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Rajinder Singh (brigadier)

January 01, 1970

Brigadier Rajinder Singh Jamwal, MVC (14 June 1899 – 26/27 October 1947), also remembered as the Saviour of Kashmir, was an officer in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces. He briefly served as the Chief of Staff of State Forces and died fighting during the First Kashmir War. Rajinder Singh and his small contingent of about 200 men successfully delayed the advance of a much larger force of Pakistani tribal raiders near Uri for several days, during which the Maharaja of Kashmir acceded to India and the Indian forces air-lifted for the defence of Kashmir.

Brigadier
Rajinder Singh
MVC (posthumous)
Chief of Military Staff
In office
25 September 1947 – 27 October 1947 †
MonarchHari Singh
Prime MinisterJanak Singh,
Mehr Chand Mahajan
Preceded byHenry Lawrence Scott
Personal details
Born14 June 1899[1]
Bagoona, Jammu district, Jammu and Kashmir (Present-day Rajinderpura, Samba district, Jammu and Kashmir)
Died26/27 October 1947 (aged 48)
Boniyar
Children5 daughters; 1 son[1]
Awards Maha Vir Chakra
Military service
Allegiance Jammu and Kashmir
Branch/serviceJammu and Kashmir State Forces
Years of service1921–1947
Rank Brigadier
Battles/wars

On 30 December 1949, he was posthumously awarded Maha Vir Chakra, independent India’s second highest military decoration. He was the first Indian to receive the honour.

Early life edit

Rajinder Singh was born on 14 June 1899 in Bagoona village (now Rajinderpura, Samba district) in a military Dogra rajput family.[2][3][4][5] His ancestor General Baj Singh had died serving under Maharaja Gulab Singh. His grandfather Hamir Singh and father Subedar Lakha Singh were both war veterans. Rajinder Singh was brought up by an uncle, Lt. Colonel Govind Singh, since he was a small child. Singh passed out from Prince of Wales College (now GGM Science College) in Jammu in 1921.[6][7]

Military career edit

Rajinder Singh was commissioned on 14 June 1921, in to the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces as a Second Lieutenant. On 25 September 1947, he took over charge as Chief of Army Staff of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces from Major General H. L. Scott.[6][8]

Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 edit

In September 1947, Pakistan started making preparations for raids into Kashmir, with the aim of capturing Srinagar. On the night of October 21/22, a large number of Pakistani regulars and tribal irregulars gathered near Muzzafarabad.[6] They were successful in instigating the Muslim soldiers of the 4th J&K Battalion of Maharaja Hari Singh's army that was based in the town. The Muslim soldiers rebelled, killing Wazir-e-wazarat Duni Chand Mehta & Col.Narain Singh Sambyal in charge and all the other all Dogra soldiers at the base.[6][9] This left the 180 km route to Srinagar unguarded, however instead of moving on towards Srinagar, the raiders from Pakistan raided Muzaffarabad. News of the raid only reached the Maharaja the next day. On 22 October 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh gave his Chief of Army Staff, Brigadier Rajinder Singh, the order to defend the state until Indian troops arrived, that he should fight till death in doing so, "save the state till the last man and the last bullet".[6][9] Karan Singh was present in the room when Hari Singh gave Brigadier Rajinder Singh the command and remembers the incident, "Brigadier Rajinder Singh was given the order by my father and he just saluted and walked away."[6][10]

With 150-260[a] men and officers from Badami Bagh cantonment and nearby establishments, equipped with out-dated weapons (though some accounts add that the Brigadier had two 3-inch mortars and MMGs),[13] and using private vehicles, Brigadier Rajinder left Sringar at 6:30 pm and reached Uri at 2 am on 23 October 1947. Brigadier Rajinder Singh moved on with a small platoon, and after fighting raiders in Garhi,[14] he soon realized that his force was greatly outnumbered against the raiders who also had superior weapons.[6]

