Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

Saluting our Heroes The Param Virs of Bharat B Shantanu

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

This book has been published by Pothi.com and can be ordered online from several e-commerce sites including www.IndiaPlaza.com , www.BuyBooksIndia.com and www.Flipkart.com It is also available via via Pothi.com by visiting the following link: http://pothi.com/pothi/book/shantanu-bhagwat-saluting-our-heroes-param-virs-bharat or http://bit.ly/ParamVirs

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

Table of Contents 1. Saluting our Heroes: Major Som Nath Sharma, PVC 2. Saluting our Heroes: Naik Jadu Nath Singh, PVC 3. Saluting our Heroes: Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane, PVC 4. Saluting our Heroes: The ―Param Vir‖s of Tithwal, Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat, PVC and Lance Naik Karam Singh, PVC 5. Saluting our Heroes: Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, PVC 6. Saluting our Heroes: The ―Param Vir‖s of 1962, Major Dhan Singh Thapa, PVC and Subedar Joginder Singh. PVC 7. Saluting our Heroes : Major Shaitan Singh, PVC 8. Saluting our Heroes: Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid, PVC 9. Saluting our Heroes: Lieutenant-Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, PVC 10. Saluting our Heroes: Lance Naik Albert Ekka, PVC 11. Saluting our Heroes: Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, PVC 12. Saluting our Heroes: Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, PVC 13. Saluting our Heroes: Major Hoshiar Singh, PVC 14. Saluting our Heroes: Naib Subedar Bana Singh, PVC 15. Saluting our Heroes: Major Ramaswamy Parameshwaran, PVC 16. Saluting our Heroes: The ―Param Vir‖s of Kargil, Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, PVC, Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, PVC, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, PVC and Captain Vikram Batra, PVC ***********

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

Preface This series of posts on Param Vir Chakra awardees on my blog Satyameva-Jayate.org was prompted by a winding but thought-provoking conversation I had in the summer of 2009 with a friend, Amitabh and his cousin – a young serving officer in the Indian Navy. We talked politics, Jammu & Kashmir, 26/11, bribery, corruption and Pakistan…until talk got around to attitudes of young people towards the army and the general lack of interest in a career in the armed forces (In year 2008 only 192 cadets turned up to join NDA, a premier joint services institution to train cadets for the three defence forces, as against the sanctioned strength of 300 for the batch. You can read more on this at the ―Wish I was 18 once again‖ post by visiting http://satyameva-jayate.org/2008/05/06/wish-i-was-18/).

The young naval officer felt that at least part of the blame lies with our attitudes towards ―heroes‖. As a society and as a nation, we rarely honour our men and women in uniform and do not value their valour enough. He pointedly asked me, how many of us can name even five Param Vir Chakra awardees, let alone all of them? I confessed I could not.

That question haunted me for several months.

In October 2009, I decided that the heroes deserved a series of their own. Starting November 2009, I began writing a post on each one of our Param Vir Chakra awardees – the bravest of the braves.

But first, a little bit of background on the award itself.

From the Indian Army website: The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for most conspicuous bravery or some daring or preeminent act of valour or self sacrifice, in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea, or in the air. The decoration may be awarded posthumously.

It is India‘s highest military decoration and comprises a medal and a ribbon. The medal has India‘s national emblem appears in the center surrounded by replicas of Indra Dev‘s ―Vajrayudha‖ on four sides. The other side of the medal has an image of Chhatrapati Shivaji‘s sword Bhavani.

The Param Vir Chakra .

As some of you may know/remember, the ―Vajrayudha‖ was fashioned out of Rishi Dadhichi‘s bones (spine) to kill ―Vritrasura‖ who had a boon ―whereby he could not be killed by any weapon that was known till the date of his receiving the boon and additionally that no weapon made of wood or metal could harm him‖.

Rishi Dadhichi selflessly sacrificed himself so that the Devatas could use his bones to make the Vajra and defeat Vritra.

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

(There are two interesting versions of this story for those who want to read more – Here: http://www.hindu-blog.com/2009/08/story-of-sage-dadhichi-and-vajrayudha.html and Here: http://www.dadhich.com/dadhichi_rishi.htm)

Sage Dadhichi‘s story is narrated even today as an example of supreme sacrifice for the good of the society. (More can be read at ―Dadhichi saves the Gods‖ entry by visiting http://www.amritapuri.org/3617/dadhichi-saves.aum)

This was the beginning of the series of posts on Param Vir Chakra awardees. *** The project to publish the series in the form of a book emerged out of various conversations with friends and blog-readers who were very kind in their praise and encouragement for this work.

It would have however, remained just an idea had it not been for the thankless and untiring efforts

by Umadevi Desabhotla who volunteered to help organize each of these posts into chapters, format, spell-check and proof-read them.

I am grateful to Vinod Subramanian and the amazing designers at ChirpyElephant.com They took on this assignment pro bono and we got the design you now see on the front.

And last but not least, this project would not have come to fruition without the unstinted support of my wife and daughter – who sacrificed countless hours of their time – so that I could work on these blog posts and help spread awareness about these Heroes. This is our very humble tribute to the ones who did not come back. They died so that we can live - in peace.

Let us ensure that these men are not forgotten. Let us ensure that the stories of their valour are told and re-told.

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!

Shantanu Satyameva-Jayate.org Join us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/SatyamevaJayate.BShantanu Support our work http://satyameva-jayate.org/support-us/ Important Note: This compilation refers to several copyrighted material, articles, reports and images whose use may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making this material available to readers in an effort to enhance awareness about the sacrifices made by our War Heroes and their remarkable acts of courage and valour in the face of extreme adversity.

However, in all such cases, the original source and reference has been clearly mentioned and fully attributed. The text within shaded portions has been quoted from direct references as it is. The photographs have been sourced from the Indian Army website.

Needless to add, any errors or omissions are entirely mine. In case you spot something that is not factually correct or is missing, kindly email me at Jai.Dharma@gmail.com ***********

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

The Param Vir Chakra Awardees (in chronological order) 1. IC-521 Major Som Nath Sharma 4th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment November 3, 1947 Badgam, Kashmir Posthumous 2. 27373 Naik Jadu Nath Singh 1st Battalion, Rajput Regiment February 6th 1948 Naushera, Kashmir Posthumous 3. SS-14246 Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane Corps of Engineers April 8, 1948 Naushera, Kashmir 4. 2831592 Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat 6th Battalion, Rajputana Rifles July 17-18, 1948, Tithwal, Kashmir Posthumous 5. IC-22356 Lance Naik Karam Singh 1st Battalion, Sikh Regiment October 13, 1948 Tithwal, Kashmir 6. IC-8497 Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria 3rd Battalion, 1st Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment) December 5, 1961 Elizabethville, Katanga, Congo Posthumous 7. IC-7990 Major Dhan Singh Thapa 1st Battalion, 8th Gorkha Rifles October 20, 1962 Ladakh, India 8. JC-4547 Subedar Joginder Singh 1st Battalion, Sikh Regiment October 23, 1962 Tongpen La, Northeast Frontier Agency, India Posthumous 9. IC-7990 Major Shaitan Singh 13th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment November 18, 1962 Rezang La Posthumous 10. 2639885 Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid 4th Battalion, The Grenadiers September 10, 1965 Chima, Khem Karan Sector Posthumous 11. IC-5565 Lieutenant-Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore 17th Poona Horse September 15, 1965 Phillora, Sialkot Sector, Pakistan Posthumous 12. 4239746 Lance Naik Albert Ekka 14th Battalion, Brigade of the Guards December 3, 1971 Gangasagar Posthumous 13. 10877 F(P) Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon No.18 Squadron, Indian Air Force December 14, 1971 Srinagar, Kashmir Posthumous 14. IC-25067 2/Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal 17th Poona Horse December 16, 1971 Jarpal, Shakargarh Sector Posthumous 15. IC-14608 Major Hoshiar Singh 3rd Battalion, The Grenadiers December 17, 1971 Basantar River, Shakargarh Sector 16. JC-155825 Naib Subedar Bana Singh 8th Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry June 23, 1987 Siachen Glacier, Jammu and Kashmir

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

17. C-32907 Major Ramaswamy Parameshwaran 8th Battalion, Mahar Regiment November 25, 1987 Sri Lanka Posthumous 18. IC-56959 Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey 1st Battalion, 11th Gorkha Rifles July 3, 1999 Khaluber/Juber Top, Batalik sector, Kargil area, Jammu and Kashmir Posthumous 19. 2690572 Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav 18th Battalion, The Grenadiers July 4, 1999 Tiger Hill, Kargil area 20. 13760533 Rifleman Sanjay Kumar 13th Battalion, Jammu & Kashmir Rifles July 5, 1999 Area Flat Top, Kargil Area 21. IC-57556 Captain Vikram Batra 13th Battalion, Jammu & Kashmir Rifles July 6, 1999 Point 5140, Point 4875, Kargil Area Posthumous ***********

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

Major Somnath Sharma, PVC

This chapter is a tribute to Major Somnath Sharma, India‟s first “Param Vir” who sacrificed his life on 3rd November, 1947.

August-September 1947: These are heady days. While most of the country is celebrating ―independence‖, the streams of refugees is a grim reminder of what was lost…and all is not well on the borders, particularly on the icy slopes and formidable heights of the land that Rishi Kashyap blessed hundreds of years ago.

Early-Mid October, 1947: There are reports that a large group of armed tribals have moved close to the border in Jammu & Kashmir, aided and abetted by Pakistan.

22nd October 1947: Armed tribals cross the border near Muzaffarabad, burn the town and overrun Uri. They also manage to capture the power station that supplies electricity to Srinagar, plunging the city into darkness. Reports suggest that the armed groups include regulars from the Paksitani Army ―in mufti‖.

Claude Arpi recalls what happened next (Courtesy: ―The soldier who won India's first Param Vir Chakra‖, Rediff):

In these dramatic circumstances, V P Menon, Sardar Patel‘s faithful collaborator, went to Jammu and got Hari Singh‘s signature on the printed Accession Form. He rushed back for the historic meeting in Delhi with India‘s governor general, Lord Mountbatten in the chair.

A young army colonel named Sam Manekshaw, who attended the meeting, recalled: As usual Nehru talked about the United Nations, Russia, Africa, God Almighty, everybody, until Sardar Patel lost his temper. He said, ‗Jawaharlal, do you want Kashmir, or do you want to give it away?‘ He [Nehru] said, ‗Of course, I want Kashmir.‘ Then he [Patel] said: ‗Please give your orders.

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

Everything then moved very fast. Early the next morning, the first troops and equipment were airlifted from Palam airport to Srinagar. A young major was sent on his first assignment to Kashmir.

He was responsible for the logistic. His name was S K Sinha (today the governor of Jammu and Kashmir).

He later wrote about the first Indian jawans reaching Srinagar: ‗It was indeed inspiring to see grim determination writ large on their faces. They were all determined to do their best, no matter what handicap they had to contend with. I had never before seen such enthusiasm and fervour for duty.‘ They knew that all eyes in India were focused on them. At Srinagar airfield, just before returning to Delhi, Sinha met an old friend, Major Somnath Sharma of 4 Kumaon. He had come a day earlier from Delhi with a broken arm.

Sinha found him ‗rather disgusted with life.‘ With his ‗wretched hand in plaster,‘ no one would give him ‗an active assignment in Delhi.‘ His company had now been posted to Kashmir, but he was looking to be relieved soon from his present job and given ‗something really active.‘ His company‘s duty was ‗only‘ to protect the airport. …But let us spend a moment on Somnath Sharma‘s life.

He was born as the eldest son of an army family. His father General A N Sharma, who retired as the first director general of the Armed Medical Services after Independence, was often in non-family postings.

Som, as his friends and family called him, used to spend time with his maternal grandfather Pandit Daulat Ram in Srinagar. His favourite pastime was listening to his grandfather on the Bhagavad Gita.

This influence of Krishna‘s teachings to Arjun was to remain with Somnath till his last breath.

At the age of 10, Som enrolled at the Prince of Wales Royal Military College in Dehra Dun and later joined the Royal Indian Military Academy. As a young lieutenant, he chose to join the 8/19 Hyderabad Infantry Regiment.

His maternal uncle Captain Krishna Dutt Vasudeva who belonged to this regiment had died defending a bridge on the River Slim in Malaya against the Japanese. His bravery had made it possible for hundreds of his jawans to cross over to safety. The example of his uncle greatly influenced him during his career.

Somnath fought in World War II under Colonel K S Thimmayya (later the army chief) in Burma with the British Army. An anecdote speaks tellingly about the character of the young officer.

One day, Sharma‘s orderly Bahadur was badly wounded in action and was unable to return to the camp. Sharma lifted Bahadur on his shoulders and began walking. When Thimmayya found his officer lagging behind under the weight of his orderly, he ordered him — ‗Leave this man, Som and rush back to the camp.‘ Somnath retorted, ‗Sir, it is my own orderly that I am carrying; he is badly wounded and bleeding, I will not leave him behind.‘ He eventually managed to carry Bahadur back, saving his life. He was awarded a ‗Mention in Dispatch‘ for this act of bravery. ***

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

Back in New Delhi, as news of developments in Jammu & Kashmir trickled in, Major Sharma‘s regiment was asked to move to Srinagar. Although technically „unfit for active duty in war‟ (with a broken arm and a plaster from wrist to the elbow), Major Sharma insisted that he had to lead his company. He took charge of his new assignment at Srinagar airport on 1st Nov. Claude Arpi writes what happened next (Courtesy: ―The soldier who won India's first Param Vir Chakra‖, Rediff): Two days later on November 3, the ‗raiders‘ reached Badgam a few miles away from the Srinagar airfield. Brigadier ‗Bogey‘ Sen, the commander in Srinagar, immediately dispatched Sharma and his company to Badgam.

At 2:30 pm, supported by 3-inch and 2-inch mortars, a 700-strong tribal force attacked the Indian jawans. Being outnumbered by 7 to 1, Sharma immediately sent a request to Brigadier Sen for reinforcements. He knew that if the enemy advanced any further, the airport would be lost and Kashmir would become a province of Pakistan; the airfield was the only lifeline between the Valley and the rest of India.

His last wireless message to the headquarters stated: ‗The enemy are only 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round.‘ *** Major Sharma did not live to see another day. 4 Kumaon lost over half of their brave men…although they managed to inflict heavy losses on the attackers who lost about 200 men.

From ―The Soldier who won India‘s first Param Vir Chakra‖, Claude Arpi concludes: Three days later, Major Sharma‘s body was recovered. Though mutilated beyond recognition, a few pages of the Gita that he always kept in his breast pocket and the empty leather holster of Tewari‘s pistol helped to identify the body. The pistol was gone.

During the last chat with his friend before flying to Kashmir, Somnath had joked that either he would die and win the Victoria Cross or become the army chief. It is his younger brother V N Sharma who in 1988 became chief of army staff. *** Major Sharma‘s sacrifice was not in vain.

