Thought of the day
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal
it is the courage to continue that counts”
Winston Churchill
The recent highly surcharged atmosphere, a battle like scenario surfaced
due to the firings across the borders followed by the mutilation and
decapitation of our soldiers in Poonch, northern sector by the Pakistan army and
the few tough decisions broadly contributed to alarm bells that the
possibility of a full-fledged war between Pakistan and India is there. Fortunately,
consequent to certain initiatives and confidence building measures by the
respective concerned quarters from both the side somehow accorded success to
de-escalate the situation. Thank God, things are back to normal and once again
we are in peace.
But whenever, there are murmurs of a military invasion around the
person(s) with Jammu and Kashmir lineage or background have a reasons to
recollect and go deep into past events, histor-ically backwards to Octuber 1947.
Everyone belonging to post partition era has learnt about it from the books or
heard from someone elderly who him (her)self have been witness to 1947
Pakistani raiders invasion looting, destroying property at large scale and
gruesome killings all around to grab the land of Jammu & Kashmir. For them,
the real reminiscences is the forty page booklet, “KAHMIR DEFENDS DEMOCRACY” published by the then Director, Kashmir
Bureau of Information shri K N Bamzai and printed at the National Herald Press,
Lucknow.
The cover page of girls with rifles on their shoulders and pledge to
fight the raiders is self-explanatory. The “KAHMIR
DEFENDS DEMOCRACY” describes complete scene, the horrifying tragedies all
around and fight back spirit of Kashmiris explained in this write-up ' J & K Militia in Defence of Homeland’ - A Retrospect, a re-written one from the paper presented by myself in the
seminar held at Srinagar and conducted jointly by the Indian Council of
Historical Research and Kashmir Council of Research in 1983 under the
Chairmanship of Shri G.M. Beg Arif. The
Studies of Kashmir Council of Research Vol-IV (1983-84) have been published by
myself as Printer & Publisher with the Editorship of Dr. M. K. Teng and Dr. R.K.Kaul Bhat and
Prof. Mohi-ud-din as Board of Editors. The article offers a detailed account of
the people’s fight against the Pakistani raiders with reorganisation of smaller forces
and subsequent formation of J&K Militia in the state which later
amalgamated with the regular Indian Army.
J&K Militia in Defence of Homeland - A Retrospect
The State of Jammu & Kashmir, about sixty five years back in Octuber
1947 faced a well engineered and intense armed attack from the invaders of
Pakistan threatening the lives, honour and property of all Muslims, Hindus and
Sikhs with gruesome consequences. The attack was sudden and the raiding armies
of Pakistan once lost inside spread around very fast.
Pakistani troops were sent on leave with ulterior motives since some of
these belonged to the state, especially the Poonch district. These men tried to
persuade the population, Muslims of Reasi, Mirpur and Poonch to revolt against
Maharaja’s rule with tactics to annihilate the local Hindu minority. Pakistan
expected the state units to rush to the rescue of Hindu victims leaving the
borders open for them and sneak into different areas for tribal invasion of the
state.
Entering Muzaffarabad
The raiders entered Muzaffarabad on 22nd Octuber 1947 and the soldiers with some locals succeeded in
persuading some Muslim soldiers of the state to defect resulting division of
the state troops at Muzaffarabad. The events moved very fast but people
accepted the challenge and volunteered to protect the state against the
invasion. The state Government honoured the services of these volunteers and
organized them into platoons, companies and battalions with centres at Leh,
Srinagar, Jammu, Samba, Akhnoor, Naushehra, Jhangar and Poonch. In Leh the
organization was named Leh Militia,
Border Defence Scouts and Balsena in Jammu, Poonch Scouts in Poonch and the
National Home Guards in Kashmir.
Leh Militia originally was state force detachment looking after garrison
duties at Leh. On account of severe cold strength of this detachment could not
be augmented. Lt.Col. Prithi Chand organized volunteers and imparted one month
rudimentary training to them in handling small arms and the volunteers went to
the front to defend the motherland.
Volunteers in hundreds came for the military training in Jammu.
Ex-servicemen, many of them educated and young men answered the call and formed
the platoons, companies and battalions under retired officers and junior
commissioned officers. The majority of trained volunteers from Poonch were
immediately sent to the border posts. These new recruits were armed with
rifles, smooth–bore guns and other arms like swords and spears. They were stipend with little maintenance allowance.
The voluntary force strengthened the effectiveness of the Indian Army as guides
and provided it with enemy intelligence. The newly formed force held
independent charge of pickets at times.
The force completed the assigned task with vigour and patriotism and as
a result the enemy failed to occupy sate territory from Kathua to Munawar.
Balsena of this force played the major role in this
operation. Poonch, surrounded by hills, ranging from 1200 to 3000 metres in
height, remained most difficult to defend. Every prominent height was occupied
by the enemy raiders with increasing in numbers. The Pakistani pickets were
firing at the refugee camps below. There were 1,200 troops to guard Poonch providing
protection to the local population and around 45,000 refugees from Muzaffarbad,
Bagh Rawalkot, Kotli, Hajira and Paladari. The troops were cut off from
Srinagar without supplies and messages from their depots and near headquarters.
It was very difficult to give protection to the people under such
circumstances. In fact, the refugees, without their belongings and shelter were
guarded with proper accommodation, clothes and food. The volunteers Corps took
up the task with dedication.
