Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra’s mother, Kamal Kant Batra, was 77. (File)
New Delhi:
Kamal Kant Batra, former AAP leader and mother of Kargil War hero Captain Vikram Batra died in Himachal Pradesh today. She was 77.
Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed his condolences on X and wrote, “Received the sad news of the demise of Mrs. Kamalkant Batra, mother of Captain Vikram Batra. We pray to God to give strength to the bereaved family to bear the immense sorrow.”
शहीद कैप्टन विक्रम बत्रा जी की माता श्रीमती कमलकांत बत्रा जी के निधन की दु:खद सूचना मिली।
हम ईश्वर से प्रार्थना करते हैं कि माता जी को श्रीचरणों में स्थान दें और शोकाकुल परिवार को अपार दुःख सहने की क्षमता दें।
ॐ शांति!
– #HPCM ठाकुर @SukhuSukhvinderpic.twitter.com/y95PHblEp9
— CMO HIMACHAL (@CMOFFICEHP) February 14, 2024
She contested the general election in 2014 from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur as an Aam Aadmi Party candidate, but quit the party months later expressing dissatisfaction over the functioning and organisational structure of the party.
“I was deeply unsatisfied with the functioning and the organisational structure of AAP. It failed to appeal to me. The party has been a let-down at the state level here in Himachal, and even the national functioning of the party has not impressed me,” she wrote in an NDTV column.
“And for Mr Modi, I feel that he is trying his best. He seems to be on the right track. My advice – he should walk the talk on all his promises, only then can our country progress. Nationalism and patriotism are the two points that should always be kept in mind. He should definitely do more for the martyrs and their families, soldiers who put their life at stake for protecting our country,” Kamal Kant Batra added.
Her son, Captain Vikram Batra, was killed in action during the Kargil War at the age of 24. He was given the highest wartime gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra, posthumously.
Due to his exemplary feats, Captain Batra was awarded many titles. He came to be fondly called the “Tiger of Drass”, the “Lion of Kargil”, the “Kargil Hero”, and so on. His bravery, zeal, and determination had set a standard for everyone fighting the war.
Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra starred in the Bollywood movie “Shershah“, which was released in 2021 and is based on the war hero’s story.
The most difficult mission for Captain Batra was said to be the capture of Point 4875. As shown in the trailer of his biopic, Captain Batra was given the codename “Shershah”, which he lived up to by ensuring the Indian armed forces’ victory.
Recalling his bravery and courage, his colleagues say the 24-year-old led the contingent on the mission despite running a high temperature and fatigue. He is said to have killed at least four Pakistani soldiers during the battle. The mission was almost accomplished. But Captain Batra rushed out of his bunker to rescue another officer, Lt. Naveen Anaberu, who had suffered severe injuries on his legs in an explosion. In the process of saving his colleague, Captain Batra exposed himself to the enemy fire and was shot dead.
Retired army general Lt Gen Satish Dua, while recalling the mission, wrote that after a successful attack, Captain Batra had said, “Yeh Dil Mange More…!”, and added that these words “fired up the imagination and Josh of an entire generation, in fact, the whole nation.”
