Yogendra Singh Yadav

Subedar Major[2] and Honorary Lieutenant Yogendra Singh Yadav PVC is an officer in the Indian Army, who was awarded the highest Indian military honour decoration, the Param Vir Chakra, for his action during the Kargil War. Aged 19 when he received the decoration, he is the youngest person to be awarded the medal.[3][4]

For the politician, see Yogendra Yadav.

Subedar Major and Honorary Lieutenant

Yogendra Singh Yadav

PVC
Subedar Yadav, wearing his PVC Medal.
Born (1980-05-10) 10 May 1980[1]
Bulandshahr District, Uttar Pradesh. India
Allegiance Republic of India
Service/branch Indian Army
Rank Subedar Major
Honorary Lieutenant
Unit18th Grenadiers
Battles/warsKargil War
Awards Param Vir Chakra

Early life

Yogendra Singh Yadav was born on 10 May 1980[3] in Village Aurangabad Ahir, Bulandshahr District, of Uttar Pradesh.[5] His father Karan Singh Yadav served in the Kumaon Regiment, participating in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistan wars.[3] Yadav joined Indian Army at age 16 years and five months.[6]

Param Vir Chakra Awardee Yogendra Yadav at India Gate on Kargil Vijay Divas, 2018

Career

Kargil War
Main article: Battle of Tiger Hill

Yadav, enlisted with the 18 Grenadiers, and was part of the Ghatak Force commando platoon, tasked to capture three strategic bunkers on Tiger Hill in the early morning hours of 4 July 1999. The bunkers were situated at the top of a vertical, snow-covered, 1,000 ft (300 m) cliff face. Yadav volunteered to lead the assault, climbed the cliff face and installed ropes that would allow further assaults on the feature. Halfway up, machine gun and rocket fire came from an enemy bunker, killing the platoon commander and two others. In spite of being hit by multiple bullets in his groin and shoulder, Yadav climbed the remaining 60 feet (18 m) and reached the top. Though severely injured, he crawled to the first bunker and lobbed a grenade, killing four Pakistani soldiers and neutralizing enemy fire. This gave the rest of the platoon the opportunity to climb up the cliff face.[7]

Yadav then charged the second bunker along with two of his fellow soldiers and engaged in hand-to-hand combat, killing four Pakistani soldiers. The platoon subsequently succeeded in capturing Tiger Hill. Though Yadav was hit by 21 bullets he played a major role in its capture.[8]

The Param Vir Chakra was announced for Yadav posthumously, but it was soon discovered that he was recuperating in a hospital, and it was his namesake who had been slain in the mission.[9]

Param Vir chakra citation

According to the Param Vir Chakra citation on the Indian Army's website, Yadav "displayed the most conspicuous courage, indomitable gallantry, grit and determination under extreme adverse circumstances".[10]

Portrayal in film and media
The three living recipients of the Param Vir Chakra Award: Yogendra Singh Yadav, Bana Singh and Sanjay Kumar

In the Bollywood film Lakshya about Tiger Hill, the actions of the fictional war hero Karan Shergill played by Hrithik Roshan is a screen adaptation depicting the heroic deeds of Yadav's platoon, among others. It provides a detailed description of their arduous journey to capture the strategically placed bunkers on Tiger Hill.[11]

The assault led by another Ghatak platoon from the same regiment on Tololing was adapted as one of the prominent battle scenes in the Hindi film LOC Kargil. Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpai and Ashutosh Rana portrayed the role of Yadav in the film.[12]

Yadav's statue at Param Yodha Sthal, National War Memorial, New Delhi

Western websites have also paid tribute to him and his actions at Tiger Hill, with articles such as "5 Real Life Soldiers Who Make Rambo Look Like a Pussy"[13] by Cracked.com and "The Badass of the Week: Yogendra Singh Yadav".[14]

References
  1. "Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, PVC". twdi.in. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  2. "Yogendra Singh Yadav is shown to be a Subedar Major". 2017.
  3. Major General Ian Cardozo (2003). Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle. Roli Books Private Limited. pp. The Last Ghatak. ISBN 9789351940296.
  4. "YOGENDER SINGH YADAV | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  5. S. D. S. Yadava (1 January 2006). Followers of Krishna: Yadavas of India (Google eBook). Lancer Publishers. p. 47. ISBN 9788170622161.
  6. Cardozo, Major General Ian (2003). Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle. Roli Books Private Limited. p. The Last Ghatak. ISBN 9789351940296.
  7. "Profile on Yadav on the Indian Army website". Archived from the original on 13 August 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2006.
  8. Rachana Bhatt (2006). The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories. History. Penguin Books. pp. YSY. ISBN 9789351188056.
  9. "Army orders inquiry into PVC blunder". Rediff.com. 17 August 1999. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  10. The Param Vir Chakra Winners (PVC), Official Website of the Indian Army, archived from the original on 12 January 2015, retrieved 28 August 2014 "Profile" and "Citation" tabs.
  11. "10 Army Heroes and Their Extra Ordinary Tales of Bravery". TBI Team. thebetterindia.com. The Better India. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  12. "The Real Story behind LOC Kargil Movie". Bharat Rakshak. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  13. "5 Real Life Soldiers Who Make Rambo Look Like a Pussy". Cracked.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  14. "Badass of the Week: Yogender Singh Yadav". badassoftheweek.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
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