'I did what my heart said': 11-year-old Punjab boy who served troops at border village during Op Sindoor

Carrying water, tea, and buttermilk, and an endearing smile during Operation Sindoor, the young boy soon became a familiar face among the troops stationed in the village.

Ferozepur: What began as an 11-year-old's simple gesture of service towards the Indian armed forces at a remote border village during Operation Sindoor, turned into a tale that inspired the nation.

Shavan Singh of Taranwali village in Punjab's Ferozepur voluntarily served Army jawans deployed at his village along the Indo-Pak border amid heightened hostilities with Pakistan around a year ago, bringing them tea, water, milk and 'lassi' from his home.

On the anniversary of Operation Sindoor, Shavan says he simply followed his heart.

"When Operation Sindoor started, soldiers came to our village, I felt I should serve them because they were fighting for us," he said.

Carrying water, tea, and buttermilk, and an endearing smile, the young boy soon became a familiar face among the troops stationed in the village.

"I never expected to be honoured for it," the boy said.

His father Sona Singh said the family still finds it difficult to believe the recognition their son has received. "We are extremely thankful to the Indian Army for encouraging him and recognising his contribution. We never imagined that our son would one day receive an award from the President of India and even get an opportunity to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

Today, Shavan is invited to various programmes and public events, but according to his father, he remains focused on his studies and dreams of joining the armed forces in future.

Shavan's efforts in the wake of Indo-Pak tensions during Operation Sindoor garnered much recognition, when, despite hostile drone activity and threat from cross-border shelling, he continued visiting Army camps in his village to serve the troops posted on the frontline.

Undeterred by the scorching heat and prevailing tensions, the young boy's service to the troops during their prolonged deployment, earning admiration from Army officers and villagers alike.

Recognising his patriotic spirit and selfless dedication, the Golden Arrow Division later honoured him with the 'Youngest Civilian Warrior' title.

In July last year, the Army also decided to sponsor Shavan's education so that financial limitations do not come in the way of his dream -- to don the Army uniform one day.

In December last year, Shavan's inspiring service reached the national stage when he was presented the "Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puruskar" by President Droupadi Murmu during a ceremony held in New Delhi.

During Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces carried out pre-dawn missile strikes on May 7 last year at nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10.

The attempts were thwarted by the Indian forces, who in turn inflicted heavy damage to a number of key Pakistan military installations including air bases, air defence systems, command and control centres and radar sites.