A Meal Without Their Commander: Tribute to Major Satish Dahiya, Shaurya Chakra (Posthumous)

When passion meets courage, there’s no looking back. Major Satish Dahiya embodied both. His supreme sacrifice on 14 February 2017 reminds us that our nation stands tall on the valour of such heroes.

I returned home on a week’s leave from 12–19 February 2017 to be with my family, who had been in "Separated Family Accommodation" in Bengaluru since May 2014, when I left for my operational posting in Jammu & Kashmir. After eight months as a colonel in the remote Pir Panjals, I had been commanding a Rashtriya Rifles sector in North Kashmir since January 2015. Twenty-six months in such a demanding area takes its toll, and even a short break was welcome.

On 14 February, we drove to a bakery to order a cake for our daughter, who was turning nineteen the next day. We planned to collect it on her birthday. Valentine’s Day was incidental, but I was grateful we were together for her special day.

Our sector hadn’t seen success since eliminating three terrorists in early October 2016. We knew they remained active and had twice targeted military convoys in recent months, causing minor damage but evading capture each time. After much deliberation, plans were made to track and neutralise them.

Major Satish Dahiya stood out. After a two-year infantry attachment in North Kashmir and earning a Chief’s Commendation on his first deployment, he returned to 30 Rashtriya Rifles following a peace tenure with the Army Service Corps—now a seasoned campaigner.

Before my break, intelligence was building in Satish’s area thanks to his patient work with human sources. As we headed to the bakery, I got a call that Satish had launched an operation near his base. A second call at the cake shop confirmed the encounter had begun.

My instinct was to buy a ready-made cake instead of ordering for the next day. My wife and daughter, overhearing the calls, sensed something serious and agreed. We then drove home with the cake, stuck in Valentine’s Day traffic. Once home, a third call brought mixed news: Satish Dahiya’s team had killed three terrorists, but he was gravely injured and being evacuated to Srinagar Base Hospital.

A call with the commanding officer confirmed my fears—Satish’s condition was critical. Cutting short my leave was obvious. Within an hour, I booked a flight and informed my General Officer Commanding of my plan to return on the first flight the next morning.

Later that night came the tragic confirmation—Satish had succumbed to his injuries at the Base hospital. He died a hero, leading from the front, planning and executing the operation that eliminated three Pakistani terrorists. A single bullet pierced the gap in his bulletproof vest during a close encounter with two terrorists trying to break the cordon, fatally wounding him. Both terrorists were killed by Satish’s AK-47.

At midnight, we quietly cut our daughter’s birthday cake. My 5 am flight to Delhi meant leaving by 2:30 am. The mood was sombre—none of us slept, and words failed. With mixed emotions, I left for Bengaluru Airport. After a layover in Delhi, I reached Srinagar by 11 am. A delay en route due to an incident slowed military movement, and I reached 30 Rashtriya Rifles just before dusk.

The CO briefed me on the operation, noting that the Corps Commander and GOC had visited earlier. Major Satish Dahiya’s initiative, leadership, and gallantry were repeatedly praised. After an hour at Battalion HQ, we drove 30 minutes to Satish’s Company Operating Base. Night had fallen. The men put on a brave face, but their grief showed.

We reviewed the operation from launch to Satish’s evacuation and the column’s return. The team achieved surprise, setting a close cordon before the terrorists could react. Caught off guard, they tried to break out, firing in two directions. Two charged Satish and his buddy. A brief encounter followed—both terrorists were killed, but Satish was critically wounded. A small mound offered some cover, but it wasn’t enough. He died hours later. The third terrorist was shot by the cordon at the far side of the house.

Satish Dahiya’s men hadn’t rested or eaten since the previous afternoon. I told the senior JCO we’d join them for a meal to remember their commander. We agreed to gather in an hour.

Meanwhile, the CO and I sat quietly in Satish’s room, reflecting on his sacrifice. When we rejoined the men, the usual langar dal, sabzi, and roti felt tasteless—a meal hard to swallow, a loss harder to accept.

A few days later, I visited the encounter site. Standing with the CO at the very spot where Major Satish Dahiya gunned down the terrorists before collapsing, never to rise again, brought a sense of closure. We stood silently, paying tribute to a brave officer who was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra on 15 August 2017.

Jai Hind!! Jai Hind Ki Sena!

(The writer is an Indian Army veteran and Vice President CRM, ANSEC HR services Ltd. He is a skydiver and a specialist in Security and Risk management. Views personal.)