On 23 October, Hari Singh sent a command to Brigadier Rajinder Singh through Captain Jwala Singh, "Brigadier Rajinder Singh is commanded to hold the enemy at Uri at all costs and to the last man. Reinforcement is sent with Capt Jwala Singh...". On the night of 23 October Captain Jwala Singh arrived with a small number of reinforcements, consisting of one platoon, one section of MMG; two guns and one section of 3-inch Mortars (two tubes) and Brigadier Rajinder Singh responded by giving first hand situation of front to Maharaja Hari Singh by telephone on 23 October from Baramulla.[15] Brigadier Rajinder Singh ordered the destruction of Uri bridge on 24 October with a 25 pound charge by Subedar Major (Hon. Capt.) Barita Ram Sharma to slow down the raiders.[16] However Rajinder Singh's men had to fall further back to Mahura for another defensive position, reaching Mahura at 10 pm. The defense at Mahura held when the enemy decided to resume the attack on the morning of 25 October. Rajinder Singh, also ordered men to blow up the bridges upstream but before the bridges could be destroyed, some raiders had already crossed over. Rajinder Singh once again ordered his men to fall back, moving them to Rampur near Boniyar, where defensive positions were created throughout the night. On the morning of the 26th the enemy launched another attack. The defence held effectively again, and the raiders movement was again halted. At dusk Brigadier Singh ordered a withdrawal towards Seri close to Baramulla.[17] At 1 am on 27 October the retreating vehicles were attacked at Diwan Mandir, Boniyar,[18] and the convoy halted. The Brigadier's driver was soon killed so the Brigadier drove himself; however soon after he was also mortally wounded. The Brigadier ordered his men to continue ahead with the planned defensive strategy, and leave him where he was. Nothing more was heard of Brigadier Rajinder Singh. His men continued the fight until the next day, but nearly all were killed soon after. However the delay the Brigadier and his men caused the raiders, a delay of nearly 4 days, was enough for diplomatic decisions to be taken and for the Indian Army to arrive.[6][13][11][19]

Maha Vir Chakra edit

On 30 December 1949, for his act of gallantry in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajinder Singh was posthumously awarded India's first Maha Vir Chakra. His wife, Ram Dei, received the medal from Army Chief Field Marshall K.M. Cariappa.[6] The citation reads:

Immediately after the partition of the Indian Sub continent in 1947, thousands of raiders assisted by Pakistani regulars invaded the State of Jammu & Kashmir all along its border. The Jammu & Kashmir State Forces, stretched along a 550-mile long border deployed in penn-packets with limited arms, ammunition and supplies, without road communications, and heavily-outnumbered, fought tenaciously holding on to their positions. Kohla-Domel garrison fell to the invaders on 22 October 1947. The fate of the Valley as of the whole State hung precariously on a slender thread.

Brigadier Rajender Singh, Chief of Military Staff, took over the command of a relief column and proceeded to check the raiders. Another column with all available troops (nearly 100) was despatched on 23 Oct 1947 to join Brigadier Rajender Singh with orders from Maharaja Hari Singh, C-in-C as follows:- "Brigadier Rajender Singh is commanded to hold the enemy at Uri at all costs and to the last man. Reinforcement is sent with Capt Jwala Singh ......."

Brigadier Rajender Singh and his band of soldiers carried out the orders of the Maharaja to the letter and spirit. Fighting bravely for every inch of land, they delayed enemy advance by two crucial days during which important decisions were taken. The Indian Army joined the fight and the J&K State was thus saved for India by Brigadier Rajender Singh. He made the supreme sacrifice of his life on 26 October 1947 valiantly fighting the Pakistani raiders in Uri-Rampur sector.

— Gazette Notification: 2 Pres 50, 26.1.50[20]

Legacy edit

For his valiant rearguard last-stand actions, Brigadier Rajinder Singh is remembered as the "Saviour of Kashmir".[21][22][23] V.P. Menon, an Indian civil servant, had said of Brigadier Rajinder:[24][25]

"He and his colleagues will live in history like gallant Leonidas and his 300 men who held the Persian invaders at Thermopylae. It was but appropriate that when the Maha Vira Chakra decoration was instituted the first award should have been given (posthumously) to this heroic soldier."

