Naib Subedar OP Chauhan — Jind village’s Prithviraj
Col Dilbag Dabas (Retd)
Naib Subedar Om Prakash Chauhan belonged to Khatla village in Safidon Block of Jind district.
The village is inhabited predominantly by Rajputs of Chauhan gotra, where soldiering is not just a profession but a way of life, an honourable one.
Right from World War 1, every second house in Khatla village has had a fauji in the Army and most of them served or are serving in the Rajput Regiment. His father Mani Ram also served in the Rajput Regiment and retired as Havildar. Naib Subedar Om Prakash followed the glorious tradition of his village and on January 12, 1978, got himself enrolled in the 27th Rajput Battalion, the battalion that went on to perform exceptionally well in all future wars, including the Kargil War. Incidentally, the 27th Rajput is the most decorated battalion of the the Rajput Infantry regiment having won the maximum number of gallantry awards in Rajput Group; 3 Kirti Chakras, 3 Vir Chakras, 4 Shaurya Chakras and a number of Sena Medals (gallantry).
Being adjacent to the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), Baramulla district in Kashmir Valley has been the most affected by militancy and it continues to remain so. Thick forests in Lipa valley facilitate movements of the militants into the district undetected. However, the 27th Rajput Battalion, during its two-year deployment in Baramulla district for anti-militancy duties, carried out some very successful operations and apprehended or eliminated a number of militants pushed in by Pakistan across the Line of Control. During one such operation, Subedar Om Prakash Chauhan, for his unmatched bravery and audacious action in his almost single-handed fight against militants, was awarded the Shaurya Chakra, posthumously.
Naib Subedar Om Prakash Chauhan, SC, is survived by his wife Santosh Kumari, a daughter and three sons. Two of them carried forward the village tradition and joined the Rajput Regiment; the younger one Naik Sunil Kumar Chauhan proudly availed the parental claim and is on active service in his father’s battalion, and also in A Company, which is his father’s Company. The Rajputs of Khatla village in Jind district consider Naib Subedar Om Prakash Chauhan, the Shaurya Chakra awardee, Prithviraj Chauhan of their village. And rightly so!
Bravery account recorded in the digest of service of 27 Rajput...
“Naib Subedar Om Prakash Chauhan was a platoon commander in 'A' Company of 27 Rajput, which conducted flushing out operation on January 31, 1994, in Guiya villages, Rusripura and Dragam in Baramulla district of Jammu & Kashmir to apprehend militants and recover their weapons. While nearing the targeted villages, Naib Subedar Om Prakash noticed three militants running into Dragam village. The village was immediately cordoned off and a systematic search for the militants commenced. During the search, militants from one of the houses brought down effective fire on the search party. The Rajputs returned the fire but due to concrete structure of the house, their fire did not have the desired effect. It was then decided to lob hand grenades through the windows of the house. Naib Subedar Om Prakash volunteered to go closer to the window and lob grenades. Disregarding personal safety, Naib Subedar Om Prakash stepped out from behind the cover and in lightening speed ran up to a window and lobbed a grenade inside. Since the fire kept coming from inside the house, Naib Subedar Om Prakash, fully exposed to fire, leaped near to another window and lobbed one more grenade inside. The grenade lobbed by Naib Subedar Om Prakash exploded inside the room killing two militants and seriously injuring one. The injured militant was later captured during the mop-up operation. After successfully executing the most hazardous task single-handedly, while running back in zig-zag manner to avoid aimed fire by other militants, an AK-47 burst from another house caught him on the left upper chest region and the brave Junior Commissioned Officer fell unconscious. Naib Subedar Om Prakash was immediately evacuated to the Army Base Hospital in Srinagar but the injury proved fatal and the brave-heart could not be saved. Throughout the encounter, Naib Subedar Om Prakash Chauhan displayed inspiring junior leadership, unmatched gallantry, dogged determination and laid down his life in the best traditions of the Indian Army".
(The writer is a veteran Gunner, 6 Field Regiment)
