Nagaland remembers Kargil Hero Capt N Kenguruse on 27th Memorial Day

Kohima, June 28: Nagaland on Sunday paid tribute to Kargil War hero Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse, Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), on his 27th memorial day, remembering the officer who scaled an icy cliff barefoot before laying down his life in one of the fiercest battles of the 1999 Kargil conflict.

The commemoration was held at the Capt N Kenguruse MVC Memorial at Nerhema Phezha village in Kohima under the aegis of the Inspector General Assam Rifles (North).

Lieutenant General Girish Kalia, General Officer Commanding of Spear Corps, attended the ceremony as chief guest and laid a wreath at the memorial. He also felicitated the family members of the decorated officer.

Addressing the gathering, Lt Gen Kalia said Capt Kenguruse’s “raw courage and selfless action continue to inspire generations of soldiers and citizens” and added that the legacy of Nagaland’s brave sons in defending the nation would never be forgotten.

Captain Kenguruse, an officer of the Indian Army Service Corps attached to the 2 Rajputana Rifles during Operation Vijay, was leading the elite Ghatak Platoon tasked with capturing the strategically important Black Rock feature at an altitude of 16,000 feet in the Drass sector.

On the night of June 28, 1999, despite suffering severe splinter injuries from a grenade, the 24-year-old officer pressed ahead with the assault. Faced with a near-vertical rock face and sub-zero temperatures, he removed his boots for a better grip and climbed the cliff barefoot.

He then engaged enemy troops in hand-to-hand combat, neutralising two bunkers with his commando knife before being fatally hit while charging towards a third bunker. His actions enabled his troops to capture the position, breaking a stalemate that had stalled the battalion’s advance for days.

For his exceptional bravery and leadership, Capt Kenguruse was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India’s second-highest wartime gallantry award. He remains the only recipient of the MVC from the Army Service Corps.

The ceremony was attended by senior Army and Assam Rifles officers, civil administration officials, village elders, NCC cadets, students and local residents. A guard of honour was presented by Assam Rifles personnel, while family members, including the martyr’s wife and relatives, were honoured during the programme.

Floral tributes were also paid by veterans and schoolchildren at the memorial, which stands as a lasting reminder of the sacrifice made by one of Nagaland’s most celebrated war heroes.

Born on July 15, 1974, Capt Kenguruse was commissioned into the Army Service Corps in 1998 and was only 24 years old when he laid down his life during Operation Vijay.
The memorial event concluded with a pledge by those present to uphold the values of courage, duty and sacrifice embodied by the heroes of the Kargil War.

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