Gurbachan Singh Salaria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 29 November 1935 Shakargarh, Punjab, British India |
| Died | 5 December 1961 (aged 26) Élisabethville, State of Katanga |
| Allegiance |  Republic of India |
| Service |  Indian Army |
| Years of service | 1957–1961 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Service number | IC-8497[1] |
| Unit | 3/1 Gorkha Rifles |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards |  Param Vir Chakra |
Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, PVC (29 November 1935 – 5 December 1961) was an Indian military officer and member of a United Nations peacekeeping force. Salaria was an alumnus of King George's Royal Indian Military College and the National Defence Academy (NDA). He was the first NDA alumnus and is the only UN Peacekeeper to be awarded a Param Vir Chakra (PVC), India's highest wartime military decoration.
In December 1961, Salaria was among the Indian troops deployed to the Republic of the Congo as part of the United Nations Operation in the Congo. On 5 December, as part of Operation Unokat, Salaria's battalion was tasked to clear a roadblock of two armoured cars manned by 150 gendarmes of the secessionist State of Katanga on the way to the Elizabethville Airport. The plan was that Salaria and his men were to block their retreat. His rocket launcher team attacked and destroyed the Katangese armoured cars. This unforeseen move confused the Katangese gendarmes, and Salaria felt it would be best to attack before they reorganised. Though his troops were outnumbered, they charged towards the Katangese and killed 40 men in a kukri assault. During the attack, Salaria was shot twice in the neck and eventually succumbed to his injuries. The remaining gendarmes fled in confusion, leaving their dead and wounded behind. This helped the main battalion to easily overrun the Katangese and clear the roadblock. For his duty and courage, and disregard for his own safety during the battle, Salaria was awarded the PVC.
- ^ Chakravorty 1995, p. 69.