Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon

फ्लाइंग ऑफिसर निर्मल जीत सिंह सेखों, पीवीसी (बलिदानोपरांत)

Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, PVC (17 July 1945 – 14 December 1971) was an officer of the Indian Air Force. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honour, in recognition of his lone defence of Srinagar Air Base against a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) air raid during the India–Pakistan war of 1971. He is the only member of the Indian Air Force to be honoured with the PVC.

Flying Officer NJS Sekhon
PVC (Posthumous)
Punjab, Bharatvarsh
Service No	10877 F(P)
Date of Birth	17 July 1945
Place of birth	Ludhiana, Punjab
Service	Indian Air Force
Last Rank	Flying Officer
Unit	No. 18 Squadron | (Flying Bullets)
Martyrdom	14 December 1971 (aged 26) | Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir

Flying Officer Sekhon's remains as well as the exact location of the crash site of his aircraft are still unknown.

Early life

Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was born in a Jat Sikh family on 17 July 1945 in the village of Isewal, Ludhiana, Punjab Province, British India. His father was an Indian Air Force’s Master Warrant Officer, Honorary Flight Lieutenant Tarlochan Singh Sekhon and his mother was Harbans Kaur Sekhon. He was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 4 June 1967 as a Pilot Officer.

Param Vir Chakra Award

During the India–Pakistan war of 1971, he was stationed at the No.18 Squadron, "The Flying Bullets" of IAF, flying the Folland Gnat fighter aircraft based at Srinagar. On 14 December 1971 Srinagar airfield was attacked by six Pakistan Air Force F-86 jets of 26 Squadron from PAF Base Peshawar. Fg Offr Sekhon was on readiness duty at that time. As soon as the first aircraft attacked, Sekhon rolled for take-off as No 2 in a two-Gnat formation, with Flt. Lt. Ghumman in lead, just as the first bombs were falling on the runway. Only delayed due to dust kicked up by and threw bomb on Pakistan military camp and killed 47 the preceding Gnat, Sekhon lost no time in singling out the first Sabre pair, which was re-forming after the bombing run. The Gnat Leader, Flt. Lt. Ghumman lost visual with his wingman just after take-off, remained out of the fight leaving Sekhon to handle the muddle all by himself. In the ensuing air battle, Sekhon scored a direct hit on one Sabre and set another ablaze. The latter was seen heading away towards Rajauri, trailing smoke.

Sekhon, after being hit, was advised to return to the base by ATC Squadron Leader Virendera Singh Pathania. He is said to have flown in straight, wings level for some time, then going inverted and plummeting down, probably due to failure of control system. He attempted a last-minute ejection, which did not prove successful, as his canopy was seen to fly off. The wreckage of the Gnat was found in a gorge near the road coming from Srinagar town to the base, a few miles from the base. Despite many efforts by Army and Air Force, his remains were never found due to the mountainous terrain where his fighter went down.

A detailed story of his effort has been mentioned in fairly detailed account by Air Cmde Kaiser Tufail. His skill has been praised in an article by Salim Baig Mirza, the pilot who downed his aircraft during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The bravery, flying skill and determination displayed by Flying Officer Sekhon, against odds of 1:6, earned him India's highest wartime medal for gallantry, the Param Vir Chakra.

Sculpture of N.J.S. Sekhon at Shaheedi Park, New Delhi

Citation

The Param Vir Chakra citation reads as follows:

CITATION

FG OFFR NIRMAL JIT SINGH SEKHON 18 SQUADRON 10877 F(P) Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was a pilot of a Gnat detachment based at Srinagar for the air defence of the valley against Pakistani air attacks. From the very outbreak of the hostilities he and his colleagues fought successive waves of intruding Pakistani aircraft with valour and determination, maintaining the high reputation of the Gnat aircraft. On 14 December 1971, Srinagar airfield was attacked by a wave of enemy Sabre aircraft. Flying Officer Sekhon was on readiness duty at the time. Immediately, however, no fewer than six enemy aircraft were overhead, and they began bombing and strafing the airfield. In spite of the mortal danger of attempting to take off during the attack, Flying Officer Sekhon took off and immediately engaged a pair of the attacking Sabres. In the fight that ensued, he secured hits on one aircraft and damaged another. By this time the other Sabre aircraft came to the aid of their hard-pressed companions and Flying Officer Sekhon's Gnat was again outnumbered, this time by four to one.

