APO Jalpahar 24.3.1981 - 11 Gorka Rifles Reunion in March 1981

The 11 Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha regiment of the Indian Army comprising Gurkha soldiers of Nepalese origin that was re-raised after independence. The regiment consists of primarily the Rais and Limbus of Nepal. The Rais and Limbus are supposed to be fierce tribal warriors of and are considered to be most sturdy and tough. They are direct descendents of the mythological Kirant tribes who fought and defeated legendary warrior Arjuna in Mahabharata. Though it is considered to be the youngest of the Gorkha Regiments it has a lineage which is as old as the history of the 7th Gurkhas and 10th Gurkhas.

The 11 Gurkhas was raised as an ad hoc unit in 1918 with troops and officers being drawn from the various Gurkha Regiments. This regiment saw service in both Palestine and Mesopotamia at the end of the First World War, as well as during the Third Afghan War in 1919, before being disbanded in 1922 and the troops being reverted to their original units. There were no separate insignias authorized for this regiment and the personnel wore the badges of distinction of their parent units, though there have been instances where unofficial badges were made and worn by some personnel.

The first Bn the eleventh Gorkha Rifles was raised in 1960. It has served in all kind of counter insurgency operations. Op Pawan in Sri Lanka, UN mission in  Lebanon, in Siachen and Op Vijay in Kargil. The battalion has served with distinction during the Kargil war and captured many peaks in the Batalik sector. The battalion has earned the title of bravest of the brave with both Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra being bestowed on late Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey and Lt Puneet Nath Datt. The battalion has battle honour Batalik and theatre honour Kargil against its name.