110.34.27.228 at 03:08, 25 December 2022

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{{Short description|Indian Army officer, recipient of Vir Chakra}}
{{Cleanup bare URLs|date=August 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix= [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]]
|name= Lalit Rai
|honorific_suffix=[[Vir Chakra|VrC]]
|image= Lalit Rai.jpg
|caption= Col. Lalit Rai being decorated with [[Vir Chakra]] by [[President of India|President]] [[K R Narayanan]]
|birth_date={{Birth date|df=yes|1956|8|24}}
|birth_place=[[Dehradun]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]] (now in [[Uttarakhand]], India)
|allegiance={{flag|India}}
|branch=[[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Indian Army]]
|rank= [[File:Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|20px]] [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]]
|unit/Regiment= [[11 Gorkha Rifles]]
|commands=1/[[11 Gorkha Rifles]] <br /> 17 [[Rashtriya Rifles]]
|battles=[[Kargil War]]
|awards=[[File:Vir_Chakra_ribbon_bar.svg|20px]][[Vir Chakra]] <br /> [[File:Chief_of_Army_Staff_Commendation_Card_-_India.jpg|20px]] [[Awards and Decorations of the Indian Armed Forces#Commendation Card|COAS Commendation Card]]
|relations=
|laterwork= Controller, Human Resources Development at Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd<br />Group President, Human Resources Development and Administration Panchshil Realty
}}

[[Colonel (India)|Colonel]] '''Lalit Rai''', [[VrC]] is a former [[Indian Army]] officer who was decorated for his brave actions during the [[Kargil War]] in 1999. As the [[commanding officer]] (CO) of the 1st battalion, [[11 Gorkha Rifles]], he was tasked with capturing the strategic heights of Khalubar in the [[Batalik]] sector during the Kargil War.<ref>{{cite book |title=Kargil from surprise to victory |last=Malik |first=V. P. |page=195 |year=2006 |publisher=[[HarperCollins Publishers India]] |isbn=9788172236359 }}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Lalit Rai was born in Dehradun, Uttar Pradesh, India (now in Uttarakhand), on 24 August 1956 in a Nepali family. His father, Late Major T B Rai was also from the regiment of 11 GORKHA RIFLES. He did his schooling from [[Bishop Cotton Boys' School]] in Bangalore (Class of 1970-71). He did his Pre University Course from Sri Sathya Sai College of Arts and Science and graduated with a Bachelors of Science Degree from Government Arts and Science College, Bangalore University. He has a postgraduate degree in Management from Osmania University, Secunderabad, India and from Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, USA.
He represented and captained the Bangalore University Football team and also represented the Karnataka Junior National Team. He was selected for the Senior national Football camp. He represented the Bangalore University Athletics team in the Inter University games.

==Early military career==
Rai was commissioned into the 7th Battalion the 11 GORKHA RIFLES (7/11 GR). He served in all types of terrain and was selected for many Instructional and Staff appointments. As Adjutant of the prestigious Officers Training Academy, Chennai, he successfully inducted the first batch of Lady officers into the army viz the Women Special Entry Scheme [WSES (O)]. He took over command of 17 RASHTRIYA RIFLES (17 RR) in the thick of Counter Terrorist operations in Doda Dist of Jammu and Kashmir. He was still commanding 17 RR, when he was offered the command of 1/11 GORKHA RIFLES in war zone by Lt Gen JBS Yadava (the then Colonel of the Regiment). He accepted this offer and was moved to Batalik sector, Kargil district in May 1999, to take over command of 1/11 GORKHA RIFLES (1/11 GR).

