Ajay Singh Jasrotia Explained

Honorific Prefix:Major
Ajay Singh Jasrotia
Honorific Suffix:SM
Birth Date:31 March 1972
Birth Place:Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Death Place:Dras, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Allegiance: India
Serviceyears:19961999
Rank: Major
Servicenumber:SS-36635
Unit:13 JAK RIF
Battles:Kargil War
Operation Vijay
Awards: Sena Medal

Major Ajay Singh Jasrotia, SM (31 March 1972 – 15 June 1999) was an Indian military officer with the 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (13 JAK RIF) who laid down his life during Kargil War to save the lives of his six comrades.[1] [2]

He was deployed in Sopore in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir when the Kargil War broke out. 13 JAK RIF under the command of Lt General then Colonel Yogesh Kumar Joshi was moved to the Dras sector as a reserve force.[3]

On 15 June 1999, the base camp came under heavy artillery shelling and six of his soldiers were injured. Amidst heavy artillery shelling which continued unabated, he evacuated the wounded to safety by carrying them on his back. While rescuing the last soldier he was fatally wounded by shrapnel. All of the six lived to tell the tale. He was posthumously awarded the Sena Medal for his courage and sacrifice.[4]

Knowing that he won't survive he refused to be evacuated before his wounded men.[5] His death played a role in motivating his juniors Captain then Lieutenant Vikram Batra PVC and Colonel then Lieutenant Sanjeev Singh Jamwal VrC to capture Point 5140 without any casualty.[6] Coincidentally Batra was killed in a similar way as Jasrotia during the capture of Point 4875 when he exposed himself to enemy fire while rescuing an injured soldier.[7] [8] [9]

Early life

He was born into a family of military traditions, his grandfather Khajoor Singh Jasrotia was a lieutenant Colonel and his father Arjun Singh Jasrotia was the DIG of Border Security Force. He was fondly known as “Rambo” during his schooling days in Jammu.[10] He did his primary education from BSF School Paloura in Jammu, senior secondary from Kendriya Vidyalaya Jalandhar Cantt, B.Com. from SPMR Commerce College in Jammu, SSB from Allahabad and military training from OTA Chennai.[11]

Legacy

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'I threw the grenade back, but I'd lost 3 of 4 secs before it exploded'remembered. 13 July 2019 . 13 July 2019.
  2. Web site: From Kargil With Love, Remembering Heroes of Indian Army. The Quint. Lab. TheQuint.
  3. Web site: Maj Ajay Singh Jasrotia SM. Honour point. 31 July 2021.
  4. Web site: Kargil Heroes. 31 July 2021.
  5. News: Martyr Major Ajay. Defence Lover. 24 November 2017 .
  6. Book: Rawat, Rachna Bisht . 2014 . The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories . Penguin Books India Private Limited. 9780143422358.
  7. Book: Cardozo, Ian. 2003. Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle. Roli Books Private Limited. 124. 9789351940296.
  8. Book: Singh, Amarinder. 2001. A Ridge Too Far: War in the Kargil Heights 1999. Motibagh Palace. 185. 9788193107416.
  9. Book: Bammi, Y. M. . 2002 . Kargil 1999, impregnable conquered. Gorkha Publishers. 279. 9788175253520.
  10. Web site: Major Ajay Singh Jasrotia. 29 June 2015. Newsgram. 29 June 2015.
  11. Web site: Ajay Jasrotia. Honour Point. 16 August 2021.
  12. Web site: 20 years after Kargil, Jammu martyrs forgotten. Tribune. 14 June 2019.
  13. News: Kargil martyr Major Ajay Jasrotia remembered. Early Times. 15 June 2021.
  14. Web site: College Library. 31 July 2021.
  15. Web site: Shaheed Major Ajay Jasrotia Gas Agency. 31 March 2022.
  16. Web site: Major Ajay Singh Jasrotia. 29 June 2015. Newsgram. 31 July 2021.
  17. Web site: Shershaah actor Nikitin Dheer: Will not jeopardise anybody's well-being because of a film's release. 16 August 2021.