BRAVE PVC STORIES (1948) - Piru Singh Shekhawat The Battle of Darapari
18 July 1948
It is a dark-purple moonlit night. But Company Havaldar Major (CHM) Piru Singh cannot afford to look up. The route is steep and filled with loose stones; one misstep can send him plunging down into the valley, leaving a mass of broken flesh and bones. Piru Singh’s boot has just struck a rock that has gone tumbling down. For a fraction of a second, he stops to look at its deep descent. And then he looks up at the treacherous ridge he and his section from Delta Company, 6 Rajputana Rifles (Raj. Rif.), are trudging up. If he arches his neck right up, at an angle of nearly 180 degrees, he can see where the mountain ends, dark, craggy, uninviting. That is where the enemy sits and that is where he and his men are headed.
D Company has been tasked with attacking and dislodging Pakistani irregulars from Darapari in the Tithwal sector of Kashmir. It is at a height of 11, 481 feet and the attacking company has been told that the enemy is sitting there watching the narrow path that winds its way up though they have probably not had enough time to dig in deep. Piru Singh takes a few deep breaths and resumes his climb; the air is starting to get colder and the long march of 30 miles all the way from Tangdhar has started telling on the spirit of the soldiers. He knows they are tired. So is he. But in war tiredness is the least of a soldier’s concern. To distract himselffom the long climb ahead, Piru Singh lets his thoughts drift to nine months back. His battalion had been in Gurgaon, involved in internal security duties when orders came for them to move to Kashmir. The hill state needed to be defended from raiding Pathans and Pakistani Army regulars. The soldiers were airlifted to Srinagar on 5 November 1947. For many of them it was the first ride in an airplane and for a few moments at least the threat of war was overshadowed by the thrill of that first plane ride.
Once in Kashmir, the battalion was thrown in the midst of action and the brave men more than proved themselves in the first few months. In April 1948, they were sent to Uri and had fought back a vicious enemy attack where they inflicted major damages on the enemy.
They went on to capture an enemy position on the night of 29 April for which Rifleman Dhonkal Singh was awarded a Maha Vir Chakra posthumously. He had immediately become a battalion hero. Dhonkal had guided his platoon through a thick pine forest along a ridge and had faced the brunt of enemy light-machine-gun fire. In spite of suffering a serious injury on his left shoulder, Dhonkal Singh had crawled ahead and destroyed the enemy post by flinging a hand grenade at it. Hit by splinters in the face and chest, he had known he would not live long, and had used all his remaining strength to lob another grenade at the retreating enemy soldiers, killing them instantaneously. The post had been captured by 6 Raj. Rif., but Dhonkal Singh had succumbed to his injuries.
Piru Singh, full of respect for his brave comrade, does not know then that he will soon perform an act of bravery that will be as incredible as Dhonkal’s. Humming a tune to himself, he marches on.
The entire spring of 1948 had been used by the Indian Army to launch a major attack to throw the intruders right out of Kashmir. Orders came for 6 Raj. Rif., which was at Uri, to march to Tithwal to strengthen the 163 Infantry Brigade across the Nastachun Pass. The brigade was planning an offensive to dislodge the Pakistanis sitting in this sector. The pass was at 10, 264 feet and the companies were deployed in areas flanked by Point 11481 on Kafir Khan Ridge that was a feature occupied by the Pakistanis.
The battalion had to move at 24 hours’ notice and was to take up position on the Baniwala Dana ridge on 12 July. But a deep nala separated the ridge from where the Indian Army was positioned and the engineers had to be called in to build a bridge across this so that the soldiers could cross over. Time was at a premium and the deadline given for the bridge to be in place was the evening of 11 July.
Though all efforts were made, it was tough task and the engineers could not meet the deadline. Since the attack could not be delayed further, the engineers put a big log of wood across the nala. This was the makeshift bridge that B and D companies of 6 Raj. Rif., along with modified battalion headquarters, used to cross over on the night of 11 July. B Company led the advance and, at 5. 30 a. m. on 12 July, they managed to capture one of the features without facing any opposition from the enemy. D Company was told to pass through and secure the second feature. The attacks by 6 Raj. Rif. and 3 Royal Garhwal Rifles continued. The enemy was chased away, arms and ammunition captured and a counterattack repulsed. Reconnaissance parties and patrols were then sent out to ascertain the enemy positions and the soldiers came back and reported that a feature called Darapari, which was at 11, 481 feet, dominated the 163 Brigadedefended sector. It was heavily defended by Pakistani Army irregulars. Just a bit further was yet another feature held by the enemy. It was felt that if the Indian Army wanted to make any further progress, Darapari and the second feature would have to be captured.
The task of capturing Darapari was given to 6 Raj. Rif. under the command of Lieutenant Colonel S. S. Kallan on 16 July 1948. On 18 July, the battalion attacked along the narrow and razor-sharp ridge. This was going to be the operation where CHM Piru Singh would fight until death and secure for his battalion the coveted Darapari and also bring home the Param Vir Chakra. 18 July 1948, 1. 30 a. m.
