• Know about fighter pilot Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon (PVC recipient), his contribution and Lessons from his life.

This is tenth in a series of PVC awardees, the first nine being Major Somnath Sharma, Piru Singh Shekhawat, Rama Raghoba Rane Karam Singh , Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, Lt Col Dhan Singh Thapa, Subedar Joginder Singh,  Major Shaitan Singh and Havaldar Abdul Hamid

This article was first published in the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Journal.

In the freezing, foggy winter of 1971, a young fighter pilot defended the Kashmir Valley against an overwhelming swarm of advanced enemy jets. Piloting a diminutive aircraft, he unleashed such a ferocious counterattack that his name became permanently etched in the annals of aerial combat.

This is the awe-inspiring, chronological story of Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, the sole Indian Air Force officer to be awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Early Life and Inspirations

Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was born on July 17, 1945, in the village of Isewal, located in the Ludhiana district of Punjab. He was born into a Sikh family with a strong tradition of military service. His father served in the Indian Air Force, eventually retiring as an Honorary Flight Lieutenant.

Growing up in the vicinity of the Halwara Air Force Station, Nirmal Jit’s childhood was marked by the thunderous roar of fighter planes streaking across the sky. Fascinated by aircrafts from a young age, his imagination was further ignited by the legendary tales of the early 19th century Sikh warrior, Hari Singh Nalwa.

School Adventures and Big Dreams

Nirmal Jit was a tall, athletic, and sharp-minded boy. He received his early education at the Khalsa High School in Ajitsar Mohie, near Ludhiana, where he secured a first division in his matriculation. Known for his cheerful demeanour and helpful nature, he was beloved of his peers.

To pursue his higher education, he joined the Dayalbagh Engineering College in Agra in 1962. During his college years, he enrolled as a cadet in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and developed a keen interest in aeromodelling.

However, the theoretical confines of engineering could not hold his spirit, especially after witnessing the events of the 1965 Indo-Pak War. Driven by a deep patriotic fervour and his lifelong dream of flying, he made the bold decision to leave his engineering course midway and dedicate his life to the Indian Air Force.

Becoming an Air Warrior and First Posting

Overcoming all obstacles, Nirmal Jit’s dream materialised when he was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on June 4, 1967.

As a remarkably tall young man, he initially found it physically uncomfortable to fit into the cockpit of the diminutive Folland Gnat fighter aircraft. However, his determination far outweighed his discomfort. He trained relentlessly and soon became adept at flying the Gnat, a lightweight, highly agile jet affectionately known as the ‘Sabre Slayer’ for its prowess in close-in dogfights. Because of his generosity, warmth, and friendly nature, he earned the affectionate nickname ‘Brother’ among his colleagues. In October 1968, he officially joined No. 18 Squadron, famously known as the ‘Flying Bullets’. Exactly 10 months before his final heroic mission, he married his wife, Manjit Sekhon.

Participation in the 1971Indo-Pak War

In late 1971, as the Indo-Pakistani War erupted, the Indian Air Force mobilised its assets to defend the nation’s airspace. A detachment of the No. 18 Squadron, including Flying Officer Sekhon, was deployed to protect the Kashmir Valley. While their actual operational base was Ambala, the special tactical situation necessitated a shift to the Srinagar Air Force Station.

Defending Srinagar was fraught with extreme challenges. Due to a 1948 international treaty, fighter aircraft had not been stationed there previously, meaning the pilots were unfamiliar with the treacherous mountain terrain and the biting, blinding winter weather. More critically, Srinagar lacked a radar facility, leaving the base without an early warning system. The pilots had to rely on alerts from nearby stations and their own visual vigilance.

The Ultimate Act of Bravery

The morning of December 14, 1971, began with an ominous alert from the Awantipora airbase: Pakistani fighter planes, taking off from Peshawar, were heading straight for Srinagar. At 08:02 AM, the tranquil valley was shattered as a wave of six American-made F-86 Sabre jets ambushed the airfield. Each enemy plane carried two 500-pound bombs, tasked with destroying the runway. They immediately began bombing the runway and strafing the base.Flying Officer Sekhon and his flight commander, Baldhir Singh Ghuman, were on readiness duty.

Despite the mortal danger of bombs exploding just yards away and the blinding dust kicked up by the attack, Sekhon did not hesitate. As his commander took off and lost visual contact in the haze, Sekhon rolled his Gnat down the cratered, burning runway and lifted off into the chaotic sky. The moment he was airborne, he was engaged by a pair of attacking Sabres. What followed was a breathtaking display of aerial mastery at tree-top height.

