Kamal Kant Batra, mother of Kargil War hero Capt Vikram Batra, passes away; Himachal CM expresses condolences

Kamal Kant Batra, former Aam Aadmi Party leader and mother of Kargil War hero Captain Vikram Batra, died on Wednesday.  According to the information, she breathed her last at the age of 77 in Himachal Pradesh. 

Himachal CM expresses condolences

Taking to social media platform X, Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed his condolences. “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. Om Shanti”. 

In 2014, Kamal Kant contested the general election in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, representing the Aam Aadmi Party. However, she resigned from the party several months later, citing dissatisfaction with its operational and organizational framework.

Who was Captain Vikram Batra?

Vikram Batra had attained martyrdom while fighting Pakistani forces during the Kargil War in 1999 at the age of 24.  Late Captain was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest gallantry award for his supreme sacrifice. Captain Batra had volunteered to lead another assault for point 4875 at a height of 18,000 feet. 

It was at this stage Captain Batra — nicknamed “Sher Shah” (The lion king) for his extraordinary bravery and leadership, and his punchline- ‘Dil Maange More’ became a household phrase across the country.  A mountain peak was also christened ‘Batra Peak’ in the war hero’s honour to commemorate his bravery and landmark achievement.

Born on  September 9, 1974, at Himachal Pradesh’s Palampur- the tea town of Kangra where the Army has a sizeable presence, Captain Vikram Batra went on to study in DAV Public School. After completing middle school over there, Batra went on to complete his high school at Central School. To pursue higher education, Batra attended DAV College in Chandigarh where he graduated. It was here that he joined the Air Wing of the National Cadet Corps (NCC).

The Indian Armed Forces had defeated Pakistan on July 26, 1999. Since then, the day is celebrated as ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ to rekindle the sense of pride and valour of the soldiers, soldiers who concluded Operation Vijay as well as citizens of India.

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