Param Vir Chakra: Hoshiar Singh
Maj. Gen. Ian Cardozo
Rishi Kumar
The War in the West: The term West' is used to differentiate it from operations in East Pakistan. The war in the west was fought in the regions of India's Northern, Western and Southern commands. The Battle of Jarpal, across the Basantar has assumed historical importance as a battle where two sub-unit commanders of two different units of the Indian Army won Param Vir Chakras in the same battle and where the commanding officer of the attacking battalion of the opposite side was awarded the Hilal-E-Jurat, Pakistan's second Highest Gallantry award based on the written citation of the Indian Battalion commander. Major Hoshiar Singh of 3 Grenadiers and 2/Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal of Poona Horse were Awarded India's Highest award for Gallantry of the Most Exceptional order in this fiercely tested Battle in the Shakargarh Bulge in the Plains sector of Jammu. Major Hoshiar Singh's exemplary conduct in peace and in war has motivated generation of soldiers on how to live and behave in peace so that we can win in War.
Major General Ian Cardozo was born in Mumbai and studied at St Xavier’s School and College. In July 1954, he joined the Joint Services Wing which later became the National Defence Academy. Here he was the first cadet to win the gold medal for being the best all-round cadet, and the silver medal for being first in order of merit. He was commissioned at the Indian Military Academy into the 1st Battalion the Fifth Gorkha Rifles (FF) in 1958, and was the first officer of the Army to be awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry on a patrol in NEFA in 1959. Wounded in the battle of Sylhet in Bangladesh in 1971, he overcame the handicap of losing a leg and became the first war-disabled officer to be approved for command of an Infantry Battalion. He retired in 1993 from his appointment as Chief of Staff of a Corps in the East. Author of The Sinking of INS-Khukri: Survivor’s Stories and Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle, he has worked with the Spastics Society of Northern India and was chairman of the Rehabilitation Council of India for nine years. At present he is the Vice President of the War Wounded Foundation.
Rishi Kumar is a graduate from Delhi College of Art in the Applied Art course. He has worked as an illustrator with various advertising and publishing companies. He is currently working as a freelance illustrator. Besides art he has an interest in computer gaming. His name has been acknowledged in the Limca Book of National Records 2016 for his work.