Eulogy for an exemplary leader and Brave decorated military officer, Vir Chakra, Col. MB Ravindranath

Eulogy for an exemplary leader and Brave decorated military officer, Vir Chakra, Col. MB Ravindranath, who led his men admirably and captured the Tololing peak: The battle that decisively changed the course of Kargil war

An exemplary leader and an extraordinarily brave, decorated military officer of Kargil Fame, Commanding Officer of the 2 Rajputana Rifles that captured the Tololing peak, the primary battle that changed the course of the Kargil war, and an even greater human being and a man who epitomised humility, Vir Chakra Col. MB Ravindranath died of a massive heart attack this morning in Bangalore leaving the entire Ajeet fraternity in utter shock and disbelief. He is an alumnus (Ajeet)of the Sainik School, Bijapur (Vijaypur 1969-76 batch) just one year senior to us in school. With profound grief and tears in eyes, I join my fellow Ajeets and the entire nation - in whose service he selflessly dedicated himself while serving in the Army- in praying for his supreme soul to rest in eternal peace and to give his family the strength to bear this irreparable loss.

Friends please please Lend me your eyes and mind to read through this long post, for it is the likes of Col Ravindranath and his ilks that keep us and the entire nation safe, by sacrificing their life for our today and tomorrow.

Before I recount the valour that he and the men he ably led during the Kargil war and the capture of the Tololing peak - dominant position overlooking Srinagar- Leh Highway (NH-1D) that was so strategic that after it was conquered it was only a matter of six days for Indian troops to notch up a string of successes by evicting well-entrenched Paki enemy intruders in four nearby outposts - permit me to be selfish to recount an incident of my personal meeting with Col Ravindranath, who had just returned back from the Kargil war, at the National Science Centre in Delhi.

The Kargil war was all over the print and electronic media and one such coverage in the Times of India, Delhi edition, was an erroneous news of the death of Col MB Ravindranath, who was declared dead while capturing the Tololing. Through our school friends I managed to get a confirmation that the news was grossly wrong. There is a saying that if some one is declared dead while he is alive he will go on to lead a long life, so I thought about our dear Ravindranath, but the almighty felt he could not live without him by his side and snatched him from us, the mortals to make him immortal.

I was so very proud of the achievements of Col Ravindranath that I had already informed my friends and colleagues at the National Science Centre boasting myself, like most lesser mortals do, that I am his friend. When my colleagues came to know that Col Ravindranath was coming to meet me at the National Science Centre, just when his name was all over the news after capturing the Tololing, they perhaps were sure that he will give a first hand account of the battle that he and his men fought in the most treacherous of conditions. I did introduce him to some of my colleagues, my memory fails me, but some one asked him to narrate the Kargil war. While they were waiting with bated breadth to listen first hand from the soldier what transpired at Tololing, they were hugely shocked with his response. He just said “he and his men did what they were tasked to do”. When further cajoled to talk about war and its risks he said “every job comes with its own risk, you all have your job risks so do we”. What a profound statement with such greatest of humility. Salutes to you my dear friend.

I also had the honour to meet him at the HKES Engineering college hostel in Gulbarga. Col Ravindranath’s entire platoon was passing through Gulbarga in train and two of his Sainik school classmates, Sanganna Asuti and M Sajjanar and three of us myself, Viju Patil and Ramesh Patil from Sainik School were staying in the same hostel. Col Ravindranath came to meet us and chatted with us in his military attire. As I keep writing this eulogy I am so very struck with emotion that some times I feel blacked out. I must write so that you all know who he was. So friends please once again I implore you to lend me your eyes and minds for I am now going to narrate his valour, whose first hand account can be seen from the personal compliments “well done” that he and his men received from the Chief of the Army, during the Kargil War, General Malik.

It was for good reason that the General Malik had complimented Col. Ravindranath. Once the Tololing was captured by Col Ravindranath and his men, it took just six days for Indian troops to notch up a string of successes by evicting well-entrenched intruders from four nearby outposts with names that had become the talking points across the nation - Point 4590, Rocky Knob, Hump and Point 5140. It also lead to the recapture of a similarly strategic height of Tiger Hills.

On the 13th of June, 1999, at 4.01 am, Colonel M.B. Ravindranath, commanding officer of the 2 Rajputana Rifles, who along with his men had scaled the near vertical peak to fight the enemy to claim the Tololing peak, radioed the most awaited message to the commander of the 8 Mountain Division, Major-General Mohinder Puri, camping some 20 km away. It was the most simplest of message, which to General Puri was as profound as the message of Edmond Hillary when he landed on moon. Col Ravindranath had messaged “Sir, I'm on Tololing Top." Until then the enemy was entrenched on top of the Tololing and was able to observe the movement of the Indian soldiers making progress excruciatingly slow. Regardless, Col Ravindranath and his dare devil troops captured the Tololing peak in the Drass Sector after a fierce, night-long hand-to-hand battle. One officer, two JCOs and seven jawans, among his men, had made the supreme sacrifice for the nation and lay dead before him on the most treacherous of rock that often tilted at 80 degrees. The only cover for Ravindranath and his men while capturing the Tololing peak were the prayers of his countrymen and their ammunition a combination of bayonet, bare hands and dare devilishly bravery. Books written by General Malik and General Puri on the battle of Kargil provide more insights, which those interested may like to read.

Col Ravindranath is no more but his deeds and those of his men will remain etched in the annals of Indian history and he will continue to live in the hearts of all Ajeets. RIP