==Kargil War==
The first unit deployed during [[Kargil War|Operation Vijay]] was 1/11 GR, who were specialists in high-altitude warfare. Rai took over as the [[Commanding Officer|CO]] after the battalion had been deployed to Batalik sector.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/kargil-war-hero-recounts-tales-of-valour/386375/|title = Kargil War hero recounts tales of valour - Indian Express}}</ref> One of his platoons was led by Lt. [[Manoj Kumar Pandey|Manoj Pandey]] (later [[Param Vir Chakra|PVC]]).<ref>http://www.indianarmy.gov.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmPhotoGalleryWithMenuWithTitle.aspx?MnId=NCvnix4zLfQhf90l3OuEBw%3d%3d&ParentID=1tHir3NYQjroCJ9AgypEwg%3d%3d</ref>

1/11 GR was tasked with the capture of Khalubar, a formidable ridge in the Batalik sector. During the advance, Indian troops were pinned down by effective and heavy volume of enemy fire. Realising the danger of getting day lighted in this vulnerable position, Rai ordered 5 Platoon to clear the interfering enemy positions while he himself led a handful of troops, available in front, to reach the top. The enemy, sensing the danger, counter-attacked these troops from three sides with 30-40 personnel. During this counterattack, Rai was injured in the knee. Despite his injury, he exhorted and encouraged his troops to fight courageously by setting a very high standard of bravery. He refused to be evacuated till such time the objective was captured.

This act boosted the morale of his troops who regrouped and captured the objective in one charge. This capture turned out to be the turning point in the battle of the Batalik sub-sector. This operation accounted for killing of 25 enemy soldiers and capture of large amount of arms and ammunition including a Stinger missile, air defence guns and important documents.<ref name="Vir Chakra Awardee - Col. Lalit Rai">{{cite web|title=Vir Chakra Awardee - Col. Lalit Rai|url=http://twdi.in/node/4374|accessdate=3 November 2014}}</ref>

For his inspirational leadership and conspicuous bravery of a very high order, he was awarded the [[Vir Chakra]] on 15 August 1999, by the President of India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/He-died-the-most-glorious-death/articleshow/709608.cms|title='He died the most glorious death' | Pune News - Times of India|website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref><ref name="Bharat Rakshak - Undiluted Heroism - Col. Lalit Rai">{{cite web|title=Bharat Rakshak - Undiluted Heroism - Col. Lalit Rai|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1999/304-Undiluted-Heriosm.html|accessdate=3 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103172403/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1999/304-Undiluted-Heriosm.html|archive-date=3 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
In the 2003 war film [[LOC Kargil]], Bollywood actor [[Sudesh Berry]] played the role of Col. Lalit Rai.<ref>{{Citation|title=LOC: Kargil|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0347416/|access-date=2020-05-23}}</ref>

==Present life==
Col. Rai is presently the Managing Director of Arcanum Management Consulting LLP & ARION Exports both based at Pune. He is on the Company Board of Directors of a few companies and is Advisor & Consultant to some large size companies in India. He is a well established motivational speaker. He has been closely associated with major Indian corporates and continues to inspire and touch lives with his inspirational leadership and astute management insights in the Human Resources domain & Leadership aspects.
He delivered the 3rd Memorial Lecture<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOwRP31FMI4|title=Colonel Lalit Rai - 3rd General K.S. Thimayya Memorial Lecture|website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> organised by the General K.S. Thimayya Memorial Trust.

==Military awards and decorations==

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|
|[[Image:Vir Chakra ribbon bar.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Wound Medal-India.svg|105px]]
|
|-
|[[File:IND Operation Vijay star.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Special Service Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Operation Vijay medal.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:IND High Altitude Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]]
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|colspan="2"|[[Vir Chakra]]
|colspan="2"|[[Wound Medal (India)|Wound Medal]]
|-
|[[Operation Vijay Star]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Special Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Operation Vijay Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Sainya Seva Medal]]
|-
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|High Altitude Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|50th Anniversary of Independence Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Long service awards|20 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Long service awards|9 Years Long Service Medal]]
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rai, Lalit}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Dehradun]]
[[Category:Bishop Cotton Boys' School alumni]]
[[Category:Indian Gorkhas]]
[[Category:Rai people]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Vir Chakra]]

Lalit Rai - Revision history

110.34.27.228 at 03:08, 25 December 2022