Vastly outnumbered six-to-one, the 26-year-old pilot turned his nimble Gnat into a weapon of terror. He engaged the enemy fiercely, securing direct hits on one Sabre and setting it ablaze and forcing it to retreat towards Rajouri. During the relentless pursuit, Sekhon dropped his plane’s external fuel tanks to shed weight and manoeuvre more freely. He communicated his steely resolve to the Combat Air Patrol control room, stating, “I am behind two Sabres. I won’t let the... get away.” He chased another Sabre so aggressively that the enemy pilot, having exhausted his ammunition, sent out a desperate radio call for help. Hearing the distress call, two other Sabres that were observing from a distance dove down and converged on Sekhon’s lone aircraft. Caught in a deadly crossfire, his Gnat was peppered with bullets from enemy machine guns.

Despite taking 37 bullet hits, which caused his aircraft to spew fire and smoke, Sekhon fought to keep the plane level. Tragically, the flight control system failed, and the Gnat began a fatal nose-dive. At a critically low altitude, Sekhon attempted to eject, but the parachute mechanism failed to deploy properly. The aircraft crashed into a gorge near Budgam.

The young Sky Warrior had given his life, but his ferocious resistance shattered the enemy’s illusion of air superiority and single-handedly saved the Srinagar airbase. 

Award of Param Vir Chakra

For his sublime heroism, exceptional flying skill, and determination above and beyond the call of duty in the face of certain death, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra. He remains the first and only officer of the Indian Air Force to receive India’s highest wartime military decoration.

Memorials

The ‘Sabre Slayer’ would forever guide future generations in various ways: 

1.  A maritime patrol vessel of the Indian Navy was named INS Sekhon in his honour.

2. Statues honouring his legacy stand alongside decommissioned Gnat aircraft at the Indian Air Force Museum in Palam, New Delhi, and at the District Court Complex in Ludhiana.

3. The Army Postal Service issued a Special Cover on October 7, 1982, to honour him during the 50th Anniversary Year of the IAF.

4. A commemorative postage stamp was issued by the Government of India on the occasion of the 50th Republic Day in 2000.

5. In a historic tribute in 2023, an island in the Andaman & Nicobar archipelago was officially named after him.

6. The 1973 film Hindustan Ki Kasam, directed by Chetan Anand, portrayed the crucial role of the IAF during the 1971 war, cementing the legacy of such heroes in popular culture.

Lessons Learned from His Life

1) Unshakeable Focus under Fire: Taking off amidst active bombing requires superhuman composure. Sekhon proved that true courage is maintaining absolute focus on the duty at hand, ignoring the surrounding chaos.

2) Mastery Bridges Disadvantage: By dropping his fuel tanks and utilising the sheer agility of his lightweight Gnat, he bridged the massive numerical gap of fighting six superior jets.

3) Duty Before Self: He knowingly flew into certain death to protect his brothers on the ground and his nation’s vital airspace.

A Legacy of Courage and Influence on Future Generations

The story of Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon is the very heartbeat of the Indian Air Force Academy. His historic dogfight is a timeless masterclass in defensive counter-air operations.

For every young cadet earning their wings, ‘Brother’ Sekhon represents the absolute pinnacle of a fighter pilot ’s ethos: aggressive in combat, masterful in skill, and utterly selfless. He teaches the youth that greatness does not stem from the machine you operate, but from the iron will of the person inside it.

Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was not just a pilot; he was a guardian of the Indian skies. On that fateful December morning in 1971, he transformed a tiny Folland Gnat into an impenetrable shield over Srinagar. Facing impossible odds, he chose to fight rather than flee, weaving through the mountains in a deadly dance until his last breath. He crashed into the earth, but his spirit ascended into immortality. As long as the tricolour waves and jet engines roar across the Indian subcontinent, the legacy of this lone Sky Warrior will continue to inspire millions, a shining testament to the fact that heroes never truly die; they simply take flight into eternity.

Author is Consultant Psychologist, Director & Prof (R) MGM Group of Colleges.

This article was first published in the Bhavan’s Journal, September 1-15, 2026 issue. This article is courtesy and copyright Bhavan’s Journal, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai-400007. eSamskriti has obtained permission from Bhavan’s Journal to share. Do subscribe to the Bhavan’s Journal – it is very good.