Albert Ekka

Albert Ekka was born on 27 December 1942, in village Zari, Ranchi, Bihar. His parents were Julius Ekka and Mariam Ekka. Ekka's family belonged to an Adivasi tribe . Hunting was a common sport among the Adivasis, and Ekka was interested in it from his childhood. With his experience of hunting in jungles, he was able to be a better soldier with his skilful use of ground and movements. As he grew, Ekka developed interest for the army, and was enrolled in the Bihar Regiment[1] on 27 December 1962.[2]

After the 14th Battalion of the Brigade of the Guards was raised in January 1968,[3] Ekka was transferred to that unit. He saw action in counter-insurgency operations while in the North East. During the preparations anticipation of Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Ekka was promoted to lance naik.][1]

The Param Vir Chakra citation on the Official Indian Army Website reads as follows:

Lance Naik Albert Ekka was in the left forward company of a battalion of the Brigade of Guards during their attack on the enemy defences at Gangasagar on the Eastern front. This was a well-fortified position held in strength by the enemy. The assaulting troops were subjected to intense shelling and heavy small-arms fire, but they charged onto the objective and were locked in bitter hand-to-hand combat. Lance Naik Albert Ekka noticed an enemy light machine-gun (LMG) inflicting heavy casualties on his company. With complete disregard for his personal safety, he charged the enemy bunker, bayoneted two enemy soldiers and silenced the LMG. Though seriously wounded in this encounter, he continued to fight alongside his comrades through the mile deep objective, clearing bunker after bunker with undaunted courage. Towards the northern end of the objective one enemy medium machine-gun (MMG) opened up from the second storey of a well-fortified building inflicting heavy casualties and holding up the attack. Once again this gallant soldier, without a thought for his personal safety, despite his serious injury and the heavy volume of enemy fire, crawled forward till he reached the building and lobbed a grenade into the bunker killing one enemy soldier and injuring the other. The MMG however continued to fire. With outstanding courage and determination Lance Naik Albert Ekka scaled a side wall and entering the bunker, bayoneted the enemy soldier who was still firing and thus silenced the machine-gun, saving further casualties to his company and ensuring the success of the attack. In this process however, he received serious injuries and succumbed to them after the capture of the objective. In this action, Lance Naik Albert Ekka displayed the most conspicuous valour and determination and made the supreme sacrifice in the best traditions of the Army.

Ekka's statue at Param Yodha Sthal, National War Memorial, New Delhi

Lance-Naik Albert Ekka was posthumously awarded India's highest wartime gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra. In 2000, on the occasion of 50th Republic day, the Government of India issued a postal stamp in his memory. The son of Jharkhand was honored by naming the major intersection in front of Firayalal store as Albert Ekka Chowk, which also bears his statue. A block (district subdivision) in Gumla has also been created in his name. Sources says that the Government failed to take care of his family and they are not in healthy state. Due to utter corruption only words are being said on his birthdays and martyr days but no one is taking care of family. This represents the sad state of relatives of the brave martyrs of the Indian Army. They are promised thousands of benefits by politicians for their propaganda. However no one ensures that they receive it. When they go to offices to claim it, they are either refused or are sent from one office to another, who have consumed their benefits via corruption.

• Reddy, Kittu (2007), Bravest of the Brave: Heroes of the Indian Army, New Delhi: Prabhat Prakashan, ISBN 978-81-8710-000-3
• Rawat, Rachna Bisht (2014), The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories, Penguin Books India Private Limited, ISBN 978-01-4342-235-8