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The Param Vir Chakra is India’s highest military decoration, And Major Somnath Sharma was the first to recieve it.
Somnath Sharma was charged into the 8th Battalion, nineteenth Hyderabad Regiment, in 1942. He served in Burma during the Arakan Campaign of the Second World War, for which he was mentioned in despatches. Battling in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948, Somnath Sharma was martyred on 3 November 1947 while rebuffing Pakistani intruders close to Srinagar Airport, for his valor and penance in this skirmish of Badgam, Major Somnath Sharma was after death awarded the Param Vir Chakra.
On 27 October 1947, a group of troops of the Indian Army was sent because of the attack by Pakistan on 22 October into the Kashmir Valley. The D Company of the Kumaon Regiment under the command of Param Vir Chakra recipient Major Sharma was attacked on 31 October. During this time, his left hand was in an injured state, yet he demanded being with his company in battle and was consequently allowed to go.
On 3 November, a batch of three companies was sent to the Badgam territory on patrolling duties. Their goal was to check the infiltrators pushing toward Srinagar from the north. As there was no foe development, two of the three conveyed companies got back to Srinagar at 2:00 pm. In any case, Sharma’s D Company was requested to remain in position until 3:00 pm. At 2:35 pm, Sharma’s organization was terminated upon from the neighborhood inhabitant houses in badgam however counter-fire was not ordered to avoid injuring or killing honest local folks. Abruptly, a tribal Lashkar of 700 infiltrators moved toward Badgam from the Gulmarg side. D Company was before long encircled from three sides and supported weighty setbacks from mortar fire. Param Vir Chakra awardee major Sharma understands the strategic importance of both Srinagar and the airport and drawbacks if he lost these positions. Under substantial fire, and dwarfed by a proportion of seven to one, Somnath Sharma asked his troop to battle boldly, oftentimes introducing himself to the foe fire as he ran starting with one post then onto the next.
At the point when hefty losses unfavorably influenced the company’s shooting power, Somnath Sharma took upon himself the task of distributing ammo to his men, working light automatic weapons. While occupied with battling the infiltrators, a mortar shell detonated on a pile of ammo close to him. Before he capitulated to his wounds, he communicated a message to his detachment’s central command which read:
“The enemies are only 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to our last man and our last round – Somnath Sharma “
When a retreat company, from the Kumaon Regiment, arrived at Badgam, the position held by Major Sharma’s company had been compromised. However, the 200 casualties suffered by the Muslims tribal infiltrators caused them to lose the impetus to advance. This action bought time for Indian Defence forces to fly into Srinagar airbase and block all the roads and routes of ingress to Srinagar itself During the fight, alongside Somnath Sharma, one junior commissioned officer and 20 other ranks of D company were Martyred. Sharma’s body was recovered three days after the Action. Despite the fact that it was distorted to the point of being unrecognizable, his body was recognized through the leather holster of his gun and a couple of pages of Bhagavad Gita in his chest pocket. On 21 June 1950, Major Somanath Sharma was honored with India’s highest gallantry award Param Vir Chakra, for his action on 3 November 1947 in securing the Srinagar air terminal. This was the first run through the honor had been granted since its beginning, Coincidentally, the mother-in-law of major Somnath Sharma’s sibling, was the architect of the Param Vir Chakra.
