Balram Singh Mehta is a retired Indian Army Brigadier who participated in the Battle of Garibpur before the outbreak of the Indo-Pak war in 1971. In 2022, he rose to fame with the war film “Pippa,” which was adapted from his 2016 book “Burning Chafis: A Soldier’s First-Hand Account of the 1971 War.”
Wiki/Biography
Balram Singh Mehta was born on Monday, April 16, 1945, in Punjab, British India (now India) (age 77 years; as of 2022). After completing his studies, Balram Singh Mehta joined the National Defense Academy in Pune in January 1962 and the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun in June 1965. After completing his training, he enlisted in the Indian Army on June 15, 1966.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′6″
Hair color: gray
Eye color: dark brown
family
Parents and siblings
Balram Singh Mehta was born into a military family. His father served in the British Indian Army and after retiring from the army he served as Deputy Director of Defense Accounts. Mehta died in December 1953. Mehta has 4 brothers and one sister. His brother Raj Mehta is a retired major general in the Indian Army. His eldest brother Shamsher Mehta is a retired Indian Army officer. His brother Narinder Mehta (late) was a retired Colonel in the Indian Army. His brother Surinder Mehta is a retired officer of the Indian Army. His sister Kusum Mehta is a dentist.
Major General Raj Mehta, brother of Brigadier General Balram Singh Mehta
wife and children
His wife’s name is Jaishri. His son’s name is Brijraj Mehta. His daughter’s name is Nandinii Mehta.
Race
Balram Singh Mehta was a Moshiyar Brahmin. The Moshiyar Brahmins are a branch of the Hindu community in Punjab. Balram writes about his race in the book,
I also have a middle name – Singer. This is reminiscent of previous generations, when the oldest boy in the family was appointed defender of the Sikh faith. The surname Mehta was actually a title given to the more learned and educated people of the Mohal community from the Gandhara region. “
Profession
army
On June 15, 1966, Balram Singh Mehta joined the 45th Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army’s Armored Forces as a second lieutenant. In 1971, Balram participated in the Battle of Garipur before the outbreak of the Indo-Pak war in 1971 and was promoted to the rank of captain.
Battle of Garipur
On November 20, 1971, 12 days before the start of the 1971 War, the Battle of Gharipur broke out between the Indian Army and the Pakistan Army in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). During the battle, Balram Singh Mehta served as the Deputy Commander (2IC) of C Squadron, 45 Cavalry Regiment, under Major Daljit Singh Narang, who was killed in the battle. After the death of Major Narang, Balram became the commander of C Squadron and led the squadron to destroy 8 Pakistani tanks and capture the town of Gharipur, achieving victory.
After the battle, the Indian Army mentioned Balram Singh Mehta’s name in a telegram. Balram said of the fight in an interview:
At that time I was the second captain of the 45th Cavalry Squadron. We have Russian PT-76 tanks in our fleet. On the evening of November 20, we crossed the Kabardak River with the 14th Punjab Battalion and entered the Gharibpur border… After dawn on the 21st, a Pakistani tank formation started a battle with our tanks. They carried 14 American Chaffee tanks. Our squadron commander, Major Daljit Singh Narang, was killed in Pakistani shelling almost at the beginning of the war. Therefore, the responsibility of commanding the war fell on me. That’s when my tank started failing. At the same time, three Pakistani tanks surrounded us. Almost miraculously we shot down all three tanks. I stopped the gunner in my tank from firing on him as their gunner came out of the Pakistani tank. Later, when we treated him as a prisoner of war and gave him tea and biscuits, he continued to thank us. If the government had given us permission on that day (the day the Battle of Garipur was won), we would have driven to Jessore (Bangladesh) and brought the war to an early end. “
Photos taken after the Battle of Garipur
After the 1971 War
On December 21, 1984, Balram Singh Mehta, who had become Lieutenant Colonel, formed the 13th Armored Regiment of the Indian Army. In November 1986, under his command, the 13th Armored Regiment participated in a large-scale military exercise “Operation Brastax” in Rajasthan. In 1990, Balram Singh Mehta attended the Advanced Command Course at the Army War College, Mohau. During his tenure in the Army, Balram held various key positions in the Strike Corps, Mountain Division and Infantry Division. Later, Balram was posted to the Cabinet Secretariat. Balram Singh Mehta retired early from the Indian Army in 1998 as a Brigadier.
after retirement
After his retirement, Balram Singh Mehta was employed by the Government of Gujarat. In 2000, while working with the government, he organized the first entrepreneurship course for retired officers of the Indian Army at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute in Ahmedabad. He served in the Gujarat government until 2001. After working with the government, Balram served as vice-chancellor (VC) of several universities in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Balram Singh Mehta also served as the Director General of an Iowa-based NGO called Maharishi Invincible Defense for Peace. Balram Singh Mehta is also a member of Surat-based NGO Jai Jawan Nagrik Samiti.
Honors and Qualifications
Balram Singh Mehta’s name was mentioned in the 1974 Indian Army Gazette for his performance in the Battle of Garipur.
Facts/Trivia
- In 2016, Balram Singh Mehta wrote the book Burning Chafis: A Soldier’s First-hand Account of the 1971 War, based on the events that took place during the Battle of Gharipur based on events. Talking about the book, Balram said:
In 2015, I was invited to the 45th Cavalry Regiment’s regimental lunch by Lieutenant General Amit Sharma, then the regiment’s colonel. Active and retired officers present reminded me of my promise to write a book about my first-hand combat experiences. The 45th Cavalry Regiment’s Golden Jubilee celebrations are scheduled for early 2016. To a soldier, a commitment is a commitment. “
Balram Singh Mehta and his books
- In November 2022, RSVP Media Productions announced that they would release on December 2, 2022, a film based on Brigadier General Balram Singh Mehta’s 2016 book Burning Chafis: A Soldier Pippa, a first-hand account of the 1971 war. Starring Ishan Khattar as Captain Balram Singh Mehta. Talking about the film, Balram said:
Over the past few months, his team has assembled high-profile names and proven talent. Siddharth Roy Kapur used his imagination, creativity, experience and talent to visualize and conceptualize a war film while reading the narrative. ”
- Balram Singh Mehta wrote in his book that he smoked cigarettes and also drank alcoholic beverages.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education