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{{Short description|Recipient of Maha Vir Chakra}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix= Havildar
|name = Digendra Kumar
|honorific_suffix=[[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]], [[Sena Medal|SM]]
|image = IMG-20180917-WA0001.jpg
|alt =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1969|7|3}}
|death_date =
|birth_place = [[Neem Ka Thana]], [[Sikar]], [[Rajasthan]]
|death_place =
|placeofburial =
|placeofburial_label =
|placeofburial_coordinates = 
|nickname =
|birth_name =
| allegiance ={{flagicon|India}} Republic of [[India]]
|branch= [[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Indian Army]]
|serviceyears = 1985–2005
|rank =
|servicenumber =
| unit =
|commands =
|battles = [[Kargil War]]
|battles_label =
|awards= [[File:Maha Vir Chakra ribbon.svg|32px]] [[Maha Vir Chakra]]
|relations =
|laterwork =
|signature =
}}

'''Digendra Kumar Paraswal''' [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]], [[Sena Medal|SM]] (born 3 July 1969) is a former soldier of the 2nd battalion of the [[Rajputana Rifles]] regiment of the [[Indian army]]. He was awarded the [[Mahavir Chakra]] on 15 August 1999, for his acts of bravery in the [[Kargil War]]. He retired from the army on 31 July 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-09-28 |title=Retired War Hero Who Had Slayed 48 Pakistanis Says He Will Return To The Border If War Happens |url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/a-retired-kargil-war-hero-who-had-killed-48-pakistanis-says-if-war-happens-he-will-go-to-border-to-fight-262554.html |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=Indiatimes |language=en-IN}}</ref>

==Early life==
Kumar was born to Shivdan Singh and lived in the village of Jhalara Jat, Tehsil [[Neem-Ka-Thana]], in the [[Sikar District]] in Rajasthan, India. His mother's name was Rajkaur. Shivdan Singh was a strong follower of [[Arya Samaj]]. Digendra Kumar joined the Indian Army and was badly wounded in [[1948 Indo-Pak war|Indo-Pakistani War of 1999]].<ref name="Ranwa">{{cite book | last=Ranwa |first=Mansukh |title=Mahvir Chakradhari Digendra Kumar|year=2008|publisher=Kalpana Publication, Nahargarh Road |location=Jaipur|isbn=978-81-89681-09-8|page=21 }}</ref>{{rp|21}} Kumar has a daughter (Samita) and two sons (Japender and Mahaveer). Mahaveer studied in Sanskar School Jaipur and is a national basketball player and the former captain of Rajasthan. Japender studies in Delhi Technological University (formerly DCE). Samita is a national [[Kabaddi]] player..

==Career==
Kumar joined the 2nd Battalion of the [[Rajputana Rifles]] on 3 September 1985. After training was completed, his battalion was posted to Kashmir.<ref>Mansukh Ranwa:Mahavir Chakradhari Digendra Kumar, Jaipur, 2008, p. 31</ref> In 1987 he was selected for the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force]] and took part in [[Operation Pawan]] in [[Sri Lanka]].

===Operation Pawan===
[[Operation Pawan]] was the code name assigned to operations by the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force]] to take control of [[Jaffna]] from the [[LTTE]] in late 1987.<ref name=BS>[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/History/1987/Chapter03.html Operation Pawan. The Battle for Jaffna.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090330082607/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/History/1987/Chapter03.html |date=30 March 2009 }}</ref> Kumar and his group were assigned to patrol dominant areas in Tamil. Five Tamil militants fired and killed five soldiers from Kumar's squad. In return, Kumar and the remaining soldiers of his squad followed the militants into the house of an [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLA]]. However, the MLA opposed the action, and in the ensuing firefight the MLA, along with the five Tamil militants, was killed. This caused some controversy, and Kumar was penalised and remanded.<ref name="Ranwa" />{{rp|31}}

