New Delhi, September 06 (H.S.): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday paid heartfelt tribute to Param Vir Chakra awardee Major Dhan Singh Thapa on his death anniversary.

In a post on X, Birla wrote, “Heartfelt tribute to Major Dhan Singh Thapa, a hero of the 1962 India-China War and a recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, on his death anniversary. His valour and leadership remain part of the glorious chapters of Indian military history that the nation will always remember with pride.”

Major Dhan Singh Thapa was born on April 28, 1928, in Shimla. During the India-China War in October 1962, he was deployed with 28 soldiers at the Sirijap-1 post on the northern bank of Pangong Lake in Ladakh.

Chinese forces launched an assault on the post with heavy artillery fire and tanks. Major Thapa and his soldiers resisted repeated attacks, raising the battle cry, “Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali,” as they fought back against the advancing enemy.

When their ammunition ran out, Major Thapa and his men engaged the Chinese forces in hand-to-hand combat before eventually being captured by Chinese troops.

In India, Major Thapa was initially presumed to have been killed in action and was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra. However, the nation was left astonished and overjoyed when he returned to India in May 1963 after spending nearly a year and a half in captivity.

After serving the country for 24 years, Major Thapa retired from the Indian Army. He passed away on September 6, 2005.

His courage, leadership and determination during the 1962 war continue to be remembered as an enduring example of military valour in India’s history.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar