IntelliBriefs: The hollow Army – Major-General (retd) Mrinal Suman

I couldnt help but publish this here….an excellent read.

IntelliBriefs: The hollow Army.

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Shame on you MoD !!

The Ministry of Deadbeats (MoD)

When it comes to handing out justice for criminal negligence and incompetency, the first in line should be the MoD. We need to get rid of this cancer.

As a nation need to play as a team. It doesn’t seem to be in our culture to be team players, be it cricket or hockey..it is all about individuals.

The MoD has a huge responsibility… to make sure that the nations Armed services get their support in all aspects..be it procurement, salaries, pensions et al….they are supposed to be supportive, inclusive and enhance the might of the nations armed forces.     Wow !! what a concept.
Instead they have continuously undermined the armed forces and played truant to all efforts to modernize the forces.

Here is and excerpt from Mr. B Ramans article ( with your permission Mr.Raman):

Read full article here
”
Bureaucratic Vacillation

——
The current procurement procedure, for instance, is so time-consuming and complex that it takes a minimum of 36 months even for a routine purchase to materialise. Every proposal is subjected to repeated reviews and approvals. Every approval means months of delays.

The case of the Tactical Communication System (TCS) is symptomatic of the malaise. A proposal to acquire TCS to handle communication requirements (voice, data and video) of a field force in the Tactical Battle Area was initiated in 1996. Initially, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) ordered that it be considered as an upgrade of the existing system.

In 2001, after wasting five years in processing it as such, MoD ordered that it should be considered a new procurement. Then, MoD approved import of the first two systems, with the rest to be produced in India with imported technology. The case was still under process when MoD changed its stand yet again in 2007 and decided that TCS would be developed indigenously.

Result: The whole process had to be started afresh. Nearly 16 years have elapsed, the MoD is yet to finalise who should be asked to develop and supply the TCS.
”

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Can it get worse than this ?

If this is just the case of a small purchase like the TCS, what is happening to simple equipment like our body armor, helmets, assault rifles etc.  We don’t have an MBT ( screw the Arjun tank..the Army doesn’t want it..stop shoving that garbage in its face )..and ..stop this one sided propaganda at how good it is.  Stop going by what the bureaucrats tell you. Listen to people in the field.

The people expect the  journalists do some independent investigative reporting.

But it has only been to undermine the Armed forces !! Take the Mig-21 aircraft.  It was called the “Flying Coffin”. But ask any pilot..they love that beast. Yes it is unforgiving, but stop calling it a “Flying Coffin”.
Does  analysis show that we have more crashes than other major air forces in the world ? The MoD has a hand in here too ! Not until recently did we get a fighter trainer. The Kirans were woefully inadequate to train the pilots to graduate to the Migs. It is only now that we got the Hawks.

How many have talked to field units to understand why they wont accept the Arjun. Or why the LCA is not yet ready ?

Instead right now it is fashionable to gang up on the Army. Wait till there is another 26/11 or some such incident and everyone will clamor for the Army. Everyone was aghast as to why the NSG took almost 9 hours to reach the site.

Here is another classic of our bureaucracy ! The CMG had to go the PM’s residence ..yeah drive to his place to meet. Really ? Hear of secure cell phones dear minister ? Of course their families were safe..so what is the hurry. It took them 5 hours to decide to use the NSG. And of course the NSG has no aircraft of their own. So much for being the elite strike force that they are. Those poor guys had to requisition ( another time consuming procedure) the Air force and then the BEST ( Bombay’s elite transport company ) to reach the destination.

Why couldn’t a decision be made to requisition the Comm squadron(VIP transport aircraft)  to take them from NSG base to Delhi airport, get 4 civilian aircraft under emergency law and send them on their way ?

For crying out loud..the DEA in the US have their own aircraft !!

Hand this nation to these Babus, and we will be eating Rice noodles dished out by the Chinese Army within the next 5 years. You think I am being harsh ? Think about it.

1962 should never have happened. Thanks to that Pandit of all Babus ( Nehru).  In 1965 we should have finished off the Pak Army and the Air force so that they never venture into adventurism again. instead we gave them back the Haji Pir pass.

Kargil would never have happened. 26/11 would not have happened.

Why didnt we ? Thank our babus !

On the flip side…the media is  the nations check and balance…you must keep even this glorious institution(Armed Forces) in line. But independent research and investigative journalism should provide facts and thoughtful opinions instead of just beating the Armed forces down.

So I ask the NDTV’s and IBN’s of this world ? Care to scrape your collective brain cells to expose and drive/replace this MoD towards improvement/oblivion ?

Here is my idea..Defense Ministry should be headed by people “qualified” in Defence matters…..not by some anguta chaap because he won an election. Does he even have the brain power to understand what goes on in the Armed forces, while until recently he was only capable of worrying about which rival to take out so he can win the seat.

and for the likes of Arundhati Roy….put your money where your mouth is….instead of beating up our nations soldiers, use your anger and rage to set right the MoD.

Any Takers ?????

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Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan (NSG) – Ashok Chakra (posthumous)

Courtesy Indian Express and Wikipedia

Swatee Kher : Mumbai, Sun Nov 30 2008, 02:34 hrs

NSG commando Rajveer Singh owes his life to Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who died in the Mumbai terror attack. Part of the NSG team sent to Mumbai on November 27 to conduct rescue operations and tackle the terrorist attack, Singh, 33, was injured in the firing on the fourth floor of the hotel. He is now recuperating from two bullet injuries on his feet and arm.

Fourteen NSG commandos entered Taj Mahal Hotel after receiving information that three terrorists were holed up in the luxury hotel. Working in small teams, they entered the through the roof. Having covered the sixth and fifth floors, they were heading towards the fourth floor when they received information that the three suspected terrorists, dressed in red, blue and green T-shirts, were in room number 471.

“We used the master key to open the door and asked if there were people inside. We asked them to surrender, but when the door was opened, there was a man dressed in red who stared at me and refused to co-operate,” recalled Singh. Describing the man as a 30-35-year-old wearing a red shirt with white lining, Singh said he looked around and fumbled for a firearm. Before there could be any communication, another person dressed in a blue shirt came from the bedroom and fired.

“Immediately, I fired as well and ducked. Sandeep was covering me as the firing continued. The terrorists were overpowered. Sandeep, however, was killed in the firing,” said Singh. Another commando, Sunil—who was standing at the opposite end of the corridor—was injured as gunfire from room number 471, whose door was open, hit him on the shoulder. He is stable now.

The rest of the team then moved to room number 425 on hearing activity there. “As we fixed a cracker on the door to explode it, I suffered burn injuries and lost consciousness,” Singh remembered.

Cosmicwarrior’s note:

I have a special fondness for NSG cadres. My company commander Brig Naicker ( signals) and my YO instructor Late Major Biman Saha were close friends and advisers. I have admired their ethos, their discipline and their guts. I have heard first hand from both about Operation Black Thunder II in Punjab where they succeeded and overwhelmed the terrorists, for which Major( at that time)  Naicker won the Presidents Police medal (The highest award for gallantry from the Home Ministry as the NSG comes under the Home Ministry)

Bravo NSG !!

Bravo Sandeep !  May his soul RIP !

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2 MVC’s and a SM ….Wow. How many Indians know this ! — the legend of Col Rinchen

The fame of Colonel Rinchen from Nubra Valley in Ladakhby Ajay Jain on June 2, 2009

in Himalayas, Ladakh

India would have managed to get even territory from Pakistan during the 1971 war with its neighbour had Colonel Chewang Rinchen not taken a break to celebrate Losar, the Tibetan New Year according to an Army officer I met at the Siachen Glacier.

A hero for all of Ladakh, Col Rinchen has been a recipient of the Mahaveer Chakra, one of the highest honours for bravery in India. Not once, but twice including being the youngest ever recipient of the same at the age of 17. According to Army records:

“During the 1971 war, he led his ‘Dhal’ (shield) Force against the Pakistanis in Baltistan. His unorthodox technique based on guerilla warfare resulted in the recapture of Turtok and the creation of what is the Line of Control (LoC).” 

For a 70 kilometer stretch, one still sees Pakistani bunkers all intact abandoned as they retreated according to the officer I met. Suddenly Col Rinchen decided to stop for Losar and lost all the momentum. What he had achieved was still no mean task – this was when he earned his second Mahaveer Chakra.

The records further state: “He earned the first one during the 1947-48 Indo Pak war soon after the two countries gained independence. Along with a band of 28 volunteers, he successfully blocked the advance of Pakistani raiders to Leh for one month and 23 days.

