Brig Rajinder Singh: The Saviour of Kashmir

[Markus]

Brig Rajinder Singh: The Saviour of Kashmir​

Come October and we remember Brig Rajinder Singh, MVC, (Posthumous) the Saviour of Kashmir. He was born on 14th June 1899 at Village Baguna (now Rajinder Pura) and Commissioned on 14th June 1921. he became Brig in May 1942 and took over as Chief of Staff J and K State Forces from Maj Gen H L Scot on 24th Sep 1947 when the State was, in fact an Independent Country. When Pakistan attacked Kashmir on 22th Oct 1947 and Maharaja Hari Singh was informed about the fall of Mazaffrabad. He ordered Brig Rajinder Singh:-

‘Brig Rajinder Singh is commanded to hold the enemy at Uri at all costs and to the last man.’
Accordingly Brig Rajinder Singh proceeded towards Muzaffrabad with a small Force of Hundred men. After inflicting heavy casualties on the invaders numbering 6,000 at Garhi he decided to blow Uri bridge and delay the Pakistani forces to enable Maharaja Hari Singh to carry out Accession Parleys so that Indian Army could move in to ultimately save the State and throw the invaders out.

After demolishing Uri Bridge he fought delaying actions at Uri, Mahura and Rampur inflicting heavy casualties to gain four days till he was ambushed at Buniyar on the night of 26/27th Oct 1947 and fately wounded but not before achieving a miracle, as the Indian Army landed within six hours after his last action to save the State. Thus we see Brig Rajinder Singh achieving the impossible as ordered by his Ruler ‘To the Last Man’, literally being the last man setting an example for the World which remains unparalled. It was also in Oct 1947, i.e. 26th Oct when Maharaja Hari Singh acceded J and K to the Indian Union after Brig Rajinder Singh his Chief of Staff had saved Kashmir. Brig Rajinder Singh thus became the Saviour of Kashmir and was awarded the first Gallantry Award of Independent India posthumously.

Now the contribution of Brig Rajinder Singh to the making of the Modern India, Maharaja Gulab Singh had founded this unique State which included the most Strategic area of the World now called the Northern Areas which was acceded to India on 26 Oct 1947 through Accession made possible by Brig Rajinder Singh.

Maharaja Hari Singh has also contributed in making the present History. Firstly the Dogra rulers never allowed a foot hold to the British in spite of many attempts to take over the control of the State particularly during Maharaja Partap Singh’s times. Even during World War II when the Britishers wanted the control of the strategic Gilgit Maharaja Hari Singh gave the area of Gilgit only on lease for 40 years which was returned by the British Govt. of India just before Independence in Jul 1947 when Maharaja Hari Singh sent Brig Ghansara Singh as Governor of Gilgit who continued to be the Governor till 1st Nov 1947even after the invasion of Kashmir by Pakistan on 21st Oct 1947 where Brig Rajinder Singh the Chief of Staff of J and K State Forces delayed their advance for four days upto 26 Oct. On the day of Accession Gilgit was with us and was acceded to India. Again it was possible due to Brig Rajinder Singh’s action to Save Kashmir.

Only if the Indian Govt. had sent a company worth troops to Gilgit before 1st Nov 1947 Gilgit and Baltistan would have never been lost as Pakistan never conquered these areas. It was Maj Brown Commander of the Gilgit Scouts serving under the Governor of Gilgit who had revolted and arrested the Governor on 1st Nov and handed over the entire area of Baltistan to Pakistan without a fight. Thus Maharaja Hari Singh’s contribution by signing the Instrument of Accession legally and constitutionally acceding the entire State to the Indian Union is his unique contribution in making of the History which in fact is the only legal authority for India to hold on to the State or ultimately to retrieve the lost areas, may be in the 21st century itself as the events are unfurling. Who made it possible. It was Brig Rajinder Singh.

Today we pay tribute to the Saviour of the State, Brig Rajinder Singh, MVC (Posthumous), recipient of the Independent Nation’s first Gallantry Award for which the State is justifiably proud. It is worth recalling two tributes paid to him on his Birth Centenary Celebrated by the State from 14th Jun 1999 to 14th Jun 2000 immediately after the Kargil War. These tributes are quoted for the younger generation:-

Tributes paid by Dr. Farooq Abdullah the, then Chief Minister now Minister for Renewable Energy.

“Today we are remembering Brig Rajinder Singh Ji. We are also getting an opportunity to remember officers and soldiers who have defended our State so far, so that we can sleep in peace. They are prepared to lay down their lives in our defence. God alone knows how many more may have become martyrs today so that we can live in peace. It is very necessary to remember them and also remember their difficulties.

If we have attained and preserved our freedom it is only due to the sacrifices of brave soldiers like Brig Rajinder Singh. Brig Rajinder Singh’s MVC is being upgraded to Param Vir Chakra, but for him even Bharat Ratna is less.

“I feel that in future we must make a “Veer Memorial”. The Veer Memorial should be so grand and imposing that we all go to it on 15th Aug and 26th Jan to pay our homage there. I would also like all newly married couples irrespective of whether they are Muslims, Hindus or Sikhs as a first step in their newly married life to go to Veer Memorial. There they should bow their heads in reverence to all those who gave their blood and sacrificed themselves and be thankful to them. It was they who enabled the newly weds to start their new lives in peace.”

