Captain Vikram Batra (PVC) - The Immortal

Capt. Vikram Batra (PVC)

In this world of over seven billion people, men come and go but some leave an impact for generations and Param Vir Chakra awardee Captain Vikram Batra is one such man. He made the supreme sacrifice for the motherland 21 years ago on 7th July 1999 and he did it with a smile. The man is a legend like no other, his bytes of interview captured during the Kargil and his infectious smile live on, in the minds of one billion Indians who will always be indebted and grateful to him. The stories of his valour travelled far and wide and have lived on in the hearts of people and will continue to do so for many many years. The real life hero has been immortalized on the silver screen by reel life hero Abhishek Bachchan in J.P Dutta's war epic LOC Kargil. The portrayal of his character on screen gives the common man a glimpse of his bravery but for the people who saw him in flesh and blood in the battlefield still find it difficult to find words to talk about the man. The smiling warrior known by his codename "Sher Shah" and his unit 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles ( JAK Rif ), known as the "bravest of the brave" is a golden letters entry in the glorious history of Indian Army. Everything about this brave soldier is a tale that has left deep impressions on generations, like his victory signal "Yeh Dil Maange More" is still recalled with fondness by his then Commanding Officer now Lt Gen YK Joshi, who has often stated that the victory of Kargil war must be credited to the young officers like Captain Batra, brave jawans and JCOs who fought against all odds.The last mission he undertook and successfully completed was the capture of Point 4875, that mountain today is known as Batra Top in honor of this mountain of a man. 

The charisma of the man was not only limited to the battlefield, his personal life is fit for another magnum opus bollywood film. Dimple Cheema was the love of his life and they were to get married post the Kargil war but he never returned so she never married. She knew maybe there could be no other man like him and she continues to live with his memories and family. Vikram Batra has an identical twin brother Vishal Batra who would tell you a story or two about the brother that he was but while listening to the story you would for a moment feel that may be Vikram Batra never left us. In reality he has not left us and he never will, he will continue to inspire the youth of the nation and young officers of the Indian Army. The stories, the bravery and the charisma of the man will outlast many generation to come. The bravest of the brave soldier is an Immortal in the truest sense of the word.