National Home Guards
The fate of the entire state depended on the defence of Srinagar. The
local authorities and Government of
India were keenly watching the activities of the National Home Guard. People of
the valley under the leadership of National Conference kept their heads cool
and all the communities took a pledge to maintain peace and communal harmony.
The Home guards in Kashmir province kept a continuous vigil on the movements of
the raiders all along the western front. Many of the units were put incharge of
the maintenance of law and order and the civil defence. Many of them fell in
the battle field.
Meanwhile, all the units of the National Home Guards, Leh Militia, Border
Defence Scouts & Balsena and Poonch scouts were formed. The Government of
India undertook the responsibility of raising, training and equipping the new
force and enthrust with little but difficult job. Col B M Kaul and Lt. Col G S
Puri were entrusted to organize, train and discipline the force and the former
was the Commandant with the later GSO-1. On account of shortage of men some
battalions of Militia were disbanded and amalgamated with other sister
battalions.
Formation of Militia
The newly formed Militia force deployed at every place first operated on
the Jammu borders followed by Naushera and Rajouri sectors. In Poonch 8 J&K
Militia and two Coys. of 11 J&K Militia took part in every operation which
made the two Poonch link-up possible and
operated on ground as high as 6,0000 metres with amazing speed and girt.
Equally, 1st., 2nd and 3rd. Militia Battalions in the Uri and Titwal
sectors credited with similar roles. In Ladakh 7 J&K Militia of (Ladakhis)
earned the praise not only from the State but also of the entire country. Among the various heroes of the battalion,
the youngest JCO of the Indian Armed Forces in Jammu and Kashmir was
outstanding. For the outstanding military services rendered, J&K Militia
was given 3 MVCs, 2Vrcs ( one of them with a bar) and various other
awards.
After the Konga incident of Octuber 1959 the 7 J&K Militia was sent
to the southern sector and 14 J&K Militia to the Northern sector. The
former fought in the Damchok sector while the 14 J&K Militia in the Shyok-Nubra
valley, including Daulat Beg Odili (DBO) sector in the south of Chip Chap
river. Both, the units fought tenaciously. Unluckily, the 14 J&K Militia
neither got reinforcement at the forward lines nor the casualties could be
evacuated from there as a result the troops fought a loosing battle against the
Chinese who were at least ten times superior in number and fire power.
Suffered Heavily
Consequently, the battalion suffered heavy casualties nearly one third
of the troops deployed in the DBO sector were annihilated. A timely action, however, saved the situation
in the south where the troops underwent terrible privations but without suffering
many casualties. The country appreciated the valour with which the 7 J&K
Militia and 14 J&K Militia Battalions fought against the
Chinese in Ladakh. The two units were amalgamated later on Ist. June 1963
and renamed, as the Ladakh Border
Scouts.
The Pakistani infiltrators on crossing the cease-fire line on 5th
August 1965 with earlier raiding on Indian pickets since May 1965. The 3
J&K Militia faced their onslaught in the Dewa sector. It’s sister battalion
9 J&K Militia repulsed raids on its battalion headquaters and helped a Coy.
of 8 KI. The 2nd J&K Militia beat off many Pakistani attacks
with heavy losses in men and material to the
enemy in the Mehender sector. Pakistanis failed to penetrate through the
Militia line into the Mehender valley. A Coy. each of 12 J&K Militia and 8
J&K Militia operated in Srinagar with excellent records
In the Gurize sector 2nd J&K Militia fought valiantly
inspite of reverses which was compensated by Ist.J&K Militia. The battalion
took part in the Kala pahar operations and captured, ‘Sher pahar’. While, Ist.
J&K Militia was picketing in the mountainous area on left bank of the Dhras river, the
12 J&K Militia did same in the Ladakh range. One of the petrols under 2nd. Lt. Roywas ambushed by
Pakistani troops. The petrol suffered casuaities but it bravely continued to
keep the line of control at Thoise secure. It was on account of the courage and
girt displayed by 12 J&K Militia that Pakistani’s
could not invest Khalatse. Thus keeping the Indus valley safe.
Golden History
The history of Jammu and Kashmir Militia way back to 65 years leads to
existence as a movement against
the Pakistani aggressions of October 1947. There was no shortage of volunteers
to join its cadres. The urge amongst the people working on farm or employed in
various avocations in the cities to defend their homes and hearth against the
ruthless invaders was so great that the state had hardly to incur any
expenditure towards the maintenance of the force.
Some of the volunteers brought up their own farms. Most of them, then
known as Home Gunuards, Balsena etc., were armed with variety of weapons such
as match lock, guns, sporting rifles, spears and sticks. Those were the
beginnings. Nourished in the spirits of the time and keen to participate in the
defence of the National frontiers, the force has grown from strength to
strength. It has become permanent and has come a long way from 1948
status.
Quote of the Week
‘Teri
bazm-e-tarab mei.n soz-e-pinha.n le ke aaya hoo.n
Chaman
mei.n yaad-e-ayyaam-e-bahara.n le ke aaya hoo.n’
‘Teri mehfil se
jo armaan-o-hasrat le ke nikla tha
Woh hasrat le ke aaya hoo.n woh armaa.n le ke
aaya hoo.n’
Jagannath Azad
A beautiful writeup . It evokes profound memories of our recent past . Pl keep posting such write ups.
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