Brigadier Rajinder's native hometown of Bagoona has been renamed as Rajinderpura. A park in Bagoona, Samba and Canal head Jammu have been named after Singh, called the "Brigadier Rajinder Singh Memorial Park" and Jammu city has paid tribute by renaming shopping road/street "Rajinder Bazar" in his honor.[26][27] Both Brigadier Rajinder's birthday, 14 June, and day of martyrdom, 26 October, are celebrated.[28][29] Locals honour Rajinder Singh's birth anniversary every year in his hometown.[30][31][32] On 26 October 2018, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Army paid tributes at 'Brigadier Rajinder Singh Chowk' in Jammu.[33] University of Jammu has an auditorium named after the Brigadier,[34] while two schools in Samba district are also named after the Brigadier.[35]

Sainik Samachar reported that on 24 October 2018 a bust of Brigadier Rajindra Singh, presented by his family, was unveiled at the Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar. Also at Badami Bagh Cantonment is the Rajindra Villa, now the Signal Regiment Officers' Mess.[36] The entrance of the cantonment is also named after Rajinder Singh.[37] Sainik Samachar also reported that the family visited Boniyar to pay homage at the Memorial where Brigadier Rajindra Singh died fighting.[36] Over the years there have been calls to posthumously honour the Brigadier with India's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra.[38][39][40] In 1999, at the Rajinder Singh Pura Memorial, George Fernandes, the then Minister of Defence, had said "I am in agreement [...] that he should have been given PVC".[41]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Various sources give different figures between 150 and 260 men: only about 150 men;[6] 150 men;[11] around 200 soldiers;[10] 200;[12] 260 men.[13]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Brig Rajendra Singh, MVC @ TWDI. Twdi.in. Retrieved on 27 November 2018.
  2. ^ Jamwal, Ayushman (15 August 2016). "The 1947 War Hero Who Sacrificed His Life For Kashmir". TheQuint. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  3. ^ Service, Tribune News. "Brig Rajinder Singh among greatest Dogra warriors: MLC". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  4. ^ "First war hero of Independent India: Brig Rajinder Singh". State Times. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Dogra honor demeaned - Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir". www.earlytimes.in. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Chib, S. S. (8 December 2001). "The valiant Dogra who saved the 'paradise on earth'". The Tribune India. from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Brig Rajinder Singh among greatest Dogra warriors: MLC". Tribune India. 24 June 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  8. ^ Prasad, Shankar (2005). The Gallant Dogras: An Illustrated History of the Dogra Regiment. Lancer Publishers. p. 95. ISBN 978-81-7062-268-0.
  9. ^ a b Jamwal, Ayushman Singh (29 October 2017). "Brigadier Rajinder Singh:India's Unsung War Hero". CNN-News18. Retrieved 21 August 2020. ...independent India's first war hero, my great granduncle – Brigadier Rajinder Singh...
  10. ^ a b Singh, Digvijaya (24 October 2018). "Brig. Rajinder Singh – The Man Who Saved Kashmir In The 1947 War". Himalayan Sentinel. Retrieved 22 August 2020. Lt. Gen. L.P. Sen writes about Brigadier Rajinder Singh in his book Slender Was The Thread (Kashmir Confrontation 1947-48): "Available to him in Badami Bagh Cantonment was a total of 1,850 officers and men of the Jammu & Kashmir State Forces of whom 500 were Poonchie Muslims. In view of what had taken place, he may have lost faith in the latter and decided not to put their loyalty to the test."
  11. ^ a b Cardozo, Major General Ian (31 December 2003). "1947-48 War in Jammu and Kashmir, Battle for the Valley". Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle. Roli Books Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5194-029-6.
  12. ^ Baines, Richard; Keyte, Brian (1987). A Slender Thread: An Anthology of Short Shories. Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind Education Centre. p. 37.
  13. ^ a b c Singh, Jasbir (25 April 2013). Roar of the Tiger: Illustrated History of Operations in Kashmir by 4th Battalion The Kumaon Regt in 1965 War. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. pp. 14–16. ISBN 978-93-82573-58-6.