The path that leads from D Company’s forward position to Darapari is barely one metre wide; on both sides are deep gorges and the soldiers are moving ahead silently in the dark; loaded rifles in their hands. D Company has been tasked with clearing Darapari and after that had been secured C Company is to move in, pass through, attack and capture the second feature. Nighttime has been chosen for the offensive deliberately so as not to alert the enemy soldiers and to take them unawares. ‘Nobody will talk, light a match or even cough,’ Piru Singh, whose platoon is leading the attack, tells his men and they nod in agreement. Up above somewhere are the Pakistanis, and Piru Singh is sure they have the path in their gun-sights. Alerting them to the presence of the Indian Army soldiers climbing up would be suicidal.
Though intelligence reports say that the enemy could not have had time to make proper trenches and hence it would be easy to throw them out, these reports turn out to be wrong. Unknown to the soldiers, the enemy has dug five bunkers that overlook this narrow path and had it covered completely by three medium machine guns (MMGs). The Pakistanis are also anticipating an attack and are alert, so the moment the advancing soldiers reach close to their bunkers, they open fire. D Company is trapped in this bottleneck and caught completely unaware. Bullets and shells fly in the cold night which reverberates with the screams of hit soldiers. Within a short span of 30 minutes, as many as 51 soldiers become casualty to the machine guns, grenade attacks and 2- inch and 3-inch mortars.
Suddenly there is complete chaos. If at that crucial moment, Piru Singh does not step in and decide to put his own life at risk to further the advance of his company, the battle would be lost right then.
Piru Singh is with the forward section. Half of his men have fallen already and he can see them bleeding, limbs ripped apart, their moans filling the gaps in the din of the crossfire. Some of them are dead, others disabled by their injuries. Piru Singh himselfhas miraculously escaped though his clothes are singed and ripped by the grenade attacks and his arms and legs are bleeding from shrapnel injuries. He knows that the only way to tackle this attack is to silence the machine guns that are breathing fire on the mountain. Completely unmindful of his own safety, he makes a dash for the nearest bunker from where the machine-gun fire is coming. Rushing through the hail of bullets, he sprays the enemy soldiers lodged in the trench with Sten-gun fire. Before they realize he is there, he jumps in and bayonets the men handling the gun. They fall with loud screams of pain and shock and the gun falls silent.
By then the damage is done and Piru Singh realizes that all his comrades are dead. He is the only one left alive in his section. Screaming in anger, he leaps across the boulders to the next MMG post. The enemy have noticed his lone act and direct fire at him. A grenade flung at him finds its mark. It wounds him in the face and eyes but Piru Singh is beyond pain and discomfort. He doesn’t notice the blood dripping down his chin and seeping into his shirt collar.
Climbing out of the trench, he wipes the blood out of his eyes and starts lobbing grenades at the next enemy position. Walking through the attacking fire, he makes his way to the second bunker and, climbing in, bayonets the two soldiers manning the second MMG. Two of the guns have now fallen silent but he knows there is one more.
By now, he is starting to lose consciousness because of the excessive blood loss. His eyes are shutting and the blood is dripping right into them. By sheer dint of will power, Piru Singh forces his eyes to stay open. He pulls himself out of the second trench with great difficulty and shouting out the battalion war cry ‘Raja Ramchandra ki Jai’, he pulls out a grenade. He has not reached the third bunker when a bullet hits him in the head.
Piru Singh knows he is falling; he wants to reach the next machine gun but he no longer has any power over his limbs. Grenade in hand, he tries to walk but his legs collapse under him. Even as he drops to the ground, he manages to remove the pin from the last grenade and lobs it at the third bunker. The grenade traces an arch and as Piru Singh lies breathing his last on the ridge of Darapari, he wills his eyes to stay open. He watches the grenade find its mark. A loud blast rings out and he watches the bunker collapse, killing the enemy soldiers and silencing the MMG inside. Piru Singh Shekhawat finally closes his eyes.
C Company commander witnesses this act of heroism while directing fire in support of the attacking company. For his unmatched bravery, inspiring example and superhuman courage in the face of the enemy, CHM Piru Singh is awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously. The 6th Battalion, Rajputana Rifles, is awarded the Battle Honour of Darapari. In a letter to Piru Singh’s mother, the then Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru writes; ‘He paid with his life for his singularly brave act, but he left for the rest of his comrades a unique example of single-handed bravery and determined cold courage. The country is grateful for this sacrifice made in the service of the Motherland, and it is our prayer that this may give you some peace and solace.’
Piru Singh Shekhawat was born on 20 May 1918 in Rampura Beri village of Churu, Rajasthan, then Rajputana. He came from a large agricultural family and was one of seven siblings; he was the youngest of three brothers and had four sisters.
