SHILLONG: A retired BSF commandant and an Indo-Pak war veteran BS Tyagi passed away on Monday, collapsing while doing exercise early in the morning.
Tyagi was the lone survivor of the 1971 battle at Killapara situated along the Indo-Bangla border in West Garo Hills.
The saga of valour and sacrifice of the men who guard the borders are many.
One such chivalrous act, which is still the talk of Dalu village in West Garo Hills, is that of Tyagi and his men who stood firm against the enemy.
He exhibited exemplary courage while taking on the Pakistani Army during the 1971 war with only a handful of men after information came in that the then East Pakistan Army was fast approaching.
On the morning of May 25, 1971, a Pakistan army battalion launched a full-scale attack on the Killapara border outpost.
The attack was repulsed twice by Tyagi and his jawans even though they were outnumbered.
The nine BSF jawans fought valiantly till their last breath and their sacrifice prevented Pakistani troops from advancing further which denied them control of the strategic Dalu-Tura road.
The Director General of BSF as well as BGB had felicitated Tyagi during the unveiling of the War memorial in Dalu.
During the height of militancy in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, Tyagi fought bravely against the militants and came to be known for his gallantry in Punjab.
In J&K, he was called to operate in the most militant-infested areas of Baramulla, Kupwara and Sopore.
During his deployment in Kashmir he sustained bullet injuries twice.
UK Nayal, DIG of BSF, Meghalaya served alongside Tyagi when the unit was deployed in Kashmir and in Punjab. Under Tyagi, he was also awarded the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry and sustained bullet injuries thrice.
Homage to Tyagi was paid at Killapara with a full guard of honour by Darbara Singh 2IC, 75 Bn BSF.
