great soldier from the very beginning," the officer said.
  
On joining his unit, young Chunni Lal lived up to the promise of an ideal soldier when in 1987, he volunteered and played an important role in capturing the Bana Post, for which he was awarded the Sena Medal.
  
"Not letting past glory and laurels dull his basic soldierly instincts, zeal and determination to excel, he set for himself even higher goals and continued to display a high degree of devotion to duty. 

"He became an example to emulate when in 1999, while serving with his unit in the Poonch sector during Operation Rakshak, he fought an attempted intrusion by the Pakistan Army and was instrumental in beating back the attack on the post," Sakhuja stated. 

He was awarded the Vir Chakra for this act of gallantry.
  
Chunni Lal yet again displayed his utility and unflinching devotion to duty when serving in the difficult operating situation of Sudan.

"Here too, he was at the forefront in the operations at Malakal. For this action, the battalion received the United Nations Citation for valour," Sakhuja said.