From the Indian Army‘s website: In the battle of Badgam, Major Sharma, one JCO and 20 other ranks were killed. But their sacrifices did not go in vain. He and his men stemmed the tide of the enemy advance on Srinagar and the airfield for some very crucial hours. He has set an example of courage and qualities, seldom equaled in the history of the Indian Army. Major General Amarnath Sharma received India‘s first and highest wartime gallantry medal, Param Vir Chakra, on behalf of his brave son.

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

CITATION Maj Somnath Sharma , 4 KUMAON (IC-521) On 3 November 1947, Major Somnath Sharma‘s company was ordered on a fighting patrol to Badgam in the Kashmir Valley. He reached his objective at first light on 3 November and took up a position south of Badgam at 1100hours. The enemy, estimated at about 500 attacked his company position from three sides; the company began to sustain heavy casualties.

Fully realizing the gravity of the situation and the direct threat that would result to both the aerodrome and Srinagar via Hum Hom, Major Somnath Sharma urged his company to fight the enemy tenaciously. With extreme bravery he kept rushing across the open ground to his sections exposing himself to heavy and accurate fire to urge them to hold on.

Keeping his nerve, he skillfully directed the fire of his sections into the ever-advancing enemy. He repeatedly exposed himself to the full fury of enemy fire and laid out cloth strips to guide our aircraft onto their targets in full view of the enemy.

Realising that casualties had affected the effectiveness of his light automatics, this officer whose left hand was in plaster, personally commenced filling magazines and issuing them to the light machine gunners. A mortar shell landed right in the middle of the ammunition resulting in an explosion that killed him.

Major Sharma‘s company held on to list position and the remnants withdrew only when almost completely surrounded. His inspiring example resulted in the enemy being delayed for six hours, thus gaining time for our reinforcements to get into position at Hum Hom to stem the tide of the enemy advance.

His leadership, gallantry and tenacious defence were such that his men were inspired to fight the enemy by seven to one; six hours after this gallant officer had been killed.

He has set an example of courage and qualities seldom equaled in the history of the Indian Army. His last message to the Brigade Headquarters a few moments before he was killed was, ‗the enemy are only 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round.‟ *** As I read this, I had tears in my eyes…As you go about your day today, please spare a moment to remember these heroes.

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

Naik Jadu Nath Singh, PVC

In this chapter, a tribute to Naik Jadu Nath Singh who sacrificed his life on 6 th February, 1948.

January 1948: The battle to liberate Jammu & Kashmir is now in its final stages. The airlift in Oct 1947 has saved the valley but enemy troops are still entrenched in other parts of the state. By midNovember, the Pakistani irregulars have lost the initiative and Baramulla and Uri have both been recaptured. But the garrison at Poonch – that is bravely holding out on its own in the bitter winter, still needs to be relieved. In late November, the link-up with Poonch is established. However in December, Jhangar falls to enemy troops. It is vital for Indian strategy to recapture it.

Crucial to the recapture of Jhangar is the post at Kot. Situated about 9 km north-east of Naushahra on the highest point, Kot affords a vantage position to the enemy troops putting them at a great advantage. Kot is recaptured after fierce fighting on 1st February. But the battle is far from over.

Stung by the loss of Kot, the enemy decides to launch an all-out attack on Naushahra. This attack is not unexpected. Brigadier Usman of the 50 Para Brigade had made adequate preparations…by establishing strong pickets on possible enemy approaches. One of these approaches lay to the north of Naushahra through Tain dhar.

[Source: ―Defending Kashmir‖, Bharat-Rakshak.com]

Here is what happened next, courtesy The Indian Army website: The expected enemy attack came on the foggy morning of February 6th, at 0640 hrs. The enemy started the attack by opening fire from their pickets on the Taindhar ridge on an Indian patrol.

Simultaneously, the whole of Tain dhar and the surrounding hills became live with bursts of machine gun and crunches of mortar fire. Meanwhile under the cover of darkness the enemy crept up to the Indian pickets.

In the first light of dawn the men on the post saw thousands of hostiles creeping up to them.

At No 2 picquet on Taindhar on 6 February 1948, No 27373 Naik Jadunath Singh was in command of a forward section post, which bore the full brunt of the enemy attack. Nine men against overwhelming odds garrisoned the little post. The enemy launched its attack in Copy prepared for Brian Champness

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

successive waves and with great ferocity to overcome this post. The first wave swept up to the post in a furious attack. Displaying great valour and superb qualities of leadership Naik Jadunath Singh so used the small force at his disposal that the enemy retired in utter confusion. Four of his men were wounded but Naik Jadunath Singh again showed his qualities of good leadership by reorganizing the battered force under him, for meeting another onslaught.

His coolness and courage were of such an order that the men rallied and were ready for the second attack which came with greater determination and in larger number than the preceding one. Though hopelessly outnumbered, this post under the gallant leadership of Naik Jadunath Singh resisted. All were wounded, and Naik Jadunath Singh, though wounded in the right arm, personally took over the Bren gun from the wounded Bren gunner. The enemy was right on the walls of the post but Naik Jadunath Singh once again showed outstanding ability and valour of the highest order in action. By his complete disregard for his personal safety and example of coolness and courage, he encouraged his men to fight. His fire was so devastating, that what looked like impending defeat was turned into a victory and the enemy retreated in chaos leaving the dead and wounded littered on the ground.

With this act of supreme heroism and outstanding example of leadership and determination, Naik Jadunath Singh saved the post from the second assault. By this time, all men in the post were casualties.

The enemy put in his third and final attack in undiminished numbers and determination to capture this post. Naik Jadunath Singh, now wounded, prepared literally single-handed to give battle for the third time.

With great courage and determination, he came out of the sangar and finally with the Sten gun, made a most magnificent single-handed charge on the advancing enemy, who, completely taken by surprise, fled in disorder. Naik Jadunath Singh, however, met his gallant death in his third and last charge when two bullets hit him in the head and chest.

Thus, charging single-handedly at the advancing enemy, this Non-Commissioned Officer, performed the highest act of gallantry and self-sacrifice and by so doing saved his sectionnay, his whole picquet from being overrun by the enemy at the most critical stage in the battle for the defence of Nushera. *** As I read this account, I wondered what would have gone through the mind of Naik Jadu Nath Singh as he charged ahead for the third time. The attack on this post was the most ferocious in the battle of Naushahra. The estimated enemy casualties at Kot and Tain Dhar were 400 killed and 250 wounded on that cold, wintry morning of Feb 6th, 1948.

For this act of supreme sacrifice and extraordinary courage in the face of grave danger, Naik Jadunath Singh was honoured with the highest wartime gallantry medal, Param Vir Chakra, posthumously.

The military operations in Jammu & Kashmir, independent India‘s first brush with a hostile neighbour, led to some unforgettable displays of courage and bravery. The Army won five Param Vir Chakras (PVCs), 47 Maha Vir Chakras (MVCs) and 284 Vir Chakras (VrCs), including three twin-awards of VrCs, during the Operations of 1947-48.

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat

CITATION Naik Jadunath Singh, 1Sst Battalion, RAJPUT REGIMENT (NO 27373) At No 2 piquet on Taindhar on 6 February 1948, No 27373 Naik Jadunath Singh was in command of a forward section post, which bore the full brunt of the enemy attack. Nine men against overwhelming odds garrisoned the little post. The enemy launched its attack in successive waves and with great ferocity to overcome this post. The first wave swept up to the post in a furious attack.

Displaying great valour and superb qualities of leadership Naik Jadunath Singh so used the small force at his disposal that the enemy retired in utter confusion.

Four of his men were wounded but Naik Jadunath Singh again showed his qualities of good leadership by reorganizing the battered force under him, for meeting another onslaught. His coolness and courage were of such an order that the men rallied and were ready for the second attack which came with greater determination and in larger number than the preceding one.

Though hopelessly outnumbered, this post under the gallant leadership of Naik Jadunath Singh resisted. All were wounded, and Naik Jadunath Singh, though wounded in the right arm, personally took over the Bren gun from the wounded Bren gunner. The enemy was right on the walls of the post but Naik Jadunath Singh once again showed outstanding ability and valour of the highest order in action. By his complete disregard for his personal safety and example of coolness and courage, he encouraged his men to fight.

His fire was so devastating, that what looked like impending defeat was turned into a victory and the enemy retreated in chaos leaving the dead and wounded littered on the ground. With this act of supreme heroism and outstanding example of leadership and determination, Naik Jadunath Singh saved the post from the second assault. By this time, all men in the post were casualties. The enemy put in his third and final attack in undiminished numbers and determination to capture this post.

Naik Jadunath Singh, now wounded, prepared literally single-handed to give battle for the third time.

With great courage and determination, he came out of the sangar and finally with the Sten gun, made a most magnificent single-handed charge on the advancing enemy, who, completely taken by surprise, fled in disorder. Naik Jadunath Singh, however, met his gallant death in his third and last charge when two bullets hit him in the head and chest. Thus, charging single-handedly at the advancing enemy, this Non-Commissioned Officer, performed the highest act of gallantry and selfsacrifice and by so doing saved his section-nay, his whole piquet from being overrun by the enemy at the most critical stage in the battle for the defence of Nushera.

As you go about your day today, please take a minute to remember these “Bravest of the Braves� who gave their lives so we may live in peace. ***********

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Saluting our Heroes: The Param Virs of Bharat nd

2 Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane, PVC

Earlier in this book, we recalled the heroic story of Naik Jadunath Singh who gave up his life defending a crucial post on the icy heights of J&K during the war with Pakistan in 1948. 2nd Lieutenant Raghoba Rane‟s story takes off from almost the same point as Naik Jadunath Singh‟s tale of bravery ended.

It is late March 1948.

The Indian Army has recaptured Jhangar and the plan now is to move from Naushara to Rajauri to deal with the raiders and Pashtun tribesmen in that area.

Some 28 miles of wild rugged terrain road connects Naushera with Rajauri, climbing from a hot dry plain about 1500 feet above sea-level, to a height of 5000 feet in beautiful natural surroundings …From Naushera to Merian the road passes through a stretch of very difficult rugged terrain with many defiles. From Merian onwards, it follows the western bank of the Manawar Tawi river through cliffs and spurs of varying height, some with a drop of 500 feet to the river below. …The area is mined and effectively covered by the enemy…All culverts had been destroyed and many large boulders and felled pine trees had been laid across to form roadblocks, these obstructions had then been mined. The cliffs and defiles closer to the river had been deliberately cut and the road was non-existent in several places.

Lt Col Zorawar Singh, CO, Central Indian Horse had flown over the area during the planning stage of the operation and assessed the damage as ―frightening‖, reporting that it would require an immense effort in time and labour to make the road usable as an axis of advance.

[Source: ―The Recapture Of Rajouri, April 1948‖, Bharat-Rakshak.com]

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A map showing the advance to and the capture of Rajouri. Not to scale; the distance between Chingas and Rajauri is 14 miles (Courtesy: Bharat-Rakshak.com).

The move to Rajouri – over this road as the “axis of advance” – is being led by 4 Dogra. The march leading up to an assault on Rajouri began on 8th April 1948. 4 Dogra has managed to capture Barwali Ridge in a short time but further advance is halted due to a large number of roadblocks and landmines.

The blocks are so well-prepared that even armour is finding it hard to cross over these obstacles. Their way is being cleared by a group of determined men, amongst them the 37 Assault Field Company which is attached to 4 Dogra. As the section starts clearing a minefield on April 8th, two sappers are killed and five others including Rane are injured in enemy mortar fire.

What happened next is best described in the Citation of Param Vir Chakra awarded to 2nd Lt Rane. (Courtesy the Indian Army Website) CITATION Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane BOMBAY ENGINEER (SS-14246) On 8 April 1948, Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane, Bombay Engineers, was ordered to be in charge of the mine and roadblock clearing party at Mile 26 on the Naushera-Rajouri road which passes through very hilly country.

At 1100 hours, on that date near Nadpur South, just as Second Lieutenant Rane and his party were waiting near the tanks to start the work of clearing the mines ahead, the enemy started heavy mortaring of the area, with the result that two men of the mine-clearing party were killed and five others including Second Lieutenant Rane were wounded. The officer at once reorganized his party and started work for the tanks to go on to their position. Throughout the day he was near the tanks under heavy enemy machine-gun and mortar fire.

After an arduous day, the road is finally cleared for the tanks to move ahead. The leading team could have secured a well-earned halt at this point but Rane was made of sterner stuff.

As the sun began to set on the mountains, Rane and his men decided to continue working through the night so that a safe lane can be prepared for the tanks.

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After the capture of Barwali Ridge at about 1630 hours, although knowing that the enemy had not been completely cleared of the area, Second Lieutenant Rane took his party ahead and started making a diversion for the tanks to proceed. He worked on till 2200 hours that night in full view of the enemy and under heavy machine-gun fire.

On 9 April he again started work at 0600 hours and worked on till 1500hrs when the diversion was ready for the tanks to proceed. As the armoured column advanced, he got into the leading carrier and proceeded ahead. After proceeding about half a mile he came across a roadblock made of pine trees. He at once dismounted and blasted the trees away. The advance continued. Another 300 yards and the same story was repeated. By this time it was getting on to 1700 hours. The road was curving round the hill like a snake. The next roadblock was a demolished culvert. Second Lieutenant Rane again got on with the job. Before he could start work, the enemy opened up with their machine-guns, but with super courage and leadership he made a diversion and the column proceeded ahead. The roadblocks were becoming numerous but he blasted his way through. It was now 1815 hours, and light was fading fast. The carrier came across a formidable roadblock of five big pine trees surrounded by mines and covered by machine-gun fire. He started removing the mines and was determined to clear the roadblock but the armoured column commander appreciating the situation got the column into a harbour area.

Lesser mortals would have collapsed of exhaustion at this point; men of lesser mettle would have at least asked for a bit of rest. Rane was neither.

On 10 April 1948 at 0445 hours, Second Lieutenant Rane again started work on the roadblock in spite of machine-gun fire with the support of one troops of tanks. With sheer will power he cleared this roadblock by 0630hours. The next thousand yards was a mass of roadblocks and blasted embankments. That was not all. The enemy had the whole area covered with machine-gun fire but with superhuman efforts, in spite of having been wounded, with cool courage and exemplary leadership and complete disregard for personal life, he cleared the road by 1030 hours.

The armoured column proceeded ahead and got off the road into the riverbed of the Tawi but Second Lieutenant Rane continued clearing the road for the administrative column. The tanks reached Chingas by 1400 hours.

The Army advanced another 13 km on this day before they encountered another major roadblock.

The enemy pickets perched on the adjoining hills were guarding all approaches to this roadblock.

2nd Lieutenant Rane drove to the roadblock in a tank and crouching under it, blasted the block with mines. He continued to work on clearing the path ahead without rest or food till 2100 hours that night.

But his work was not complete yet.

