Sandhole ke SuperStars....Major Sameer Katwal

Major Sameer Katwal was martyred on the morning of August 28,1999 while attacking a camp of the newly formed Dima Halong Dowga (DHD) militant group in the North Kachar Hills district of Assam. He was not waylaid and killed while travelling in a vehicle, as reported by newspapers.

Sameer, born on July 25, 1974, was the son of K.P.S. Katwal, an officer of the Indian Forest Service posted in Tamil Nadu. He had his school education in Tiruchi and Chennai, got trained at the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, an d was commissioned into the 21st Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment on June 10, 1995. In the words of his Commanding Officer, Colonel J.J. Bajwa, Sameer was a very competent soldier with enthusiastic devotion to duty.

The night before he sacrified his life for the country, Sameer had led a group of 40 soldiers on foot for about 20 km across difficult terrain, to a DHD hideout. All the soldiers, including Sameer, had the protection of bullet-proof vests and steel helmets. The approach was so skilfu l that the militants, numbering about 15, did not notice the soldiers even whey were within 50 metres. The colonel had given clear instructions against any adventurism. Therefore several volleys were fired upon the camp before the final charge was made. Sameer was in the forefront. A fleeing militant turned around and emptied his AK-47 rifle, and one fatal bullet found its mark: it ripped through the right collar bone and neck of Sameer.

Contributed by: A.J.T. Johnsingh
DehraDun

Major Sameer Katwal belonged to village Rawara. Road has been named after Major Sameer Katwal to remember his martyrdom.

The bridge over the river Beas at Harsipatan that took 9 years for completion was open for public in June 2011. A year later in 2012 state govt decided to name the Harsipattan bridge over the Beas as “Samir Setu” after Martyr Major Samir Katwal of Sandhol.