Born on November 11, 1931 is Sumur in Nubra Valley of Ladakh, he joined the Nubra Guards when he was only 17. His brave deeds continued during the 1962 war with China in the Dera Baba Oldie sector; he was awarded the Sena Medal for this. During the 1965 war with Pakistan, he provided vital information regarding the deployment of enemy forces to Col Kapur, Commander of the Nubra sector, and led some very aggressive patrols on the most difficult routes to reach enemy locations and take them by surprise.”

In his memory, the Corps Lecture Hall near the Leh Airport was renamed Rinchen Auditorium in 2008 according to a news report.

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Capt R Subramaniam KC (posthumous)

“You have never lived until
You have almost died,
And for those who choose to fight,
Life has a special flavor,
The protected will never know!!!” 
                               – Capt. R. Subramanian

Born on 12 August 1976 to Mr. and Mrs. S. Ramachandran, Capt. Subramanian, KC (Posth) lived his life to this motto that he had so dearly cherished, to a duty that he was so dearly passionate about.

He had applied for the entrance examination in 1992 and was selected for the 90th course at NDA (National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla) and joined NDA in July 1993. He passed out from NDA in 1996 and completed the training at IMA (Indian Military Academy),Dehra Dun in 1997. He was commissioned in the Army on 7th June 1997 as 2nd Lieutenant. Further he underwent free fall jump (parachute jumping at Agra in May 1999). On completion of the Training at Agra, he was called to Kargil Sector in May 99 and remained at Drass Sector, Mushkoh valley till End of August 1999.

Later on he was posted to Nahaan (Himachal Pradesh) from where he was sent to Srinagar in Feb. 2000 for “Operation Rakshak”. He was promoted as Captain in March 2000. Though he achieved his set goal of an army officer, he made the supreme sacrifice of his life in the highest traditions of the Army while fighting the militants at Haphruda forest in Kupwara Dist in Jammu and Kashmir (Operation Rakshak) on 19th June 2000, when he made his supreme sacrifice of his life displayed conspicuous courage and outstanding combat leadership while facing the militants at Kupwara dist in Jammu and Kashmir.

He was awarded KIRTI CHAKKRA (posthumously) by the President on 26th January 2001 and the same was received by his mother at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 12th October 2001, and is survived by his father Shri.S.Ramachandran, mother Smt.Subbalakshmi and one younger sister R.Varalakshmi.

Uddu & Subbu ( as they were fondly known ), both passed out together from the IMA as part of the 100th batch, 6th June 1997. They were then, both commissioned into the 1st Batallion of the Parachute regiment. Uddu & Subbu were inseparable buddies & soul mates.

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Major Udai Singh SM, SC (posthumous)

Major Udai Singh SM, SC (posthumous)

IC-57219 Capt. Udai Singh, SM
PARA/22 SPECIAL FORCES

Biography:

  Major Udai Singh SC, SM was born at 2.15 pm on Monday October 7, 1974 in Allahabad. He had a happy, contented childhood spent in small cantonment towns across the country. St. Patricks at Deolali was his first school, after which he studied at St Georges, Agra & APS Delhi. His formative & most memorable years were spent at the Army Public School, Dagshai from where he passed out in 1992. 

Not one for academics he excelled in games & sports & other extra curricular activities. He loved his alma mater & was forever grateful for the opportunity he’d had, taking time off to visit it as often as he could in the years to follow. 

Udai, graduated from Deshbandhu College, Delhi with an honors degree in Political Science and was soon absorbed as a management trainee with the Taj Mansingh, Delhi. What he aspired to was a career in the Special Forces of the Indian Army 

“I do not wish to spend my life waiting on hotel guests” he’d say. “I want to be that 5 star guest”. 

His ambition was partly fulfilled on passing out from the IMA in June 1997. He was commissioned into the first battalion of the Parachute Regiment. 

“My life in the army”, he confessed to a friend, ” is doomed if I do not clear the probation”. 

Clear it he did and was with the paltan for five wonderful years before volunteering for the Special Group – the mavericks. He soon became one of them. 

His brief career was spent almost entirely in the mountains of Kashmir with a few months here and there given to the short courses run by the army. He did the free fall & the para jumps along with a course in deep sea diving. 

