D. P. Singh (runner)
Devender Pal Singh | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 1973 Jagadhari, India |
| Allegiance |  Republic of India |
| Service/ |  Indian Army |
| Years of service | 1997–2007 |
| Battles/wars | Kargil War Operation Vijay LOC in Akhnoor sector |
| Alma mater | Indian Military Academy |
Major D.P. Singh is a retired officer of the Indian Army. He is a Kargil War veteran and is known as the India's first blade runner.[1][2] After his amputation, he gradually started running using a prosthetic limb and has run in 26 half marathons in his running career.[1] This includes 3 HM in extreme high altitude as high as 11700 ft in Leh. The Limca Book of Records added his name to their "People of the Year 2016" list.[3][4] In 2018, Govt of India, Ministry of social justice and empowerment conferred him with National award for persons with disabilities under Role model category. In 2019 he was conferred with coveted civilian award, CavinKare Ability Mastery award in recognition of excellence achieved against all odds. He was taken as Ambassador by Indian army for year 2018, which was the year dedicated to soldiers who got disabled in line of duty.
In 2019, he wrote another chapter in history when he became the 1st solo Skydiver among persons with disabilities in whole Asia.
His life story was chronicled in Grit: The Major Story, a 2019 graphic memoir Singh coauthored with V.R. Ferose and Sriram Jagannathan.[5]
Early life and career
Devender Pal Singh was born on 13 September 1973 in Jagadhari, India. He received his senior secondary education from Kendriya Vidyalaya Roorkee.[6] He did his bachelor of arts degree from CCU Meerut and PGDBM from Rani Durgawati University, Jabalpur.
Major Singh graduated from the Indian Military Academy (101st course, Regular batch) on 6 December 1997 and was commissioned into the 7th Battalion, The Dogra Regiment.[7] After the injury, in 2002, he converted to Army Ordnance Corps. He retired from the Indian Army in 2007, after serving for 10 years.[8]
Kargil War
Major D.P. Singh was injured on 15 July 1999 at LOC in Akhnoor sector while fighting for India during the Kargil War (Operation Vijay).[9]
He was 80 meters from a Pakistani Army post when a mortar fell within 1.5 metre of where he was; the shrapnel injured multiple parts of his body.[6] A part of his right leg was amputated as it had developed gangrene.[6]
References
- ^ a b Sharma, Nitin (22 November 2016). "India's First Blade Runner in City: 'Being active is the biggest answer to disability'". The Indian Express.
- ^ "Batting great Sachin Tendulkar pays respect to India's first blade-runner — a 'Kargil War' hero". Zee News. 2016-10-07. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
- ^ "Limca Book of Records". www.limcabookofrecords.in. Archived from the original on 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
- ^ "Major Devender Pal Singh (Retd)". Limca Book of Records. Archived from the original on 2017-02-09. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
- ^ "Micro review: 'Grit: The Major Story' is a graphic novel on Major DP Singh's deeply inspiring story - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
- ^ a b c Sharma, Aasheesh (Oct 17, 2015). "Meet DP Singh, the man who fought his disability to run marathons". Hindustan Times.
- ^ "Major DP Singh Interview: "I want to live every moment of this life to the fullest"". 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
- ^ Teja, Charanjit Singh (Sep 4, 2015). "With courage higher than mountains, amputee to run Ladakh marathon". The Tribune.
- ^ "The inspiring story of Major D P Singh". Rediff.com. 19 August 2014.