Daulat Ram(rtd), has crossed a few years back the hundred odd
years of his age , as agile with a sharp memory as
I had seen him three decades back at
Arnas that falls in district Reasi of jammu province..
And this is how just nine soldiers of lower cadre , rescued about 450
persons, against heavy odds, without map and wire lees set contact Needless to add Dr Amarnath ji too boarded the vehicle, a truck,
detailed to pick up soldiers . This was one of the longest days of the
ordeal, more will be shared.
Years
passed by now when I went with a purpose from Jammu to meet him at
Reasi to note down his war experiences in j&k
theater of 1947-48 period .
He has to his credit first
to cross Ziozila , on 12th of Jan 1948, a feat
none repeated since. He belongs to Rajput family of Chenkah , a
village on right side of river Ans of the
confluence Chenab the main water channels
feeding Salal Reservoir.
He was at
Muzaffarabad at the time the town was attacked and burnt down.
Though
not part of his forces to which he belonged were deployed there to defend
the area, which was with the 4th JKlight infantry, under the command of
Col.Narayain Singh Samyal.
It was called Royal regiment due to its achievement
in Egypt theater in world war second where it had done commendable
job, hence the title Its had HQ was at Domel , while detailed in Muzaffarabad
sector Capt,
Daulat Ram , belonged to 8th JKlight infantry, which was detailed
to Poonch, where already 1 ist JKlight infantry was stationed 8th Dogra
had been moved through
Rajouri here along
with logistic support, but a column of 8 men, lead by Hav Bishen Singh, and 7
others namely Hav Daulat Ram, lance naik, Jameet singh,
spoys Daleep singh, Munshi Singh Devi Singh, Moti Singh and another
perhaps jeet singh second.
They were sent along with two Machine Guns,
ammunition besides normal material to be transported on foot from Muzaffarabad
to Poonch .
As
it took time to arrange the porters and pack animals, as such were asked to
rest in the High School Complex, no duty assigned just to wait and relax
But Hav. Bishen Singh, did what soldier is supposed to do, mounted one machine
gun in the front, manned by Munshi Singh, a bunker on back side in a field, all
around fields were with pulses crop, called Maah .
During
just casual routine round to meet and pass time, interaction with
fellow soldiers felt some thing abnormal and fishy the way routine work was
carried which was not as per standard practice, Second in command was Maj Sher
A;i , a trusted man of the commandant who along with the soldiers had
fought shoulder to shoulder with credit, so no reason even in
faintest to doubt him Muzzafarabad
was then confined to the confluence of Jhelum and kishanganga, tentatively,
surrounded by mountain ring Between other end of Khadee –Padeecan across was
Pakistan area,.
This side was manned by C and D cop, all from one faith, while
Kohala Bridge was manned by A cop, of other faith. What was resented by
soldiers of this area that for a fortnight, guard at C and D cop was not
changed as standard practice to rotate after every 24 hours, which proved
disastrous, beside Soldiers were disarmed and ammunition put in kotwali on the
plea, in peace time it is to be carried as such One Hav Narsing Singh has been
complaining to this abnormal behavior on the part of the authorities , he was
arrested and put in custody, which proved blessing in disguise .
It
was morning of 20th October 1947, at 6.04 am, still dark, a
single fire was heard, Munnhi Singh manning MG shouted fire was from Domel
side. After 6-7 minutes a burst was fired on the School which hit veranda
projection CGI sheets, Munshi retaliated, after that no fire on them. A
telephone line was laid a day earlier , and Daulatram when contact after the
burst, someone answered at the other end at HQ that save your lives
that was all.
Narsing Singh who was under arrest did manage escape
posing of their faith and reached
up to the rear of high school and shouted for his cousin Bishen Singh, after
verification he was let in .It was he narrated what he had seen , that whole
night C and D cop facilitated to cross in civvies and others to this side ,
soldiers of 4th Bn to joined
, murdered
in sleep Commandant who despite of repeated warning called them as
his sons, which they were Single shot at 6.04 hrs was a
signal to go ahead to execute second phase of operation, as first task has been
achieved as planned It is said a driver was all that survived A cop which was
detailed at Kohala bridge, under fresh SecondLf chib was
approached from across by two British officers and asked to surrender, assured
all security, on the plea Kashmir has fallen, Young officer asked his
subordinate Subidar Parkesh Chand , who refused to do
so until orders from headquarter, Thereafter, British
officers tried to reason with him , but he refused and said last man last bullet,
we are taught and supposed to perform, that flank was saved from the raiders
for some time .
