In the treacherous mountain terrain amidst the cold and darkness, Indian soldiers braved bullets at point blank range, swallowed their fear and carried out a bloody battle against all odds. Victory is sweet but it came at a terrible price.One of the many brave sons that mother India lost during the Kargil war 18 years ago was Major Riteseh Sharma.
The Heroic saga of martyr Major Sharma
- Ritesh praised primary education in childhood in Badayun and Bareli cities of Uttar Pradesh.
- By passing the examination of the intermediate examination from the prestigious La Martinier College, Lucknow, he obtained his degree in B. com (hons) from the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
- He had been intrested in the Indian defense services since his childhood.
- After passing his graduation exam, he was selected in the Indian Military Academy Dehradun for the publication of the Commissioned Officer.
- Receiving commission in 1995, under the 17 Jat regiment, his first posting
- took place in Shri Ganga Nagar (Rajasthan) as second Lieutenant .
- While doing so, he achieved success in various trainings and commando training.
- The next posting of the unit took place in Srinagar (Jammu Kashmir) under the “Anti-Terrorism Campaign” (C.I. OPERATION).
- During this period, successive success has been achieved till the rank of Major.
- He was then sent to Maho (Madhya Pradesh) for training from where he received the successful pre-feasibility study in May 1999.
- Meanwhile Kargil war started in May 1999 due to foreign intruders on the Line of Control.
The ‘Mashkoh Rakshaks’ :
- Participating with full enthusiasm and bravery in the Kargil war,
- Major Sharma’s unit killed Pakistan army soldiers and intruders at
- peak numbers 4875 Pimple 1, Pimple 2 from Mashkoh valley and reclaimed the peaks.
- His unit was honored to be called ‘Mashkoh Rakshak’.
- During the Kargil conflict, despite being wounded on 7th of July 1999, he was involved in the re-war .
- After the Kargil war, under Operation Vijay, they were sent to control the activities of Kashmiri terrorists on the LoC in Kupwara sector.
- After crossing many infiltrators and terrorists in the Kupwara sector, on 25 September 1999,
- during the encounter with the terrorists, he was seriously injured and fell
- in a 200 meters deep in the ditch and immediately lost consciousness , further cdeclared as coma.
- Major Ritesh Sharma received “Veergati” (Martyrdom) on 6th Oct 1999,
- while fighting for life for 11 consecutive days of death in Army’s Northern Command Hospital, Udhampur, Kashmir.
- India continuously bow down to the heroic saga of the brave son of Mother India.