Even though alone, Flying Officer Sekhon engaged the enemy in an unequal combat. In the fight that followed, at treetop height, he almost held his own, but was eventually overcome by the sheer weight of numbers. His aircraft was shot down by a gunfire of one of the Sabres and he was killed.

The sublime heroism, supreme gallantry, flying skill and determination above and beyond the call of duty displayed by Flying Officer Sekhon in the face of certain death have set new heights in Air Force traditions.

Honours

Fg OffrNirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, PVC

Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon is remembered for his gallantry and statues of him have also been erected in many cities in India.

A marine tanker built in 1985 was named Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, PVC.

Statues and a bust

A statue in tribute of Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was erected at the district court of Ludhiana (first erected at Samrala Chowk, Ludhiana) in the courtyard next to the flagpole. A decommissioned Folland Gnat fighter is part of the memorial and serves as a gate guardian.

Statue of Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon and his aircraft

His statue along with a decommissioned Folland Gnat fighter has been placed in the Indian Air Force Museum, Palam.

Balidan Stambh, the war memorial in Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir in 2009 paid tribute to him by inscribing his name on the pillars alongside the martyrs of the 1971 war. His name is displayed near the Amar Jawan Jyoti(Eternal Flame) and as relief mural on the outside background wall with the Param Vir Chakra awardees who attained martyrdom in J&K.

Air Marshal BR Krishna unveiled Sekhon's bust in 2021 at Govt. Senior Sec. School, Issewal in Ludhiana, his birthplace.

In popular culture

• The thirteenth episode of TV Series Param Vir Chakra, aired on DD National was on him in 1988.
• A graphic novel titled Param Vir Chakra by Amar Chitra Katha dedicated their thirteenth story written by Sanjana Kapur and drawn by Durgesh Velhal in 2015.
• A graphic novel titled Param Vir Chakra Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon by Roli Books written by Ian Cardozo and drawn by Rishi Kumar in 2019.
• In upcoming Bollywood film Border 2, Diljit Dosanjh is playing the role of Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon

फ्लाइंग ऑफिसर निर्मल जित सिंह सेखों, परमवीर चक्र (बलिदानोपरांत)

Sekhon's statue at Param Yodha Sthal, National War Memorial, New Delhi

नं. 18 स्क्वाड्रन “फ़्लाइंग बुलेट्स” | भारतीय वायुसेना

भारतीय वायुसेना के पहले एवं एकमात्र परमवीर चक्र विजेता

परिचय

फ्लाइंग ऑफिसर निर्मल जित सिंह सेखों भारतीय वायुसेना के उन अमर वीरों में हैं, जिनकी अद्वितीय वीरता 1971 के भारत–पाक युद्ध में श्रीनगर एयरफील्ड की रक्षा करते हुए इतिहास बन गई। अत्यंत प्रतिकूल परिस्थितियों, सीमित संसाधनों और संख्या में श्रेष्ठ शत्रु विमानों के सामने, उन्होंने अपने प्राणों की परवाह किए बिना आकाश में चुनौती स्वीकार की और कश्मीर घाटी की सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित की। उनके असाधारण साहस, उड़ान कौशल और सर्वोच्च बलिदान के लिए उन्हें 14 दिसंबर 1971 को परमवीर चक्र (मरणोपरांत) प्रदान किया गया।

प्रारंभिक जीवन एवं प्रेरणा

निर्मल जित सिंह सेखों का जन्म 17 जुलाई 1945 को इसेवाल गाँव, लुधियाना (पंजाब) में हुआ। उनके पिता श्री त्रिलोक सिंह भारतीय वायुसेना में सेवा कर मानद फ्लाइट लेफ्टिनेंट के रूप में सेवानिवृत्त हुए। घर का यह सैन्य वातावरण और निकटवर्ती हलवारा एयर बेस ने बचपन से ही उन्हें विमानों और वायुसेना के प्रति आकर्षित किया।

उन्होंने खालसा हाई स्कूल, अजितसर–मोहिए (लुधियाना) से शिक्षा प्राप्त की और दयालबाग इंजीनियरिंग कॉलेज, आगरा में अध्ययन आरंभ किया; किंतु देशसेवा के आह्वान पर इंजीनियरिंग छोड़कर वायुसेना में शामिल हो गए।

वायुसेना में प्रवेश एवं प्रशिक्षण

Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon in a colorized photograph of the No. 18 Squadron just a few months before the India–Pakistan war of 1971. He is sitting in the 2nd row from the bottom, 4th from the right.