Retreated safely to Poonch via hill Whole
town was burning, loot, murder was at its zenith, and it also started raining
lasted to next day, which hampered their retreat, dead bodies pulses crop field
After about 32 hours of the first fire, this section of eight men plus Narsingh
Singh of 4th Bn, started march along with thousand towards a
steep hill, which was very uphill task, not all could make it About
200-250 vehicles were noticed carrying attackers , quite visible by their
behavior, body language that leading men were from regular or
retired army men, Among
survivors and part of Kafala was MRS Krishna Mehta, Wife
of Mehta Dhuni Chand , Wazir a wazarat( D C )Muzzafarabad,
who did not took field reports seriously and paid with his
life and that of thousands others Dr
Amar nath and two Medical Assistant all KPS were also in march These
nine army men had two machine guns, each weighing 92 pounds, tripod 52 pounds
and Gun 40 pounds, 2 ammunition boxes, 4rifles , pistol, binocular , but
no communication set or maps to rely upon , so they were masters of
their own faith on which hanged that of civilians.
They tracked all the journey
on foot, guide may have been who knew unfamiliar route,. empty stomach mostly
On entire journey three or four times they could get to eat, just to
sustain, one was after about four days of journey , a Sikh habitation, deserted
Gurdawara, could get something to fill, Sikhs showed
willingness to move but later changed the idea, only one family, two sons with
parents accompanied Later transpired some were killed rest converted .
From
there, after a march of another a few days could lay hand on flour
in a abandoned water mill,, again after gap of a few
days they were surrounded by a hostile
mob of hundred , first attackers thought it was theirs
but Sikh gave then enough hints and trouble started, Moti Singh sneaked out of
cordon, went up hill to a vintage point, and challenged
them, from
inside the cordon Daulat ram gave a war cry, Jai mata Dee, and opened MG fire,
tide were turned, from there on the flags carried by attackers were
distributed among the fellow travelers and , where ever they feel some movement
will rant Allah –ou-Akbar, to give impression it is the large mob of attackers and so this kafal
took and marched on, At Nastachun Pass of Tanghdar, a lady was left to
die,
a seen Capt sb still remembers, Next
was plains of kupwara in a Hindu basti, meals were provided in Kansi
traditional thals .
It
took those 17 days to reach Bandipora, via Tanghdar and only 450 could make it
On
the outskirts of Bandipora , three noncommissioned officers in Pakistan uniform received them with honor, on hearing
the in loud voices of Allah-ou
Akbar, thought it was their own and took them to Dak Banglow, to
rest, .
Public came to see this caravan in distress , one
among them was a person with mark on his forehead, indicating he was a Hindu,
Hav Bishen Sigh, asked him to come forward, he was
terrified under
the impression , his days have come to end.
He was taken aside and asked him,
under whose possession this area is, he said, that not in
Pakistan possession, Indian army has gone beyond Barramulla, Aeroplanes are in
the sky He was postmaster, posted there, on inquiry, found telephone line is intact, functioning.
Again Bishan Singh went to post office
made contact with Lt Ajit Singh Jandhraya, later retired as Major, he could not
believe that a section of 9 soldiers are alive as all was lost in
that sector, It took time to convince him by giving instances of
their, under going a few courses together and referred instances , when
satisfied, asked to come next evening at Sumbal a vehicle will bring them
from .
Now
question arises from this first hand narration right from
Muzaffarabad up to Bandipora, which took them days to travel, passing
Krishnaganga at Teetwal, up Sadhna Pass vis Thangdhar Neechiyaan,
down otherside Chowkibl, Trehgam, Kupwara, via Bomai to last post
Bandipora.
Through more than 100 kms trek through inhospitable terrain
and at charged atmosphere with sheer grit and determination romped
home with safety the civilian who pinned hope in them being the Dogra
Forces .
India Forces landed Srinagar Airport on 27 th October 1947, brought in under the Instrument of Accession, to throw Pakistani Army
out from the soil of the Jammu, Kashmir, Ladhak hai Tibet that lasted
about one year, two months and two weeks, till ceasefire was declared.
Classification
of the Army records of that period needs to be declassified , subjected
to rules and regulations,to analyze why the target was not
achieved , far superior than Pakistani Army , which was one third
in number and detailed on East and West Pakistan to defend,nagging doubts if
any needs to be cleared subjected to policy norms.that still haunts
us because of the fact left the state has been fractured torn
apart and bleeding.
Bushan Parimoo
(The writer is a Jammu based environmentalist and a regular contributor to this Website.)
(Feedback at: blparimoo@gmail.com)