He loved what he did never regretting for an instant his choice of career. His life in the army was a source of great pride and enthusiasm. It was all that he had ever wished it to be.

Citations:

SENA MEDAL 

SENA MEDAL (Gallantry)
IC-57219 Capt. Udai Singh
PARA/22 SPECIAL FORCES 

1 JULY 2002

Captain Udai Singh was tasked to launch his troops immediately by night on 1 July 2002 in Danti Forest, Jammu and Kashmir.

At 1030hrs, the leading squad observed terrorist movement and immediately killed one terrorist. The remaining terrorist brought down a heavy volume of fire on the troops.

Acting dynamically with utmost tenacity taking advantage of thick forest and restricted visibility Capt. Udai Singh then moved along with his squad and closed on the terrorist under heavy volume of hostile fire. 

Captain Udai Singh ruthlessly pursued single handedly with extreme courage and excellent marksmanship and tactical acumen under fire killing two more terrorists in close quarter combat. 

For displayed conspicuous bravery, exemplary leadership and raw courage, Captain Udai Singh was awarded Sena Medal (Gallantry)

---

SHAURYA CHAKRASHAURYA CHAKRA
IC-57219 Capt. Udai Singh, SM
PARA/22 SPECIAL FORCES (Posthumous)

Major Udai Singh has developed a comprehensive schedule to demolish the intelligence and logistics network being provided to the terrorist by the Over Ground Workers in the general area in Rajouri District of  Jammu and Kashmir. The officer commenced operations by launching a search and destroy operation in the general area at 0300hrs on 29th November 2003. The team physically reconnoitered the thickly forested area. At 1745hrs, in fading light, when the officer was leading his team to lay an ambush, the party suddenly came face to face with a group of terrorist who were approaching from higher ground at a close range of 10 meters. During the deadly fire fight that ensued, the officer sustained gun shot wound in the neck, while his buddy sustained multiple gun shot wounds. Displaying extraordinary courage, with utter disregard to personal safety, the officer continued to close in with the terrorists, killing one terrorist and wounding another. Major Udai Singh then helped extricating his fatally injured buddy before succumbing to his injuries.

Major Udai Singh displayed indomitable courage and exemplary leadership in fighting the terrorist and making the supreme sacrifice.

Major Udai Singh is survived by his parents Col. KKK Singh (Retd.), mother Sudha and sister Lalima. They can be reached at:

 

House #792, Sector 29. Noida. (UP) Tel: 0120 -2451859.

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Brig Arvind Nilkanth Jatar (MVC)

How Brig Arvind Nilkanth Jatar got the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC)

February 9, 2008

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Brig Arvind Nilkanth Jatar, son of Bhausaheb, and grandson of Shriram Jatar, was a heroic figure and one that the Jatar family is very proud of. He won the Maha Vir Chakra, India’s second highest military honour, for his bravery and the details are given on the Bharat Rakshak site.  This is how it all happened:

On 8th April 1948, 19 Infantry Brigade started its advance to Rajauri MR Square Sheet No 43K7. The Central India Horse less two squadrons was to support the 4 DOGRAs for the attack on Barwali Ridge Square 3704 Map Sheet No 43K8. Captain Jatar volunteered to go with the Company in the attack as it was felt that without an Armoured Corps officer, successful support would not be possible. Captain Jatar carried the 46 set on his back because the operator has had sprained ankle while crossing the river. When the right forward company of the DOGRAs was half way upto the objective they were held up by heavy enemy medium gunfire from the right ridge. Without any regard to his personal safety, this officer moved across the bullet and mortar swept river to the left forward Company of the DOGRAs. While crossing the river, his wireless set was hit by a burst of medium machine gun fire. This officer once again did a most courageous thing by standing up in full view of the enemy and indicating targets by means of a handkerchief tied to the wireless mast. It was solely due to his signalling that very heavy close support of the tank fire was given to the DOGRAs for five continuous hours, which made it possible for them to take the objective.

Throughout the battle, this officer conducted himself with superb courage and with no regard to his personal safety. It was mainly due to this officer’s initiative and coolness and shattering fire that tanks were able to give a most needed close support to the DOGRAs. On 10th April 1948, Captain Jatar was in the leading tank. At Nerian MR Square 3903 Map Sheet No. 43KB, the tanks had to leave the road and advance along the riverbed of Tawi. Captain Jatar crossed the river three times ahead of his tanks and on all these occasions he was under automatic fire. He was first to reach Chingas MR Square 3609 Map Sheet No. 43K8.