4 जून 1967 को वे फाइटर पायलट के रूप में भारतीय वायुसेना में कमीशंड हुए। कठोर प्रशिक्षण पूर्ण करने के बाद अक्टूबर 1968 में उनकी पोस्टिंग नं. 18 स्क्वाड्रन (“फ़्लाइंग बुलेट्स”) में हुई। वे ग्नैट/एचएएल अजीत जैसे फुर्तीले लड़ाकू विमानों पर दक्ष पायलट बने।

1971 का भारत–पाक युद्ध: श्रीनगर की ऐतिहासिक रक्षा

युद्ध के दौरान श्रीनगर एयरफील्ड पश्चिमी मोर्चे पर बार-बार पाकिस्तानी वायुसेना के हमलों का लक्ष्य था। 1948 के एक अंतरराष्ट्रीय समझौते के कारण युद्ध से पहले यहाँ स्थायी वायु-रक्षा विमान तैनात नहीं थे; अतः ऊँचाई, कड़ाके की ठंड और भू-आकृति से अपरिचित रहते हुए भी सेखों और उनके साथियों ने घाटी की रक्षा संभाली।

14 दिसंबर 1971 को, छह पाकिस्तानी सेबर जेट श्रीनगर एयरफील्ड पर हमला करने पहुँचे।

• रनवे पर धूल-आंधी के कारण तुरंत टेक-ऑफ संभव नहीं था; तब तक शत्रु विमान ऊपर से स्ट्रेफिंग करने लगे।
• मृत्यु के स्पष्ट खतरे के बावजूद, जैसे ही रनवे उपलब्ध हुआ, फ्लाइंग ऑफिसर सेखों ने टेक-ऑफ किया और अकेले ही हमलावरों से भिड़ गए।

• 

  Relief Mural at Balidan Stambh Jammu

  अत्यंत निम्न ऊँचाई (ट्री-टॉप लेवल) पर उन्होंने दो सेबर जेट्स से डॉगफाइट की और शत्रु को उलझाए रखा।
• संख्या में भारी असमानता के कारण अंततः उनका विमान गिरा और वे वीरगति को प्राप्त हुए; किंतु उनकी निर्भीक चुनौती से शत्रु विमानों ने हमला छोड़कर पीछे हटना पड़ा, जिससे एयरफील्ड और नगर सुरक्षित रहे।

यह एकाकी प्रतिरोध वायुयुद्ध के इतिहास में अद्वितीय है।

परमवीर चक्र

फ्लाइंग ऑफिसर निर्मल जित सिंह सेखों को असाधारण शौर्य, सर्वोच्च वीरता, उड़ान कौशल और कर्तव्य से परे जाकर बलिदान के लिए परमवीर चक्र (मरणोपरांत) प्रदान किया गया। वे भारतीय वायुसेना के पहले और एकमात्र परमवीर चक्र विजेता हैं।

स्मारक, सम्मान एवं विरासत

• राष्ट्रीय युद्ध स्मारक, नई दिल्ली के परम योद्धा स्थल पर उनकी बस्ट।
• लुधियाना में उनकी प्रतिमा; प्रमुख चौराहों का नामकरण।
• भारतीय वायुसेना संग्रहालय, पालम में उनकी प्रतिमा तथा फॉलैंड ग्नैट विमान का प्रदर्शन।
• 1985 में निर्मित समुद्री टैंकर “Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, PVC”—विश्व का सबसे लंबा जहाज़-नाम।
• पुस्तकों, कॉमिक्स और फ़िल्मों में उनकी प्रेरक गाथा।

फ्लाइंग ऑफिसर निर्मल जित सिंह सेखों का जीवन यह सिखाता है कि साहस केवल हथियारों से नहीं, संकल्प से जन्म लेता है। अकेले, प्रतिकूल परिस्थितियों में, आकाश में खड़े होकर मातृभूमि की रक्षा—यह उनकी अमर विरासत है, जो आने वाली पीढ़ियों के लिए कर्तव्य, निर्भीकता और देशप्रेमका शाश्वत मानक रहेगी।