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{{Short description|Indian army officer and recipient of Maha Vir Chakra}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]]
| name = Keishing Clifford Nongrum
| honorific_suffix = [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]]
| image = File:Capt K C Nongrum (MVC)-5x4.jpg
| image_size = 150px
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_name =
| other_name =
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1975|3|7}}
| birth_place = [[Shillong]], [[Meghalaya]], [[India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1999|7|1|1975|3|7}}
| death_place = Point 4812, [[Kargil district|Kargil]],<br> [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[India]]
| placeofburial_label =
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| allegiance = {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{army|India}}
| serviceyears = 1997–1999
| serviceyears_label =
| rank = [[File:Captain_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|20px]] [[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]]
| rank_label =
| servicenumber = SS-37111
| unit = 12 [[Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry|JAK LI]]
| commands =
| battles_label =
| battles = [[Kargil War]]
| awards = [[File:Maha_Vir_Chakra_ribbon.svg|28px]] [[Maha Vir Chakra]]
| memorials =
| parents =
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}}

[[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]] '''Keishing Clifford Nongrum''', [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] (7 March 1975 – 1 July 1999) was an [[Indian Army]] officer of 12 [[Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry]]. He was posthumously awarded the [[Maha Vir Chakra]], India's second-highest [[gallantry award]], for exemplary valor in combat during operations in the [[Kargil War]] in 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gallantry Awards {{!}} Ministry of Defence, Government of India |url=https://www.gallantryawards.gov.in/awardee/1506 |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=Gallantry Awards}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |last3= |first3= |date=27 July 2018 |title=Kargil martyr Captain Clifford: Meghalaya salutes Kargil martyr Captain Clifford Nongrum {{!}} Shillong News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/shillong/meghalaya-salutes-kargil-martyr-captain-clifford-nongrum/articleshow/65160295.cms |url-status=live |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=[[The Times of India]] |language=en}}</ref>

==Early years and education==
Nongrum was born and brought up in [[Shillong]], [[Meghalaya]], [[India]], in a [[Christianity in India|Christian]] family. His father, Keishing Peter, worked at [[State Bank of India]] while his mother, Saily Nongrum, is a housewife.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bureau |first=TT |date=27 July 2017 |title=In honour of the brave |work=[[The Telegraph (India)]] |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/north-east/in-honour-of-the-brave/cid/1436228}}</ref>

Nongrum received his high-school education from [[Don Bosco Technical School, Shillong]] and attended [[St. Anthony's College, Shillong]]. He was a bright student who consistently performed well in academics and sports.

Captain Nongrum believed Indian military service has an important role to integrate North-Eastern states with mainstream India. Before [[Kargil War|Kargil war]], Nongrum visited the principal of his alma mater, St Anthony's College, [[Shillong]] to discuss the matter and wanted to speak to the students about the Indian army. <ref>{{Cite news |last=Unnithan |first=Sandeep |date=12 August 2018 |title=Requiem for a Kargil hero |work=[[India Today]] |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/requiem-for-a-kargil-hero-1312166-2018-08-12}}</ref>

== Military life ==
He graduated from the [[Officers Training Academy]], [[Chennai]] and was commissioned into the 12th battalion of the [[Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry]].

==Kargil War and death==
At the outbreak of war, his battalion was posted to the [[Batalik]] sector.<ref>{{cite web |title=This Unsung Hero's Act of Extraordinary Courage Led the Indian Army to Victory in the Kargil War |url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/62701/kargil-hero-keishing-clifford-nongrum/ |website=The Better India |date=26 July 2016}}</ref>
The mission was assigned to 12 JAK LI on 30 June 1999 to capture the strategically important Point 4812 in the Batalik sector. Capt Nongrum was tasked to lead the assault team for this critical mission.<ref>{{cite web |title=Capt Keishing Clifford Nongrum MVC {{!}} Honourpoint |url=https://www.honourpoint.in/profile/capt-keishing-clifford-nongrun-mvc/}}</ref>

Capt Nongrum was awarded the Mahavir Chakra for his gallant action in this operation.

The [[Maha Vir Chakra]] citation reads as follows:
{{Reduced pull quote|width=65em |quote=
{{center|'''CITATION'''<br>
'''CAPTAIN KEISHING CLIFFORD NONGRUM'''<br>
'''12 JAMMU AND KASHMIR LIGHT INFANTRY'''<br>}}
On the night of 30 June/1 July 1999, in the operations to capture Point 4812 in the Batalik Sector, Captain Keishing Clifford Nongrum was tasked to assault the feature from the southeastern direction. Captain Keishing Clifford Nongrum led his column over the near impossible vertical feature. On reaching the top, his column encountered strong enemy opposition. The enemy was well entrenched in interconnected bunkers, carved out of boulders, and remained invulnerable to even artillery fire.

The enemy pinned down the column of Captain Keishing Clifford Nongrum with heavy and accurate automatic fire for about two hours. On seeing the futility of own fire against the fortified enemy position, Captain Keishing Nongrum, with utter disregard to his personal safety, charged through the fire zone. Closing in with the first position, he threw grenades into it and killed six enemy soldiers. He then tried to snatch the universal machine gun of the enemy from the second enemy position and received a volley of bullets.

The audacious action of Captain Keishing Clifford Nongrum stunned the enemy giving valuable reaction time to his troops to close in and finally clear the position. Though severely wounded, Captain Keishing Clifford Nongrum refused to be evacuated and fought valiantly till he succumbed to his injuries. This act resulted in the ultimate capture of Point 4812.

'Captain Keishing Clifford Nongrum displayed conspicuous bravery, dogged determination and raw courage in the face of the enemy and made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.'|source=<ref name=Gov>{{citation|url=http://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/keishing-clifford-nongrum|title=Maha Vir Chakra |publisher=Official Website of the Indian Army}}</ref>}}
[[File:Capt KC Nongrum.jpg|thumb|Captain KC Nongrum's memorial at Shillong]]
==Legacy==
Captain Keishing Clifford Nongrum is the only person from the state of Meghalaya to have won this distinct and prestigious honour.

A bust of Captain Keishing Clifford Nongrum has been recently inaugurated at Rhino Museum Shillong in his memory.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://thenortheasttoday.com/kargil-war-martyr-capt-clifford-k-nongrums-bust-unveiled-in-shillong/ | title=Kargil war martyr Capt Clifford K Nongrum’s bust unveiled in Shillong | date=19 May 2015 | newspaper=The Northeast Today | accessdate=29 May 2018 }}</ref>

The Meghalaya government renamed Rilbong Chowk to Clifford Nongrum Square in honor of Captain Keishing Clifford Nongrum.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 March 2017 |title=Rilbong Chowk renamed as Clifford Nongrum Square |work=[[The Shillong Times]] |url=https://theshillongtimes.com/2017/03/01/rilbong-chowk-renamed-as-clifford-nongrum-square/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=14 March 2017 |title=No.GAB.69/2000/563 |url=https://megpolice.gov.in/sites/default/files/Renaming_institutions_roads_villages.pdf |url-status=live |website=Government of Meghalaya}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nongrum, Keishing Clifford}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:1999 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Shillong]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in India]]
[[Category:Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Maha Vir Chakra]]
[[Category:Indian military personnel killed in action]]
[[Category:People associated with Shillong]]
[[Category:Naga people]]
[[Category:Khasi people]]

Keishing Clifford Nongrum - Revision history

Bot at 13:28, 8 October 2022