THE INDO-PAK WAR OF 1947 -48"THE BRAVE PARAM VEER CHAKRA STORIES"
E BOOK by RACHNA BISHT RAWAT
Soon after Independence and the painful
partition of British India, India and Pakistan fought their first war over the
princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. In June 1947, when Partition was
announced, the 600 princely states that existed then were given the choice to
accede to either India or Pakistan, or remain independent. Most rulers agreed
to merge with the country closer to them, while a few chose to remain
independent. Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir decided
to avoid accession to either country. He preferred to enter into a Standstill Arrangement, which guaranteed that existing administrative arrangements would continue to be honoured until a new agreement was made.
An appeal was made to both countries to not
arm twist the state into taking a quick decision but to allow a people’s
verdict. Pakistan (which felt that since a majority of Kashmir’s population was
Muslim, it should be a part of Pakistan) signed the agreement but was not ready
to wait.
In a crafty bid to take over Jammu and
Kashmir, it started infiltrating the hill state just a few months after
Independence, with a force of Pathan tribesmen, ex-soldiers and deserters from
the state forces intermingled with Pakistan Army regulars. The men were well
supplied with rations, arms, vehicles and medical supplies and promised
extensive looting. In October 1947, the raiders started attacking the border
villages and creating a deadly atmosphere of plunder, loot and rape. They did
not distinguish between Hindus and Muslims; they picked up women, took them
back forcibly with them, and left hundreds dead in the villages they went
through.
Initially, the raiders were fought back by the
state military. But realizing that the attacking lashkars were proving too
strong for them, Maharaja Hari Singh requested India’s help. Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru made a shrewd diplomatic move by offering help subject to
Kashmir signing the Instrument of Accession to the Union of India. That was the
only way the Indian Army could enter Jammu and Kashmir legally. After Maharaja
Hari Singh signed the document, Indian troops were sent to defend Kashmir and
drive out the raiders. India had to airlift troops and equipment to Srinagar.
A
bloody conflict resulted. The raiders were chased out of Kashmir to beyond
Baramulla and Uri and these towns were captured back. Jhanger, Rajauri,
Tithwal, Kargil were other places that were recaptured by the Indian forces.
The Zoji La Pass was taken over with the use of tanks, which could not have
been imagined at that height, and even Dras was won. Nehru finally asked the UN
to intervene and after protracted negotiations a formal ceasefire was declared
in January 1949. According to the terms of the ceasefire, Pakistan had to
withdraw its forces, both regular and irregular, while allowing India to retain
a minimum military strength in J&K to ensure the prevalence of peace, law
and order.
Pakistan took over about two-fifth of Kashmir
while India wrested control of the rest of Kashmir, which included the most
fertile and prosperous regions. Army units that participated in the action and
fought bravely were awarded a total of 11 battle honours and one theatre
honour. These included: Gurais, Kargil, Naushera, Srinagar, Punj, Tithwal,
Rajouri and Zoji La. It is believed that both India and Pakistan lost about
1500 men each in the war. The Indian Army fought bravely and the list of
gallantry awards ran long. For their supreme acts of bravery, cold courage and
devotion to duty, five soldiers were decorated with the Param Vir Chakra,
independent India’s highest gallantry award. Major Somnath Sharma, Naik
Yadunath Singh and Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat died fighting
and were given the award posthumously, while Lance Naik Karam Singh and Second
Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane lived to wear the medal on their chests.
Maj Somnath Sharma, PVC
Fifteen minutes early for my appointment with
Lieutenant General (Retd) Surindra Nath Sharma, former engineer-in- chief of
the Indian Army and younger brother of late Major Somnath Sharma, I settle down
to wait in the lobby of his tastefully done up house in Defence Colony, New
Delhi. The slim and remarkably fit 90-year-old Sherwoodian walks in almost
immediately. He dazzles me with his memory, his firm grip on names and dates,
his British accent, his delightful wit and his old-world courtesy that includes
holding doors open and walking me down to my car when the interview is done.
When he recounts tales of his brother’s bravery, there is pride in his voice;
when he speaks about how the schoolboy Somi would march the kids in the
neighbourhood up and down, he smiles nostalgically. And when he tells me about
Somi’s infatuation with a very young girl when he last came to meet the family
in Rawalpindi in 1947, he chuckles like a schoolboy, refusing outright to tell
me more.
‘We don’t discuss ladies,’ he says gallantly.
I am disarmed with his charm, but what impresses me most is the lucid manner in
which he recounts the Battle of Badgam and makes Somnath Sharma and the ‘47 war
with Pakistan come alive in front of my eyes.
