October 27, 2020 5:58:35 pm
The story behind what happened on October 27 that today is commemorated as Infantry Day. Screenshot / YouTube / British Pathé
Army establishments across the country celebrate “Infantry Day” today and pay tribute to the thousands of infantrymen who have given their lives in the line of duty. Here’s a look at why the day is celebrated as such and what was the historical event that made October 27 known as Infantry Day.
Why is October 27 celebrated as Infantry Day?
It was on this day that the first Indian infantrymen took part in an action to defend the Indian territory from external aggression. On October 26, 1947, the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh, signed the instrument of accession, making his state part of Indian rule, and thus paving the way for the deployment of Indian troops in the state to fight against the Pakistani invaders. .
What were the events that preceded the deployment of Indian soldiers at J&K?
On October 22, Pakistan had sent thousands of regular soldiers into the hands of tribes and volunteers from the tribal areas of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in J&K with the aim of forcibly occupying the state and integrating it into Pakistan. The initial resistance to the invaders was given by the state forces of J&K. On October 26, after the Maharaja signed the instrument of accession, the way was paved for India to send its troops and repel the Pakistani invaders on October 27.
What troops were sent to J&K on October 27?
The first Indian battalion to be transferred to Srinagar by air was 1 Sikh, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai. At the time, the battalion was stationed in Gurgaon, but of its four companies, two were deployed to assist civil authorities outside Gurgaon in dealing with post-independence communal unrest. The battalion was hinted late at night on October 26 to transfer to Palam airport in New Delhi to be airlifted to Srinagar airfield the following morning. Since 1 Sikh had only two companies available with him, he was provided with a battery from the 13th Field Regiment, an artillery regiment, based on infantry. All these troops gathered at the Palam airport in the early hours of October 27.
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How was the dispatch of troops organized on short notice?
An emergency meeting of the western army commander was held on the night of October 26, after the go-ahead from then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was received to bring troops to Srinagar as the Pakistani invaders headed for the summer capital. by J&K.
According to Lieutenant General SK Sinha, former governor of J&K and Assam, who was then a major involved in arranging for the dispatch of the troops, it was decided to send a brigade-level force at first, but given that the road link from Pathankot to Srinagar was that he was not in good shape and required a lot of time, it was decided to send troops by air in a Dakota plane requisitioned for that purpose. Then another brigade would follow by road.
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How was the airlift done on October 27?
Seven Dakota planes were assembled at Palam airport on the morning of October 27 and each of them was scheduled to make two sorties each to airlift the troops of 1 Sikh and his equipment. Of these seven Dakotas, only two were from the Indian Air Force, while the remaining five were from private airlines, including that of Biju Patnaik, who would become the Chief Minister of Orissa (now Odisha).
As ordered, Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai had arrived in Palam with his troops on time and around 3 a.m. on October 27 he was informed about the task his unit would be performing by Commander SK Sinha, who recalls that Rai was absolutely calm and reassured about the orders he was given and that this struck him as a hallmark of a confident commander. Shortly after dawn, the Dakotas took to the air bringing the first Indian infantrymen and a battery of artillery troops to J&K, where they would make history by saving Srinagar airfield from Pakistani invaders.
What was the importance of the induction of troops on October 27?
If 1 Sikh had not been airlifted to Srinagar in time, the airfield would have fallen into the hands of Pakistani invaders. With the extremely weak road connection, this would have meant that bringing Indian troops to Srinagar would have been a time-consuming task and would have given Pakistan ample opportunity to reinforce its invaders by air and thus occupy the Valley.
Appreciating the gravity of the situation, Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai first made sure that the Srinagar airfield was secured and then rushed towards Baramulla to confront the invaders and stop them in their tracks. It was able to delay the advance of the invaders towards Srinagar and the extra time it bought helped to send more reinforcements to Srinagar by air.
However, the brave 1 Sikh commanding officer gave his life near Baramulla while facing off with the invaders. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his bravery.
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