  14. ^ Jamwal, Major General (Retd.)Goverdhan Singh (2021). Valour & Betrayal. Sabre & Quill Publishers. pp. 121–145. ISBN 9789391970024.
  15. ^ Jamwal, Major General (Retd.)Goverdhan Singh (2021). Valour & Betrayal. Sabre & Quill Publishers. pp. 142–143. ISBN 9789391970024.
  16. ^ Jamwal, Major General (Retd.)Goverdhan Singh (2021). Valour & Betrayal. Sabre & Quill Publishers. p. 207. ISBN 9789391970024.
  17. ^ Jamwal, Major General (Retd.)Goverdhan Singh (2021). Valour & Betrayal. Sabre & Quill Publishers. p. 173. ISBN 9789391970024.
  18. ^ Sen, L. P. (11 August 2019). "In 1947, Gandhi told Lt Gen Sen that wars were inhuman, but to fight for Kashmir with all means". ThePrint. Retrieved 22 August 2020. That position was held by the Chief of Staff, who, unfortunately, had been killed at Diwan Mandir.
  19. ^ Chakravorty, B. (1987). Stories of Heroism. Historical Section, Ministry of Defence, Government of India. pp. 18–19. ISBN 978-81-230-2594-0. At Uri, the Jammu and Kashmir troops, under Brig. Rajendra Singh, fought bravely against the invaders, but had to retreat towards Baramula as they ran short of ammunition. The Brigadier and his soldiers perished almost to the last man, fighting gallantly against the superior force of the enemy. He and his handful of men thus held up thousands of enemy raiders for four most valuable days and were instrumental in saving the Kashmir Valley from pillage and plunder.
  20. ^ . The War Decorated India & Trust. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  21. ^ "Saviour of Kashmir remembered". Tribuneindia News Service. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  22. ^ "Jammu remember 'Saviour of Kashmir', Brig Rajinder Singh". United News of India (UNI). 26 October 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  23. ^ Joshi, Col NN (16–31 December 2015). "Rich Tributes Paid to Saviour of Kashmir". Sainik Samachar. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  24. ^ "The four eventful days that decided the fate of Kashmir - Raid on Kashmir (last week of 1947)". The Economic Times. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  25. ^ Lal, Dr Makkhan (4 July 2018). "Kashmir, Nehru's Idealism and Article 370". VIF India. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  26. ^ "Saviour of Kashmir's birth anniversary celebrated at Bagoona". Scoop News. Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  27. ^ "BJP paid rich triubets to Brigadier Rajinder Singh on his 114th birth anniversary". Scoop News. Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  28. ^ "119th birth anniversary of Brig Rajinder Singh celebrated". Northlines. Samba. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  29. ^ "Rich tributes paid to Brigadier Rajinder Singh". Northlines. Jammu Tawi. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  30. ^ "Brig Rajinder Singh's supreme sacrifice kept J&K united with India: Manjit". State Times. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  31. ^ "JKFFA pays tributes to Brig Rajinder Singh on his birth anniversary". Early Times. Jammu and Kashmir. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  32. ^ "Tributes paid to 1947 hero Brigadier-Rajinder Singh". The Statesman. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  33. ^ "J-K govt Army pay tributes to Brig Rajinder Singh". The Week. PTI. 4 April 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  34. ^ "IIPA organizes 17th Veeranna Aivalli Memorial Debate". Kashmir Images Newspaper. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  35. ^ "Brigadier Rajinder Singh remembered". State Times. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  36. ^ a b "Bust of Late Brigadier Rajinder Singh, MVC, Unveiled". Sainik Samachar. 1–15 November 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  37. ^ "Army pays tributes to Brig Rajinder Singh". Greater Kashmir. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  38. ^ "Announce "Param Vir Chakra" for Brig Rajender Singh: NPP". Daily Excelsior. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  39. ^ "JKNPP demands Param Vir Chakra for Brig Rajendra Singh". India Today. PTI. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  40. ^ Saxena, Hori Lal (1975). The Tragedy of Kashmir. Nationalist Publishers. p. 520.
  41. ^ "Brig Rajinder Singh Jayanti to be celebrated on June 14th". The Northern Herald. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2020.

