Lt. Col. Anant Singh Pathania
In november 1948, the Indian army’s advance towards Drass and Kargil sector was hindered by the enemy presence at Pindras gorge. To overcome this a two-pronged attack was planned to effect a breakthrough. The 1/5 Gorkha commanded by Lt. Col. Anant Singh Pathania was deployed to capture the enemy positions of Kumar and a ridge near Pindras. It is said that the battle waged by the Lt. Col. and his men was one of the hardest ever fought during the Jammu and Kashmir operations. The Lt. Col. not only led several reconnaissance missions but also pressed home the attack on the enemy on 14 the November. Despite the heavy enemy machine gun fire, the 1/5 Gorkhas forged ahead, ultimately capturing both features, The victory was attributed to the Lt. Col.’s daring reconnaissance of enemy positions on the eve of battle. Lt. Col, Pathania was honoured with the Mahavir Chakra for his leadership skills.