Harshan R Nair

Last updated


Harshan R

AC
Capt Harshan R Nair.jpg
Birth nameHarshan Radhakrishnan Nair [1]
Born15 April 1980 (1980-04-15)
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Died20 March 2007(2007-03-20) (aged 26)
Jammu and Kashmir
AllegianceIndia
Service/branch Indian Army
Years of service2002-2007
Rank Captain
Service number IC-62541
Unit Balidaan Insignia (India).svg 2 Para (Special Forces)
Awards Ashoka Chakra ribbon.svg Ashoka Chakra

Captain Harshan Radhakrishnan Nair, [2] AC (15 April 1980 – 20 March 2007) was an officer in the Indian Army serving in the elite 2nd Battalion of the Para (Special Forces) also known as "Predators". He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, the country's highest peacetime gallantry award in 2008. [3] [4] [5] He was killed after being shot in the thigh and neck in an encounter with Harkatul Mujahideen terrorists in the Chhoti Margi area of Lolab in Jammu and Kashmir during an operation on 20 March 2007.

Contents

Personal life

Harshan Radhakrishnan Nair was born on 15 April 1980 at Manacaud, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He was born to K. Radhakrishnan Nair and G. S. Chitrambika. He did his studies in Sainik School (Kazhakootam) and the National Defence Academy (NDA). He joined B.Tech. Civil Engineering in NSS college of Engineering Palakkad in 1997 and quit the course for joining in NDA. He was a part of the 101st course, Golf squadron at the NDA. He served as Cadet Captain at Sainik School, during his standard XII (1996–97) and is noted for a performance as 'Brutus' during a stage play on 'Julius Caesar' during the Annual day celebrations. [6]

Military career

Harshan was commissioned as a Lieutenant on 16 December 2002 into 2nd Battalion of Special Forces. He was also selected for special weapons training in Israel. He was promoted Captain on 16 December 2004. [7]

Encounter

The encounter at Kaingur Nar started on 7 March 2007. Captain Harshan, while leading a small team, observed suspicious movement in the MT-3245 area. Harshan eliminated two of the terrorists without sustaining any serious injury to himself.

The encounter continued in the nearby Chotimargi MT-3448 region. On 20 March, Harshan along with one of his junior sergeants cordoned off one of the houses in which terrorists were hiding. At 03:50 AM, four of the terrorists rushed out firing towards Harshan and his companion. Harshan took out the leader of the terrorist group but was shot in the thigh. Despite sustaining the injury, he took out one more terrorist, but in the process got shot in his neck. Before dying from his injuries, he lobbed a grenade and wounded the third terrorist. [8]

Ashoka Chakra

Harshan was given the nation's highest peacetime gallantry award Ashoka Chakra for his exceptional courage, fighting spirit and supreme sacrifice.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puneet Nath Datt</span>

Second Lieutenant Puneet Nath Datt, AC was an officer of the Indian Army's 11 Gorkha Rifles. He was posthumously awarded India's highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashok Chakra, for bravery displayed in an Indian Army operation. The operation was conducted against terrorists hidden in a three-story building in the Nowshera area of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandeep Unnikrishnan</span> Indian army officer (1977–2008)

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, AC was an Indian Army officer, who was serving in the 51 Special Action Group of the National Security Guard on deputation. He was killed during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks and was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award, on 26 January 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair</span> Ashoka Chakra and Kirti Chakra recipient

Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair, AC, KC (popularly known as "NJ") was a highly decorated officer of the Indian Army. On 20 December 1993, while heading an advance party of the battalion, his convoy was ambushed by Naga rebels. Nair personally led the attack to break the ambush and sacrificed his life defending his men. For this act of valour, he was conferred the Ashoka Chakra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. Sreeram Kumar</span>

Colonel D. Sreeram Kumar AC is a serving Indian Army officer who was decorated in 2010 with the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry decoration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vasanth Venugopal</span> Ashoka Chakra recipient (1967–2007)

Colonel Vasanth Venugopal, AC was an Indian Army officer. He was the commanding officer of the 9th battalion, Maratha Light Infantry. On 31 July 2007, he was Attained veergathi in action while preventing heavily armed infiltrators from crossing the India-Pakistan border at Uri, Jammu and Kashmir. As a result he was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest military decoration for peacetime gallantry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navdeep Singh (Ashoka Chakra)</span>

Lieutenant Navdeep Singh, AC was a Ghatak Platoon Commander of 15 Maratha Light Infantry regiment in the Indian Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mukund Varadarajan</span> Indian Army Ashok Chakra recipient (1983–2014)

