Page 364 - Leadership in the Indian Army

oldest and proudest cavalry regiments—13 Lancers—was decimated, while
another, 31 Cavalry, was crippled. It was during this action that Second
Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, a young officer with barely six months’ service,

sacrificed his life and was awarded a PVC. The incident is now a legend
and merits recounting.
During the battle, Major Amarjit Bal, the officer commanding (OC) B
Squadron, who had only two of his troops with him, requested
reinforcements. Hanut called Major Man Singh, OC A Squadron, on the
radio, but he had gone to the Regimental Aid Post (RAP) with a casualty.
He ordered the squadron’s second-in-command, Captain V. Malhotra, to

reinforce B Squadron with two troops. Malhotra immediately took off with
Number 3 Troop under Avtar Ahlawat and Number 4 Troop under Arun
Khetarpal. With their guns blazing, the six tanks rushed towards the enemy,
destroying several tanks, and taking some prisoners, who were carried
piggy-back until they were handed over to the infantry. In fact, A
Squadron’s tanks had raced ahead of the positions occupied by B Squadron

and had to be pulled back in line by Hanut on the radio. They had barely got
into fire positions when the enemy’s main attack was delivered, and they
were smack in the middle of it. Whereas three tanks managed to find some
cover, the three being commanded by Malhotra, Ahlawat and Khetarpal
were out in the open.
Very soon, Malhotra’s tank became inoperative due to a mechanical
defect, and that of Ahlawat was shot up. Now only Arun Khetarpal was left

in the fray. Hanut had just passed a net call on the radio ordering ‘All tanks
will fight it out from where they are; no tank will move back even an inch.’
Arun’s tank had received a hit, but it had ricocheted. Now he received a
second hit and the tank caught fire. Malhotra ordered him to abandon his
tank but Arun, realising that he was the only one left who could stop the
enemy, refused, saying: ‘My gun is still functioning. I will get the

remaining lot.’ When Malhotra insisted that he abandon his tank or pull
back, Arun switched off his radio set. The driver, Prayag Singh,
remonstrated with Arun, saying that it would take them only a few minutes
to pull back, put out the fire, and rejoin the battle. Arun replied: ‘Didn’t you
hear the CO’s transmission? No tank will pull back even an inch.’
By this time most of the enemy squadron, commanded by Major Nissar,
had been destroyed, but four or five tanks were still left. Arun

systematically began knocking them out, and the last tank he hit, at a range