Capt. Anuj Nayyar: For this Kargil hero, nation came first, everything else later

Kargil War Heroes – Part 4

During the training period, soldiers are often told that they are born to sacrifice their life at the time of need. But have you ever wondered what all do they leave behind?

Capt. Anuj Nayyar was only 24 when he died fighting for the nation. He left behind not only his family but also a loving fiancée who he loved for the past decade. He was a true hero in every sense.

Born on 28 August, 1975 in Delhi, he was awarded with Maha Vir Chakra for his leadership qualities and heroic act. His mother, Meena Nayyar worked for South Campus library at Delhi University, while his father, S.K. Nayyar worked as a visiting professor in Delhi School of Economics.

Capt. Anuj Nayyar was a young officer of the 17 Jat Regiment of the Indian Army. Even though his death resulted in grief that can never go away, his family is still proud of him. His father remembers him with a smile and shares an incident from his school days, “His Maths teacher used to call him ‘a bundle of energy’ as he was always on the run. He was the most notorious student in his class. Tired of his regular mischief, his teacher had once written on the notice board, ‘I want Anuj – dead or alive’!”

“He was the best volleyball player in his school. We used to tell him not to play because he ruined his shirt. From then on, he used to take off his shirt and play. Then we told him, his vest was getting dirty so he should not play the game. But then, he took off his vest too and played! With a mind like his, how could one stop him from doing what he wanted?” he asks.

In 1999, during the Kargil war in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Army called out for its brave soldiers to safeguard the nation against the enemy. Capt. Nayyar was given the operation to secure Point 4875, also known as ‘Pimple II’, which was considered to be a strategic location on the western side of Tiger Hill. It was occupied by Pakistani infiltrators at that moment. Getting its possession back was a top priority for the Indian Army.

During the initial phase of the attack the platoon was deeply wounded. It was then decided that the team will split into two groups, one of them was being led by Captain Anuj Nayyar. Captain Nayyar’s troops consisted of 7 personnel, and they succeeded in locating 4 enemy bunkers. The Captain fought bravely against the enemy soldiers. The tenacity displayed by him in that situation is unparalleled. He managed to kill 9 Pakistani soldiers and destroyed three medium machine gun bunkers. Under his leadership, the platoon successfully cleared three of the four bunkers but while clearing the fourth bunker, a grenade from the enemy’s side fell directly on Captain Nayyar. Despite being severely injured, he continued to lead the remaining men in his company. It was only after clearing the last bunker that he breathed his last on 7 July, 1999.

The whole Kargil segment and few other write-ups written by me can also be read here - Ila Garg