Piru began school at the age of six, but right from the beginning he did not like any kind of restriction. School became a daily punishment for this free-spirited, happy- go-lucky child and finally one day, he decided he had had enough. Flinging his slate at his teacher, Piru ran away from his classroom. He never returned, preferring to tend to the fields with his father rather than sit inside a boring, restrictive classroom. Piru was fond of hunting and roaming the forests and now had all the time for the things he loved.
The Army had always appealed to him as a career and he kept going to recruitment camps till he was selected. At 18, he joined the Army, coincidentally on his birthday—20 May 1936. He was sent to 10/1 Punjab. After training for a year at Jhelum he was posted to 5/1 Punjab. Though he had hated school, once in the Army, where he always wanted to be, Piru quickly cleared his promotional exams one after the other and soon became a lance naik and then, within a year, a naik. He was posted as an instructor in the Punjab Regimental Centre at Jhelum. In May 1945, he was appointed company havaldar major. He even went to Japan after World War II ended to serve with the Commonwealth Occupational Forces. By the time he returned in September 1947, India and Pakistan had become two countries. Being a part of the Rajput segment of 5/1 Punjab, Piru was sent to 6 Raj. Rif.
These were the terrible days when the Pakistani Army, in connivance with Pathan raiders, were attacking Jammu and Kashmir. Piru’s battalion was flown to Kashmir and was part of the force used to push the raiders back beyond Uri. This was the background in which Piru Singh showed exemplary bravery and posthumously won his Param Vir Chakra.
He died on 18 July 1948. He was 30 years old.
CONGO—1 9 6 1
India became a founder member of the United Nations (UN) on 24 October 1945.
One of the major roles of the UN has been to bring about world peace. In this endeavour to maintain peace, the UN Peacekeeping force has unfortunately had to often resort to arms.
The Indian Army is the second largest contributor of troops to the UN missions and has taken part in as many as 31 such operations, of which Congo was one. Nearly 100 officers and men have lost their lives till now in these missions to ensure world peace. Their sacrifices often fade quickly from public memory since the soldiers die in a foreign land, fighting for a foreign country. In the UN operations in Congo, 1960, Captain Gurbachan Sigh Salaria of 3/1 Gorkha Rifles was posthumously decorated with the Param Vir Chakra.
The Congo mission of 1960 is considered one of the biggest UN missions of its time; it had under command at least 20, 000 troops.
A brief background to the problem: since 1878, Congo, now Zaire, was ruled by Belgium, a country which is about one twentieth its size. In January 1960, Belgium agreed to give Congo its independence. Elections were held and in June 1960 Belgian Congo became the Democratic Republic of Congo. There was a catch. The Congolese Army continued to be commanded by Belgium’s Lieutenant General Emile Janssens, with an all-Belgian officer force.
There were no Congolese officers, which gave rise to great dissent and soon after independence, the Army declared mutiny. Congolese soldiers demanded better salaries and the expulsion of Belgian officers. There were anti-Belgian riots. The Belgians left Congo, but a civil war situation developed in the country.
Belgium quickly moved its own army into Congo, with the aim of protecting its citizens. Since this was carried out without the permission of the Congolese government, the government ordered expulsion of all Belgian troops.
However, the provincial president, Moise Tshombe, announced that Katanga, the richest province of Congo, was seceding. Congo reached out for UN help and asked for military aid to protect Congo from Belgium’s perceived colonial threat.
Troops of the UN Peacekeeping Mission landed in Congo in mid-July 1960 and were immediately deployed in the capital. When the UN decided that military intervention would be required to bring peace and order in Congo, India contributed a brigade of around 3000 men to the UN force.
A decision was taken to send one brigade to Congo, and 99 Infantry Brigade was picked for the task. 3/1 Gorkha Rifles was part of 99 Infantry Brigade. Most of the battalion was airlifted from Delhi to Leopoldville in Congo. The orders came suddenly and the soldiers were shifted from peacetime duties in India to a warlike situation in Congo.
After three injections, for yellow fever, cholera and tetanus, the Gorkhas left in US Air Force Globemasters that took off from Palam Airport. Major Gurbachan Salaria reached Leopoldville on 16 March 1961. On 5 December, under orders to clear a roadblock established by the gendarmerie at a strategic roundabout at Elizabethville, Katanga, Gurbachan and two sections of brave Gorkha soldiers attacked the position frontally, and in the daring assault Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria was killed inflicting a cutting defeat on the enemy.
The UN mission was a very complex one but it is regarded as one of the most successful even though there were many casualties on both sides. For his leadership, courage, unflinching devotion to duty and complete disregard for personal safety, Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.
Gurbachan Singh
Salaria
Elizabethville, Katanga
5 December 1961, 1.12p.m.
Sixteen small, slim Gorkha soldiers stand
CONTINUED
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