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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Havildar]]
| name = Gajender Singh Bisht
| honorific_suffix = [[Ashok Chakra Award|AC]]
| image = Havildar Gajender Singh.jpg
| image_size = 250 px
| caption = Bisht as a Havaldar/Havildar
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1972|7|1}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2008|11|28|1972|7|1}}
| birth_place = [[Dehradun]], [[Uttarakhand]]
| death_place = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]]
| allegiance = {{flagicon|India}} [[India]]
| branch = [[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Indian Army]]
| serviceyears = 1990–2008
| rank = [[File:Indian Army Havildar.gif|50px]] [[Havildar]]
| unit = [[51 Special Action Group|51 SAG, NSG]]<br/>[[Parachute Regiment (India)|Parachute Regiment]]
| battles = [[2008 Mumbai attacks|Operation Black Tornado]]
| awards = [[File:Ashoka Chakra ribbon.svg|34px]] [[Ashoka Chakra Award|Ashoka Chakra]]
}}
'''Gajender Singh Bisht''' (1 July 1972 – 28 November 2008) was an [[National Security Guards|NSG]] commando and [[Havildar]] ([[Sergeant]]) who was killed during the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]]. His act of bravery was honoured with the [[Ashoka Chakra Award|Ashoka Chakra award]] by the [[President (government title)|President]] of [[India]] on [[26 January]] 2009, India's [[Republic Day (India)|Republic Day]].<ref name="ashoka">{{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/11-security-personnel-to-get-ashok-chakra/83597-3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203074058/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/11-security-personnel-to-get-ashok-chakra/83597-3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-02-03|title=11 security personnel to get Ashok Chakra|access-date=2009-01-25}}</ref>

==Childhood==
Hailing from Ganeshpur in [[Dehradun]], [[Uttarakhand]], young Gajender Singh studied at the Janata Inter College in Naya Gaon. He was remembered by his teachers as a disciplined student who participated in every event organised in the school, sports or cultural activities. He had a particular interest in boxing.<ref name="aaa">{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/he-had-always-wanted-to-die-a-heros-death/392346/|title=‘He had always wanted to die a hero’s death’|first=Rajeev |last=khanna|access-date=2009-01-27}}</ref>

==Operation Black Tornado==

Gajender Singh was a member of the [[National Security Guard]]’s [[51 Special Action Group]]. He was part of the team of NSG commandos who were [[fast-roping|fast-roped]] onto the roof of Nariman House in an operation to neutralize the terrorists inside who were holding at least six hostages.

According to Jyoti Krishna Dutt, Director General of the NSG, Singh was leading one of the teams that entered the building. The team came under intense fire from the terrorists and returned fire while trying to dominate the situation. The terrorists also hurled several grenades at the commandos. At this point, Singh had the option of retreating with his team. However, he realized that they had to seize this opportunity and continued moving ahead. Rather than turn his back on the militants, he instead created a way for the other commandos despite a grenade thrown at him. Despite sustaining multiple bullet injuries while doing so, he moved forward and ultimately succumbed to his injuries. This enabled his team to secure a dominating position in the encounter.<ref name="HT">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/FullcoverageStoryPage.aspx?id=5a23e305-3ee7-483e-88c3-5aeea3ef1902Mumbaiunderattack_Special&MatchID1=4858&TeamID1=1&TeamID2=5&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1224&PrimaryID=4858&Headline=Tributes+paid+to+NSG+commando+Gajender+in+Delhi|title=Slain NSG commando paid tributes at special ceremony in Delhi|access-date=2009-01-27|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210144958/http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/FullcoverageStoryPage.aspx?id=5a23e305-3ee7-483e-88c3-5aeea3ef1902Mumbaiunderattack_Special&MatchID1=4858&TeamID1=1&TeamID2=5&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1224&PrimaryID=4858&Headline=Tributes+paid+to+NSG+commando+Gajender+in+Delhi|archive-date=10 December 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

== Death ==
While securing the [[Nariman House]] during [[2008 Mumbai attacks|Operation Black Tornado]], Singh, a member of the Parachute Regiment was fatally wounded while storming the Jewish centre.

==Ashoka Chakra Award Citation==
[[File:Smt. Vineeta Devi receiving Ashoka Chakra awarded to her husband Havildar Gajender Singh (Posthumous) from the President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, during the 60th Republic Day Parade-2009, in New Delhi.jpg|right|thumb|Gajender Singh Bisht's widow receives the Ashok Chakra from president Pratibha Patil on 26 January 2009.]]
The official citation for the [[Ashoka Chakra Award]] reads:

{{Quotation|{{center|'''4073611 HAVILDAR GAJENDER SINGH PARACHUTE REGIMENT / 51 SPECIAL ACTION GROUP (POSTHUMOUS)'''}}

In the night of 27th November 2008, Havildar Gajender Singh was leading his squad in the operation to rescue hostages from the terrorists at Nariman House, Mumbai.

After clearing the top floor of the terrorists, he reached the place where the terrorists had taken position. As he closed in, the terrorists hurled a grenade injuring him. Undeterred, he kept firing and closing in on the terrorists by exposing himself to the hostile fire. In the act, he injured one of the terrorists and forced the others to retreat inside a room. He continued the encounter till he succumbed to his injuries.

Havildar Gajender Singh displayed most conspicuous courage against grave odds and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in combating the terrorists.<ref name=PIB>{{citation|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=46980|access-date=14 September 2014|date=25 January 2009|title=Ashoka Chakra awardees and their saga of gallantry |publisher=Press Information Bureau, Government of India}}</ref>}}

==See also==
* [[Hemant Karkare]]
* [[Sandeep Unnikrishnan]]
* [[Vijay Salaskar]]
* [[Ashok Kamte]]
* [[Tukaram Omble]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{2008 Mumbai attacks}}
{{Ashoka Chakra award recipients}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Havaldar Gajender}}
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in India]]
[[Category:Terrorism victims in India]]
[[Category:Victims of the 2008 Mumbai attacks]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)]]
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Dehradun]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Ashoka Chakra]]

Gajender Singh Bisht - Revision history

Bot at 13:38, 23 October 2022