On 11 April 1948, he again started work at 0600 hours and opened the road to Chingas by 1100 hours.

He continued working till 2200 hours that night clearing the road (for the armour to move further towards Rajouri).

As the citation notes, But for the grim determination and tireless diligence of 2nd Lieutenant Rane, who worked ceaselessly, our column could not have reached Chingas – an important feature which secured for us a vantage position to advance further.

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Rane‘s gallant and heroic effort – in complete disregard of his personal safety and wellbeing – led to a richly deserved Param Vir Chakra. Although the situation in J&K stabilised in 1948, Rane‘s exploits continued to earn him awards and citations. During his 21 years‟ service with the Army, he earned five M-in-D (Mentioned-in-Dispatches).

As some of you know, the post-independence military operations in Jammu & Kashmir led to some unforgettable displays of courage and bravery. The Army won five Param Vir Chakras (PVCs), 47 Maha Vir Chakras (MVCs) and 284 Vir Chakras (VrCs), including three twin-awards of VrCs, during the years of 1947-48.

As you go about your day today, please take a minute to remember these “Bravest of the Braves”.

P.S. For those of you who may be interested in Military History, please read an excellent account of ―The Recapture of Rajouri‖ at Bharat-Rakshak.com. ***********

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The Param Virs of Tithwal

CHM Piru Singh Shekhawat, PVC and Lance Naik Karam Singh, PVC In this chapter, read about the “Heroes of Tithwal”, Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat and Lance Naik Karam Singh.

The story of the ―Heroes of Tithwal‖ takes us back to 1947-48 – when irregulars of the Pakistani Army, aided by Kabayilis attacked a newly independent nation to unlawfully seize territory and create mayhem in Jammu & Kashmir. What follows is the situation on the ground in the early part of 1948.

(Courtesy: the Indian Army website on operations in Jammu & Kashmir)

Early summer, 1948: Amidst continuation of hostilities, Pakistan is strengthening personnel and material back up to the hostiles and irregular forces operating in Jammu & Kashmir. There are also reports that ―two infantry divisions…comprising five brigades, besides thousands of „Azad Kashmir‟ troops, fully equipped and trained by Pakistan‖ are being inducted into Jammu & Kashmir.

In response, the Indian Army launches an offensive in May ‘48 with simultaneous attacks from Dragmula and Handwara. Tithwal is taken on 23rd May but this gain proves to be short-lived…This is what happened next (Courtesy, ―Company Havildar Major Piru Singh‖ on Bharat-Rakshak.com): …Pakistani raiders mounted a strong counter offensive in the Tithwal sector. The enemy also forced the Indian Army to vacate their forward positions across river Kishanganga…At this juncture, 6 Rajputana Rifles was moved from Uri to Tithwal to strengthen the 163 Bde in its impending offensive in the sector. The Indian offensive commenced on 11 July 1948…and continued well into mid-July. The recon reports, however, revealed that the enemy was holding a high feature in the area and that its capture was essential for making any further progress. Further ahead lay another feature also held in strength by the enemy.

The 6 Rajputana Rifles was assigned the task of securing these two features. The ‗D‘ Company was to secure the first feature...The „D‟ Company launched its attack on the objective at 0130 hrs on July 18th. The path to the objective was about one metre wide with deep ravines on either side. Overlooking this narrow path were the hidden enemy bunkers.

The company was subjected to heavy fire and with half an hour it suffered 51 casualties.

During this battle, CHM Singh was with the leading section of the company, more than half of which was mowed down by the devastating fire of the enemy. He rushed forward to deal with the enemy medium machine gun post which was playing havoc with his troops. Enemy grenade splinters ripped open his clothes and wounded several parts of his body. But this did not deter him. He still continued the advance, shouting the battle cry, “Raja Ramchandra Ki Jai”.

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Rushing forward he bayoneted the crew of the enemy MMG, with his own sten gun, silenced the menacing gun and occupied the post. By this time all his companions lay behind either dead or wounded.

The responsibility of clearing the enemy from the hill feature lay with him alone. Bleeding profusely he inched forward to attack the second enemy MMG post. At this juncture a grenade wounded him in the face. The blood dripping from his face almost blinded him. By now all the sten gun ammunition with him had been spent. He courageously crawled out of the occupied enemy trench and hurled grenades at the next enemy post.

CHM Singh then jumped into another trench and bayoneted two enemy soldiers to death.

As CHM Singh, emerged out of the second trench to charge on the third enemy bunker, he was hit in head by a bullet and was seen dropping on the edge of the enemy trench. There was an explosion in the trench which showed that the grenade had done its work. By then CHM Piru Singh‟s wound had proved fatal.

As I read this excerpt from Bharat-Rakshak, my heart swelled with pride and my eyes filled with tears. Sadly, CHM Piru Singh Shekhawat‘s story – along with countless other tales of extraordinary heroics and bravery – lies buried somewhere in our history – untold, unsung and forgotten…As you go about your day today, take a pledge to share this story with as many friends or family…Make sure that the Param Virs of Tithwal are not forgotten. Make sure they did not give up their lives in vain.

Lance Naik Karam Singh‟s act is no less inspiring…It is set in October 1948.

Although Indian forces managed to take Tithwal in May, they were forced to retreat back to Tithwal ridge (on the other side of Kishanganga river) amidst an enemy counter-offensive in late summer. But the troops had Tithwal ridge and were in a position of advantage. This is what happened next (Courtesy, ―Lance Naik Karam Singh‖ on Bharat-Rakshak.com): On October 13th, Pakistani forces they launched a desperate attack in brigade strength to evict the Indian Army from their strongly held positions. The objective was to recapture Richhmar Gali to the south of Tithwal and to outflank the Indian Army by marching on to Nastachur Pass to the east of Tithwal. Both attempts failed.

During this attack, some bitter fighting took place in the Richhmar Gali area on the night of October 13th. The attack commenced with heavy shelling of guns and mortar. The fire was so devastating that nearly all bunkers in the platoon area were damaged.

In this action the 1 Sikh played a very important role in beating back the enemy onslaught. Lance Naik Karam Singh was commanding a forward outpost when the enemy launched the attack. His post was attacked by the enemy in vastly superior strength. The outpost was attacked eight times and the Sikhs repulsed the enemy every time.

When ammunition ran short, Lance Naik Karam Singh joined the main company position, knowing fully well that due to the heavy enemy shelling no help would be forthcoming. Communications with his commander were also cut off, hence Karam Singh was unable to update his situation or ask for reinforcements. Although himself wounded, he brought back two injured comrades with the help of a third mate.

Ringed by enemy fire, it was almost impossible for them to break out. Ignoring all dangers, he crawled from place to place encouraging his men to keep up the fight. Often he beat back the enemy with grenades. Twice wounded, he refused evacuation and continued to hold on to the first-line trenches.

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The fifth enemy attack was very intense. Two enemy soldiers came so close to his position that he could not engage them without hitting his men. Lance Naik Karam Singh, jumped out of his trench and bayoneted the two intruders to death. This bold action so demoralised the enemy that they broke off the attack.

Three more enemy attacks which followed were also repulsed by Lance Naik Karam Singh and his men.

In the end, the enemy was forced to retreat and Richhmar Gali remained under Indian control.

Lance Naik Karam Singh‘s act of extraordinary courage and bravery will forever be associated with the battle of Tithwal.

For his conspicuous bravery and act of valour, Lance Naik Karam Singh was honoured with the Param Vir Chakra. He retired from the Army as an Honorary Captain.

CITATION Company Havildar Major Piru Singh, 6th Battalion, RAJPUTANA RIFLES (NO 2831592) South of Tithwal, ‗D‘ Company, of which No 2831592 Piru Singh, was Havildar Major was detailed to attack and capture an enemy occupied hill feature. The enemy had well dug in positions and had sited his MMGs so as to cover all possible approaches. As the attack advanced, it was met with heavy MMG fire from both flanks. Volleys of grenades were hurled down from enemy bunkers.

Company Havildar Major Piru Singh was then with the forward most Section of the company.

Seeing more than half of the Section killed or wounded, he did not lose courage. With battle cries he encouraged the remaining men and rushed forward with great determination onto the nearest enemy MMG position. Grenade splinters ripping his clothes and wounding him at several places, he continued to advance without the least regard for his safety. He was on top of the MMG position wounding the gun crew with Sten gun fire.

With complete disregard to his bleeding wounds he made a mad jump on the MMG crew bayoneting them to death, thus silencing the gun.

By then he suddenly realized that he was the sole survivor of the section, the rest of them either dead or wounded. Another grenade thrown at him wounded him in the face. With blood dripping from his face wounds in his eyes, he crawled out of the trench, hurling grenades at the next enemy position.

CITATION Lance Naik Karam Singh, 1 SIKH (NO 22356) Tithwal in Jammu and Kashmir was captured on 23 May 1948. After that date, the enemy made numerous attempts to recapture Richmar Gali, and thence Tithwal. On 13 October 1948, coinciding with Id, the enemy decided to launch a brigade attack to retake Richmar Gali, and bypassing Tithwal, advance into the Srinagar Valley . Lance Naik Karam Singh was commanding a section at Richmar Gali.

The enemy commenced its attack with heavy shelling of guns and mortars. The fire was so accurate that not a single bunker in the platoon locality was left unscathed.

Communication trenches caved in. Bravely, Lance Naik Karam Singh went from bunker to bunker, giving succor to the wounded and urging the men to fight.

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The enemy launched eight separate attacks that day. In one such attack, the enemy managed to obtain a foothold in the platoon locality. Immediately, Lance Naik Karam Singh, who was severely wounded by then, with a few men, hurled himself in a counter-attack and evicted the enemy after a close quarter encounter which accounted for many enemy dead, having been dispatched by the bayonet.

Lance Naik Karam Singh proved himself to be a dauntless leader of men in crisis. Nothing could subdue him and no amount of fire or hardship could break his spirit. ***********

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Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, PVC

In this chapter, a tribute to Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria who sacrificed his life on 5 th December, 1961. The heroic story of Captain Salaria that I am sharing with you is probably the most unusual in this series. He did not lay down his life defending our borders…nor did he die saving fellow citizens. But – in the finest traditions of the Armed Forces – Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria laid down his life for the honour of his men and the cause that his Army believed in.

Late November, 1961, Elizabethville, Congo: For men of 3/1 Gorkha Rifles, the last few days have been grim. Their colleagues have come under repeated attacks by the Katanga forces.

One of the senior officers, Major Ajit Singh has been taken captive…and his driver brutally murdered while on a mission to rescue UN officials. The honour of Gorkhas is on the line.

The deployment is unusual because the troops are part of the UN Peace Keeping Forces. In fact the UN operation in Congo (Organisation de Nations Unies au Congo, ONUC 1960-63) will go down in history as the mission in which the largest number of Indian troops participated.

The initial contribution has been enlarged to Brigade level comprising 1 Dogra, 2 Jat, 3/1 Gorkha Rifles, a squadron of 63 Cavalry, 4 Mahar and others. Moise Tshombe, the leader of the breakaway Katanga province commands thousands of troops under Belgian army officers. Although a ceasefire was affected in September 1961, the situation is worsening again. The job of restoring normalcy has fallen on Indian troops.

In the days leading up to December, the Gorkhas decide to re-consolidate. Here is what happened next (Drawn from ―Captain Courage‖ by Colonel Anil Shorey on Bharat-Rakshak.com): On 5th December, one of the 3/1 Gorkha Rifles companies, supported by two Swedish armoured cars, decide to take on a road-block that the gendarmerie (From Wiki - A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations) has put up between the headquarters of Katanga Command and the airfield.

As a part of the attack plan, a detachment, consisting of two sections of this battalion, is advancing from the airfield in two Swedish armoured personnel carriers so as to cut off the enemy‘s retreat from the road-block.

This small body, under Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, comes under heavy fire from an enemy position about a mile from the road-block. Captain Salaria decides to attack the enemy position Copy prepared for Brian Champness

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which, it is later discovered, has about 90 men defending it together with two armoured cars.

Supported by a rocket-launcher, he leads his men, comprising 16 Gorkhas, into a tactical position using grenades and unsheathed khukris(curved knives). Fully realizing the disproportionate ratio of force of his small platoon of 16 men, against more than 90 opponents, he soon rallies his men behind him and charges at the enemy position in a fierce khukri assault.

In the fighting that followed, more than 40 rebels are killed and Captain Salaria is gravely wounded.

Two bullets have pierced his neck and he has collapsed on the last line of trenches. The ferocity of the attack, the blood curdling war cry of the Gorkhas – Ayo Gorkhali (The Gorkhas Have Arrived) and the flashing khukris are too much for the gendarmerie…and they flee in confusion, leaving their dead and wounded behind.

As the Indian Army website notes: Captain Salaria prevented the enemy from going to the roundabout thereby saving the UN Headquarters in Elizabethville from encirclement. His leadership, courage, unflinching devotion to duty and disregard for his personal safety were in the best traditions of the Indian Army.

For his extraordinary leadership and devotion to duty, Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria was awarded the highest wartime medal, Param Vir Chakra, posthumously.

CITATION Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, 3/1 GORKHA RIFLES (IC-8947) On 5 December 1961, 3/1 Gorkha Rifles was ordered to clear a roadblock established by the gendarmerie at a strategic roundabout at Elizabethville , Katanga . The plan was that one company with 2 Swedish armoured cars would attack the position frontally and Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria with two sections of Gorkhas and two Swedish armoured personnel carriers would advance towards this roadblock from the airfield to act as a cutting-off force.

Captain Salaria with his small force arrived at a distance of 1500 yards from the roadblock at approximately 1312 hours on 5 December 1961 and came under heavy automatic and small-arms fire from an undetected enemy position dug in on his right flank. The enemy also had two armoured cars and about 90 men opposing Captain Salaria‘s small force.

Captain Salaria appreciating that he had run into a subsidiary roadblock and ambush and that this enemy force might reinforce the strategic roundabout and thus jeopardize the main operation, decided to remove this opposition. He led a charge with bayonets, khukris, and grenades supported by a rocket launcher. In this gallant engagement, Captain Salaria killed 40 of the enemy and knocked out the two armoured cars. This unexpected bold action completely demoralised the enemy who fled despite their numerical superiority and protected positions.

Captain Salaria was wounded in his neck by a burst of automatic fire but continued to fight till he collapsed due to profuse bleeding. Captain Salaria‘s gallant action prevented any enemy movement of the enemy force towards the main battle scene and thus contributed very largely to the success of the main battalion‘s action at the roundabout and prevented the encirclement of UN Headquarters in Elizabethville. Captain Salaria subsequently died of his wounds. *** Captain Salaria had turned 26 just five days before he died in action. As you go about your day today, please spare a moment to remember these heroes. ***********

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The Param Virs of „62

In this chapter, the inspiring saga of the “Param Vir”s of 1962”, Major Dhan Singh Thapa, PVC and Subedar Joginder Singh, PVC. The war of 1962 is a painful chapter in Indian history, but it is also a chapter of heroic stories, of incredible valour and extraordinary courage. This is the story of two heroes from those times – two of the finest amongst the hundreds.

