Iftikhar Bhatt aka Major Mohit Sharma

Major Mohit Sharma Or Iftikhar Bhatt? 

A suspicious activity can be seen in a remote deserted house in the forests of Shopia,Jammu and Kashmir.Two terrorists holding Ak47 firearms,are discussing something in a room while one is making hot soup in the kitchen.The terrorists are Abu Torara and Abu sabjar, most wanted terrorists who are responsible for many attacks on Indian armed forces.

If anyone wants to join Hijbul,they are the main recruiters in the area.

The other man(in the picture),Iftikhar Bhatt,who is in the kitchen, joined them a month ago.He is 6.2 ft tall having a long thick beard and emotionless face.He doesn't talk much and remains silent all the time.He told them that his brother was killed in an encounter by Indian army 3 years ago.Iftikhar is hell bent upon taking revenge and is planning for the same since he lost his brother.He has hand made notes of routes to important locations,check points,entry and exit points which proves his strong planning.Seeing his planning,Abu and Sabjar were impressed and agreed to help him.

Iftikhar enters the room and serves them with hot soup.He is not much interested in Abu and Torara's discussion.

Just one day before the planned attack,Abu Torara becomes suspicious of Iftikhar.He looks into his eyes and asks him,"who are you?".Bhatt stands up and throws his Ak 47 firearm on the floor and shouts in a loud voice,"If you don't trust me,pick up the gun and shoot me right now.This operation can't be done.It would be better if you kill me".

Torara immediately stands up and turns towards Sabjar to ask him,"What should we do with him?" But the moment he turns his face towards Sabjar,Bhatt immediately pulls out his 9mm pistol from his salwar and shoots them down.He checks their beat and continues to drink soup.He waits for the sunset and prepares himself for a long journey which he has to complete on his feet.The journey to the command base where he is known as MAJOR MOHIT SHARMA of 1 PARA SF.

Due to his appearance his friends always used to mock him by saying,"If you do not change your appearance one day you will be get caught and killed by the Indian army itself."

He was born in a middle class family and his parents always wanted him to be a doctor or engineer but they didn't know that their son had made his mind to serve and protect the nation since childhood.

He completed his Schooling from Delhi Public School,Ghaziabad and joined an engineering college in Maharashtra.But he had appeared for the NDA exam before joining the college and subsequently he cleared the exam but his parents hid the fact from him.He himself called upsc office and learnt about his selection.

During his days in NDA,he was an all rounder and received excellence in boxing,swimming and horse riding.He spent 3 years in NDA and 1 year in IMA and graduated in 1999.

He was first commissioned as a second liutenant in 5 battalion of Madras Regiment.From the very beginning he had only two dreams-joining PARA SF and posting in kashmir.After the attack on Indian parliament,Indian government launched operation prakaram on LOC.

His unit was part of that operation.He led a successful country insurgency operation in which he killed two most wanted terrorists and received chief of staff commendation  from army chief. 

Due to his bad health he could not get selected for PARA SF when he applied for the first time but he got selected in 2003 in his second attempt.He met cap.Reshma and they both got married in 2004.In a very young age,he was posted as an instructor in commando wing and special forces training school. 

In 2009,his unit was called in Kupwara, Kashmir again to led a operation against terrorists that had crossed LOC and escaped Into forest after a gunfight with security forces.Intelligence was very weak,the number of terrorists and their location was not known.Commander of Rashtriya Rifles briefed Major Mohit about the situation.They were informed that one search unit has spotted footmarks on snow possibly of terrorists.

On 21 March,2009 at 02:30 am Major and his unit of paratroopers went into the forest on foot to look for the terrorists.Terrorists were highly trained everyone was stepping on the footmarks of their leader carefully so that security forces after them may not have an idea about their real numbers.

Major divided his unit into 3 squads consisting 8 men each and very soon one squad informed major that they have spotted two terrorists.Within seconds there were bullets raining from all directions on major and his team.Paratrooper Netra Singh got shot and martyred on the spot.Major Mohit knew that terrorists were at a better position,he ordered his unit to take cover and fall back.Hawaldar Rajiv shouted,"Sir,you take cover first.I will handle them.""No,you go I will come after you" replied the Major.Suddenly a bullet came and hit him in the arm.When all his team members took cover he ordered Subhash Singh to fire MGL in terrorists' direction but he got hit and could not operate the MGL. 

Major himself came out in the open, risking his life,picked up the MGL and killed 4 terrorists but he got shot in chest.Rajiv Kumar ran to him for help but he said,"I am fine,don't worry.These terrorists should not escape,keep firing"

He commanded his team efficiently till his last breath and even kept firing single handedly.Remembering that day Hawaldar Rajiv says,"Major had only two objectives-no terrorist should escape and saving his team mates"

Reinforcements arrived and he was air lifted to base hospital in Sri Nagar and was declared a martyr in the next morning.

"Carrying him on my shoulders was the heaviest burden of my life",says Rajiv Kumar. 

During the 5 days operation 12 terrorists were eliminated and 4 para-troopers got martyred.Later it was known that one terrorist was highly trained and had a sniper rifle due to which our 4 highly trained para-troopers got martyred.

Every year on 21 march Major Mohit Sharma is remembered and every para-trooper knows his stories of exemplary courage.