Remembering 1971 Indo-Pak war hero 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal PVC on his birth anniversary

“No Sir, I will not abandon my tank. My Main gun is still working and I will get these bastards" - These were the final words spoken by Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal to a superior officer over the radio. 

Born into a military family in Pune on October 14, 1950, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal was the eldest of the two sons of Lt Col (later Brigadier) M.L. Khetarpal and Maheshwari Khetarpal. The love for Army life came naturally to Arun at a young age as several generations of his family had served in the armed forces.

Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal was a 4th generation officer

Second Lieutenant Arun’s great-grandfather had fought against the British while serving in the Sikh army, while his grandfather had served in the British Army during the first world war. Meanwhile, his father, Lt Col (later Brigadier) M.L. Khetarpal served in the Corps of Engineers.

An alumnus of The Lawrence School, Sanawar located in Himachal Pradesh’s Kasauli hills, Arun performed very well in academics as well as sports. Moreover, the young boy was made the school prefect on the account of his all-round performance. Not many would have imagined that second Lieutenant Arun would live up to this school motto, “Never Give In” even after becoming an officer in the Indian Army. 

Beginning of a life less ordinary

In June 1967, Arun joined the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla. He quickly rose in the hierarchy in the academy being appointed the Squadron Cadet Captain of the 38th Course in Foxtrot Squadron. 

After passing out from the NDA, Arun went to join the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. On June 13, Arun Khetarpal was commissioned into the 17 Poona Horse as a Second Lieutenant. His rank was signified by one star on each of his shoulder epaulettes. The shoulder epaulettes are worn by the armed forces personnel to denote rank. 

War breaks out

Six months following his passing out parade from the Indian Military Academy, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal was attending his Young Officers Course at Ahmednagar when the war with Pakistan broke out on 03 December, 1971. He was recalled from the course and soon joined his unit to take part in the famous “Battle of Basantar” in the Shakargarh sector. But before he left his home, Arun’s mother had told him, “Fight like a lion. Don’t return like a coward.” 

During the Indo-Pak War of 1971, Arun’s unit was assigned to the command of the 47th Infantry Brigade. The Brigade was tasked with establishing a bridgehead across the river Basantar. On 15th December, the brigade had successfully captured its objective. However, the area was filled with extensive mines laid by the enemy, which prevented the deployment of the tanks of Poona Horse.

In a joint operation by two of the armoured regiments along with 16 Madras and 3 Grenadiers, the army engineers managed to clear the mines halfway when the Indian troops noticed the alarming activity of the enemy armoured vehicles asking for air support. At this critical juncture, 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal’s regiment decided to push through the minefield. 

The turning point 

On December 16, Pakistan launched their first counter-attack using armoured vehicles under the cover of a smokescreen at Jarpal. As per reports, the commander of the ‘B’ squadron, which was stationed at the location, called for urgent reinforcements. Stationed with the ‘A’ squadron at a nearby location, Second Lt. Arun Khetarpal responded promptly.

Image: Indian Army

Launching a fierce counterattack, Second Lieutenant Khetarpal engaged the Pakistani armour. Thereafter, he was able to slow the enemy’s advance with the help of his troops and tanks. However, during the battle, Lt Ahlawat, the commander of the second tank was wounded. This left 2nd Lt Arun the sole person in charge during the raging battle. The battle dragged on but, the enemy did not retreat despite suffering heavy casualties at the hands of the Indian Army. Amid Pakistan Army’s continuous counterattacks during the tank battle, 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal was left with just two tanks. As per the Indian Army, the young officer fought off and destroyed 10 enemy tanks. 

However, during the fierce tank battle, the young officer’s tank was struck by enemy fire. Despite calls from his superiors to abandon his tank and retreat back to safety, 2nd Lt Arun refused to do so. 

“No Sir, I will not abandon my tank. My Main gun is still working and I will get these bastards,” these were the final words 2nd Lt Arun transmitted from his radio to a senior officer. 

At this stage, the officer’s tank received another hit from the enemy which resulted in a shell piercing the armour of 2nd Lt Arun’s tank and ripping his stomach. 

Second Lt Arun Khetarpal had continued fighting till his last breath, staying true to his school’s motto “Never Give In”. 

According to Indian Army officials, the last enemy tank that the young officer managed to destroy was barely 100 meters from his position. Following the battle, 2nd Lt Arun’s body and his tank “Famagusta” were captured by the enemy but were later returned to the Indian Army.

Image: Twitter/@LestWeForgetIN

On December 17, 1971, 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal, who was just 21 at the time he laid down his life for the nation, was cremated near Samba district and his ashes were sent to his family. Following his martyrdom, 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal was posthumously awarded India’s highest wartime military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra (PVC). 

The PVC citation awarded to the officer read- “Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal had shown the best qualities of leadership, tenacity of purpose and the will to close in with the enemy. This was an act of courage and self-sacrifice far beyond the call of duty.”