Cachar to Kargil: Here is the story of Operation Vijay Martyr Nanda Chand Singha; His nephew wants to join Indian Army

It was back in the year 1996. I. Nanda Chand Singha had just turned 19-year-old and decided to serve the nation by joining the Indian Army. Even though his parents were not strongly in favour of his decision, they didn’t stop him from following his dreams of fighting for this country at the first line of duty. Hailing from a small village Awangleiai in Lakhipur, almost 40 kilometres away from Silchar Town, Singha indeed followed his dreams.

His first posting was in Jammu and Kashmir (now UTs) in 1997 where he became a part of “Operation Rakshak” a counter-insurgency measure of the Indian Army. Just after completing his first tenure of 3 years, he was posted in Kargil as a part of Captain Vikram Batra of 13 J&K Rifles-led “Operation Vijay”. As a part of the 315 Field Regiment, he had the rank of a sepoy (GD). After fighting for nearly 3 months on the border with the Pakistani forces, Nanda Chand Singha succumbed to “splinter injuries” and became a martyr for this nation forever. He was just 22 at that time.

On July 26, 2022, when the nation commemorated Karigil Vijay Divas, Martyr Nanda Chand Singha’s parents overwhelmingly remembered his valour and sacrifice and with heavy hearts shared his story with Barak Bulletin. Both his parents, I. Benda Devi and I. Ketamani Singh are above the age of 85. Their village home in Awangleiai welcomes everyone with a memorial tombstone and a photograph of their son in uniform.

Benda Devi says, “I’ve never stopped my sons from following their dreams but have always made sure that they were on the right track. When my son Nanda joined the army I was worried but was also proud. After completing his first tenure he couldn’t even spend time with us properly. Back in the day, communication was not as easy. It took time for the letters to reach us. We got to know from a letter that he was posted in Kargil and that’s all the information we received.”

Back then television didn’t reach these remote villages and hence whatever limited information they had from the radio made them realize the condition on the border was serious. Benda Devi recalls that their post office was also very far away and at the same time, and therefore, letters from the warzones were not delivered promptly.

The news about the martyrdom of their son also took time to reach the hinterlands of Silchar. There were no telephones to connect with them directly. Benda Devi recalls, “Police officials from Lakhipur Thana came to our village one day and asked for my husband’s name. People showed them the direction to our home and that’s how we got the message”.

This news shattered them and they had no idea how to react. “Upon instructions from the army, they set a direct line from our local thana to Kargil to talk to his commandant and senior officers there. They tried to console us and told us about his sacrifice. The army also extended unconditional support to our family,” Benda Devi breaks into tears 23 years later remembering about the phone call that she still wishes didn’t ring.

His Tiranga-donned body was then brought to Silchar and talking about this day the mother of the martyr further adds, “We were told from the army that his body will be brought to Kumbhirgram by a flight and accordingly the entire village went to receive my son from there. The army and his Regiment did everything from building the road to our house to helping us do the rituals. We have got unconditional help and support from them and all of them stayed with our family until his funeral rituals were over.” The family with a lump in their throat fondly recalls that the invitation for his funeral ceremony was announced through a mic and everyone who heard the announcement were present at the funeral

 

 

Since then many people from various parts of the country and many army officers visited their home and helped them in whatever way possible. The family said, “Even though he never returned home, the army and the government did everything they could.” For his bravery, he was awarded the “Sena Medal” during the 50th Independence Anniversary of the country. The spirits of such bravery and nationalism probably flow in the family and that’s why Martyr Nanda Chand’s nephew, a young boy now, wants to join the army and serve the nation just like his uncle did.

PS. This article wouldn’t have been possible without Poireitomba Huidrom, who translated the conversation into English. The entire interaction was in Manipuri and later translated into English based on interpretation.

Note: We will highlight the story of Martyr Grenadier Chinmoy Bhowmik another resident of Cachar who made the supreme sacrifice in Kargil.