A Soldier Who Looked Death in the Eye:-
This is the story of that lion of India who not only embraced death but also looked into its eyes and said, come, you too see how much strength is hidden in the last breath of the Indian Army. Slept in his bed. Drank coffee with dangerous Hizbul commanders and applied kohl of lies to their eyes. He gained trust for weeks and then in a moment, he was given a ticket to hell by shooting him in the chest for India. This was the only lion who stood tall in the dense forest even in front of dozens of heavily armed terrorists. He saw rivers of blood flowing from his body but did not move and shouted that not a single terrorist should be spared today. This is the story of Ashok Chakra winner Major Mohit Sharma, whose name still gives sleepless nights to the enemy.
A Legend Who Terrified the Enemy:-
It makes every Indian’s chest swell with pride. This story today because ever since the trailer of Dhurandhar movie has come. The whole world has gone mad. Hey Ranveer Singh, how are you looking? How is Arjun Rampal looking? How does Falnava look? How is the threat looking? We don’t know what he will show in the film. But what we are going to tell you today, you should know. In this picture, Ranveer Singh is looking like such a dangerous soldier that people are asking whether there was actually such a lion. So today we are going to tell you that this Ranveer Singh is playing the role of Major Mohit Sharma. That Mohit Sharma who was a thousand times more scary than the real Ranveer Singh shown in the film. And that is why, moving beyond the reel world, today the real story is in front of you. That story which will send shivers down your spine. The heart will beat loudly. An ordinary boy from Ghaziabad named Mohit Sharma passed 12th in the year 1995. My family was thinking that would become an engineer. Got admission in college but Mohit had something else in his blood. There was oppression of uniform. He secretly filled the NDA form.
From Reel to Real: The Truth Behind the Hero:-
Then when the results came, the parents hid them. He said, do engineering, what is the point in the army? But Mohit was feeling uneasy. Directly called the UPSC office and asked them to tell me my result. The reply came that you are near. The interview is pending. Just what then? He reached Bhopal without telling anyone. Gave the interview and passed. At first the parents were angry. Then, seeing the madness in his son’s eyes, he agreed. There was a hitch here, though. Mohit’s weight was less by 6 kg and only four weeks were left. Mother also did a great job. He was fed milk, bananas and protein- rich food every day. Mohit kept sweating it out in the gym and gained weight within a few weeks. Medical passed. Here the Indian Army found the lion who was going to make the nights of the enemies dark in the coming years.
From Ghaziabad to NDA: A Boy with a Soldier’s Heart:-
In NDA, Mohit learned everything like boxing, horse riding, swimming etc. 3 years in NDA, one year in Dehradun and then commissioned as a Lieutenant in 5 Madras Regiment in December 1999. The first two years were spent by Mohit like a common soldier. But then December 13, 2001, changed everything. There was an attack on Parliament. Operation Parakram in response. Mohit’s unit wreaked havoc on terrorists along with Para Special Forces in Pooch Rajouri sector in Kashmir. Here Mohit went crazy after seeing the bravery of the Para Commandos.
A Mother’s Strength and a Son’s Determination:-
In 2003, he tried again and passed. The lion found the jungle and then got a posting and here he found his life partner Captain Reshma Sareen. Both of them fell in love. There was talk of marriage. Then in the year 2004, Kashmir came calling. At that time the terror of Hizbul Mujahideen was at its peak in the valley. All the major attacks were handled by two names. Abu Torarah and Abu Sabjad’s army was aware of their hideouts. But it would have been foolish to kill in one stroke. These two were the heartbeat of the entire network. It was decided that someone would go undercover as an army man. This was a task that was more dangerous than dangerous, or rather, one that involved going into the mouth of death, and Major Mohit said that he would handle it. Mohit grew his hair, beard and then named himself Iftikhar Bhatt. He fabricated a story that the army had killed his brothers and now he wanted to take revenge. He made a perfect plan to attack an army check post.
Training the Future Warrior:-
Location, number of soldiers, weapons, everything was accurate. Both the terrorists were stunned.Became convinced and this is where the real pull started. Mohit stayed with those terrorists for two weeks. Made coffee in their kitchen and had fun. We found out the arms depots, code words, hideouts and then a day came when three more terrorists were about to come from Pakistan. In a wooden house on a snowy hill 50 km from Srinagar, Mohit was making kahwa in the kitchen when Abu Turara and Abu Sabzar took the final test.
The Parliament Attack and a New Calling:-
Everyone put down their guns. He moved forward to drink Kava and as soon as his back was towards Mohit, Mohit removed the shawl, took out the pistol, loaded it and when both of them turned on hearing the click, two bullets had already pierced the chest of both of them. Both were piled up like sacks of flour.
Kashmir’s two biggest headaches were silenced forever. For this feat he received the Army Medal in the year 2005. Married Risma again. Nahan was made an instructor in the Special Forces Training School. Only 2 years SF experience and instructor, this was a record in itself. The parents are happy that their son is safe. But when the country is in danger, the lion of Para never sits peacefully. In October 2008, Kashmir called again. In March 2009, the snow was melting in Kashmir. On the afternoon of March 20, news came from Kupwara base that terrorists had entered the Hafuda forest. Major Mohit received the order along with 25 commandos.
The Height of Terror: Hizbul’s Reign:-
Left at 2:30 in the night. Were at the place at 4:00 am. Dense forest all around, no clue. Three teams were divided at 8:00 am. Mohit himself with a team. Footprints were found in the snow. Above one means terrorists were highly trended. Followed. Then a message came from the other team that two terrorists have been seen. The next moment, a shower of bullets rang out in the forest. Indiscriminate firing on Mohit’s team. The first commando Netra Singh was martyred. The terrorists were in better positions at higher altitudes under sub cover. Mohit sent two soldiers to make the plan. Had to retreat after heavy fire. Mohit understood that the terrorists were more prepared. The order came on the radio that Rakesh should climb the peak. Rain from above. Havildar Rakesh boarded the train. The bullet hit the thigh. The leg got torn. Fastened the combat belt. Firing continued with one hand while faltering. After this, Mohit sent the soldiers back and himself fired cover fire.
Becoming “Iftikhar Bhatt” — A Ghost Among Terrorists:-
The firing continued. When most of the soldiers reached cover, another order came. By then the terrorists were happy as they had been shot again on the elbow. But after this, Mohit himself picked up the MJL and killed not one, two, three but four terrorists with six grenades. The firing stopped and Mohit ran towards cover. Then a bullet pierced the silence and hit the side where his jacket was weak. The bullet went through.
The Final Test—and the Kill That Shook Kashmir:-
A lot of blood had been shed. Srinagar Base Hospital. The operation continued throughout the night but in the morning, at the age of 31, the lion became immortal. The forest was cleared in five days. All the terrorists were killed. Later it was revealed that one of them had a high zoom sniper. Seven soldiers including Major Mohit were martyred. But there was infiltration. For his bravery, he was posthumously awarded the country’s highest peacetime award, the Ashoka Chakra. His wife is Major Reshma Sharma till date.
India’s Highest Honor The Ashoka Chakra:-
Never remarried. From Ghaziabad Metro Station to roads and stadiums, everything is named after him. But the biggest monument is the heart of every Indian where he is still alive. They roar and fight. And when someone asks who is the true hero? So one name comes out, Major Mohit Sharma. The name which proved that the entire India resides in the breath of a soldier and today we salute him and we hope that amidst the glamour of the movie.