Badgam, Jammu and Kashmir
3 November 1947
Resting his plastered left arm on the edge of
the trench, Maj Somnath Sharma raises his head and squints at the sun; it has
moved west but there are still a few hours of daylight left. He has to move his
company soon and if they make good time, they can be back at the Srinagar
airfield by night. It has been a tense and gruelling morning, but now he is
feeling quite relaxed.
At first light that day, a fighting patrol
comprising A and D Companies of 4 Kumaon (under Somi) and one company of 1 Para
Kumaon (under Captain Ronald Wood) had been sent to Badgam after intelligence
reports had warned that a 1000-strong lashkar of Pathans, led by Pakistan Army
regulars, was heading towards Srinagar. Their aim, the reports had said, was to
take over Srinagar airfield and thus handicap the Army by cutting off their
supplies. The fighting patrol’s job had been to search for the raiders and
engage them at Badgam, a small village three to four miles from the Srinagar
airfield.
Early morning, Sharma had reported that his
company was positioned on a hillock west of the village and that they had dug
trenches there. 1 Para Kumaon had established themselves southeast of the
village and had reported that the village was quiet and peaceful. Sharma had
also reported that the villagers had been going about their chores quietly
though they looked scared. He has also noticed that some of them were clustered
in a nala where they seemed to be taking shelter. Since Badgam appeared
peaceful, 1 Para Kumaon was ordered to ‘circle east and search; and then return
to the airfield after making contact with 1 Punjab’. They did so, and were back
in Srinagar by 1 p. m. Since Badgam is quiet, Sharma is also ordered to start
pulling his companies out. At 2 p. m. he reports that A Company, which had been
ordered to circle to the west, had done so and was also on its way to the
airfield. Somi plans to keep D Company in Badgam till late evening and then
withdraw to the airfield. His decision is supported by Brig. L. P. Sen, DSO.
The two know each other well from battles in the Arakan in 1944-45. The
soldiers are just biding time since there are only a few hours to go.
The general stops for a breather and a sip of
the lemonade that has appeared by our sides and then shakes his head gravely.
‘The people Somi had Pathans dressed as
Kashmiri locals with weapons hidden under their loose mistaken for villagers in
the nala were in fact chogas, ‘ he grimaces.
The lashkar was arriving in Badgam in bits and
pieces to conceal their movement and it was led by a Pakistani major, who was
hatching a crafty plan even as he watched the soldiers of the Indian Army
patrolling the village. He had asked his men to mix with the locals and wait
for the rest of the Pathans, who were quietly making their way to Badgam after
slowly trooping in through the gap between the ranges at Gulmarg. He planned to
attack Badgam when they reached a count of around 1000 men and then advance to
the Srinagar airfield. Pakistan’s plan was to attack the airfield, cut off the
Army’s access and then takeover Jammu and Kashmir.
‘It was a great plan, ‘ the general
acknowledges grudgingly. Around 2 p. m., well after A Company left Badgam, the
villagers grouped in the nala began to disperse. While Sharma and his men
thought they were returning to their homes, they were quietly positioning
themselves around D Company. The Pakistani major had decided not to wait beyond
afternoon and as soon as he had about 700 men, he launched his attack. Sharma
and his company, consisting of about 90 men, were the only ones left to fight
the raiders. They were outnumbered seven to one.
Wrinkling his forehead in an effort to
remember, Lt Gen Sharma says it was around 2. 30 p. m. that Somi and his men
were taken by surprise when gunfire started coming at them from the village.
Soon, they were receiving machine-gun fire as well. Somi reported to his
brigade commander that his position was under attack. He added that he was
apprehensive about returning fire in the direction of the village because he
could hurt innocent people, including women and children. By then, the raiders
had started coming up in large numbers from a depression in the west.
‘There were hundreds of them, and they started
targeting Somi’s company with mortar and automatic fire,’ says Lt Gen Sharma.
‘Since the Pathans were not trained soldiers, every 100 men were commanded by a
Viceroy’s Commissioned Officer (VCO) while every 10 men had a regular Pakistani
Army soldier with them who inspired them to fight. ‘
Lt Gen Sharma says he heard from soldiers of 4
Kumaon who returned alive from the battle how Somi encouraged his men to
retaliate and, completely unmindful of his own safety, rushed from one trench
to another urging them to fight back bravely. Such was the grit
and determination of the men that the first few attacks, which came from
different directions, were successfully repulsed.
