Lance Naik Albert Ekka was among such brave soldiers whose story of courage is so enduring to keep the Indian Army always motivated.
Born on 27 December 1942 in the Jari village of Chainpur block of Gumla district in Jharkhand, Ekka had a natural flair for sports since he grew up hunting with his bow and arrow.
Son of Sri Julius Ekka and Smt Mariam Ekka, he was adventurous by nature and always nursed the idea of joining the Indian Army. He was a keen sportsman and excelled in various games, especially hockey.
His dream turned into reality when he joined the army on 27th Dec 1962 at the age of 2o years. He was recruited into 14th Battalion of Brigade of the Guards, a mechanized infantry regiment known for its fearless soldiers and various battle exploits.
1971 Indo-Pak War
By 1971, Lance Naik Albert Ekka had put in about 9 years of service and had served in numerous counter insurgency operations in the North East region.
During the Indo-Pak War in 1971, the 14 Guards was dispatched to capture a Pakistani position at Gangasagar about 6 Kms west of Agartala in Brahmanbarhia district of what was then East Pakistan.
Lance Naik Albert Ekka went with the left forward company of the battalion in the attack. Ekka spotted an enemy light machine gun firing from a bunker causing heavy casualties. Unmindful of personal safety, he charged at the bunker, bayoneted two soldiers and captured the bunker post. He was seriously injured in the exchange, but that did not stop him.
Although grievously injured in these close encounters Lance Naik Albert Ekka continued to pursue the objectives of his company relentlessly. His daring action helped his company in successfully driving the enemy away from Gangasagar.
Awards and Honours
On December 3, 1971, Ekka died in action in the battle of Hilli, in Bangladesh. For his bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy.
Besides being decorated with the Param Vir Chakra, the Indian government issued a postal stamp in his memory during the 50th Republic Day in 2000.
His home state of Jharkhand also honoured him by naming a major road intersection in Ranchi after him.
In fact, Bangladesh conferred on him the Friends of Liberation War honour for his outstanding support and sacrifice to the 1971 war as a foreigner.