Once again, this officer displayed initiative, courage and devotion to duty. By walking in front of the tank, he saved the tanks from getting bogged in the river. On 12th April 1948 during the advance to Rajauri this officer again crossed and re-crossed the river Tawi 11 times, all the times ahead of the tank. After Rajauri was captured at 1845 hours this officer was ordered to go back about 2 ½ miles and pull out and recover two tanks, which had bogged in the river. With extreme boldness and noteworthy leadership this officer got the tanks out and brought them to harbour at 0130 hours. It was mainly due to this officer’s dauntless determined efforts that all ranks reached the objective. The enemy was surprised that he left behind hundreds of Indian Nationals, mostly women who had been collected in the village of Gordan Bala MR Square 3629 Map Sheet No 43K7 to be taken away and may be to be butchered. The enemy also left behind ammunition and arms. The hurry in which they left proves that they never expected the tanks to move across the treacherous bed of the river, which was full of boulders. The following extracts from the Special Situation Report No 18/D/GS (I) HQ JAK Force dated 15 April 1948, which relates the work of Captain Jatar, Quote “I consider advance was only made possible by excellent navigation by leading tank”

There is another site which mentions Brig Jatar’s heroism and that is this one. That site also talks about Brig Jatar’s cousin Madhukar Shantaram Jatar, who recieved the Veer Chakra. I will be writing about him soon.

(Contributed by Nita J. Kulkarni)

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Another unknown war hero – Second Lieutenant Rajeev Sandhu (MVC) posthumus

I found this excerpt about this young brave, while searching for an article. Isnt that sad that nothing much has been published about him anywhere ?

Read on for this brave soldiers sacrifice

On 19 July 1988, a convoy of a two vehicles of the 7th Battalion of the Assam Regiment was making its way from Madurengkenikulam to Mangani to collect dry rations. In charge of the detail was a young subaltern, 2nd Lt. Rajeev Sandhu, who was barely six months out of the IMA. 2nd Lt. Sandhu was traveling in the Mahindra Jeep, leading the way to the 1 Ton Nissan truck which was trailing 50 meters behind the jeep. Driving the jeep was Sepoy NKKS Rajkumar, 2nd Lt. Sandhu was in the next seat. Sitting in the rear was L/Nk Nandeshwar Das and Sepoy Lalbuanga. As the vehicles reached a track junction, a rocket fired from the undergrowth hit the jeep, lifting it into the air and overturning it to the side. Immediately a fusillade of fire from the AK-47s straddled the overturned Jeep. When the volley of fire ended, and silence descended on the ambush site, the LTTE militants knew that this was one convoy that never made it to the Army base. They came out of their ambush positions to pick up the weapons and equipment of the fallen soldiers.

 Second Lieutenant Rajeev Sandhu earned the Assam Regiment its first Maha Vir Chakra during the Operations in 1988.
But one Indian Soldier still had his wits around with him. Out of the view of the militants, 2nd Lt. Sandhu, was dragging himself with his 9mm SMC Carbine out of the wreck. Both his legs were smashed when the rocket hit the jeep, the subsequent volley of fire had wounded him and he was bleeding profusely. He checked the other occupants of the jeep. None of them were conscious. In fact the initial blast of the rocket was borne by 2nd Lt. Sandhu. The machine gun fire that followed killed both Lance Naik Das and Sep Lalbuanga in the rear. Driver Rajkumar was wounded and unconscious. Sandhu tumbled out of the Jeep and crawled to a fire position. As one of the LTTE militants by the name of Kumaran approached the Jeep. Despite his legs being totally smashed and his body ridden with bullets, 2nd Lt. Sandhu lifted his carbine with blood soaked hands and sprayed Kumaran with bullets, killing him instantly.
However, the bleeding had already taken its toll. 2nd Lt. Sandhu succumbed to his wounds and injuries.

