7.5km push, sugarcane gift: 1971 war veterans relive tales of courage & camaraderie
MOHALI: A wave of nostalgia swept through a gathering of
1971 India-Pakistan war
veterans of Mohali as they recounted their heroic exploits.
Stationed at key locations such as 3BRD in Chandigarh, Attari-Wagah borders, Nathula in Sikkim, Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir and Halwara air base, these men once served on the frontlines and in strategic technical roles.
Today, they enjoy peaceful retirement in the comfort of their homes in Mohali, but their stories continue to inspire.
Lt Col S S Sohi
, then a young 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Bihar Regiment, shared vivid memories of his deployment in Tangdhar and Teetwal villages in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. "We were holding the Nagina Post and were assigned the mission to capture Wanjal Post from Pakistan control. We successfully advanced 7.5km into enemy territory.
Operation Sindoor
India's air defence systems shoot down Pak drones in J&K, Punjab & Rajasthan
India-Pakistan tensions: Delhi airport issues travel advisory
Operation Sindoor: Multiple explosions heard at several Pakistan air bases
That land remains with us to this day," he recalled with pride. His unit's valour was recognised with gallantry awards.
Lt Col Sohi said even today, power blackouts in Mohali trigger flashes of the war in his memory.
Honorary Captain Makhan Singh, then a Sepoy in the 2nd Sikh Regiment, was initially posted at Nathula Pass in Sikkim before being relocated to the Attari-Wagah border. Despite being less equipped than their Pakistani counterparts, he proudly recounted the capture of a Pakistani Major and two Sepoys, along with their weapons.
"Their technology may have been superior, but our willpower was unmatched," he said. Singh's battalion included decorated soldiers like Sepoy Hoshiar Singh, awarded the Mahavir Chakra (MVC), and Gian Singh, a Vir Chakra (VC) recipient.
Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Joginder Singh, an Air Force veteran, contributed to the war effort from the technical side, preparing Vampire Jet Fighters for combat. Then a Corporal, he remembered being moved without briefing, only to realise mid-air aboard a Dakota aircraft that war had broken out.
"We landed at Chandigarh Air Force station and were driven to Halwara air base in private trucks," he said.
Joginder Singh also shared a heartwarming story of civilian hospitality during their journey. "As we passed Morinda, my fellow airmen, mostly from south India, wished to taste sugarcane. When we stopped, local farmers and villagers generously packed sugarcane stacks into our trucks. Later, near PAU Ludhiana, a group of students handed us fruits and urged us to return victorious." Joginder Singh later served at 3BRD-12 Wing Chandigarh with MI-8 helicopters in 1985.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Docs start cycling kanwar yatra
Prayagraj: Members of the Allahabad Medical Association (AMA) and Two Wheels Thrill commenced a cycling kanwar yatra at 5:00am from Prayagraj, heading towards Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi. The AMA members collected holy water from the Sangam and carried it along to perform Jalabhishek at Kashi Vishwanath Dham, dedicating their act to the success of the Army's Operation Sindoor. The cycling group reached the Kashi Vishwanath temple by 2:00pm on the same day to offer their prayers. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Handloom artisan weaves miniature tribute to Armed Forces
RAJANNA-SIRCILLA: Imagine a tribute to courage and patriotism so finely crafted it fits into a matchbox. That's what Nalla Vijay Kumar, a Sircilla handloom artisan and Handloom Kala Ratna awardee, has created: a miniature golden shawl woven over 25 days, featuring the emblems of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. Moved by the success of Operation Sindoor and the national solidarity following the Pahalgam attack, Vijay decided to pay tribute to the Armed Forces through his craft. The shawl, small enough to rest in a palm and tucked into a matchbox, was handwoven using traditional techniques and is intended as a gesture of appreciation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on National Handloom Day, August 7. 'This is my way of saluting the bravery of our forces,' Vijay said, adding that Operation Sindoor showcased India's unity and strength to the world.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Brig. Mohammed Usman's story: excerpt from The Lion of Naushera
