Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse of 2 Rajputana Rifles was yet another hero of the Kargil War and someone who reminds us about the fact that in our military race, religion, region do not matter at all; in the immortal words of poet Pradeep, Jo khoon gira parbat par/ woh khoon tha Hindustani. Jo shaheed hue hain unki. Jara yaad karo qurbaani. This soldier of India hailed from Nagaland and belonged to an area that has frequently been against the Indian army but this did not prevent him from displaying rare and exemplary courage in the line of duty. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously for his role as platoon commander in charge of the attack on the Black Rock in Drass.
Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse volunteered for a daring commando mission
The captain, who was known as Neibu by friends and family, and affectionately as Nimbu Sahib by his men, undertook a daring commando mission that approached the enemy armed to the teeth by way of a sheer cliff face. Though the extremely dangerous mission was in the face of heavy shelling and steady machine gun fire which caused heavy casualties, the team doggedly persevered.
When a sheer rock wall impeded progress, the captain kicked off his shoes (in weather 10 degrees below freezing at the height of nearly 5000 mts) and continued climbing with a rocket launcher. He sustained a serious abdominal injury which bled severely but he still neutralized four more of the enemy; two with his rifle and two more with his commando knife in hand to hand combat. It was then that the fateful bullet hit and knocked him right off the mountain; but not before he had paved the way for his men to capture Lone Hill. The men he commanded dedicated their victory to their Nimbu Sahib.
‘Nimbu Sahib’s’ achievements go beyond the Kargil War
“I may not be able to return home to be a part of our family again. Even if I don’t make it, do not grieve for me because I have already decided to give my best for the nation,” the captain penned in his last letter to his father. These are the very sentiments that marked a shift in the perception of the Indian army among many Nagas. When the captain returned home in a coffin, thousands lined the streets in his native village to pay their homage. Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse not only died in battle for the nation, he performed yet another service for the nation: he did his people proud and he changed the perception of the Indian army in the mind of the people.
Author – Reena Daruwalla
This article is a part of a series on the brave hearts of the Kargil War – these are heroes India has either forgotten about or has never heard of. This series is our tribute to our country’s men and women in uniform ahead of Kargil Divas (26 July)
