A saga of courage & endurance

Victory in Operation Vijay on the high Himalayan battlefields of Kargil would not have been possible without the selfless dedication, raw courage and steadfastness of the armed forces who fought under the most adverse climatic conditions.
The sacrifice of the martyrs of Doon has added to the long list of contributions made by Uttaranchalis towards keeping alive the patriotic fervour.Mekh Gurung, a Naik in the Rashtriya Rifles, died on May 22 while he was fighting the militants as part of the first patrolling team that had gone to get an update on the intruders. Gurung belonged to Dakra, Garhi Cantonment.
His brother Chetan Gurung reveals that Mekh was not only a brave soldier but also a gifted painter and poet.
He studied at Gorkha Military School, Garhi, and during his school days he made his family proud by winning an international painting competition organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Squadron Leader Rajiv Pundir was the pilot of MI-17 helicopter that was shot down by a stinger missile in the Kargil Sector.
The helicopter gunship was part of the air operation planned to flush out the militants holed up in the deep mountain recesses of Kargil. While flying close to the LOC, his helicopter was shot at killing him and the rest of the crew instantly. Squadron Leader Rajiv belonged to village Badwala, near Kalsi.
He had completed his schooling from St. Joseph’s Academy and had joined the air force in 1992. He is survived by his wife and two children. Another brave young man from Doon Major Vivek Gupta of the Rajputana Rifles died leading his troops from the front. He was the only son and had joined the Army following his father Col B.S. Gupta’s footsteps. Mahavir Chakra was conferred on him posthumously.