Brigadier Mohammed Usman was touching 36 when he led a contingent to wrest two strategic locations in Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan in 1948. Given a choice to move to Pakistan after Partition, he chose India. Brigadier Usman died in combat, and was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously for his valour. An extract from a new book, The Lion of Naushera (Bloomsbury): The eyes of the world are on us/The hopes and aspirations of our countrymen are based upon our efforts./We must not falter, we must not fail brief extract from a Special Order issued by Brigadier Mohammed Usman, a hero who was not often in the limelight, gives a peek into the personality of the man popularly remembered as the 'Lion of Naushera'. Brigadier Usman wrote these lines before the combat which helped the Indian army recapture Jhangar and Naushera—two strategic locations in Jammu and Kashmir located 18 kilometres apart—from Pakistan in 1948. At that time, Brigadier Usman was 12 days short of his 36th birthday. He laid down his life in service to India, and it is important to recall his stirring sacrifice. He repulsed the Pakistan forces at a time when the newly born nation was coveting Kashmir due to its Muslim-majority population. Pakistan's top officials had promised Brigadier Usman the highest rank in the army, money and power, but they could not offer him the unalloyed joy of patriotism. Love for India burned bright in Brigadier Usman's heart, and everything Pakistan offered appeared to pale in comparison. It was out of this love for the nation that the story of Naushera was born, and Kashmir remained an integral part of India. In the early days after Independence, Jammu and Kashmir was far from being a land of bliss. While there had been unprecedented communal violence in Jammu, resulting in a change in the demographic profile with the massacre of a large number of Muslims, Kashmir had to bear the brunt of Pakistan's repeated incursions. The Pakistani forces used the kabaili tribal raiders to devastating effect. After they captured Jhangar in Jammu and Kashmir in December 1947, Brigadier Usman, who was then commanding the 50th Parachute Brigade, took a vow not to sleep on a bed till he recaptured Jhangar. Three months later, he did so, after successfully thwarting fierce attacks on Naushera and Jhangar, and earned the sobriquet 'Lion of Naushera'. Supreme sacrifice Usman again foiled Pakistani attempts to capture Jhangar in May 1948, but lost his life in a 25-pounder shell attack on July 3, 1948. When he died, the nation slipped into mourning. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru sent condolence messages, as did the governor general through personal letters to his family. When he was given a state funeral, the prime minister attended it, along with his cabinet, in Jamia Millia Islamia University's cemetery in Delhi—his last resting place being close to that of his family elder and India's freedom fighter, Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari. The three chiefs of the armed forces were in attendance as well. Usman remains the highest-ranking military officer to be killed in combat. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously for his valour. Icon of secularism He went on to become an abiding icon of secularism for a nation often questioning its own identity. Those who swore by the idea of India and regarded the Constitution as the touchstone of all actions in a pluralist country took pride in his life, often holding him up as an example of an India that belongs to all Indians, and where every Indian belongs to India. There were others who used his sterling sacrifice to counter those who called a section of Indians 'Babur ki aulad' (Babur's progeny) or 'Aurangzeb ki aulad' (Aurangzeb's progeny); the former was regarded merely as an invader by a section of right-wing politicians and their followers, the latter reduced to a destroyer of temples. The fans and followers of Brigadier Usman reminded the divisive elements they would be better off calling other Indians 'Usman ki aulad' (Usman's progeny). Incidentally, Brigadier Usman himself had no children. Usman was born on July 15, 1912 in Bibipur in Mau district of Azamgarh division in Uttar Pradesh, a region which is derided by some hard-line Hindutva proponents as 'mini Pakistan'. Soon after the Batla House encounter in Delhi in 2008, in which Delhi Police officer Mohan Chand Sharma lost his life while attempting to nab two alleged terrorists of the Indian Mujahideen, a large section of the media labelled all of Azamgarh as a hub of terrorism as the two alleged terrorists hailed from there. Not one television channel brought up the fact that the region also produced for independent India a martyr who laid down his life fighting Pakistan. Usman's father was a high-ranking police officer in Benares. And young Usman would divide his time between Benares, where his father was posted, and Bibipur, where he went along with his parents to spend time with the extended family on the weekends. Usman was meant for great things in life. A civil services career would have offered stability, respect and a regular income, while a career in the army came replete with dangers to life and limb, but also the opportunity to serve the motherland. Death would bring the ultimate honour, of being celebrated as a true son of the soil. Usman scripted a tale of valour and commitment to the country that continues to inspire succeeding generations. Excerpted with permission from Bloomsbury.