Meanwhile, 36 soldiers of the 10th [[Parachute Regiment (India)|Parachute Regiment]] were surrounded by all sides expect a canal held by the LTTE. Lt. Gen. A.S. Kalkat assigned the task of freeing them to Kumar. Kumar took with him 50 kg ammunition and some biscuits and sailed up the river. Kumar saved the soldiers (who had been held in the forest for 72 hours), destroyed an important ammunition depot, and killed 39 militants.<ref name="Ranwa"/>{{rp|43}}

==Kargil war==
[[File:Kargil.map.gif|thumb|Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir]]
Major Vivek Gupta, of the 2nd Battalion of the [[Rajputana Rifles]] and his company were given the task of recapturing Point 4590 on Tololing Hill in the [[Dras]] sector.<ref name="Ranwa"/>{{rp|59}} The objective was to capture the enemy post, located at high altitude (15,000 feet).

Kumar commanded the Light Machine Gun Group during his company's assault. Besides Kumar, the commando team included Major Vivek Gupta, Subedar Bhanwar Lal Bhakar, Subedar Surendra Singh Rathor, Lance Naik Jasvir Singh, Naik Surendra, Naik Chaman Singh Tewatia, Lans Naik Bachchan Singh, CMH Jashvir Singh, and Havaldar Sultan Singh Narwar.<ref name="Ranwa"/>{{rp|51}}

The Pakistani army had made 11 bunkers on the Tololing hilltop. Kumar was to target the first and the last bunkers. The other commandos were to target the remaining 9 bunkers.<ref name="Ranwa"/>{{rp|51}}

On 13 June 1999, while nearing its objective, the Assault Group came under enemy fire and took casualties. Subedar Bhanwar Lal Bhakar, Lance Naik Jasvir Singh, Naik Surendra, and Naik Chaman Singh were all killed. Major Vivek Gupta himself was killed by a bullet wound to the head.<ref name="Ranwa"/>{{rp|54}}
Although Kumar was hit by a bullet in his left arm, he kept firing on the enemy with his [[light machine gun]]. His fire facilitated his men's advancement, allowing them to physically assault the enemy position and clear the area after a hand-to-hand fight. He was responsible for killing 48 Pakistani soldiers single-handedly and received total 18 bullets on his body armour.<ref>[http://kargil.myiris.com/Gallantry/galstory.html Naik Digendra Kumar (2883178A)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106211700/http://kargil.myiris.com/Gallantry/galstory.html |date=6 January 2009 }}</ref>

==Medals and awards==

===Mahavir Chakra===
The nation's second-highest wartime gallantry award, the [[Mahavir Chakra]], was awarded to Kumar on 15 August 1999, for daring actions and service to his country during the [[Kargil War]], specifically by occupying Tololing Hill.<ref name="Ranwa"/>{{rp|59}}

===Other awards===
Kumar was awarded the [[Sena Medal]] in 1993 for his anti-terrorist operations in the [[Kupwara]] area of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu-Kashmir]].<ref name="Ranwa"/>{{rp|31}} In 1994 his services were appreciated for recapturing the [[Hazratbal]] Shrine from terrorists.

==In popular culture==
The 2003 [[Bollywood]] war film ''[[LOC Kargil]]'' is based on the [[Kargil War]]. It was written and directed by J. P. Dutta. Actor [[Avtar Gill]] played the role of Digendra Kumar.

== Further reading ==
*''Mansukh Ranwa'', Mahavir Chakradhari Digendra Kumar, Kalpana Publications: Jaipur, 2008, {{ISBN|81-89681-09-5}}.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, Digendra}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Maha Vir Chakra]]
[[Category:People of the Kargil War]]
[[Category:People from Sikar district]]
[[Category:Rajasthani people]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian military personnel]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian military personnel]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel]]

Digendra Kumar - Revision history

imported>Thepharoah17: added Category:Indian Army personnel using HotCat