Columnist at TOI, HT & Moneycontrol
War Correspondent, Cliffs of Kargil; LineofFire CT-Ops reporter, Kashmir, 1997-99 & 2004. Author: Flowers on a Kargil Cliff
New facts on Kargil Generals
11 soldiers killed in 4 ambushes before Capt Saurabh Kalia
4 ambushes omitted from KRC, books by Gens. VP Malik, NC Vij, VS Budhwar
Concealed from Inf / Para SF inducted in May '99, who were told Trts, Gujjars have come in
https://t.co/lrUg3IslPl
Mohali murder of lady on CCTV
1. All these burly, gymming Punjab men couldn’t stop one murderer from inflicting 32 stabs, one had a kirpan
2. Murder is being diverted to affair gone sour
3. Shows, mobs are where macho behaviour is flaunted, where there is danger, keep safety
No gunner was awarded MVC for Op Vijay
But the deeds of gunners, the OPs, the Forward Observation Officers were exemplary
Infantry owed much not only to the way Arty degraded enemy defences with concentrated, massed firepower but to individual courage & tenacity of gunners
@Rupin17147668 by then 17 Jat CO, Brig. US Bawa, VrC, who has put on record the strange and inexplicable journey of award of one of the 2 PVCs to 13 JAK RIF.
(Perhaps, the real awardee or owner of the PVC is the then AG!)
@Rupin17147668 One of the 2 eventual PVCs to 13 JAK RIF was initiated by the then unit CO as a SM (G). However, the CO's citation was returned to the unit by Army HQs to upgrade it to PVC. The citations initiated by 13 JAK RIF were prepared on computers of 17 Jat. This change has been exposed
@Rupin17147668 Col MB Ravindranath had an interaction with then AG Lt Gen SS Grewal, also Col of JAK RIF Regt. He asked AG for 1 PVC for 2 Raj Rif but AG was unmoved. CO told me this.
Speaking at Jaipur LitFest 2025 on my memoir,
'Flowers on a Kargil Cliff: India's First War Correspondent in the Line of Fire in Kashmir & Kargil'
In book, photographic evidence of Pak intrusions across Drass LoC as early as October 1998, pics by Capt Rommel Akram, SJ, 6 NLI
@Stephenian332 From personal experience, during operation to nail Pak killers of 23 Wandhama pandits in Feb. 1998, Army fired thermobaric munitions into Safapora mountain caves to eliminate hiding terrorists. Not all caves had terrorists but Army felt it necessary to sanitise all possible
@fergiesqueee The Cdr's assessment of a "few militants" of May 21, 1999, was contrary to the facts already received from ambushed patrols of 12 Jat, 16 grenadiers, 3 Punjab, 10 Garhwal Rifles, 4 Jat that had seen as many as 20 men KIA including 2 officers.
Late Capt. PV Vikram, who first saw action in Batalik when commanding a battery of 105 MM guns. Lent fire support to failed assault of 2 ad hoc coys of 3 Pb, 1/11 GR led by 1 Bihar CO, under orders of the 70 Inf Bde. Later, he was FOO in the very tough Kaksar, KIA 2.6.1999
What a Broad, Lovely Smile
Late Capt PV Vikram, SM, 141 Field Regt, with a tandoori chicken!
When death will come knocking at my door, I will cheerfully accompany the messenger, singing and dancing. Death can daunt me, not change me
@fergiesqueee Jubar Top was the objective. According to 70 Inf Bde Cdr, a few militants held Jubar Top. Cdr allocated 2 ad hoc coys of 3 Punjab and 1/11 Gurkha Rifles to freshly-inducted CO of 1 Bihar and ordered him to evict militants from Top. The assault was doomed to failure.
@fergiesqueee Please have a look at this tweet from earlier. it is the assault I referred to in the context of Capt PV Vikram.
The Arty officer was at Point 4624, south-east of Jubar Top. Vikram had put a 3-foot stretcher over rocks to shelter his OP position.
Failed Jubar attack May 22
Ad hoc coy 3 Punjab: 54 soldiers including tradesmen, drivers, clerks with personal weapons
Ad hoc coy 1 / 11 GR: 52 soldiers without LMG / inf btn support weapons
CO for attack: of 1 Bihar, ad hoc coys placed under him
Where eagles dare, Artillery FOOs went
And won the Kargil peaks
Remembering Capt. PV Vikram, Sena Medal (G), of the 141 Medium Regiment (Kargil). The outstanding role played by the Regt. of Artillery's Forward Observation Officers, who also took charge of Infantry assaults
@VJSWRITER It's a pleasure to share the account of utmost precise of the precise facts, and many unknown facts, which people must know of a Gentleman & Brave Person & Honest Journalist like you 🇮🇳, sir.
Many Bravehearts 🇮🇳🐐 people must have not even heard of, you told us about them.
Listen to this great, enlightening, delightful, eye-opening, incisive & deeply knowledgeable conversation with Vikramjit Singh (@VJSWRITER) sir 🇮🇳🐐❣️♾️🙇, who have reported from & have been with our Bravehearts 🙏🇮🇳🐐❣️♾️🙇 at the Battlefields,in..1/3
https://t.co/rmlg7zPkUL
A survivor's grim tale
Stray dog vs Titeeri chick at Sukhna lake
The hazard that marauding dogs subsidised by humans pose to shore birds and ground-nesting birds
Stray dogs ---- wildlife conflict, an overlooked aspect but figured in the May 19, 2026, order of Supreme Court
“RTI Activist��� Simranjit Singh owed money from an earlier deal to his Maama’s son, Sharanjit Singh. On spur of moment in front of another property investment, cousin shot RTI activist dead: Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla