In honour of Indian Air Force’s only Param Vir Chakra awardee, Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, Indian Army dedicated a museum in his memory at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar.
July 17, 2025 marked the 80th birth anniversary of Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon. Notably, the valour of Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon will soon be seen at the big screens in the upcoming movie Border 2.
Punjabi actor Diljit Dosanjh will be portraying the character of Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon in Border 2. Diljit has faced severe criticism and even demand to remove him from Border 2 as he not only worked with a Pakistani actress Hania Aamir but also promoted the movie both online and offline.
Keeping the controversy aside, the question arises who was Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon? Below is all about Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon-
Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon was born on July 17, 1945, in Isewal, a small village in Ludhiana, Punjab. Inspired from a young age by the Indian Air Force, he left his engineering studies midway to pursue his dream of defending the nation from the skies. In 1964, he was commissioned into the Indian Air Force.
During the 1971 India-Pakistan war, Flying Officer Sekhon was stationed at the Srinagar airfield with the No. 18 Squadron. On December 14, 1971, he showed unparalleled courage when Pakistan launched a sudden attack using six F-86 Sabre jets.
Despite not receiving formal orders, Sekhon took off and managed to destroy two enemy jets before his own aircraft was hit, leading to his martyrdom.
As per reports, Sekhon’s aircraft was barely off the runway when a bomb exploded behind him. Unfazed, he engaged the enemy in a dogfight, even after radio contact was lost due to smoke and dust. His last known radio message was chilling and heroic:
“I’m behind two Sabre jets. I won’t let them go… I’m enjoying the fight.”
Seconds later, he successfully shot down one Sabre jet in flames and shortly after, the second. As the encounter intensified, his aircraft was eventually targeted, and Sekhon made his final call:
“Looks like my jet has been hit… Ghuman, now you take over.”
He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest wartime gallantry honor, making him the only IAF officer to ever receive the decoration.
Nirmaljit came from a family with deep military roots. His grandfather served in the British Army and his father in the Indian Air Force. He married Manjeet Kaur, but just six months after their wedding, he was martyred in the line of duty.
His bravery was not only acknowledged by India but also respected across borders. Former Pakistani Air Force officer Kaiser Tufail praised Sekhon’s courage in his book, calling him “a formidable adversary.”
