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 the Kargil sector on May 29, 1999, along with 33 soldiers and four other officers.
Marking the 21st anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas in Chennai, Headquarters Dakshin Bharat Area paid tributes to officers and personnel who participated in the Kargil War. During the event, tributes were paid to Major Saravanan, an officer in the Bihar Regiment of the Indian Army and recipient of the 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 the Officers Training Academy.
Born on August 10, 1972 in Rameswaram and an alumunus of St Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli, Major Saravanan was posted to 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 04:00 am. 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 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 the Major Saravanan Memorial Trust have constructed a memorial opposite the St John Vestry Higher Secondary School, Trichy, to inspire youngsters and imbibe in them qualities of selfless sacrifice and patriotism, keeping alive the ideals of brave young soldiers like him.
The memorial serves to motivate youngsters to join the Army and serve the nation and has become one of the important landmarks of Trichy, said a defence release.