Exactly two decades later, his identical twin brother, Vishal has paid homage to his brother by climbing the mountain, along with the 14 Corps Commander, Lieutenant General YK Joshi, then the commanding officer of Vikram’s unit, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAK RIF) and other officers from it – everyone who fought alongside Vikram and helped him capture the feature. 

20 years ago, Captain Vikram Batra was killed on the summit of Pt. 4875 fighting Pakistani soldiers in the Kargil War in 1999. 

The peak is now called ‘Batra Top’ in memory of Captain Batra. 

Upon reaching the summit, Vishal’s first act was to call his parents, 

I called my parents when I reached Point 4875, but it should have been Vikram making that call. I did get emotional and was thinking of saying ‘yeh dil maange more’. 

Vishal Batra treats the peak like a shrine for his brother. It was his dream to reach the peak, and with the help of the Indian Army, he was air-dropped and made his dream a reality. He also believes that soldiers never really die, saying: 

Although he is physically not there, I believe that he is somewhere in the mountains, watching over us and keeping us safe…My belief is that soldiers never die 

Vishal tweeted his brother’s famous last words, “Either I would hoist the tricolor or I would come back wrapped” 

Vikram Batra was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest and most prestigious award for valour, for his actions during the 1999 Kargil War.