October 1962: After years of ―Panch Sheel‖ and slogans of ―Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai‖, relations between India and China have begun to cool off. There are increasing reports of border clashes. There is no mistaking the approaching storm. The unmarked border is a ready-made excuse for conflict and although the mood on the Indian side of the border is vigilant, the leadership appears to be remarkably sanguine and unaware of the trouble that lied ahead. The lull is about to be shattered.

In the third week of October, Chinese forces launch attacks in the north as well as the east, 1000 kilometres apart. There are also reports of clashes on the border of Sikkim, Nathu-La and in Aksai Chin. Stationed in Ladakh, Major Dhan Singh Thapa and 8th Gurkha are soon going to find themselves in the thick of this action. The terrain – difficult and harsh in the best of times – will soon get its first snow…

Pangong Tso, near Ladakh This is where the men of 1/8 Gurkha are stationed. They are defending the Sirijap Valley, vital for the defence of the airport at Chushul. The attack on their post comes at dawn on 20th October 1962.

This is what happened next (Courtesy ―Major Dhan Singh Thapa‖, Bharat-Rakshak.com): Copy prepared for Brian Champness

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…At 6am, the Chinese opened a barrage of artillery and mortar fire over Sirijap-1 post. The shelling continued till 08:30 and the whole area was set ablaze. Some shells fell on the command post and damaged the wireless set. This put the post out of communication. The Chinese then attacked in overwhelming numbers. Major Thapa and his men repulsed the attack, inflicting heavy casualties. The Chinese mounted another attack in greater numbers after shelling the area with artillery and mortar fire.

Major Thapa once again repulsed the attack, inflicting heavy losses on the Chinese.

He encouraged his men to be prepared for a third assault, which came after a short while indeed. The third Chinese attack was, however, more powerful and intense. The enemy now came with tanks in support of the infantry. The platoon post was now in a much depleted strength owing to the casualties suffered in earlier attacks. But the post held out till the ammunition lasted. When it was finally overrun by the Chinese, he jumped out of his trench and killed many intruders in hand-to-hand fighting. He was eventually overpowered (and thought to have been) killed.

For his exemplary courage, valour and inspiring leadership, Major Dhan Singh Thapa was honoured with the highest wartime gallantry medal, the Param Vir Chakra. Fortunately for us, …he was later discovered to have been taken prisoner and after his release from the POW camp, he resumed his military career. He retired as Lieutenant-Colonel. ********* Subedar Joginder Singh‟s story is set in the Tawang sector in NEFA (North East Frontier Agency) – the other prong of the Chinese attack in early October.

The Chinese presence in NEFA was significantly more as compared to Ladakh. As noted by Col Anil Shorey (Sino-Indian Conflict, Indian Army‘s Rich History from IndianArmy-ARichHistory.com): The Chinese, which had earlier been reported to have a regimental group (equivalent to an Indian brigade group) facing the Indian troops in Ladakh, had twice the force level deployed opposite Indian troops in NEFA. By October 1961 they had pushed their feeder roads up to their forward most posts. …Though a lot is known through various publications of (the) famous battle of Rezang La (in Ladakh), very little is known comparatively about the heroic exploits of Indian troops in other sectors during this conflict.

Take the case of the eastern part of India. …Describing the various acts of individual and collective valour in this theatre could go into pages. Nevertheless, Sepoy Kanshi Ram, Naik Chain Singh and Maj Chawdhary were decorated with the Maha Vir Chakras, the latter two posthumously.

Following this, a 1/9 GR company was attacked by the Chinese. Though heavily outnumbered, young Second Lieutenant (2/Lt) BD Dogra and his men held their ground and broke the initial assault. Even after receiving a serious injury on his face, the young officer continued to inflict heavy casualties on the enemy with an LMG of a dead jawan. Thereafter he was overpowered and captured. For this gallantry he was awarded the MVC.

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…On 20 October …(the) ‗C‘ Company of 4 Grenadiers at Nyamjang Chu was also attacked by the Chinese. 2/Lt GVP Rao, an artillery officer with the unit, and his men held on. Even after the Chinese cut off their only route of withdrawal, the company fought on till the last round.

2/Lt Rao was awarded Maha Vir Chakra posthumously for his bravery. …Apart from those already mentioned, there were 14 other recipients of the MVC in this sector and scores of VrC and other awardees.

This is the setting in which we find ourselves in the early days of October 1962… ..On the morning of 20 October the Assam Rifles post at Bum La was attacked, but it soon repulsed.

After two days more than 1,000 Chinese soldiers and Tibetan labourers with digging implements arrived on the nearby ridge, and on 23 October about 600 Chinese attacked it Bum La. The Assam Rifles jawans put up a bold resistance, but soon their post was over-run.

A Sikh Guarding the Bum La Axis Subedar Joginder Singh and his men were amongst the ones who were to face this assault…This is what happened next (Courtesy: ―Subedar Joginder Singh‖, Bharat-Rakshak.com): …While holding a defensive position on a ridge in Tongpeng La area on Bum La axis, the platoon (commanded by Subedar Joginder Singh) noticed heavy enemy concentration opposite Bum La across the McMohan Line on October 20th. This was indeed a preparatory to the Chinese advance on Bum La axis on October 23rd.

At 0530 hours on October 23rd, the Chinese launched a heavy attack on the Bum La axis. The intention was to achieve a breakthrough to Tawang. The enemy attacked the Ridge in three waves, each about 200 strong. The attack was supported by artillery and mortar fire, besides other weapons. The fierce resistance of the Sikh platoon, however, compelled the enemy to fall back with heavy losses.

But he regrouped quickly and launched a fresh attack under the cover of an artillery barrage.

However, Subedar Joginder Singh and his platoon stood firm like a rock before the advancing enemy. In this fierce action, the platoon lost half of its men but not the will to fight. Subedar Joginder Singh, despite a wound in the thigh, refused evacuation. His platoon also refused to yield any ground to the enemy.

The last wave of the Chinese attack, which was more determined and more forceful, followed next. Now the platoon had very few men left to fight. Subedar Joginder Singh, therefore, manned a light machine gun and killed a large number of enemies.

But he could not stem the tide of the enemy advance single-handed. The Chinese Army continued advancing with little concern for the casualties. By now all ammunition with the platoon had been exhausted. When the situation became desperate, Subedar Joginder Singh Copy prepared for Brian Champness

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and his men emerged from their position with fixed bayonets, shouting the Sikh battle cry,

“Wahe Guruji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guruji ki Fateh”

They fell upon the advancing enemy and bayoneted many to death. Finally better weapons and numerical superiority of the enemy prevailed and Subedar Singh was killed in this epic battle.

For the extraordinary courage he displayed and the inspiring leadership to the men under his command, Subedar Joginder Singh was awarded the highest wartime gallantry medal, the Param Vir Chakra, posthumously. As you go about your day today, please take a moment to remember these brave hearts, India‘s finest – many of whom laid down their lives so we may live in peace.

CITATION Major Dhan Singh Thapa, 1/8 GORKHA RIFLES (IC-7990) Major Dhan Singh Thapa was in command of a forward post in Ladakh. On 20 October it was attacked by the Chinese in overwhelming strength after being subjected to intensive artillery and mortar bombardment. Under his gallant command, the greatly outnumbered post repulsed the attack, inflicting heavy casualties on the aggressors. The enemy attacked again in greater numbers after heavy shelling by artillery and mortar fire. Under the leadership of Major Thapa, his men repulsed this attack also with heavy losses to the enemy.

The Chinese attacked for the third time, now with tanks to support the infantry. The post had already suffered large numbers of casualties in the earlier two attacks. Though considerably reduced in number it held out to the last. When it was finally overrun by overwhelming numbers of the enemy, Major Thapa got out of his trench and killed several of the enemy in hand-to-hand fighting before he was finally overpowered by Chinese soldiers.

Major Thapa‘s cool courage, conspicuous fighting qualities and leadership were in the highest traditions of our Army.

CITATION Subedar Joginder Singh, 1 SIKH (JC 1547) Subedar Joginder Singh was the commander of a platoon of the Sikh Regiment holding a defensive position at a ridge near Tongpen La in NEFA. At 0530 hours on 23 October 1962, the Chinese opened a very heavy attack on the Bumla axis with the intention of breaking through to Towang.

The leading battalion of the enemy attacked the ridge in three waves, each about 200 strong.

Subedar Joginder Singh and his men mowed down the first wave, and the enemy was temporarily halted by the heavy losses it suffered. Within a few minutes, a second wave came over and was dealt with similarly. But the platoon had, by then, lost half its men. Subedar Joginder Singh was wounded in the thigh but refused to be evacuated. Under his inspiring leadership the platoon stubbornly held its ground and would not withdraw. Meanwhile the position was attacked for the third time.

Subedar Joginder Singh himself manned a light machine-gun and shot down a number of the enemy.

The Chinese however continued to advance despite heavy losses. When the situation became untenable Subedar Joginder Singh and the few men that were left in the position fixed bayonets and charged the advancing Chinese, bayoneting a number of them before he and his comrades were overpowered. Throughout this action, Subedar Joginder Singh displayed devotion to duty, inspiring leadership and bravery of the highest order.

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As I mentioned at the beginning, the saga of 1962 is a sad one for India. But 1962 is also a story of untold valour, extraordinary courage and numerous sacrifices... As Col Shorey wrote (Courtesy: IndianArmyThroughTheAges.com):

…Though this conflict was a debacle for India, yet Indian troops more than lived up to their reputation. In spite of being ill equipped and ill clad, no other army could have fought the Chinese as ferociously as Indian troops. That apart, in spite of receiving orders to withdraw from various fronts, battalions and even companies have dug their heels to take on the enemy head on, ignoring such orders. In the process they delayed the enemy‘s advance in various sectors considerably, something which the Chinese never expected. The numerous top gallantry awards won by Indian troops speak for themselves.

This chapter is amongst the ones that have taken a long time to write…As my eyes glaze over looking at the computer screen for the last few hours, my wrists are beginning to hurt a little…But I am overwhelmed by a sense of awe at the remarkable and extraordinary exploits of these men…and I am grateful, truly grateful – from the bottom of my heart. Of course no remembrance of 1962 would be complete without a mention of the Hero of Chushul: Major Shaitan Singh, PVC. Read his story in the next chapter and share it with your friends and others.

Pangong Tso Image Courtesy: Hansraj (via Wikipedia) Images of “Sikh Guarding the Bum La Axis”, “Indian Troops Deploying at Bum La” are from the Indian Army‘s Rich History website - (IndianArmy-ARichHistory.com), based on Colonel Anil Shorey‘s research - (IndianArmyThroughTheAges.com). Please do visit these references also to read and share more about the bravest of the braves. ***********

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Major Shaitan Singh, PVC

In this chapter, the story of Major Shaitan Singh, a Param Veer who sacrificed his life on 18 th November, 1962.

Early November 1962: As noted in the previous chapter too, after years of ―Panch Sheel‖ and slogans of ―Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai‖, reality is slowly creeping back into India-China relations. The dispute over unmarked borders is in danger of flaring up. There have been sporadic reports of border clashes. The mood on the Indian side of the border is alert. The mood in New Delhi is sanguine – the political leadership is blissfully unaware of the approaching storm.

Nov 14, 1962: The Chinese troops make their first move in the Walong sector. The invasion stuns the government, its suddenness taking everyone by surprise. Walong was being defended by the braves of Kumaon Regiment who ―fought the Chinese with astounding grit and determination.‖ Kumaon‘s heroic defence leads to the battalion being awarded five Vir Chakras for bravery and sacrifice during the battle.

But the war is far from over. Rezong La – an icy pass at a strategic location at 17,000 feet is soon going to see some fierce action.

The troops guarding Rezong La are led by Major Shaitan Singh. Because of the nature of the surrounding terrain, they are isolated from the rest of the battalion.

Sometime during the night of 17th Nov, the Chinese make their move.

It was the end of a very cold winter night, with light snow falling. The icy winds howling through Rezang La were biting and benumbing…In the dim light of the morning, the Chinese were seen advancing through nullahs to attack No.7 and No.8 platoon positions.

(Courtesy: ―Major Shaitan Singh‖, Bharat-Rakshak.com)

Here is what happened next (Courtesy: The Indian Army website):

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…dawn broke on 18 November 1962; unusually cold, with snow falling lightly over Rezang La…This day saw a battle that was unique in many ways. Never before in the world‘s military history had a major battle been fought at such an altitude. The forces arrayed were also unequally matched.

At about 0615 hours, all those deployed around Chushul, were attracted by the sound and sight of massive shelling on Rezang La, Gurung Hill and Spanggur gap – bringing entire Infantry Brigade to their respective battle positions.

The Battle of Rezang La commenced hours before the shelling that the rest of Brigade saw from a distance. In fact, the first Chinese attack was ‗silent‘, with the intention to surprise the defenders of Rezang La, in which, the Chinese failed.

At about 0400 hours, it was noticed that a large body of enemy troops, scrambling up through gullies towards a platoon post. Within no time every man of the Kumaon Company under Maj Shaitan Singh was at ‗ready for action‘ state. Every gully that descended to the dry bed of Rezang Lungpa was swarming with Chinese. It was still pretty dark. Maj Shaitan Singh and his brave men were now certain to face a big attack. With bated breath they waited, their fingers on their triggers. …At about 0500 hours, when the dawn was just cracking, the first wave of Chinese assault was seen through their gun sights. Just when the Chinese came within range, Maj Shaitan Singh ordered to open fire…Evidence of large number of the enemy casualties came, when Rezang La was visited three months later. Chinese frontal attack having failed, they modified their attack plan by shelling Rezang La heavily. It was this intensive shelling which made a spectacular display of the Chinese superiority in weapons. There were no bunkers left on Rezang La…but there was no sign of panic or withdrawal. According to those who visited Rezang La, three months later: The dead men were found in their trenches, frozen stiff, still holding their weapons. Broken Light Machine Gun bipods, and some men holding only the butts of their rifles while the remaining weapon had blown off, bore witness to the enemy fire.

The odds against the Company were heavy, superior numbers and fire power was beginning to tell…

What followed is best told in Maj Shaitan Singh‘s citation.

CITATION Major Shaitan Singh, 13 KUMAON (IC 7990) Major Shaitan Singh was commanding a company of an infantry battalion deployed at Rezang La in the Chushul sector at a height of about 17,000 feet. The locality was isolated from the main defended sector and consisted of five platoon-defended position.

On 18 November 1962, the Chinese forces subjected the company position to heavy artillery, mortar and small arms fire and attacked it in overwhelming strength in several successive waves.

Against heavy odds, our troops beat back successive waves of enemy attack.