Major Mukund Varadarajan AC was an Indian Army officer and a recipient of the Ashoka Chakra. Mukund, a commissioned officer in the Indian Army's Rajput Regiment, was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra for his actions during a counterterrorism operation while on deputation to the 44th Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Jammu and Kashmir. His biopic in Tamil, Amaran, is currently being filmed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohit Sharma (soldier)</span> Indian Army Special Forces Officer


Major Mohit Sharma was an Indian Army Officer who was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peace-time military decoration. Maj Sharma was from the elite 1st Para SF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jojan Thomas</span> Indian Army Ashoka Chakra recipient (1965–2008)

Colonel Jojan Thomas, AC was an Indian military officer with the Jat Regiment and later the 45 Rashtriya Rifles unit. He was a native of Kuttoor in Thiruvalla, Kerala and lived in Bangalore. He was commissioned from the Officers Training Academy, Chennai in March 1986. On 22 August 2008, he led an operation against terrorists in the forests of Macchal sector in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. In the process, he killed three terrorists, but sustained several gunshot wounds and succumbed to injuries. For his bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, the highest peace time military decoration in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinesh Raghu Raman</span> Indian Army Ashoka Chakra recipient (1978-2007)

Major Dinesh Raghu Raman, AC was an Indian military officer with the 19th Battalion of the Jat Regiment who was posthumously awarded India's highest peacetime military decoration Ashoka Chakra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanti Swaroop Rana</span> Indian military officer

Lieutenant Colonel Shanti Swarup Rana was an Indian military officer, who was commissioned on 11 June 1977, into the 3rd Battalion of the Bihar Regiment. He is a posthumous recipient of Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arun Singh Jasrotia</span>

Captain Arun Singh Jasrotia, AC, SM was an Indian military officer in the 9 Para. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, the highest peace time military decoration in India. He was also recipient of Sena Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neeraj Kumar Singh</span> Indian Army Ashoka Chakra recipient (died 2014)

Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh, AC was a Non Commissioned Officer (NCO) in the Indian Army who was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, the country’s highest peacetime military decoration on 26 January 2015. He had enlisted in the 13th battalion, Rajputana Rifles and was serving in the 57th battalion Rashtriya Rifles when he was killed in action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohan Nath Goswami</span> Indian Army Ashoka Chakra recipient (died 2015)

Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami AC was a soldier in the 9 Para (SF) of the Parachute Regiment of the Indian Army. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime military decoration. On 3 September 2015, while serving with the 9th battalion of the Parachute Regiment, Goswami was killed in an ambush operation while fighting four terrorists in Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir. For his actions in Kupwara, he was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazir Ahmad Wani</span> Indian Army Ashok Chakra recipient (1980-2020)

Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani, AC, SM & Bar was an Indian Army soldier and a recipient of the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime military decoration. At the time of his death, he was serving with an auxiliary battalion of the army's Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment, the 162nd Infantry Battalion of the Territorial Army. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra for his actions during a counterterrorism operation in which his unit was attached with the 34th Rashtriya Rifles battalion. He was the first recipient of the Ashok Chakra from Jammu and Kashmir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandeep Sankhla</span> Indian Army officer

Captain Sandeep Shankla was an Indian Army officer who was posthumously awarded India's highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra, for acts in Jammu and Kashmir.

Subedar Major and Honorary Captain Mahendra Singh, KC, SM is a decorated Indian Army Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of 9 Para SF. During an operation, he was paralysed on one side of his body.

Assistant Sub-inspector Babu Ram, AC (1972–2020) was a Police Officer of the Special Operations Group (SOG) Srinagar, who was awarded the highest peace time gallantry award, the Ashok Chakra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davinder Singh Jass</span> Indian army officer

Captain Davinder Singh Jass was an Indian Army officer of 1 Para. He was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, India's second highest peacetime military decoration.

References

  1. "CAPT HARSHAN R". 20 March 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  2. "CAPT HARSHAN R Ashoka Chakra(Posthumous)". Gallantry Awards. Govt of India. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  3. Sainik School alumni to honour Captain Harshan The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News, 19 June 2008
  4. Memorial to Captain Harshan to come up The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News. 19 March 2008
  5. "Pragmatic Euphony » Ashok Chakra, by telegram?". Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  6. Martyrs kin to receive Ashok Chakra on Republic Day | India Defence india-defence.com
  7. "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 31 December 2005. p. 2588.
  8. Welcome to The Parachute Regiment Archived 2016-06-08 at the Wayback Machine indianparachuteregiment.kar.nic.in

Further reading