Vir Chakra Award-Winner And 1971 War Veteran Colonel Sahi Recounts How He Killed A Pakistani Major In Hand-To-Hand Combat

Attending the National Convention of the War Decorated India (WDI), which began on Friday (15 March 2019) at the headquarters of the Indian Army’s Western Command in Chandimandir, Vir Chakra award-winner Colonel Sahi recounted his hand-to-hand battle with a Pakistani Major during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which concluded with him killing the Pakistani officer, reports The Indian Express.

Colonel Sahi was one of some 60 or so wartime gallantry award-winners who had assembled for the convention which takes places triennially. He was posted as a company commander in the 8 Jammu and Kashmir Militia, which is now called the 8 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry.

During the 1971 conflict, when Colonel Sahai was ranked as a Major, his position in Lalealli of Chhamb sector, some distance ahead of Akhnoor, came under a heavy attack from a Pakistani infantry battalion.

“My forward position came under heavy attack on the intervening night of 6 and 7 December 1971. I left my position with some soldiers and managed to get behind the Pakistani soldiers in order to surprise them. We challenged them with abuses in Dogri language and rushed at them,” he recalled.

The Pakistani Major was carrying a Light Machine Gun, with which he killed one of the soldiers under Sahi’s command who tried to tackle him. “My stun gun jammed as I tried to fire at him and I had no option but to pounce on him. I threw him to the ground. I again tried to fire but the weapon was jammed. I then stabbed him with the bayonet (sharp knife) attached to my weapon,” the officer recounted.

Colonel Sahi stated that he finished off the other officer by hitting him on the face with the wooden butt of his gun. Even though he emerged as the victor, he praised the courage of the Pakistani Major and said that he wished the two could have met in different circumstances.