Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran of 8 Mahar was killed clearing a night ambush in Sri Lanka on 25 November 1987, during Operation Pawan.
The ambush on 25 November 1987
Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran's column was on its way back from a search operation in Sri Lanka, late at night, when militants ambushed it. His battalion, 8 Mahar, was serving there on Operation Pawan, the Indian deployment under the Indo-Sri Lanka agreement.
He moved round to the militants' rear and charged into them, and the citation records that they were taken completely by surprise.
In the hand-to-hand fight that followed, one militant shot him in the chest. Parameswaran pulled the rifle from the man and killed him with it.
Orders to the end
He went on giving orders to his men after the wound, and he continued until he died. The ambush was cleared.
The citation counts five militants killed. Three rifles and two rocket launchers were recovered.
His award, the Param Vir Chakra, was posthumous and took effect from the date of the action. He is one of the 21 awardees whose portraits hang in the Param Vir Dirgha gallery at Rashtrapati Bhavan. In January 2023, one of the 21 largest unnamed islands in the Andaman and Nicobar chain was named after him.
The citation
MAJOR RAMASWAMY PARAMESWARAN (IC-32907F) (POSTHUMOUS) MAHAR REGIMENT. (Effective date of the award : 25th November, 1987)
On 25th November last year Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran was returning from a search operation in Sri Lanka late in the night, when his column was ambushed by a group of militants. With cool presence of mind he encircled the militant from the rear and boldly charged into them, taking them completely by surprise. During hand to hand combat one militant shot him in the chest. Undaunted and unmindful of his grave injury, he snatched the rifle from the militant and shot him dead. In that condition he continued to give orders and inspired his command till he breathed his last. The ambush was cleared.
Five militants were killed and three rifles and two rocket launchers were recovered.
Major Parameswaran displayed the most conspicuous bravery and made the supreme sacrifice by laying down his life.
Source: Ministry of Defence gallantry awards record. Reproduced as printed, including any errors in the original.
Cover image: Krishna Chaitanya Velaga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized for this page. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Major_R_Parameswaran_statue_at_Param_Yodha_Sthal_Delhi.jpg