Dr. Karan Singh, MP, Former Union Minister and Sadar-i-Riyasat J and K State, while paying tributes to Brig Rajinder Singh said “he was indeed a Hero of our times, having gallantly held off the invaders for several days, thus preventing the Kashmir valley from falling into hostile hands before the instrument of Accession could be signed.”

Brig Rajinder Singh: The Saviour of Kashmir

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Salute u Brigadier

 

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

After capturing Domel the last Dogra held locality on the main road to Srinagar on 23 October in lorries and trucks. There was practically nothing between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar to stop the tribesmen. Brigadier Rajinder Singh the chief of staff of the Kashmir State Forces was a brave man.




He rushed to Uri 63 miles west of Srinagar on the main Muzaffarabad-Srinagar road with 200 soldiers and blew a bridge spanning a nullah (water course smaller than a river) on the main road on 23 October 19476. This delayed the advance of the tribesmen and other volunteers who now numbered about 5,000 by one day. Brigadier Rajinder Singh who believed in leading from the front was killed in action on 24th October.

The tribesmen resumed advance and captured Baramula which was 35 miles west of Srinagar on 26th October 1947. A very respectable Indian military historian has frankly admitted that ‘had the lashkar gone on,there was nothing between Baramula and Srinagar to stop it7’ The tribesmen sole motive was not liberation of Kashmir, and they started looting the town. Srinagar was just a few hours lorry drive away from Baramula.


According to Sardar Shaukat Hayat who was one of the Muslim League men tasked to oversee the invasion the issue was Rs 300,000 found in the Kashmir State Treasury. Khurshid Anwar foolishly argued that this money belonged to Pakistan Government (as if the tribesmen were fighting just for two nation theory, while no Muslim League leader was sixty miles near Baramula!) while the tribesmen correctly asserted that it belonged to them8. Once this issue was settled the tribesmen who had no conception of Time and Space factor insisted that they will not move before the three day Eid festival was over9. In the meantime the Indian GHQ was acting real fast. The Maharaja of Kashmir had been requesting the Indian government for military aid since 24th October and on 26th October signed the Instrument of Accession joining India. Meanwhile the Indians had already sent a staff officer from their military operations department on 25th October to study the military situation.



The Indians collected 30 Dakotas for the airlift and flew two companies of 1 Sikh to Srinagar on 27th October from Willingdon airport near New Delhi. At this moment the Indian situation was highly critical; only 40 men were holding a weak defensive position 5 kilometres east of Baramula. It was Indian good luck that all commanding officers during this situation believed in leading from the front, Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai the Commanding Officer of 1 Sikh being another such man.


Dewan on landing at Srinagar immediately rushed in lorries to Baramula hoping to stop the Lashkar at the mouth of the funnel which opens east of Baramula into a wide valley as one advances from Baramula towards Srinagar. 1 Sikh joined the state troops 5 kilometres east of Baramula, but could not hold the Lashkar of 5,000 men. Dewan was killed in the fighting and the remaining elements of 1 Sikh withdrew eastwards losing 24 men (killed) to take another defensive position at Patan 25 kilometres west of Srinagar10. On 28th more Indian troops flew into Srinagar and the balance of strength started tilting in Indian favour.

The tribesmen who were used to fighting based on hit and run tactics could not use weight of numbers in the open valley and resorted to bypassing tactics instead of the conventional infantry attack. They bypassed 1 Sikh’s position at Patan from the flanks but was forced to stay close to the main road since manoeuvrability in the whole area was restricted by marshes and small lakes and the lashkar Pathans were by and large non swimmers11! By 2nd November the Indians had flown in a very strong infantry brigade (161 Brigade) consisting of approximately four battalions into Srinagar.

He was born on 14


June 1899 in a small village of Bagoona (since


renamed Rajinderpura after him) 35 km East of


Jammu in the family of Dalpatia Clan of Jamwals.





He was said to be a descendant of Dogra General Baj Singh who died in the defence of Chitral.


His grand father was a also a war veteran with seven battle scars on his body.


His father Subedar Lakha Singh, whom Rajinder lost at an early age of six months,
was a Junior Officer in the Kashmir State Force.


He was brought up by Lt Col Govind Singh, an uncle .




He was educated in Jammu and graduated from the Prince of Wales College now Govt. Gandhi
Memorial Science College, in 1921.




In June 1921, immediately after graduation he joined
the J&K State Forces as a Commissioner Officer.
He was promoted Captain in April 1925,
Major in July 1927 and Colonel in 1935. In May 1942
he had risen to the rank of Brigadier.

On 24 Sep 1947
he took over as Chief of Staff of J&K State
Forces from Maj Gen. HL Scott, a British Officer.

As Chief of Staff of Kashmir State Forces Rajendra Singhs stand on the Muzaffarabad Srinagar Road was crucial in saving Srinagar from the Tribal raiders.

Brigadier Rajendra Singh was awarded Mahavir Chakra, posthumously for his outstanding leadership, courage and sense of duty.