Remembering a 1971 war hero

Vijay Sehgal

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In the annals of Indian military history, there are several stories that transcend time, inspire generations and remind us of the indomitable spirit of our soldiers. One such tale of unwavering courage and selflessness is of Captain Satish Chander Sehgal.

Satish, my elder brother, was born on August 3, 1943, in Sialkot, now in west Pakistan. He had his early schooling at Lady Irwin School and DAV School, Shimla. He studied at DAV College, Chandigarh. His upbringing instilled in him a sense of duty, honour and love for the motherland. He had a stint with the Indian Air Force before being commissioned as an Emergency Commission Officer of the Army in 1962. He was married in March 1971. He would have turned 81 this month.

Capt Sehgal was an Artillery Observation Post (OP) officer of 75 Medium Regiment (Artillery) and was deployed with 17 Poona Horse (Armoured) during the Indo-Pak war.

The Battle of Basantar, also known as the Battle of Shakargarh or Battle of Barapind (December 4-16, 1971), was one of the vital battles fought in the western sector. The Indian troops won a hard-fought battle that secured this area in the Punjab/Jammu sector.

The 75 Medium Regiment was placed in direct support of 16 (Independent) Armoured Brigade. The 47 Infantry Brigade and 91 Infantry Brigade, along with 17 Horse, sped forward towards Basantar. Observation Post officers of 75 Medium Regiment with these formations and units engaged a large number of active enemy targets. The regiment scored a number of direct hits on enemy tanks, enhancing the morale of troops.

Initially, two infantry battalions, 16 Madras and 3 Grenadiers, were to capture objectives across the river and link up with each other. The attack was scheduled for 1930 hours on December 15.

Even though proper safe lanes could not be completed due to enemy action, 17 Horse took the risk and ventured forward across the river due to the urgency of securing the bridgehead. The enemy was taken by surprise.

By dawn of December 16, the 17 Horse was completing securing of the Ghazipur Reserve Forest. The misty winter morning sneaked in slowly over the horizon and the terrain in front could now be seen more clearly. The early hours saw only sporadic shelling.

When the long-awaited tank versus tank battle ensued, the forest reverberated to the thunder of our Centurion tanks as they began spotting the enemy and engaging them. In a matter of minutes, the whole area was enshrouded in the dust, smoke and debris of a tank battle.

The enemy tanks were in disarray and used a smoke screen to withdraw back into the forest. Capt Sehgal engaged the enemy tanks by bringing down crumps of medium artillery fire. An enemy tank was fleeing back into the forest, barely 200 metres away, when he destroyed it with an artillery OP tank gun.

Capt Sehgal’s own tank had taken a hit. With utter disregard for his own safety, he, with the help of his radio operator, extricated the driver and gunner from the burning tank. While doing so, Capt Sehgal was hit by enemy machine gunfire and this proved to be fatal.

Capt Satish Chander Sehgal was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest gallantry award.

The Battle of Basantar involved establishing a bridgehead across a 1,400-metre-wide minefield laid on the bed of Basantar Nadi, and holding it against repeated counter-attacks. Both tasks were fully achieved. The Pakistan army suffered a humiliating defeat.

The 75 Medium Regiment was awarded the battle honour ‘Basantar River’, and is proudly called the ‘MVC Regiment’. The 47 Infantry Brigade, part of the 54th Infantry Division, was christened ‘Basantar Brigade’. The 17 Horse (Poona Horse) destroyed 48 enemy tanks. It won many gallantry awards, including the Param Vir Chakra awarded posthumously to 2/Lt Arun Khetarpal.

The writer is a retired engineer