A grateful nation recognised his bravery with the award of a Maha Vir Chakra in 1990. 2nd Lt. Sandhu was just 22 years old when he died in Sri Lanka. Incidents like these were what kept the LTTE from underestimating the fighting prowess of the Army. They knew that they could not compare the fighting calibre of the Indian Soldier to that of the Sri Lankan Army. The Indian Soldier was coming from a background of operational exposure in areas like the Jungles of North east and the Mountains of the North. Death and Hardship were not a stranger to him, thus He was more ready and more experienced in fighting back to the hit and run tactics of the LTTE.

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Colonel Vasanth Venugopal (AC) posthumus- A warriors way of life

Here is a simple and compassionalte soldier, who was a leader and a true warrior. A man who did not hide behind bluster and cocky rhetoric, but led by example and died fighting for what he beleived in. Rare that a CO of the Army puts himself in harms way these days.  That itself speaks volumes on this man’s character.

These are sad times indeed.

A silent salute to this brave son of the soil.

A Tribute to Col Vasanth

By Tulasi Srinivas- Narasimhan

The news item by Reuters on July 31 profoundly shocked me: “Six people, including a top Indian Army officer, was killed in the gun battle between troops and militants trying to sneak into Indian Kashmir from the Pakistani side,” an Army spokesman said.
The Army spokesman narrated how Colonel Vasanth Venugopal, commanding officer of 9 Maratha Light Infantry, along with reinforcements, rushed to the site to personally supervise the operation. Under his determined and resolute leadership, troops surrounded terrorists in a difficult and thickly-wooded forested area. Heavy fighting ensued in which Col Vasanth personally flushed out militants.
Displaying cool courage and operational acumen, Col Vasanth poised himself and his party to block the escape routes of entrapped militants. He died in the hospital of his wounds.
Col Vasanth was, in life, one of a very rare breed — a true idealist and a man of peace — who was proud to be an officer of the Indian Army. The obvious paradox did not seem to trouble him.
I first met Vasanth in 1993, when I married into his family. He was then a young officer, away often on the frontline and in military training, much to the dismay and worry of his young bride Subhashini.
Vasanth was no armchair idealist, no sit back scholar. He had read widely about military history and strategy and would take great care to analyse the inscrutable choices that armies had made in history. When he was on a holiday in Bangalore, he would attempt to solve the crossword puzzle everyday, help his daughter polish her shoes for school, read newspapers, and surf the web, thirsting to learn more and more.
His love for the Army and the honour it signified, was brought home to me in many ways. In 2003, the whole family, myself included, visited him in Belgaum.
Then a Major, when he came out of his room early in the morning dressed in his army uniform, shoes polished, medals blazing, he suddenly looked like a different man; confident, assured and in charge.
We teased him and he said in all seriousness; “It is the uniform of the Indian Army. When I put it on, it is a responsibility. The boys see me and expect me to behave as an officer”.
And now he is gone — shot to death by religious insurgents, who kill for an ideology. The cost of his fall will be known only by his wife, his parents and his daughters.
I have no doubt that Col Vasanth himself would probably have asked for no more fitting fall than with his men, defending his nation, but what do we make of such an end? What can we say, tongue tied with grief?

Disclaimer: This article is reproduced in an effort to preserve such writings for future generations and self education. No copyright laws are being violated or intended by referring it in this blog.

Also read Prem Panickers article here in Rediff (http://specials.rediff.com/news/2008/jan/24resl1.htm). Prem Thank you! You have done a great service to us soldiers by writing this article.

My heartfelt condolences to Mrs Subhashini Vasant and her 2 lovely children. I salute your courage and your bravery during these hard times.

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The Man who saved Kashmir – Major Somanth Sharma PVC (posthumus)

Lately many pleas have been made that Mohammed Afzal Guru’s execution should be stayed because his death ‘could fuel separatism in Jammu & Kashmir.’

The state chief minister himself has been an ardent advocate for clemency for the terrorist who attacked the Indian Parliament in December 2001 (and nearly provoked a war between India and Pakistan).

The ‘secular’ protagonists claim that his execution will make a martyr of Afzal. I will not enter into these fallacious arguments, but the time has perhaps come to remember a true martyr: Major Somnath Sharma who on November 3, 1947 saved Srinagar airport (and Kashmir) at the supreme cost of his life.

Had he not sacrificed his life, Afzal’s defenders would not today make front page news in the Indian press, for the simple reason that they would be Pakistani citizens living under a military dictatorship.