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During the action, Major Shaitan Singh dominated the scene of operations and moved at great personal risk from one platoon post to another sustaining the morale of his hard-pressed platoon posts. While doing so he was seriously wounded but continued to encourage and lead his men, who, following his brave example fought gallantly and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. For every man lost to us, the enemy lost four or five.

When Major Shaitan Singh fell disabled by wounds in his arms and abdomen, his men tried to evacuate him but they came under heavy machine-gun fire. Major Shaitan Singh then ordered his men to leave him to his fate in order to save their lives.

Major Shaitan Singh‟s supreme courage, leadership and exemplary devotion to duty inspired his company to fight almost to the last man. *** As the Wikipedia entry on Maj Shaitan Singh notes: The battle of Rezang La, a ridge overlooking the strategic Chushul plains in Ladakh, is one of the most glorious chapters in the history of the Indian army and has been compared by some military historians with the famed battle of Thermopylae. In the unequal war of 1962 against the Chinese , the Ahir Charlie Company from 13 Kumaon, led by Major Shaitan Singh, decided that until they were alive the Chinese weren‘t going to have a look-in on Chushul, at 17,000 ft.

Of the 120 defenders, only three survived, seriously wounded. The rest, including Major Shaitan Singh, were discovered after the winter, frozen, mostly holding their weapons but with no ammunition.

This was a genuine „last man-last round‟ defense…and it succeeded in stalling the Chinese advance in this sector. As Rajeev Srinivasan wrote (Courtesy: Rediff.com): (The last stand of 13 Kumaon)…succeeded in blunting the Chinese assault, killing as many as a thousand Chinese in the process at Rezang La and at nearby Gurung Hill. Thereafter, the Chinese did not push further towards the Chushul plain. It was a critical checkpoint on a potential Chinese advance on Leh. The Kumaon Battalion was later the proud recipient of the Battle Honour ‗Rezang La‘ and the Theatre Honour ‗Ladakh 1962‘. And yet, the last stand of 13 Kumaon at Chushul is not widely known. The story of their valour is not part of our textbooks. There is no memorial for them. An ungrateful nation hardly remembers their sacrifice.

These brave men died – unwept, un-mourned and unsung.

As you go about your day today, please spare a moment to remember these heroes…and please share this with fellow Indians. We will not forget. ***********

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CQMH Abdul Hamid, PVC

In this chapter, read the incredible story of valour and bravery demonstrated by CQMH Abdul Hamid – a ―Param Vir‖ – during the war with Pakistan in 1965.

Abdul Hamid‘s story is short but exceptional. Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid was already a battle-scarred veteran with the 4 Grenadiers when his division was deployed in the Khem Karan sector in Punjab in early September, 1965. As the Indian Army website notes, in his 10 years of service, he had already earned “the Sainya Seva Medal with Clasp J&K, the Samar Seva Medal and the Raksha Medal”.

Early September 1965 (Courtesy: Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Wikipedia): Pakistan has just launched an intense offensive in J&K (Operation Grand Slam) aimed at capturing Akhnoor in Jammu, with the intent of cutting off communications and supply routes to the Indian forces on the border in J&K. India has retaliated with air attacks and is at the verge of opening the front in Punjab.

On 6th September, Indian forces led by the formidable 15th Infantry commanded by WWII veteran Major General Prasad, launch an offensive near the west bank of Ichhogil canal (a de facto border between India and Pakistan). The war has now effectively moved beyond the border in J&K. One of the most remarkable battles of this war is now about to unfold. The sector is Khem Karan – the fall of which might open the way to Amritsar. Khem Karan is therefore critical to the defense plan. Abdul Hamid and his colleagues are part of the 4 Indian Division that has been entrusted with responsibility to capture of Pakistani territory east of Ichogil Canal and contain possible enemy attack on the Kasur-Khem Karan axis.

While the brave men of the 4th Division have succeeded in reaching Ichhogil, they have been stalled from moving further by intense shelling from enemy troops and a powerful Pakistani offensive. But the area they are holding on to is critical to sustain the divisional plan of defence. They cannot afford to loose the position. This is what happened next: On September 8th night, the enemy made repeated probing attacks on Grenadiers positions but was frustrated in all the attempts. The most serious threat, however, developed when the enemy attacked with a regiment of Patton tanks at 0800 hours on September 10th. The attack was preceded by intense artillery shelling so much so that a shell littered every yard of ground occupied by the battalion.

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By 0900 hours, the enemy tanks had penetrated the forward company positions. At this critical juncture, Hamid was commanding a recoilless gun detachment. Seeing the gravity of the situation, he moved out to a flank with his gun mounted on a jeep. Intense enemy shelling and tank fire did not deter him.

From his new position, he knocked out the leading enemy tank with accurate fire. Then he changed his position and knocked out another enemy tank. By this time the enemy who had spotted his position brought down concentrated machine gun and high explosive fire on him. But he kept on firing. As he fired to hit yet another enemy tank, he was mortally wounded by a high explosive shell.

Unfortunately Abdul Hamid did not live to see the next day or share in the joy of victory that came after 3 days of intense fighting. But his sustained act of bravery and disregard for personal safety proved to be an inspiration not only to his unit but also to the whole division. Thanks largely to the men of 4th Division, The Pakistani 1st Armored – which was spearheading the attack, never made it past Khem Karan.

By the end of September 10 (Pakistan‘s First Armoured Division) lay disintegrated by the defences of the Indian 4th Mountain Division at what is now known as the Battle of Asal Uttar (lit. meaning – ―Real Answer‖, or more appropriate English equivalent – ―Fitting Response‖). Approximately 97 Pakistani tanks were destroyed or abandoned during the battle…

[Courtesy: Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Wikipedia] Some of these tanks were subsequently set up and displayed at a war memorial called Patton Nagar in Khem Karan district in Punjab.

CITATION Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid, 4 GRENADIERS (NO 2639985) At 0800 hours on 10 September 1965 Pakistan forces launched an attack with a regiment of Patton tanks on a vital area ahead of village Cheema on the Bhikkiwind road in the Khem Karan Sector. Intense artillery shelling preceded the attack. The enemy tanks penetrated the forward position by 0900 hours. Realising the grave situation, Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid who was commander of a RCL gun detachment moved out to a flanking position with his gun mounted on a jeep, under intense enemy shelling and tank fire. Taking an advantageous position, he knocked out the leading enemy tank and then swiftly changing his position, he sent another tank up in flames. By this time the enemy tanks in the area spotted him and brought his jeep under concentrated machine-gun and high explosive fire.

Undeterred, Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid kept on firing on yet another enemy tank with his recoilless gun. While doing so, he was mortally wounded by an enemy high explosive shell.

Havildar Abdul Hamid‘s brave action inspired his comrades to put up a gallant fight and to beat back the heavy tank assault by the enemy. His complete disregard for his personal safety during the operation and his sustained acts of bravery in the face of constant enemy fire were a shining example not only to his unit but also to the whole division and were in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.

As you go about your day today, please take a minute to remember CQMH Abdul Hamid and his supreme sacrifice…and please spare a thought for these ―Bravest of the Braves‖. *********** Copy prepared for Brian Champness

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Lieutenant Colonel A B Tarapore, PVC

In this chapter, the story of Lt Col “Adi” Tarapore, hero of the Battle of Phillora – by most accounts, the biggest tank battle during the war with Pakistan in 1965.

Lt Col Tarapore‘s story is set in the western sector during the war with Pakistan in 1965. The offensive that began in August 1965 is now into September. The war has spread beyond Jammu & Kashmir across the entire western border with Pakistan. It is early in September and Indian troops are valiantly fighting Pakistani movement in Khem Karan, as noted in the previous chapter.

This will lead to the decisive ―Battle of Asal Uttar‖ ending in 97 Pakistani tanks abandoned or destroyed during battle. Meanwhile, another major offensive is unfolding in Sialkot.

Courtesy ―Lt Col Adi Tarapore‖, Bharat-Rakshak.com, this is what happened next…

The biggest tank battle of the 1965 Indo-Pak War took place at Phillora in the Sialkot sector at the Battle of Chawinda. During the southern thrust of the Indian Army on the Kaloi-Phillora axis the 17 Horse commanded by Lt. Col. Tarapore advanced on the right flank. On 11 September 1965, the regiment was assigned the task of delivering the main armoured thrust for capturing Phillora. It decided upon launching a surprise attack on Phillora from the rear. To achieve the surprise, when the regiment was thrusting forward between Phillora and Chawinda, it was suddenly counter-attacked by the Pakistani Army‘s heavy armour from Wazirwali.

Lt. Col. Tarapore defied the Pakistani Army‘s charge, held his ground and gallantly attacked Phillora with one of his squadrons supported by an Infantry battalion. Though under continuous enemy tank and artillery fire, he remained unperturbed throughout this action. When wounded, he refused to be evacuated. On 14 September 1965, he led his regiment to capture Wazirwali.

Unmindful of his injury, he again led his regiment and captured Jassoran and ButurDograndi on 16 September 1965. In this battle his own tank was hit several times. But despite the odds, he maintained his pivots at both these places and thereby helped the supporting infantry to attack Chawinda from the rear.

Inspired by his leadership, the regiment fiercely attacked the enemy armour and destroyed approximately sixty Pakistani Army tanks, suffering only nine tank casualties. However, Lt. Colonel Tarapore was enveloped in flames and died a hero‟s death.

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The valour displayed by him in this action, lasting 6 days, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Indian Army.

Such was the courage and bravery displayed by Lt Col Tarapore that it won praise even from the enemy.

Major Aga Humayun Khan & Major Shamshad of Pakistan Army in their article on Battle of Chawinda, which was published in Defense Journal had described Lt. Col Tarapore as a tough & brave opponent, who inspired & led the 17th Poona Horse bravely throughout the battle.

CITATION Lieutenant Colonel A. B. Tarapore, Poona Horse (17 HORSE) (IC-5565) On 11 September 1965, the Poona Horse Regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzarji Tarapore was assigned the task of delivering the main armoured thrust for capturing Phillora in the Sialkot Sector in Pakistan. As a preliminary to making a surprise attack on Phillora from the rear, the regiment was thrusting between Philloira and Chawinda when it was suddenly counter attacked by the enemy‘s heavy Armour from Wazirali.

Lieutenant Colonel A. B. Tarapore who was then at the head of his regiment, defied the enemy‘s charge, held his ground and gallantly attacked Philloira with one of his squadrons supported by an infantry battalion.

Though under continuous enemy tank and artillery fire, Lieutenant Colonel A B Tarapore remained unperturbed throughout this action and when wounded refused to be evacuated.

On 14 September 1965, though still wounded he again led his regiment to capture Wazirali. Such was his grit and determination that unmindful of his injury, he again gallantly led regiment and captured Jassoran and Butur-Dograndi on 16 September. His own tank was hit several times, but despite the odds he maintained his pivots in both these places and thereby allowed the supporting infantry to attack Chawinda from the rear.

Inspired by his leadership, the regiment fiercely attacked the enemy heavy armour destroying approximately 60 enemy tanks at a cost of only 9 tank casualties, and when lieutenant Colonel A. B Tara pore was mortally wounded the regiment continue to defy the enemy.

The valour displayed by lieutenant Colonel A.B. Tarapore in this heroic action, which lasted six days, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Indian Army.

Additional reading: ―The History of the Poona Horse (17 Horse)‖ at Bharat-Rakshak.com.

Interestingly, the Poona Horse (17 Horse) is the only regiment named after a city. One of its other ―Param Vir‖s is Lt Arun Khetarpal. And apparently, it may also be the only regiment honoured by the enemy: Four Victoria Crosses before Independence and the title Fakhr-e-Hind by the enemy after Philorah where it destroyed 23 enemy tanks are its crowning glories.

[Source: ExpressIndia.com]

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Lance Naik Albert Ekka, PVC

In this chapter, a story of extraordinary courage and a tribute to Lance Naik Albert Ekka, PVC Early December 1971, Eastern border: The flood of refugees fleeing from the genocide in East Pakistan keeps swelling by the day. The simmering tension on the border is palpable and hostilities are expected to break out anytime. The Indian troops on the border have been mobilised and are in a state of full alert.

On the evening of 3rd December, Pakistani aircrafts strike against cities and towns on the western border. PM Indira Gandhi declares the strikes as an act of war against India and orders mobilisation and counter-attacks.

On the morning of 4th December, men of 14 Guards are ordered to capture a position near Akhaura on the border between Tripura and Bangladesh.

Akhaura is part of ―Sector 2″ of the 11 sectors that have been organised by the provisional government to coordinate ―Mukti Bahini‖ operations against the Pakistani army. The area is strategically important and is home to a heavy concentration of guerrillas (c. 35,000) and army regulars (c. 6000). Operations in this sector are critical to deny the Pakistani army access to the Dhaka Chittgong road (Pg 19, Liberation War of Bangladesh) The key to the capture of Akhaura is the Pakistani position at Gangasagar, 6½ km west of Agartala that is well-fortified and strongly defended by the Pakistani army. Lance Naik Ekka is part of the left forward assault force on this position. The attack begins in the early hour of the dawn.

The Indian troops soon come under intense shelling and small arms fire from strongly fortified enemy positions.

Here is what happened next (Courtesy: ―Lance Naik Albert Ekka‖, Bharat-Rakshak.com): Lance Naik Ekka observed that an enemy light machine gun was belching deadly fire from a bunker, causing heavy casualties to his company. Unmindful about his personal safety, he charged the enemy bunker, bayoneted two enemy soldiers and silenced the light machine gun. Though seriously injured in this encounter, he continued to fight alongside his comrades with courage, securing bunker after bunker.

After battling through a distance of 1½ km, when Lance Naik Ekka and his comrades reached the northern end of the objective, an enemy medium machine gun opened up from the second floor of a well-fortified building. It inflicted heavy casualties on the Indian troops and help up their progress.

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Once again Lance Naik Ekka, rose to the occasion. Unmindful of his personal safety, he crawled to the building and hurled a grenade into the bunker. One enemy soldier was killed and the other injured. But the MMG could not be silenced. Lance Naik Ekka then scaled the sidewall to enter the bunker. He bayoneted the enemy holding the bunker and silenced the deadly weapon.

With the MMG silenced, the company was soon able to close in and secure Gangasagar. The loss of Gangasagar forced the Pakistani troops to vacate Akhaura. Unfortunately Lance Naik Ekka – grievously injured – did not live to see the day. As his citation noted, ―In this action, Lance Naik Albert Ekka displayed the most conspicuous valour and determination and made the supreme sacrifice in the best traditions of the Army”.

The Param Vir Chakra awarded posthumously to Lance Naik Albert Ekka was the only one on the Eastern front in the 1971 war. As you go about your day today, please take a moment to remember the braves who made India feel proud by their acts of valour and supreme sacrifice and please share their inspirational stories widely with your friends and fellow citizens.