The Pathans, however, drew strength from sheer
numbers and began to increase the pressure. Soon they had surrounded D Company
from three sides and started climbing up the hillock where the trenches were.
They came in hordes, brandishing automatics and shouting Allah ho Akbar!’ Somi
knew he was outnumbered. He called the brigade commander and asked for
ammunition and reinforcements. He was told that 1 Punjab was being sent for
their support but Somi realized they would take time to get there since they
had to move in battle formation. He also understood how important it was to
hold back the enemy till reinforcements could be sent to close the gap leading
to Srinagar. If that was not done, the raiders could advance right up to the
airfield and take over Srinagar. Somi decided to hold back tenaciously and
urged his men to fight to the last. It is to their credit that they did,
despite the fact that they were completely outnumbered and their. 303 rifles
were no match for the enemy’s medium machine guns.
‘Somi knew his company would not be able to
hold out for long but he did not let his men lose confidence. With complete
disregard for his own safety, he rushed across the open ground in full view of
the enemy and went about encouraging his men. When the heavy casualties started
affecting the men manning the light machine guns, Somi himself went around,
using his good hand—his left arm was in plaster—to fill magazines and hand
these over to the light machine gunners. He would tell them when and where to
fire. “Idhar maro, udhar maro,” he would say, and the battle raged for almost
five hours,’ the general tells me. ‘That was precious time for the Indian Army,
since the raiders were being delayed and they were getting time to plug the
gaps as they built up strength with Indian Air Force planes flying in more
troops.’
Eventually, the men started running out of
ammunition. When Somi informed brigade headquarters (HQ) about this, he was
asked to pull back. He refused outright. ‘The enemy is 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, ‘ was his last
message to the HQ.
Just a few minutes later, while he was
crouched in a trench next to the Bren gunner, helping him load the gun, a
mortar shell landed on the open ammunition box next to them. An
eardrum-shattering blast rent the air. ‘It blew up Somi, his sahayak (an
officer’s helper or man Friday who looks after his uniform and turnout), the
machine gunner and a JCO, who was standing nearby, ‘ recounts Lt Gen Sharma,
his voice gentle.
For Somi, who had insisted upon leading his
company to Kashmir despite having his arm in plaster, it was all over. But it
is considered a credit to his leadership that the men under his command kept
his word. The noncommissioned officers (NCOs) of the company decided to fight
on, and they managed to hold back the raiders for another hour even after Somi
had died. In fact, as the ammunition became desperately short, another hero
emerged. Lt Gen Sharma talks with great respect about Lance Naik Balwant Singh
of D Company, who took a brave initiative when most of the soldiers were left
with just one round or two. ‘He asked them to collect whatever rounds were left
with them and hand those over to him. He then loaded his gun with these two or
three magazines and told the rest of the men to retreat while he held up the
enemy. “There is no point in everybody dying,” he said. “I will hold them back
for the few minutes you need to disappear into the fields.” ‘So he and three
others stayed back to battle the raiders while the rest left the hillock from
the back. Shooting the last of their rounds, these four bravehearts got out of
their trenches and charged at the enemy. They were killed but they helped their
comrades survive,’ recalls the general.
Overall, the brave action of D Company
resulted in the raiders being delayed by close to six hours by which time the
Indian Army had managed to get into position and block the enemy advance to
Srinagar airfield. As aircrafts continued to fly in with more and more
soldiers, the airfield defence had become strong enough to stop any attack.
On the morning of 5 November, Badgam was
counterattacked by the Indian Army and captured. The bodies of 300 raiders were
counted, which proved just how ruthless the fight had been. The retaliatory
fire had been so harsh that the Pathans had not been able to pick up their
dead. Since they were not trained soldiers, they were not used to losing men in
such a big way. The big losses broke their resolve and they started pulling
back. When the Army took over Badgam, they found the Pakistanis retreating.
‘When a man’s will is broken, he cannot fight, ‘ says Lt Gen Sharma. In the
battle of Badgam, 4 Kumaon lost Maj Somnath Sharma, Subedar Prem Singh Mehta
and 20 other ranks. Twentysix people were wounded in the operation. For his
gallantry, tenacious defence and exemplary leadership that inspired his men to
fight the enemy, in spite of being outnumbered seven to one, Maj Somnath Sharma
was awarded the Param Vir Chakra (PVC) posthumously. It was the first PVC of
independent India.
We have come to the end of the interview and,
as I switch off my Dictaphone, the general stands before a beautiful oil
painting of his brother, which hangs on the wall. The late Maj Somnath Sharma
of D Company, 4 Kumaon, is standing in his uniform, ribbons on his chest. He
looks handsome and proud.
