<P> Gurbachan Singh Salaria was born on 29 November 1935, in Janwal, a village near Shakargarh, British India (now Pakistan). He was the second of five children of Munshi Ram and Dhan Devi . Earlier his father had been drafted in the Dogra Squadron of the Hodson's Horse in the British Indian Army . Salaria was motivated to join the army at a very young age listening to the tales of his father and his regiment . </P> <P> As a result of the partition, the family moved to the Indian side and settled in Jangal village of Gurdaspur district . Salaria joined the local village school and later in 1946, he got admitted in King George's Royal Military College (KGRMC) in Bangalore . In August 1947, he was transferred to KGRMC in Jallandhar . After passing out from KGRMC, he joined the Joint Services Wing of the National Defence Academy (NDA). Upon graduation from NDA in 1956, he subsequently passed out of the Indian Military Academy on 9 June 1957 . </P> <P> Salaria was initially commissioned into the 2nd Battalion of 3 Gorkha Rifles, but was later transferred to the 3rd Battalion of 1 Gorkha Rifles in March 1960 . </P> <P> In June 1960, after the Belgians quit Congo, a civil war situation developed in that country . The Belgians started intervening in the province of Katanga, followed by Kasai Province . Due to the mutiny in Congolese Army, the government was unable to deter the Belgian conquest . Soon the Congo government requested to United Nations (UN) for help, and on 14 July 1960 the help was sanctioned . Between March--June 1961, under the command of Brigadier K.A.S. Raja, India contributed a brigade of around 3000 men to the UN. 99 Infantry Brigade group . </P>

Which soldier was awarded param vir chakra after he was martyred in un peacekeeping mission