CITATION Lance Naik Albert Ekka, 14 GUARDS (NO 4239746) Lance Naik Albert Ekka was in the left forward company of a battalion of the Brigade of Guards during their attack on the enemy defences at Gangasagar on the Eastern front. This was a wellfortified position held in strength by the enemy. The assaulting troops were subjected to intense shelling and heavy small-arms fire, but they charged onto the objective and were locked in bitter hand-to-hand combat. Lance Naik Albert Ekka noticed an enemy light machine-gun (LMG) inflicting heavy casualties on his company.

With complete disregard for his personal safety, he charged the enemy bunker, bayoneted two enemy soldiers and silenced the LMG. Though seriously wounded in this encounter, he continued o fight alongside his comrades through the mile deep objective, clearing bunker after bunker with undaunted courage. Towards the northern end of the objective one enemy medium machine-gun (MMG) opened up from the second storey of a well-fortified building inflicting heavy casualties and holding up the attack.

Once again this gallant soldier, without a thought for his personal safety, despite his serious injury and the heavy volume of enemy fire, crawled forward till he reached the building and lobbed a grenade into the bunker killing one enemy soldier and injuring the other. The MMG however continued to fire. With outstanding courage and determination Lance Naik Albert Ekka scaled a side wall and entering the bunker, bayoneted the enemy soldier who was still firing and thus silenced the machine-gun, saving further casualties to his company and ensuring the success of the attack. In this process however, he received serious injuries and succumbed to them after the capture of the objective.

In this action, Lance Naik Albert Ekka displayed the most conspicuous valour and determination and made the supreme sacrifice in the best traditions of the Army. ***********

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Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, PVC

In this chapter, a tribute to Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, PVC Early December 1971: The Indian Air Force has launched massive retaliatory strikes against Pakistan‘s pre-emptive attacks on eleven cities in India on 3rd December. PM Indira Gandhi has held the Pakistani air strikes as a declaration of war against India. Indian forces are preparing for a massive and coordinated air, sea, and land assault.

By the second week of December, Pakistan is edging closer to the brink of defeat. The Pakistani air force has suffered heavy losses. On the eastern front, Pakistan‘s 14 Squadron has been all but destroyed. Indian air force now controls the eastern front.

The icy heights of Jammu & Kashmir are still seeing some action. This includes men of 18 Squadron, ―The Flying Bullets‖. These men are bravely repulsing the Pakistani attacks in spite of lack of familiarity with the terrain and having had no time for acclimatisation. Even in these freezing temperatures, the morale of the men remains high.

On 14 December 1971 – even as Pakistan is on the verge of surrendering – Srinagar airfield is attacked by six Pakistani F-86 Sabre jets. What happened next is best described in the Citation for Param Vir Chakra that was awarded to Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon: CITATION Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, 18 SQUADRON 10877 F(P) Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was a pilot of a Folland Gnat detachment based at Srinagar for the air defence of the valley against Pakistani air attacks. In accordance with the international agreement dating back to 1948, no air defence aircraft were based at Srinagar, until the outbreak of hostilities with Pakistan.

Flying Officer Sekhon was, therefore, unfamiliar with the terrain and was not acclimatised to the altitude of Srinagar, especially with the bitter cold and biting winds of the Kashmir winter.

Nevertheless, from the outset of the war, he and his colleagues fought successive waves of intruding Pakistani aircraft with valour and determination, maintaining the high reputation of the Folland Gnat aircraft.

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On 14 December 1971, Srinagar Airfield was attacked by a wave of six enemy Sabre aircraft.

Flying Officer Sekhon was on readiness duty at the time. However, he could not take off at once because of the clouds of dust raised by another aircraft which had just taken off.

By the time the runway was fit for take-off, no fewer than six enemy aircraft were overhead, and strafing of the airfield was in progress. Nevertheless, in spite of the mortal danger of attempting to take off during an attack, and in spite of the odds against him Flying Officer Sekhon took off and immediately engaged a pair of the attacking Sabres.

In the fight that followed, at tree top height, he all but held his own, but was eventually overcome by sheer weight of numbers. His aircraft crashed and he was killed.

In thus, sacrificing himself for the defence of Srinagar, Flying Officer Sekhon achieved his object, for the enemy aircraft fled from the scene of the battle without pressing home their attack against the town and the airfield.

The sublime heroism, supreme gallantry, flying skill and determination, above and beyond the call of duty, displayed by Flying Officer Sekhon in the face of certain death, set new heights to Air Force traditions. *** Such was the bravery, skill and determination displayed by Flying Officer Sekhon that even Salim Baig Mirza, the pilot who shot him down praised him.

Flying Officer Sekhon was 27 years old. He is the only recipient of the Param Vir Chakra from the Indian Air Force. ***********

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2nd Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, PVC

This chapter is a tribute to 2nd Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal who sacrificed his life on 16th December, 1971.

Early December 1971, Shakargarh Sector: The war that began with outbreak of hostilities in Dacca between Pakistani armed forces and Bangladeshi resistance in March 1971 is in its final decisive stage. Pakistan has decided to pre-emptively attack India (3rd December) and opened the western front to divert Indian forces from the eastern border.

The ―Shakargarh bulge‖ is one of the key locations on the western front. The area links Punjab with Jammu & Kashmir and is close to the border with Pakistan. Securing the region is critical for India as Pakistan can easily launch an invasion from the base at nearby Sialkot potentially cutting off Jammu & Kashmir from the rest of India.

As the Wikipedia entry on the ―Battle of Basantar‖ notes: Invading Shakargarh bulge (is)…one of the most crucial components of Pakistan‘s war strategy in the western sector….by occupying the bulge, the main link between Indian Army positions in Kashmir and Pathankot would be cut-off, following which, it (Pakistan) could easily invade Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani military forces stationed in Sialkot base would keep Pathankot at bay, thwarting any Indian attempts to recapture Shakargarh.

After days of intense fighting, the battle appears to be turning into a stalemate. Pakistan is desperate to seek control of the area and is ready to deploy even more fire-power in a last-ditch attempt to seize the bulge.

As fighting spills into the second week of December, the 47th Infantry Brigade, along with 17th Poona Horse is ordered to establish a bridge-head across Basantar river, a key location in securing control over the area. The area is fully land-mined and the troops will therefore have to proceed with great caution.

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Under enemy fire and facing arduous conditions, the men of 47th Infantry manage to establish the bridge-head by the night of 15th December 1971. The engineers are now tasked with clearing the minefields on the other side to pave the way for 17th Poona Horse.

Late into the night, as the engineers are still half-way through their task, troops guarding the bridgehead report a rapidly advancing enemy armour. The engineers request urgent tank support but time is short.

The men of 17th Poona Horse decide that they cannot wait for reinforcements to arrive and decide to “push through the minefield come what may” Here is what happens next, courtesy the Indian Army Website: By first light on December 16th, the regiment established a link-up between the armour and the infantry at the bridgehead. At 0800 hours, the enemy made a counter-attack with an armour regiment, under the cover of a smoke screen. The target was the regimental pivot at Jarpal.

As the Indians troops were heavily outnumbered, the Commander of ‗B‘ Squadron requested reinforcement. At that time, 2nd Lt. Khetarpal was positioned close to the squadron with his troops in two tanks. He answered the call and voluntarily moved out to face the enemy attack.

On the way, his troops came under fire from enemy strong points and recoilless gun nests, in the bridgehead zone. 2nd Lt. Khetarpal fiercely attacked these strong points; over-ran enemy defences and captured many enemy soldiers and recoilless guns at gunpoint.

During one of these attacks, the commander of his second tank was killed on the spot leaving him alone. But he continued attack on the enemy strongholds single-handed, until all the enemy positions were overwhelmed.

He then raced to the ‗B‘ Squadron position. By the time he reached there, the enemy tanks were on the retreat. He pursued and destroyed one of these tanks. The ‗B‘ Squadron Commander could persuade him to fall back in line after great difficulty.

The enemy soon reformed for a second attack. This time they chose the sector held by 2nd Lt. Arun Khetarpal and two other Officers, for the main attack. The enemy employed a complete armoured squadron against these three tanks in order to achieve a breakthrough.

A fierce tank battle followed.

As many as ten enemy tanks were destroyed and of these 2nd Lieutenant Khetarpal alone destroyed four. In the thick of the battle, two of the three Indian tanks became casualties – one was hit and another suffered mechanical failure.

2nd Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal‘s tank also received a shot and burst into flames. He was himself severely wounded. He was asked to abandon his tank but he realized that the enemy though badly decimated, was continuing to advance in his sector of responsibility and if he abandoned his tank the enemy would break through.

His response to his Commander was: ―No Sir, I will not abandon my tank. My gun is still working and I will get these bastards.‖ He gallantly fought on and destroyed another enemy tank – this one a bare 100mtrs away from his position.

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The job was done but fate denied 2nd Lieutenant Khetarpal the sweet joy of victory. At this stage his tank received a second hit that sniffed the life away from this brave officer - but the enemy was denied the breakthrough that they so desperately needed.

2nd Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal‟s exceptional valour ensured that not one enemy tank got through. As his ―Citation‖ noted, ―(His) was an act of courage and self-sacrifice far beyond the call of duty” Arun Khetarpal had just turned 21 and had been inducted into 17th Poona Horse just six months before the fateful battle of Basantar. As you go about your day today, please spare a moment to remember these heroes.

CITATION Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, POONA HORSE (IC-25067) On 16 December 1971, the Squadron Commander of ‗B‘ Squadron, the Poona Horse asked for reinforcement as the Pakistani Armour which was superior in strength, counter attacked at Jarpal, in the Shakargarh Sector. On hearing this transmission, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal who was in ‗A‘ Squadron, voluntarily moved along with his troop, to assist the other squadron. En route, while crossing the Basantar River, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal and his troop came under fire from enemy strong points and RCL gun nests that were still holding out.

Time was at a premium and as critical situation was developing in the ‗B‘ Squadron sector, Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, threw caution to the winds and started attacking the impending enemy strong points by literally charging them, overrunning the defence works with his tanks and capturing the enemy infantry and weapon crew at pistol point. In commander of his troop was killed.

Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal continued to attack relentlessly until all enemy opposition was overcome and he broke through towards the ‗B‘ Squadron position, just in time to see the enemy tanks pulling back after their initial probing attack on this squadron. He was so carried away by the wild enthusiasm of battle and the impetus of his own headlong dash that he started chasing the withdrawing tanks and even managed to shoot and destroy one.

Soon thereafter, the enemy reformed with a squadron of armour for a second attack and this time they selected the sector held by Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal and two other tanks as the points for their main effort. A fierce tank fight ensured ten enemy tanks were hit and destroyed of which Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal was severely wounded. He was asked to abandon his tank but he realised that the enemy though badly decimated was continuing to advance in his sector of responsibility and if he abandoned his tank the enemy would break through, he gallantry fought on and destroyed another enemy tank.

At this stage his tank received a second hit which resulted in the death of this gallant officer.

Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal was dead but he had, by his intrepid valour saved the day; the enemy was denied the breakthrough he was so desperately seeking. Not one enemy tank got through.

Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal had shown the best qualities of leadership, tenacity of purpose and the will to close in with the enemy. This was an act of courage and self-sacrifice far beyond the call of duty. ***********

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Major Hoshiar Singh, PVC

In this chapter, the extraordinary story of Major Hoshiar Singh – a ―Param Vir‖ who displayed exemplary valour and risked his life so that we may live in peace.

Early December 1971, Shakargarh Sector: Let us recall what is also noted in the previous chapter.

The war that began with outbreak of hostilities in Dacca between Pakistani armed forces and Bangladeshi resistance in March 1971 is in its final decisive stage. Pakistan has decided to preemptively attack India (3rd December) and opened the western front to divert Indian forces from the eastern border. The ―Shakargarh bulge‖ is one of the key locations on the western front. The area links Punjab with Jammu & Kashmir and is close to the border with Pakistan. Securing the region is critical for India as Pakistan can easily launch an invasion from the base at nearby Sialkot potentially cutting off Jammu & Kashmir from the rest of India.

As the Wikipedia entry on the ―Battle of Basantar‖ notes: Invading Shakargarh bulge (is)…one of the most crucial components of Pakistan‘s war strategy in the western sector….by occupying the bulge, the main link between Indian Army positions in Kashmir and Pathankot would be cut-off, following which, it (Pakistan) could easily invade Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani military forces stationed in Sialkot base would keep Pathankot at bay, thwarting any Indian attempts to recapture Shakargarh.

After days of intense fighting, the battle appears to be turning into a stalemate. Pakistan is desperate to seek control of the area…and is ready to deploy even more fire-power in a last-ditch attempt to seize the bulge.

As fighting spills into the second week of December, the 3rd Grenadiers – who are spearheading the 54th Infantry‟s advance – are ordered to establish a bridge-head across Basantar River, a key location in securing control over the area. The area is fully land-mined and the troops will therefore have to proceed with great caution.

The regimental pivot at Jarpal is one of the key targets. Major Hoshiar Singh is the commander of ‗C‘ Company, part of the operations across the enemy minefield. His men succeed in capturing the objective in spite of intense shelling and crossfire from enemy machine guns. The troops suffer heavy casualties but the worst is yet to come.

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The very next day – on December 16th – Pakistani troops launch a fierce counter-assault to recapture their positions. Their troops are heavily backed and supported by armour.

But the men of 4 Grenadiers, led by Major Hoshiar Singh are not going to give up. Unmindful of the heavy shelling and tank fire Major Singh personally moves from trench to trench encouraging his men and keeping their morale up. His inspired troops repulse the counter-attack and inflict heavy casualties on the enemy. On December 17th, the Pakistani army makes another desperate attempt to regain lost ground – again backed by heavy artillery and troops.

Here is what happened next (Courtesy The Indian Army website): Though wounded seriously in enemy shelling, Major Singh again went alone from trench to trench, moving in the open. On one occasion an enemy shell landed near his medium machine gun post, injuring the crew and rendering the gun inoperative. Major Singh, realising the importance of fire support at this juncture, rushed to the machine gun pit and operated the gun inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy.

The enemy attack was repulsed, and they beat a hasty retreat leaving behind 85 dead, including their Commanding Officer – Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Akram Raja and three other officers.

Throughout this operation, Major Singh displayed the most conspicuous gallantry in the face of the enemy, grim determination and indomitable spirit. His dogged resistance, complete disregard to his personal safety and cool courage so inspired his command that they performed outstanding acts of gallantry and defeated repeated enemy attempts to recapture the locality.

CITATION Major Hoshiar Singh, 3 GRENADIERS (IC-14608) On 15 December 1971 a battalion of the Grenadiers was given the task of establishing a bridgehead across the Basantar River in the Shakargarh Sector. Major Hoshiar Singh was commanding the left forward company and he was ordered to capture the enemy locality of Jarpal. This was a wellfortified position and was held in strength by the enemy. During the assault, his company came under intense shelling and effective crossfire from enemy medium machine guns. Undeterred, he led the charge and captured the objective after a fierce hand-to hand fight.

