Vishal Batra, the twin brother of Kargil War hero Captain Vikram Batra, speaks to NDTV
Vishal Batra, the twin brother of Kargil War hero Captain Vikram Batra who died fighting Pakistani forces, said he has been coming to Kargil for the last 15 years in memory of his brother. "I realised that I missed out on the first 10 years," Vishal Batra told NDTV, sitting on a rock near a hill in the region where intense fighting took place in 1999.
He choked up while talking about his brother, who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honour.
"Looking at those mighty peaks, I can sense the courage, determination, bravery and the saga of each young officer right from my brother Captain Vikram Batra to Anuj Nayyar and Manoj Pandey. To me, coming here is like doing a tete-a-tete with my brother because unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to meet him when he was in the thick of action in 1999," Vishal Batra told NDTV.
"I treat this place more as a pilgrimage. I came here for the first time in 2009. Since then I have been coming here every alternate year," he said. "Being a twin sibling, I am blessed to keep telling his stories and carry forward his legacy."
Vishal Batra said it was a difficult moment when the news came. "I was only 24. I had never seen a dead body. I hate the word dead body. So when Vikram came in a coffin, we had to go to the command hospital in Palampur and identify the body. I had to sign the documents. It was a very sad moment, somebody asking you to recognise the body," Vishal Batra said.
"I wanted to lift the body during the last rites. I believed that it would be my last touch of my brother," Vishal Batra said, and choked up. "My dad told me I have to lit the pyre. I didn't have the courage. But I had to do it because if the father was not able to, the pandit ji told me I had to. Then I thought my brother deserves that last respect from my end. What he has done, I will never be able to match up," Vishal Batra said, looking at the first peak that Vishal Batra and the soldiers he led captured, 'Point 5140'.
This particular area in Kargil is now called Batra Top in honour of Captain Vikram Batra. "Yeh dil mange more" was his victory warcry. The 2021 Bollywood film 'Shershah' was based on Captain Vikram Batra's life.
After Point 5140 was captured, the 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles was tasked to capture Point 4875. On July 7, 1999 Captain Vikram Batra and his company were tasked to clear enemy defences from a narrow feature with sharp cuttings on both the sides leading up to Point 4875 and a ledge.
He led the assault from the front and engaged the enemy in a physical fight. He killed five enemy soldiers at point blank range despite his own injuries. He moved towards the next enemy fortification and threw grenades to clear the position.
"His dauntless determination inspired his men to clear the enemy from a dominating position. Later, he succumbed to his injuries. His fearless determination and leadership encouraged his company men to avenge his death and finally capture Point 4875," the Defence Ministry says on its website.