CHENNAI: Tributes were paid to Kargil War hero Major Mariappan Saravanan, who was killed in hand-to-hand combat with intruders in the Batalik area of Kargil Sector on May 29, 1999, along with 33 soldiers and four other officers.
Marking the 21st anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas in Chennai, Headquarter Dakshin Bharat Area paid tributes to officers and personnel who participated in the Kargil War. During the event, tributes were paid to Major Mariappan Saravanan, an officer in the Bihar Regiment of the Indian Army and recipient of Vir Chakra, who died after killing four intruders in hand-to-hand combat.
Son of Lt Colonel Adi Mariappan, who died in a road accident in Bangalore on June 19, 1989 while serving in the Indian Peace Keeping Force during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, Major Saravanan joined ‘1 Bihar’ unit as a Lieutenant in 1995 after graduating from Officers Training Academy. Born on August 10, 1972 in Rameswaram, the alumunus of Tiruchy’s St Joseph’s College was posted at Tamulpur, Cooch Behar and Bhutan before moving to Kargil.
On the night of May 28, 1999, Major Saravanan was assigned the task of capturing a well-fortified Pakistani position at 14,229 feet in the Batalik sector. He and his men launched an attack at 4:00am. Despite intensive firing from the enemy with artillery and automatic weapons, they charged into a volley of bullets. Major Saravanan fired a rocket launcher into the enemy position that killed two enemy soldiers. During the combat, he was hit by shrapnel and was injured but continued fighting.
Unmindful of the enemy fire, he crawled forward to destroy the last remaining enemy position and before being fatally hit by an enemy bullet, killed two more enemy soldiers. Family members and Trustees of Major Saravanan Memorial Trust have constructed a memorial located opposite to the St John Vestry Higher Secondary School, Tiruchy to inspire youngsters and imbibe in them qualities of ‘selfless sacrifice’ and ‘pure patriotism’. It aims to keep alive the ideals for which our brave young soldiers live and die for.
The memorial also serves to motivate the youngsters to join the Army and serve the nation and has become one of the important landmarks of Trichy, said a defence release.