The enemy reacted and put in three counter attacks on 16 December 1971, two of them supported by armour, Major Hoshiar Singh unmindful of the heavy shelling and tank fire went from trench to trench, motivating his command and encouraging his men to stand fast and fight. Inspired by his courage and dauntless leadership, his company repulsed all the attacks inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. Again, on 17 December 1971 the enemy made another attack with a battalion supported by heavy artillery fire.

Though seriously wounded by enemy shelling, Major Hoshiar Singh again went from trench to trench moving about in the open with utter disregard to his personal safety when an enemy shell landed near the medium machine gun post injuring the crew and rendering it inoperative. Major Hoshiar Singh, realizing the importance of machine-gun fire, immediately rushed to the machinegun pit and though seriously wounded himself, manned the gun inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. The attack was successfully repulsed and the enemy retreated leaving behind 85 dead including their Commanding Officer and three other officers. Though seriously wounded, Major Hoshiar Singh refused to be evacuated till the ceasefire.

Throughout this operation, Major Hoshiar Singh displayed most conspicuous gallantry, indomitable fighting spirit and leadership in the highest traditions of the Army. *** Copy prepared for Brian Champness

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The ―Battle of Basantar‖ is a proud chapter in the history of Indian Army. The ―Shakargarh bulge‖ – key to Pakistan‘s war strategy – was heroically defended by Indian troops. Not only that but the men managed to push the enemy troops back and came close to capturing Sialkot. This defeat is regarded by the ―Pakistan Army…as their most humbling defeat, next only to the Battle of Longewala despite some numerical and qualitative superiority over the opposing force.‖ The days of fierce fighting at Basantar led to two Param Vir Chakras – one to 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal (awarded posthumously) and another to Maj Hoshiar Singh.

The CO of 3 Grenadiers, Lt Col V P Airy and the CO of Deccan Horse, Brigadier (later General) A S Vaidya (Read more about ―General Arunkumar Sridhar Vaidya‖ who had the distinction of being among the most decorated soldiers in the defence services at Bharat-Rakshak.com) both received Maha Vir Chakras. ***********

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Nb Subedar Bana Singh, PVC

Nb Subedar Bana Singh, PVC‘s story begins at the icy heights of Siachen Glacier. Winding its way through 76 kilometers, Siachen is bounded by high peaks and mountains varying in height from 17,000 feet to 22,000 feet. It is said that the Indian Army has two enemies in this area: Pakistan and the environment (temperature goes down to minus 60 degree Celsius on the world‘s largest non-polar glacier.)

The conflict in Siachen goes back to late 70s when Pakistan started showing this area as belonging to Pakistan in their maps. By the early 80s, they also started sponsoring mountain expeditions across the LoC (although the LoC itself was poorly defined). In 1987 the Pakistanis intruded and established a feature, naming it ―Quaid Post‖, at 6452 meters on the Saltoro ridge overlooking the defenses on the Bilafond Pass. This is perhaps the most strategic location across this entire region – offering a vantage point and a view of the region to a distance of 80 kilometers.

The post not only has views of the entire Saltoro range but it also has two Indian posts in its sight: Amar and Sonam which get food and other materials by Indian helicopters.

Early April, 1987: Up amongst the high peaks and the mountains the snow has begun to thaw.

Things are also heating up across the Line of Control…

Matters come to a head on April 18 when the Pakistan army at Quaid post begins firing at the Indian troops. The firing results in the death of six troops including a JCO. It is evident that the post must be regained to secure the safety of our men and the supply lines to Amar and Sonam.

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This is easier said than done though. At a height of 6500 metres, the enemy post was virtually an impregnable glacier fortress with ice walls, almost 500 metres high, on either side.

Image Courtesy: Mangalorean.com

End June, 1987: Army command gives the green light to ―Operation Rajiv‖ – so named in the honour of 2nd Lt. Rajiv Pande VrC – to recapture Quaid post.

Two attempts are made – on 23rd June and 25th June – but both are dogged by unfortunate circumstances.

On 26th June, Naib Subedar Bana Singh takes the third platoon to lead the attack along with Riflemen Chunni Lal, Laxman Das, Om Raj and Rifleman Kashmir Chand. This is what happened next – in Bana Singh‟s own words (Courtesy: ―Siachen Hero Bana Singh‖ uploaded at scribd.com): My Commanding Officer (CO) decided to send a patrol to find out the position of the Pakistanis and how many of them were manning the post. On May 29, a patrol of 8 J&K Light Infantry (8 JAK LI) was sent for a reconnaissance of the possible approaches to the Quaid Post. The patrol leader was Lt. Rajiv Pande. He had 12 men with him. Unfortunately, they were sighted by the Pakistanis commandos. Ten of them, including Rajiv Pande were killed. Only three survived.

There was a 90° climb on ice walls. Lt Pande had managed to fix ropes, but due to heavy snow fall, the rope had got completely lost, they had to fix them again. In the meantime, to divert the attention of the Pakistanis, Indian troops had been firing at the Post.

A total of 62 people participated in the final operation. Two officers, 3 JCO and 57 jawans were selected. The operation was conducted in three phases on June 23, June 25 and June 26, 1987.

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A first platoon was sent on 23rd but unfortunately they had to come back. Two soldiers were killed.

The second platoon with 10 jawans made an attempt on June 25. At that time due to some communication gap with us, the mission had to be aborted.

The next day, on 26th I got the green light to go ahead. Though it was day time, because of the heavy snowing we could not say if it was day or night. The Pakistanis must have known that something was going on because our troops were firing at them from the base camp (to divert their attention). When we reached the top, there was a single bunker. We had been trained for such a fight. I threw a grenade inside and closed the door. At the end, a total of six Pakistanis were killed.

We brought back their bodies which were later handed over to the Pakistanis authorities during a flag meeting in Kargil. Some must have escaped towards the Pakistani side, perhaps over the cliff. I think that I have bayoneted three or four persons, I don‘t remember now.

Naib Subedar Bana Singh led his men through an extremely difficult and hazardous route…and displayed exemplary courage, valour and leadership to recapture Quaid post. It was subsequently renamed as Bana Post in his honour.

Unfortunately Bana Singh is better remembered in news-reports and stories than in real life.

In 2007, national dailies reported the amount he was getting as a PVC winner. It was an unbelievable sum of Rupees 166 per month (in 2007). This was even as neighbouring states (such as Punjab and Haryana) paid upwards of Rs 10,000 to a Param Vir Chakra awardee.

Subsequent to the revelations the government of Jammu & Kashmir agreed to review the amount and bring it on par with other states. [Read more: 'I feel more inspired than ever to fight', Rediff.com] Even more remarkable is the fact that Bana Singh was offered Rs 25 Lakhs, a monthly allowance of Rs 15,000 and a 25-acre plot if he moved to Punjab. He refused. [Read More: ―Bana Singh P.V.C.‖, SikhiWiki.org]

In 2008, he was awarded with the first Shivaji-FACT Award for Courage by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

That same year, his son joined the Indian Army. From ―Param Vir Chakra winner's son joins army‖, IBNlive.in: "If you serve the nation with aan, baan and shaan (honour, pride and distinction), you have made the cut. I have told him to join the army and serve with honesty and dedication", Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Bana Singh, PVC, says.

He is a living legend and will be for soldiers of all generations and now he has passed on the baton to his son. And just like father, the son too wants to climb the heights of valour.

CITATION Naib Subedar (Honorary Captain) Bana Singh, 8 JAK LI (JC-155825) Naib Subedar Bana Singh volunteered to be a member of a task force constituted in June 1987 to clear an intrusion by an adversary in the Siachen Glacier area at an altitude of 21,000 feet. The post was virtually an impregnable glacier fortress with ice walls, 1500 feet high, on both sides. Naib Copy prepared for Brian Champness

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Subedar Bana Singh led his men through an extremely difficult and hazardous route. He inspired them by his indomitable courage and leadership. The brave Naib Subedar and his men crawled and closed in on the adversary. Moving from trench to trench, lobbing hand grenades, and charging with the bayonet, he cleared the post all intruders.

Nb Subedar Bana Singh displayed the most conspicuous gallantry and leadership under the most adverse conditions.

(For those of you keen to understand the region and conflict in some more detail, there are some maps of Siachen outlining the conflicting claims by India and Pakistan on the blog post dedicated to ―Subedar Bana Singh‖ at http://satyameva-jayate.org/2010/06/26/bana-singh/)

P.S. Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Bana Singh is one of the few living recipients of Param Vir Chakra and the only recipient of the highest military honour from J&K state. ***********

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Major R Parameshwaran, PVC

This is my humble tribute to Major R Parameshwaran, a Param Vir who sacrificed his life defending his post and men, some 23 years ago.

Late October 1987, somewhere in northern Sri Lanka: ―Operation Pawan‖ – the campaign in Jaffna that began with LTTE firing at Indian Patrols and killing 4 CRPF Jawans and five unarmed para commandos – is finally winding down. The IPKF have prevailed in spite of the intense and vicious opposition from the Tigers. Although the town has now been secured, operations are continuing against the LTTE cadres. Jaffna Fort is still under LTTE control and casaualties continue to mount with every passing day.

To compound IPKF‘s problems, it is becoming impossible to distinguish between the guerillas and civilians. IPKF commanders are worried by increasing instances of surprise attacks by the Tigers in which they open fire on IPKF units and merge back into the civilian population. Sepoy Govindan, Madras Regiment, says (Courtesy: Operation Pawan, BharatRakshak.com):

It was impossible to say who was a Tiger and who was not. Everyone male or female above the age of 10, could be armed and dangerous. We saw little girls producing guns from under their frocks and shooting at us. How do you fight them?

In deployment since August, the men of 8 Mahar have been facing some of the toughest resistance from LTTE cadres in the last few weeks. It is late into the night of 25th November, 1987. Major Parameswaran is returning back to the camp with his column after a search operation.

Unbeknownst to them, their path leads straight to an LTTE ambush. As the column of 8 Mahar finds itself trapped, their commander Major Parameshwaran exhibits remarkable presence of mind and exemplary courage.

He encircles the Tigers from the rear and boldly charges at them. The LTTE cadres are taken completely by surprise. In the hand-to-hand combat that follows, Major Paramehwaran is shot in the chest.

Undaunted by his serious injury, he snatches a rifle from a LTTE cadre, shoots him dead and although critically wounded, continues to give orders, inspiring his command to fight. He kills 2 more LTTE cadres before breathing his last. Hours later, the ambush is finally cleared, leaving in its wake five dead LTTE cadres and Major Parameshwaran. The men of 8 Mahar also seize a cache of arms, including three rifles & two rocket launchers.

Further Reading: ―10 acts of valour‖ on IndiaToday.in and ―Major R Parameshwaran‖ entry on BharatRakshak.com

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CITATION Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran, 8 MAHAR (IC-32907) On 25 November 1987, when Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran was returning from search operation in Sri Lanka, late at night, his column was ambushed by a group of militants. With cool presence of mind, he encircled the militants from the rear and charged into them, taking them completely surprise. During the hand-to-hand combat, a militant shot him in the chest. Undaunted, Major Parameswaran snatched the rifle from the militant and shot him dead. Gravely wounded, he continued to give orders and inspired his command till he breathed his last. Five militants were killed and three rifles and two rocket launchers were recovered and the ambush was cleared .

Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran displayed the most conspicuous gallantry and thought nothing of dying at his post.

As you go about your day today, please spare a moment to remember our heroes and please share this story of extraordinary courage and valour with your friends and family. ***********

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The Param Virs of Kargil

This chapter is a tribute to the heroes of Kargil – without which this book will be incomplete. As many of you would know, 26th July is “Kargil Vijay Diwas” – a day to remember the valour and the supreme sacrifice of the men in uniform in Kargil.

The conflict in Kargil involved the largest peace-time mobilisation of Indian troops of which 20,000 were believed to have been involved in actual operations in the harsh and inhospitable terrain.

More than 500 of our bravest lost their lives on this punishing battlefield, defending every inch of our territory. Two amongst these were Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey and Captain Vikram Batra – who became the face of Kargil to the nation. Here is a little bit more about them…The first extract is from an account by the father of Captain Pandey, PVC (Courtesy: CaptainManojPandey.tripod.com):

After Intermediate, Manoj was selected for NDA. I think this was the happiest day in his life as he had always desired to go to the Army. I cannot forget his answer to a question at SSB that he wanted to join the Force to be awarded Param Vir Chakra. This answer subsequently shocked everyone related to him as he achieved what he had said. In his own words: ―One should join the Infantry in Army and in Infantry one must prefer the Gorkha Regiment‖. I am happy that he got both his desires fulfilled.

Captain Manoj and his men were responsible for the capture of Khalubar. The mission to take Khalubar was one of the most critical missions during Operation Vijay. As Col Lalit Rai, VC mentioned (Courtesy: ―Kargil War Hero Recounts Tales Of Valour‖, IndianExpress.com): Located at 18,000 feet above the sea level, where temperature freezes to minus 32 degree Celsius, Khalubar was one of the toughest for the Army, said Rai. From medical problems to a rough topography — marked by crevasses, jagged rocks and ice — he and his 600-strong light brigade faced it all. To cap it, the enemy, well-equipped with stinger missiles, had captured a strategic position. ―The Khalubar point had to be conquered at all costs, as it was of utmost strategic importance for India,‖ Rai said. And he volunteered to take the risk.

Finally, after four days and nights without food, under constant fire, they succeeded in raising the Tricolour atop the 18,000 feet Khalubar point.

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Col Rai himself demonstrated exemplary leadership during the operation, personally leading his men and refusing. This is the setting in early July, in which the men of 11 Gorkha found themselves, led by their young officer (Courtesy: ―Manoj Kumar Pandey‖ entry on Bharat-Rakshak.com): On the night of 2/3 July 1999 the battalion‘s progress on to its final objective, was halted by a determined enemy firmly entrenched on commanding heights. Clearing it was critical as the battalion faced the prospect of being day lighted in a vulnerable area. Lieutenant Pandey stepped forward to take on the mission. Quickly sizing up the situation, the young officer led his platoon along a narrow, treacherous ridge that led to the enemy position. While still short of the objective, the enemy fired upon the Indian soldiers effectively stalling the Indian attack.

Displaying great courage, he surged ahead of his troops and charged at the enemy with a full throated battle cry through a hail of bullets.

Although wounded in the shoulder and leg, he pressed on his solitary charge with grim determination, till he closed in on the first bunker.

Then in ferocious hand-to-hand combat, he killed two of the enemy and cleared the first bunker. It was the turning point. Inspired by their leader‘s spontaneous valour, the troops charged at the enemy and fell upon them. Unmindful of his grievous wounds, he rushed from bunker to bunker urging his men on. Critically bleeding, he collapsed at the final bunker and finally succumbed to his injuries, but not before the last of the enemy had been annihilated.

