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Jaikaran Yadav — braveheart from Corps of Engineers

It is rare that men from the services such as Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps or Army Ordnance Corps get a chance to be in the line of fire of the enemy and display their mettle since their primary role is to provide administrative and logistic support and keep the armory of the supported combat arm battle worthy.

Jaikaran Yadav — braveheart from Corps of Engineers


Col Dilbag Dabas (Retd)

It is rare that men from the services such as Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps or Army Ordnance Corps get a chance to be in the line of fire of the enemy and display their mettle since their primary role is to provide administrative and logistic support and keep the armory of the supported combat arm battle worthy. But be it in war or peace time, once confronted with the enemy, the combatants from the services have displayed their valour like any infantry man or a tank gunner. Among such brave-hearts from the services, the conspicuous bravery of Jaikaran Singh Yadav, a Haryanvi, stands out. 

Jaikaran, son of Havildar Major Nanak Ram, was born at Kosli village in Rohtak district of then undivided Punjab on October 1, 1932. Kosli is now in Rewari district. After matriculation from Government High School, Kosli, Jaikaran was enrolled in Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers of the Indian Army on September 26, 1950, as a Craftsman Electrician (Cfn). 

When insurgency, led by Angami Zapu Phizo, started in Nagaland in 1956 demanding secession from the Indian Union, the Government of India declared the Naga Hill state a ‘disturbed area’ and promulgated the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. It ordered the armed forces to curb insurgency and help in maintaining law and order. 

By the time 17th Rajput Battalion of the Indian Army was inducted into Nagaland for anti-insurgency operations, capital city Kohima and villages around it had become a hotbed of insurgency. At that time, Cfn Jaikaran Singh Yadav was on the posted strength of the Light Repair Workshop attached to 17th Rajput Battalion. During one such anti-insurgency operation, with just about seven years in uniform, Cfn Jaikaran displayed that the Indian Army soldier, be it in arm or service, is bestowed with the same valour when the situation demands. During one such operation, Cfn Jaikaran Singh Yadav, for his indomitable courage and conspicuous act of bravery beyond the call of duty, was awarded the Kirti Chakra. The write up on his bravery is recorded in the Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers archives.

Cfn Jaikaran Singh Yadav retired from active service as Subedar in 1978. He breathed his last on August 3, 2003. One of his sons carried forward his legacy and served in Army Postal Service Corps.  

The brief in archives of Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers reads...

On May 6, 1957, Cfn Jaikaran Singh Yadav was part of an ambush party of 17th Rajput Battalion, approximately 15 strong, tasked with moving to Thizama village in Naga Hills. Around 8 am, when the vehicle of the party was passing through an area between low hills, about 50 hostiles opened fire on it from both sides of the road. In the firing almost every member of the party, including the Bren gunner, was wounded. The Bren gun fell off the vehicle and lay nearly 25 yards behind. The hostiles had effectively covered this gap between the gun and the men. Cfn Jaikaran, unmindful of the hostile fire, jumped out of the vehicle and crawling across the bullet-riddled gap, succeeded in retrieving the gun. The Bren gunner, who was lying wounded, managed to set up the gun and started firing on the hostiles. When the gun ran out of ammunition, Cfn Jaikaran crawled to the vehicle, which was carrying the magazine box, 25 yards away. While returning with the ammunition, he was badly wounded by the hostile automatic fire. Meanwhile, in the lethal fire by the hostiles, the ambush party leader was mortally wounded about 20 yards away from him. Unmindful of his own injuries, Cfn Jaikaran crawled up to him in heavy fire and within full view of the hostiles, brought his body back to the vehicle. At that moment, he spotted a sniper on a tree making any movement on the road near impossible. With the lightening speed, Cfn Jaikaran eliminated the sniper with his rifle before the later could fire another shot.

Throughout this operation, Craftsman (Electrician) Jaikaran Singh Yadav displayed exemplary courage, conspicuous bravery and utmost devotion to duty in the finest traditions of the Indian Army.

(The writer is a veteran Gunner, 6 Field Regiment)

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