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The Indian Army consists of many brave and heroic soldiers who have served and continue to serve their country with distinction. One such notable hero from the Indian Army who has made remarkable contributions to the nation is Captain Bana Singh.
Today’s post will share the hidden facts about the Forgotten Hero of Siachen- Captain Bana.
Subedar Bana Singh- the Hero of Siachen
Born in 1964 on 4th January, Bana Singh belongs to a Punjabi Sikh family. His hometown was Kaidal, Jammu, and Kashmir. Later on, Captain Bana enrolled in the Indian Army on 6th January 1969 in the Jammu & Kashmir Infantry (JAK LI).
In the year 19897, Captain Bana Singh was deployed to the Siachen area by the Indian Army. Further, it was found that a large troop of Pakistani infiltrators had marked their presence in the Siachen glacier. The process of ejecting the troop seemed impossible, but a special force was assigned to make it happen. Naib Subedar Bana Singh also volunteered to join the special force.
The Story of Siachen
The Pakistani troop was located at the height of 6450 meters, which was the highest peak of the Siachen glacier range. The position was ideal for spotting and sniping the Indian soldiers located at their designated positions. The ejection of these troops was considered very difficult but was also a necessity for the safety of the nation and its soldiers.
The post was designed as “Quaid Post” by the Pakistani as it was founded by the person named Quaid-e-Azam MD Ali Jinnah. The group of enemies was located at a great height, nearly 457 meters, with a glacier fortress on either side.
Named after the 2nd Late Rajiv Pande VrC, Operation Rajiv has the objective of evicting the Pakistani troops from the post.
Captain Bana Singh took charge of taking a few other soldiers and climbing the peak despite the extreme weather conditions. They started the dangerous route to climb the mountain. Despite the tough scenarios, he motivated and managed to take his men and crawled and closed in on the adversary. With hand grenades and bayonets, they moved from trench to trench and managed to clear the post of every intruder.
Finally, it was when the courageous soldiers made a move and cleared the long path of the trek on a 90-degree angle with Bana Singh. Meanwhile, it was impossible to figure out the time of the day at that position. Snow was everywhere; it was very hard to locate the people and inspect their place.
Step by step, they started to walk and managed to go 1500 km; they were finally at the destination, i.e., the top of the mountain peak. And the Pakistanis were safely settled in their locations. The soldier and Bana Singh made it to the troop’s banter, opened the door, managed to drop a grenade, and then shut it. Before the enemies could recognize the attack, the grenades worked, and everything was destroyed in the bunker.
It was Bana Singh who personally took charge of the assault to kill the remaining Pakistanis who were moving outside the bunker. And with such sloppy ground, the only way to kill them was with hand-to-hand fighting. Captain succeeded in killing all the enemies by making some fall down the cliff and some bayoneted.
And the victory day was finally here on 26th June 1997 when Captain Singh, including his team – Rifleman Chuni Lal, Laxman Das, Om Raj, and Kashmir Chand defeated the enemy troop and got fame in the nation. And with that, the “Quaid” was finally named “Bana Post,” led by the Tricolour flag on that high peak.
One can think that Captain Bana Singh and warriors like him are remembered for eternity. Their contribution has been recognized for hundreds of years as they had made the Nation proud and fought for its safety. But, the fact is just the opposite. Today, very few people in the military circle can recognize him. And the sad truth is, as a resident of Jammu & Kashmir, he gets 160 Rs. as a monthly allowance from the government for his bravery and unforgettable contribution to the nation.
Despite this, the Punjab Government has recognized his efforts and offered him 25 Lakhs, a monthly allowance of Rs. 15,000, and a 25-acre plot of land in Punjab only. Captain Singh rejected the offer as he considered him a resident of the State of Jammu & Kashmir, which only gives him 160 Rs. of monthly allowance, which he gets for winning Param Vir Chakra. Every state has its awards and allowances for Param Vir Chakra.
Naib Subedar Singh was awarded the highest achievement award- Param Vir Chakra, for his utmost courage and achievements.