His last words were, ―Na Chodnu‖ (Don‘t Leave Them).

Unfortunately, Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey did not live to see the ―Tiranga‖ fly atop Khalubar Point but this extraordinary display of leadership, exemplary courage and bravery earned him a posthumous Param Vir Chakra.

Kargil‟s next Param Vir is Grenadier, Yoginder Singh Yadav. The Grenadiers are some of the finest men in the Indian Army. As some of you may know, The concept of ‗Grenadiers‘ evolved from the practice of selecting the bravest and strongest men for the most dangerous tasks in combat. …The Grenadiers have the unique and distinct honour of having the most number of Param Vir Chakras, India‘s highest medal for gallantry, among all the Indian Army‘s Infantry Regiments.

Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid, 4th Grenadiers was the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra (Posthumous) for the Regiment in 1965 and the second recipient to get the Param Vir Chakra was Major Hoshiar Singh, 3rd Grenadiers in 1971. Hoshiar Singh retired as a Colonel from the Army and passed away in 1998. The third recipient of this coveted medal, but certainly not the last, was Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav, 18th Grenadiers in 1999.

[Source: ―THE GRENADIERS REGIMENT‖, Bharat-Rakshak.com]

The task that fell on 18 Grenadiers on the night of 3/4th July was one that would test their reputation. It was to capture three strategic bunkers on Tiger Hill at 16,500 feet. Grenadier Yadav and his men were part of the Commando ‗Ghatak‘ Platoon entrusted with this task.

The approach to the bunkers was anything but easy. Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav volunteered to lead the assault on the snowbound, vertical cliff face, fixing ropes for further assault as he climbed up. This is what happened next (Drawn from The Indian Army website):

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Halfway up, an enemy bunker opened up machine gun and rocket fire. His Platoon Commander and 2 others fell to the heavy volume of automatic fire. Realising the enormity of the situation, he continued to scale the cliff face alone through a volley of fire.

In spite of having been hit by three bullets in his groin and shoulder, displaying superhuman strength and resolve, he climbed the remaining 60 feet, all by himself and reached the top. With rare grit and courage, he crawled up to the bunker critically injured and lobbed a grenade killing four Pakistani soldiers and neutralising enemy fire. This act was directly instrumental in facilitating the rest of the platoon in climbing up the cliff face.

Grievously injured, but with reckless disregard to personal safety, Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav now charged on to the second bunker and neutralised it, with two of his colleagues in an extremely fierce hand-to-hand combat, killing three Pakistani soldiers.

This extraordinarily gallant act motivated the rest of the platoon which quickly traversed the treacherous terrain and braving hostile fire, charged onto the enemy to capture Tiger Hill, a vital objective.

Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav‘s extraordinary act of bravery, with complete disregard of personal safety and going well beyond the call of duty earned him a Param Vir Chakra, the third in the history of the Grenadiers.

The next Param Vir of Kargil is Rifleman Sanjay Kumar [Source: ―Rifleman Sanjay Kumar‖, Kashmir-Information.com]: Imagine lifting a machine gun, killing five enemy soldiers, lobbing a grenade and almost single-handedly clearing an enemy post – all the while being under fire – and with a bullet in your thigh…If you can imagine this, you would come close to what Rifleman Sanjay Kumar did on the night of 4th July at Area Flat Top. This is his story (Courtesy The Indian Army website):

Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, 13 JAK Rifles, was the leading Scout of a team tasked to capturing Area Flat Top on 04 July 1999 being held by Pakistani-backed militants. Having scaled the cliff, the team was pinned down by machine gun fire from an enemy bunker, 150 meters away. Rifleman Kumar, realizing the magnitude of the problem and the detrimental effect this bunker would have in the capture of Area Flat Top, displayed extraordinary courage. Without concern for personal safety, he crawled alone up the ledge, along a flank, and charged towards the enemy bunker, through a hail of automatic fire. Almost instantly he took two bullets in his chest and forearm.

Bleeding profusely from the bullet wounds, he continued the charge towards the bunker. Unhesitant, he then picked up the enemy machine gun and crept towards the second enemy bunker.

Three enemy soldiers, taken completely by surprise were killed by him on the spot. Inspired by his dare devil act the rest of the platoon, emotionally charged, assaulted the feature and captured Area Flat Top. This ―sustained display of the most conspicuous personal bravery and gallantry of the highest order in the face of the enemy fire earned Rifleman Sanjay Kumar a Param Vir Chakra. But the man remains extremely modest about his remarkable act of courage and bravery insisting that: ―I am not unique. Anyone else in my situation would have reacted in the same way‖.

[Source: ―He snatched guns from enemy soldiers even as they fired at him‖, Mid-Day.com]

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But let us step back into the early hours of 5th July. The operation in which Rifleman Sanjay Kumar was involved is not over yet. It brings us to one the most heroic acts of Kargil conflict and the story of Captain Vikram Batra. This fateful week of Operation Vijay, that would see the award of four Param Vir Chakras was to end with the death of Captain Vikram Batra…

Here is the remarkable story of Captain Vikram Batra (Courtesy Bharat-Rakshak.com): On 01 June 1999, his unit proceeded to the Kargil Sector on the eruption of a war-like situation in Kargil, Drass and Batalik sub-sectors from where he was sent along with his company on the first strategic and daring operation to recapture the first peak of utmost importance – Point 5140, which was at an altitude of 17,000 feet. Upon reaching Point 5140, leading a company of troops, he encountered the commander of the Pakistani-backed terrorists on radio.

The enemy commander challenged him by saying, ―Why have you come Shershah (Vikram‟s nick name given by his commanding officer), you will not go back.‖ Captain Batra, being the last person to back away from a fight, replied, ―We shall see within one hour, who remains on the top.‖ In a short while Captain Batra and his company of troops killed eight enemy soldiers and more importantly captured a heavy antiaircraft machine gun, neutralising the advantageous peak. Mission Point 5140 was a success!

Re-capture of Point 5140 paved the way to the return of the rest of peaks and cleared the SrinagarLeh highway which sat in motion of successes like capturing Point 5100, 4700 Junction, Three Pimples and the ultimate prize – Tiger Hill. Soon after capturing Point 5140, he radioed his commanding officer and said jubilantly, ―Yeh Dil Mange More!‖ On the successful capture of the vital peak he was congratulated & graced by the Chief of Army Staff, General Ved Prakash Malik on telephone. After taking rest for 4 to 5 days he proceeded towards Point 4750, where he was challenged again by the enemy who said, ―Shershah, nobody shall be left to lift your dead bodies,‖ to which Captain Batra curtly replied, ―Don‟t worry about us, Pray for your safety.‖ He captured Point 4750 and hoisted the national flag. He also played a commendable role in the capture of Tiger Hill. He had dedicated himself and was determined for total victory.

Captain Batra was on a victory rampage, his heart asking for more honor and victory. He volunteered himself for a third crucial operation, recapturing Point 4875 which was at an altitude of 17,000 feet and had a gradient of 80 degrees. He attacked the peak along with his company and another led by Captain Anuj Nayyar, MVC. They gave the enemy a tough time, killed a number of enemy troops and re-captured the peak on 05 July 1999. The enemy counter attacked the peak on 07 July 1999, but he retaliated the counter attack with vigour. In the heat of the battle, one of his junior officers (Lieutenant Naveen) was seriously injured and he immediately went to his rescue.

While dragging Lieutenant Naveen back under cover, he pleaded to Captain Batra to let him continue the fight despite his injuries to which Captain Batra replied, ―Tu baal bachedaar hai! Hatt jaa peeche.‖ (You have kids and a wife to look after! Get back). Destiny however had something else in store for him and during the rescue, the brave Captain was hit by a bullet in the chest. With the words “Jai Mata Di” on his lips, he fell down and was hit again in the waist by an artillery splinter. Before succumbing to his grievous injuries, this brave son of the motherland and a true lion of Bharat Mata killed another five enemy soldiers.

In recognition of his gallant act, Point 4875 has now been renamed as Captain Vikram Batra Top. For this “most conspicuous act of personal bravery and leadership of the highest order”, Captain Vikram Batra was conferred the Param Vir Chakra posthumously. His death capped Copy prepared for Brian Champness

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one of the most extraordinary weeks during Operation Vijay that ended with a string of battle honours for the heroes of Kargil.

As you go about your day today, please take a moment to remember these bravest of the braves…many of whom gave their lives to preserve and protect our freedom and please share this tribute to the Heroes of Kargil with your friends and family. And please don‟t forget Captain Saurabh Kalia and his men – Kargil‟s first heroes.

Further Reading: ―Kargil‘s First Heroes‖ on Rediff

THE KARGIL PARAM VIR CHAKRA CITATIONS Lietenant Manoj Kumar Pandey 1/11 GORKHA RIFLES (IC 56959W) Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey took part in a series of boldly led attacks during ‗operation Vijay ‗, forcing back the intruders with heavy losses in Battlik including the capture of Jaubar Top. On the night of 2/3 July 1999 during the advance to Khalubar as his platoon approached its final objective, it came under heavy and intense enemy fire from the surrounding heights.

Lieutenant Pandey was tasked to clear the interfering enemy positions to prevent his battalion from getting day lighted, being in a vulnerable position. He quickly moved his platoon to an advantageous position under intense enemy fire, sent one section to clear the enemy positions from the right and himself proceeded to clear the enemy positions from the left.

Fearlessly assaulting the first enemy position, he killed two enemy personnel and destroyed the second position by killing two more. He was injured on the shoulder and legs while clearing the third position. Undaunted and without caring for his grievous injuries, he continued to lead the assault on the fourth position urging his men and destroyed the same with a grenade, even as he got a fatal burst on his forehead.

This singular daredevil act of Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey provided the critical firm base for the companies, which finally led to capture of Khalubar. The officer, however, succumbed to his injuries.

Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey, thus, displayed most conspicuous bravery, indomitable courage, outstanding leadership and devotion to duty and made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.

Grenadier Yoginder Singh Yadav 18 GRENADIERS (2690-572) Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav was part of the leading team of a Ghatak Platoon tasked to capture Tiger Hill on the night of ¾ July 1999. The approach to the top was steep, snowbound and rocky. Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav, unmindful of the danger involved, volunteered to lead and fix the rope for his team to climb up. On seeing the team, the enemy opened intense automatic, grenade, rocket and artillery fire killing the Commander and two of his colleagues and the platoon was stalled.

Realising the gravity of the situation, Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav crawled up to the enemy position to silence it and in the process sustained multiple bullet injuries. Unmindful of his injuries and in the hail of enemy bullets, Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav continued climbing towards the enemy positions, lobbed grenades, continued firing from his weapons and killed four enemy soldiers in close combat an silenced the automatic fire.

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Despite multiple bullet injuries, he refused to be evacuated and continued the charge. Inspired by his gallant act, the platoon charged on the other positions with renewed punch and captured Tiger Hill Top. Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav displayed the most conspicuous courage, indomitable gallantry, grit and determination under extreme adverse circumstances.

Rifleman Sanjay Kumar 13 JAMMU AND KASHMIR RIFLES (13760533) Rifleman Sanjay Kumar volunteered to be the leading scout of the attacking column tasked to capture area Flat Top of Point 4875 in the Mushkoh Valley on 4 July 1999. During the attack when enemy automatic fire from one of the sangars posed stiff opposition and stalled the column, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar realizing the gravity of the situation and with utter disregard to his personal safety, charged at the enemy. In the ensuing hand-to- hand combat, he killed three of the intruders and was himself seriously injured. Despite his injuries, he charged onto the second sangar. Taken totally by surprise, the enemy left behind a Universal Machine Gun and started running.

Rifleman Sanjay Kumar picked up the UMG and killed the fleeing enemy. Although bleeding profusely, he refused to be evacuated. The brave action on his part motivated his comrades and they took no notice of the treacherous terrain and charged onto the enemy and wrested the area Flat Top from the hands of the enemy.

Rifleman Sanjay Kumar displayed most conspicuous gallantry, cool courage and devotion to duty of an exceptionally high order in the face of the enemy.

Captain Vikram Batra 13 JAMMU AND KASHMIR RIFLES (IC 57556) During ‗Operation Vijay‘, on 20 June 1999, Captain Vikram Batra, Commander Delta Company was tasked to attack Point 5140. Captain Batra with his company skirted around the feature from the East and maintaining surprise reached within assaulting distance of the enemy.

Captain Batra reorganized his column and motivated his men to physically assault the enemy positions. Leading from the front, he in a daredevil assault, pounced on the enemy and killed four of them in a hand-to hand fight. On 7 July 1999, in another operation in the area Pt 4875, his company was tasked to clear a narrow feature with sharp cuttings on either side and heavily fortified enemy defences that covered the only approach to it.

For speedy operation, Captain Batra assaulted the enemy position along a narrow ridge and engaged the enemy in a fierce hand –to-hand fight and killed five enemy soldiers at point blank range. Despite sustaining grave injuries, he crawled towards the enemy and hurled grenades clearing the position with utter disregard to his personal safety, leading from the front, he rallied his men and pressed on the attack and achieved a near impossible military task in the face of heavy enemy fire.

The officer, however, succumbed to his injuries. Inspired by his daredevil act, his troops fell upon the enemy with vengeance, annihilated them and captured Point 4875.

Captain Vikram Batra, thus, displayed the most conspicuous personal bravery and leadership of the highest order in the face of the enemy and made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the Indian Army. ***

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Also read at the blog: “Antony‘s absence at Manekshaw‘s funeral fits a pattern‖ and a tribute to Capt Batra: “The Soldier who became a legend‖ at Rediff.com Some interesting facts:   

Both Capt Vikram Batra and Lt Manoj Pandey were the best NCC Cadets during their high school days Captain Vikram Batra‘s statue in Palampur is across the statue of another great hero: Major Somnath Sharma, India‘s first PVC who also hailed from Palampur.

The 13 JAK Rifles is the only unit in the history of independent India to be awarded with two PVCs in a single operation. *********** Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!

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About B Shantanu Shantanu Bhagwat (aka B Shantanu) is a political activist, blogger, advisor to start-ups and a seed investor. He is also a one time VC and ex-Diplomat.

He has been writing articles and blog posts on the History, Culture, Politics and Religions of India since 2004. The entire archive of these posts is available at Satyameva-Jayate.org – now amongst one of the most popular blogs in India.

He is currently involved in ―Reclaiming India‖ – One Step at a Time.

You can read more about Shantanu by visiting the ―About Me‖ section at his blog http://satyamevajayate.org/about-me/ Please join him on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/SatyamevaJayate.BShantanu

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This book has been published by Pothi.com and can be ordered online from several e-commerce sites including www.IndiaPlaza.com , www.BuyBooksIndia.com and www.Flipkart.com It is also available via via Pothi.com by visiting the following link: http://pothi.com/pothi/book/shantanu-bhagwat-saluting-our-heroes-param-virs-bharat or http://bit.ly/ParamVirs

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