2ND LIEUTENANT PUNEET NATH DATT, ASHOK CHAKRA (POSTHUMOUSLY) 1/11 GORKHA RIFFLES BIOGRAPHY 2nd Lieutenant Puneet Datt was born at Jodhpur on 29 April 197. He had a brilliant academic career and took keen interest in sports and extra curricular activities. He did his schooling from St. Bethneys School in Darjeeling, from St Josephs Academy in Dehradun, from St. Xaviers School in Jaipur and finally completed his class XII from Tagore Public School in Jaipur. He excelled in football and rowing whilst in school. Throughout his childhood, his ambition was to join the Indian Army. As a little boy, he used to don his grandfathers or fathers uniform, complete with the Gorkha Hat and pretend to be an officer. As a child, he used to mix very freely with the Gorkha jawans of his fathers unit and could speak fluent Gorkhali. He was dearly loved by the jawans or Dajus, meaning elder brother, as he addressed them and to whom he was known as their favourite naani, meaning little one. FAMILY Consistent with the tradition of military service among Muhiyal Brahmins, 2nd. Lt. Puneets family included other soldiers as well. His father Major Pramod Nath Datt also belonged to Gorkha Rifles and was the reason Puneet was inspired to join the same regiment. He was the grandson of Late Shri Prem Nath Datt, a leading advocate of Jaipur and the family were permanent residents of Rajasthan. Besides the dynastic military background, he got the inspiration to join the Indian Army from his maternal side also in that his grandfather, Colonel S N C Bakshi, retired from the Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) and his maternal uncle, Commander V K C Bakshi, was a Commander in the Indian Navy. JOURNEY OF A BOY TO A GENTLEMAN While still at High School, Puneet diverted his full attention towards his goal in life, i.e. joining the Indian Army by preparing for entry in the renowned National Defence Academy. Through his grit, determination and hard work, he secured entry in the NDA in December 1991. At the NDA, he had a brilliant record and due to his proficiency in both academic & military subjects as well as outstanding officer like qualities, he was awarded the coveted rank of Cadet Sergeant Major for his squadron - Echo. As CSM, he won the prized Cross Country Shield for his squadron. He was also awarded three gold medals in rowing. Due to his initiative and leadership qualities, he was famous among his comrades as the josh-type. So determined and full of zeal was he to join his fathers regiment that throughout his stay at the NDA, he used to proudly display the Gorkha crest, always polished, on his study table. He used to write back home that his spirits soared whenever he met a Gorkha officer. Regimental to the core, he used to make it a point, before and after commissioning, to go out of the way to meet any serving or retired Gorkha officer about whom he got any information. He was a dare devil and had indomitable and dashing spirit. While posted at Himachal Pradesh, he rode his Enfield Bullet motorcycle from Palampur to Delhi non-stop for 12 hours. Deeply religious, he used to pray at the Hanuman Temple every Tuesday. Whilst at Himachal Pradesh, also known as the land of Gods, he paid pilgrimage on his Bullet to all nearby temples. He was a dutiful and loving son. He showered all his love and affection on his mother and grandparent. He was the idol of his sister and a father figure in her life. He was a trusted comrade to his friends, always ready to come to anyones rescue and help in complete disregard to his personal interest, safety or convenience. He was full of ambition, keen to develop his military competence and was a keen reader of military history. He was an avid reader of all current political and military subjects on which he could speak and discuss with authority. Within a short span of 1½ years after his commissioning, Puneet successfully completed the Young Officers Course, Commandos Course, and Fire Fighting Course. He also passed his promotion exam Part B in the first attempt. He was a member of the United Services Institute (USI) and the Defence Services Officers Institute (DSOI). The USI is a literary forum, while the DSOI is more of a social club. THE OPERATION 2nd Lt Datt achieved the supreme aim of his life of serving his motherland, when he took part in an encounter that panned out as a cordon & search operation on specific information from a source cultivated by him regarding presence of foreign militants in a building in the Naushera locality of Srinagar. The operation started in wee hours of 20 July 1997 and the building was completely surrounded by 0400 hours. The militants were secure within the three storied building located in a thickly populated and congested area. At daybreak when the terrorists found that they were surrounded, instead of surrendering to the Indian Army, they resorted to indiscriminate firing. Utmost restraint had to be exercised while trying to liquidate the onslaught so as to avoid any damage to innocent civilian life and property in the vicinity of the building. One militant visualizing the hopeless situation ran out firing on the search party. Seeing the militant firing on his troops, he ordered his troops to take cover and with utter disregard to personal safety sprang up and shot the militant in an eye-to-eye encounter. Meanwhile sensing that the militants were trying to escape, he showed exemplary presence of mind & initiative and maneuvered his position to block the rear exit of the building. Displaying indomitable courage and guts, he shot down another militant who was trying to escape. The remaining militants inside the building meanwhile continued firing on our troops and as a result of which he was seriously wounded. But he did not give in and maintained his sustained crusade against foreign mercenaries and taking courage in both hands, lobbed a grenade inside the building, killing the remaining militants and destroying a considerable amount of the enemys arms & ammunition. Almost single handedly destroying the enemy, 2ND Lt Puneet attained martyrdom and immortalized himself by carving a niche in the annals of his Regiment and the Indian Armys history. FOR HIS BRAVERY AND IN RECOGNITION OF THE INITIATIVE AND DARE DEVILRY DISPLAYED IN THE PERSUIT OF HIS MISSION TO ELIMINATE MILITANCY FROM THE FACE OF THE MOTHERLAND, 2ND LIEUTENANT PUNEET NATH DATT WAS AWARDED ASHOK CHAKRA(POSTHUMOUSLY) THE COUNTRYS HIGHEST GALLANTRY AWARD IN PEACE TIME ON 15TH AUGUST 1997. JAI HIND #shreyam
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 13:38:34 +0000
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