Somnath Sharma

Major Somnath Sharma, PVC (31 January 1923 – 3 November 1947), was an Indian military officer and the first recipient of India's highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), which he was awarded posthumously.

Sharma was commissioned into the 4th Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment, in 1942. He served in Burma during the Arakan Campaign in World War II, for which he was mentioned in dispatches. In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948, he was killed in action on 3 November 1947 while repelling Pakistani infiltrators near Srinagar Airport. For his gallantry and sacrifice during the Battle of Badgam, he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Early life and education

Sharma was born in a Dogra Brahmin family on 31 January 1923 at Dadh, Kangra, Punjab (present-day Himachal Pradesh). His father, Amar Nath Sharma, was a military officer. Several of his siblings serve in the military. His younger brother, Vishwa Nath Sharma, would later become the 14th Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army. Somnath Sharma completed his schooling at Sherwood College, Nainital, before enrolling at the Prince of Wales Royal Military College in Dehradun. He later studied at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. During his childhood, Somnath was influenced by the teachings of Krishna and Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, taught to him by his grandfather.

Throughout his military career, Sharma was influenced by his uncle Captain K. D. Vasudeva's gallantry in action. Vasudeva also served with the 8th Battalion, participating in the Malayan Campaign during which he died aiding hundreds of soldiers under his command to survive from the Japanese offensive. Coincidentally, Savitri Khanolkar, the mother-in-law of Sharma's brother, was the designer of the Param Vir Chakra.

The official citation reads:

Legacy

Major Somnath Sharma's name on the Tyag Chakra (Circle of Sacrifice), National War Memorial, India.

In the 1980s, the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), a Government of India enterprise under the aegis of the Ministry of Shipping, named fifteen of their crude oil tankers in honour of the Param Vir Chakra recipients. The crude oil tanker named MT Major Somnath Sharma, PVC was delivered to SCI on 11 June 1984. The tanker was phased out after 25 years service. On turning 100, Lt Gen Surindra Nath Sharma (Retd) salutes his brother late Major Somnath Sharma, PVC.

Balidan Stambh, the war memorial in Jammu, paid tribute to him by inscribing his name on the semi-circular pillars for the martyrs of the 1947-48 war. His name is also displayed near the Amar Jawan Jyoti (Eternal Flame) and as a relief mural on the circumference wall with the Param Vir Chakra awardees who fought in J&K.

In popular culture The first episode of TV series Param Vir Chakra, aired on DD National in 1988, featured Farooq Sheikh portraying him. A graphic novel titled Param Vir Chakra by Amar Chitra Katha dedicated their 1st story written by Sanjana Kapur and drawn by Durgesh Velhal in 2015 A graphic novel titled Param Vir Chakra Somnath Sharma by Roli Books written by Ian Cardozo and drawn by Rishi Kumar in 2019