Born: 30th August 1941
Died: 4 October 1968
Baba Harbhajan Singh was born on 30th August 1941, in the village of Battle Bhaini, Punjab. He completed his primary education in a village school, and his matriculation in March 1955 from DAV High School, Patti. In June 1956, he joined the Corps of Signals by enrolling himself as a soldier in Amritsar. On 30th June 1965, he was granted a commission and was posted to the 14 Rajput regiments. During the Indo-Pakistan war (1965) Harbhajan Singh served as an Adjutant of his unit and was later transferred to the 18 Rajput regiments. It was the last regiment that he met. According to the story, Harbhajan Singh drowned in a glacier while trying to lead a queue of mules carrying supplies to a remote outpost. As the first loss of the 23rd Punjab Regiment in that war, a search was launched to find him. Finally, his remains were found after three days and his creation later, in a dream, he instructed one of his colleagues to build and maintain a memorial of him. Harbhajan Singh’s early demise at the young age of just 26 years is the subject of a story and religious adoration which has become a popular folk tradition among the Army soldiers. For his bravery and martyrdom Baba Harbhajan Singh was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra medal. It is also said that during a war between India and China, Baba would warn the Indian soldiers at least three days before any impending attack. At Nathula, during flag meetings between the two nations, the Chinese kept a chair aside in the honor of Baba Harbhajan Singh. Every year on September 11, a jeep departs containing all his personal belongings to New Jalpaiguri (the nearest railway station), and from there it is then sent to the village of Kuka, in Punjab. A special reservation is actually made for him and the berth is left empty for the entire journey along with other soldiers. A small sum of money is also contributed by soldiers posted in Nathula which are sent to his mother every month. Although there is no authentic source about all these “facts” about Baba Harbajan Singh. He is honored by soldiers of the Indian army as the “Hero of Nathula” and they have also built a shrine in his honor. He has been granted the status of “Saint” by believers who refer to him as the Baba. Many of the people, chiefly Indian army personnel who are posted in and around the Nathula Pass believed that his spirit protects every soldier in the frosty and high altitude terrain of the Eastern Himalayas. As with most saints, the Baba also grants favours presumably to those who revere and worship him.
Post:
He joined the army in 1956. During the Indo-Pakistan war (1965) he served as an Adjutant of his unit and was later transferred to the 18 Rajput regiments. His early demise at a young age was the subject of a story and religious adoration which has become a popular folk tradition among the Army soldiers. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra medal for his bravery and martyrdom.
Caption:
Remembering #BabaHarbhajanSingh the “Hero of Nathula” on his birth anniversary.