Our story starts during in the early days of October 1947 when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru received a message from a former deputy commissioner of Dera Ismail Khan [one of the province’s main districts] in the North West Frontier Province.

The bureaucrat warned of ‘a scheme to send armed tribals from Pakistan to the Pakistan-Kashmir border; some of them had already moved towards the area in transport provided by the Pakistan government. Arms confiscated from non-Muslims had been supplied to these tribals.’

As Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir was reluctant to sign the Instrument of Accession to India, Nehru refused to take any action. Two weeks later a large contingent of Afridis, Mahsuds, Wazirs, Swathis and regular soldiers of the Pakistan army ‘in mufti’ began to enter Kashmir.

During the night of October 22, the ‘raiders’ burnt the town of Muzaffarabad. They then overran Uri and captured Mahura, the electric power station, fifty miles from Srinagar. The city of Srinagar was plunged in darkness.

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.’

Everything then moved very fast. Early the next morning, the first troops and equipment were airlifted from Palam airport [in Delhi] 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.

Sinha tried to impress on Somnath ‘the vital importance of the airfield to us and in that context the importance of the task assigned to him,’ but says the governor this ‘sermonising could do little to fulfill his desire for being sent further forward.’

After spending an hour discussing and sipping a mug of tea reclining on his kitbag, Sinha left for Delhi. ‘Little did I then know that within the next forty-eight hours, he was to die a hero’s death and earn great renown, fighting most gallantly in very close proximity to where we then lay talking so leisurely.’

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’s on the Bhagavad Gita. This influence of Krishna’s teachings to Arjun were 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, l 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.

After the Japanese surrender in Kuala Lumpur in September 1945, Somnath returned from Malaya via Calcutta. Before landing, a small incident occurred when the British Military Police came aboard to check for contraband.

Som had an unauthorised pistol unofficially presented to him by some Japanese officer in addition to a Samurai sword (officially allotted to each officer). Somnath refused to lie or invent a story to bluff the British officer, he immediately threw the pistol into the sea through a porthole. Such was his straightforwardness!

Two years later, India became independent, but fell prey to mad communal fighting. With his Kumaonis, Somnath was dispatched to aid the civil administration. From his headquarters at Parliament Street police station, he spent his time extinguishing fires between the two communities — both well armed.

To complicate the matter, streams of refugees were pouring in wave after wave to the capital. The Kumaon Regiment rose to the occasion, doing their duty honestly and impartially towards both communities. At that time, Somnath was moving around with his broken arm and a plaster from the wrist to the elbow.

When his company was ordered to move to Srinagar, Somnath, though technically ‘unfit for active duty in war’ insisted that he had to lead his company.

Before leaving for Srinagar, he spent his last night in Delhi with Major K K Tewari, his best friend and Burma companion, at the Queen Victoria Road bachelor Officers’ Mess in Delhi.

They chatted late into the night. Somnath remarked at one point that he was going to war again but alone this time (without his friend). Having probably some premonition, he asked for a memento from Tewari who told him that he could take whatever he wanted from the room. Somnath went straight to the cupboard and took his automatic pistol, a German Luger. Quite upset, Tewari had no choice but to honour his promise.

The next morning Somnath Sharma landed in Srinagar (where he met S K Sinha). The situation was fast deteriorating.

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.’

Soon after, Somnath Sharma was killed by a mortar.

Does India respect its fallen heroes?

By the evening, when reinforcement reached Badgam; it was too late. The Kumaonis had suffered over 50 per cent casualties though they had inflicted much heavier losses to the ‘raiders’ who lost 200 men and the airport and Kashmir.

Major Somnath Sharma was awarded the first Param Vir Chakra, the highest Indian gallantry award (the Indian equivalent of the Victoria Cross).

The citation read: ‘Keeping his nerve, he skillfully directed the fire of his section into the ever-advancing enemy. He repeatedly exposed himself to the full fury of enemy fire and laid out cloth airstrips to guide our aircraft onto their targets in full view of the enemy. His leadership, gallantry and tenacious defence were such that his men were inspired to fight the enemy outnumbering them. Major Sharma set an example of courage and qualities seldom equaled in the history of the Indian Army.’

Three days later, 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.

Today, the world has gone topsy-turvy: true heroes are forgotten and terrorists become martyrs.\

 

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