Lt Gen Sharma turns away with a distant look
in his eyes. ‘Somi died. He was not there to die, he was there to kill. A job
had to be done. It was his job and he did it,’ he says. There is steel in his
voice. Somi doesn’t answer. A half smile plays on his lips.
Maj Somnath Sharma was born on 31 January
1923, in Jammu. His father, Amarnath Sharma, was a medical corps officer, who
rose to the rank of major general. Of his two brothers, Surindra Nath, better
known as Tindy in Army circles, went on to become the engineerin- chief. The
youngest, Vishwa Nath, joined the armoured corps and went on to become the Chief
of Army Staff in 1988. Of his two sisters, Kamla joined the Army as a doctor
and married an Army officer, who also rose to the rank of Major General; the
other, Manorama, also married a brigadier in the Army. When Tindy was four
years old, his father was detailed to do a medical course in England and
decided to take his wife along. Somi and Tindy, who were about one year apart,
were put in Hampton Court Convent in Mussoorie. Though Somi was older, they
were put in the same class and made a good team. The two remained boarders
there, happy to be in the same dormitory.
‘We got kicked around by seniors, but Somi was
my protector because he was tougher and bigger than me, ‘ remembers Tindy. ‘I
was the brains behind the pair, I was very good at math, and he was more into
outdoor stuff. Other than history and general knowledge, Somi was just not
interested in studies.’ The deal between the brothers was that while Somi would
protect Tindy from the bullies, Tindy would finish all the homework in the
evening so that Somi could get up early and copy it. Both went on to study at
Sherwood from where Somi, who always wanted to join the Army, applied for
admission to the Prince of Wales’s Royal Indian Military College (now Rashtriya
Indian Military College), Dehradun.
After passing out in May 1941 he joined the
Indian Military Academy (IMA) where he did exceptionally well. By then the war
had started and IMA training was cut short. After about nine months of
training, Somi became a commissioned officer in February 1942. He was just 19
when he joined the 8/19 Hyderabad Regiment, now 4 Kumaon, as a second
lieutenant. He faced action in Arakan where one of the toughest battles of the
Burma War was fought with the Japanese on the Arakan coast where three Indian
battalions landed, along with one
battalion of British commandos.
That was where Somi saw a wounded Kumaoni soldier sitting against a tree. He asked the man to run but when he replied that he was not be able to stand up, the tough and battle-hardy Somi carried the man on his back, right through Japanese crossfire, laughing all the way, and bringing him back to safety. The two were not shot, possibly because the Japanese respected raw courage.
Returning to India as a major and the adjutant of 4 Kumaon, Somi got busy in internal security duties in various parts of Punjab and helping the police and civil authorities in controlling civil disturbances in 1947. Many educational institutions in Delhi still talk of his great powers of organization in arranging supplies of rations and safe movement of people from one locality to another. He was made in charge of a flying squad of men with jeeps, who would assist the police in controlling civil disturbances in Delhi. His amicable but firm command instilled confidence and discipline in many difficult situations.
The same was tested when hostilities broke out in Kashmir in 1947, and India decided to send her troops to save Kashmir from the Pakistani raiders. Though Somi’s left arm was in plaster due to an old wrist-fracture suffered doing gymnastics, he insisted on going with his company. As he was so keen to go, the commanding officer finally agreed and ordered him to fly in and command two companies of 4 Kumaon tasked with the protection of Srinagar airfield. There are some priceless black and white pictures of him with his arm in a cast, taken at Safdarjung Airport, where he is grinning broadly, no doubt happy with the thought of being with his men in war.
When Somi landed in Srinagar in late October, the raiders were closing in on Baramulla with Badgam on route. That was where a bloody battle would be fought and the brave young officer would bring home the first Param Vir Chakra of independent India.
Somi’s life story is often quoted in books and Army messes. It is a tale of sheer courage and glory. The example set by him is recounted with a lot of respect and he is fondly remembered not only by 4 Kumaon but the entire armed forces.
To ensure that young soldiers continue to be inspired by his bravery, the training ground at the Kumaon Regimental Centre in Ranikhet has been named Somnath Sharma Ground. A beautiful red brick gateway called Somnath Dwar leads to the perfectly maintained parade ground, flanked by the snow-capped Himalayas. The ground has seen the sweat and toil of thousands of young boys, new recruits of the Kumaon Regiment and the Naga Regiments, who take their first step as young soldiers here.
Sahayak:
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