Further reading edit

  • Shankar Prasad (2005). The Gallant Dogras: An Illustrated History of the Dogra Regiment. pp 94 – 97. Lancer Publishers with the Dogra Regimental Centre. ISBN 9788170622680
  • K. Brahma Singh (1990). History of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, 1820-1956. pp 234 – 236. Lancer International. ISBN 9788170620914
  • Major K.C. Praval (1987) Indian Army After Independence. pp 23. Lancer Publishers LLC. ISBN 9781935501619
  • Major General (Retd.) Goverdhan Singh Jamwal (2021). Valour & Betrayal .pp 121 – 143.Sabre & Quill Publishers.ISBN 9789391970024

External links edit

  • Official Government of India website for gallantry awards (gallantryawards.gov.in) entry
  • List of Maha Vir Chakra awardees on the official website of the Indian Army (SNO 1)

January 01, 1970
rajinder, singh, brigadier, brigadier, rajinder, singh, jamwal, june, 1899, october, 1947, also, remembered, saviour, kashmir, officer, jammu, kashmir, state, forces, briefly, served, chief, staff, state, forces, died, fighting, during, first, kashmir, rajinde. Brigadier Rajinder Singh Jamwal MVC 14 June 1899 26 27 October 1947 also remembered as the Saviour of Kashmir was an officer in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces He briefly served as the Chief of Staff of State Forces and died fighting during the First Kashmir War Rajinder Singh and his small contingent of about 200 men successfully delayed the advance of a much larger force of Pakistani tribal raiders near Uri for several days during which the Maharaja of Kashmir acceded to India and the Indian forces air lifted for the defence of Kashmir BrigadierRajinder SinghMVC posthumous Chief of Military StaffIn office 25 September 1947 27 October 1947 MonarchHari SinghPrime MinisterJanak Singh Mehr Chand MahajanPreceded byHenry Lawrence ScottPersonal detailsBorn14 June 1899 1 Bagoona Jammu district Jammu and Kashmir Present day Rajinderpura Samba district Jammu and Kashmir Died26 27 October 1947 aged 48 BoniyarChildren5 daughters 1 son 1 AwardsMaha Vir ChakraMilitary serviceAllegianceJammu and KashmirBranch serviceJammu and Kashmir State ForcesYears of service1921 1947RankBrigadierBattles warsIndo Pakistani War of 1947 On 30 December 1949 he was posthumously awarded Maha Vir Chakra independent India s second highest military decoration He was the first Indian to receive the honour Contents 1 Early life 2 Military career 2 1 Indo Pakistani War of 1947 1948 2 2 Maha Vir Chakra 3 Legacy 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksEarly life editRajinder Singh was born on 14 June 1899 in Bagoona village now Rajinderpura Samba district in a military Dogra rajput family 2 3 4 5 His ancestor General Baj Singh had died serving under Maharaja Gulab Singh His grandfather Hamir Singh and father Subedar Lakha Singh were both war veterans Rajinder Singh was brought up by an uncle Lt Colonel Govind Singh since he was a small child Singh passed out from Prince of Wales College now GGM Science College in Jammu in 1921 6 7 Military career editRajinder Singh was commissioned on 14 June 1921 in to the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces as a Second Lieutenant On 25 September 1947 he took over charge as Chief of Army Staff of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces from Major General H L Scott 6 8 Indo Pakistani War of 1947 1948 edit In September 1947 Pakistan started making preparations for raids into Kashmir with the aim of capturing Srinagar On the night of October 21 22 a large number of Pakistani regulars and tribal irregulars gathered near Muzzafarabad 6 They were successful in instigating the Muslim soldiers of the 4th J amp K Battalion of Maharaja Hari Singh s army that was based in the town The Muslim soldiers rebelled killing Wazir e wazarat Duni Chand Mehta amp Col Narain Singh Sambyal in charge and all the other all Dogra soldiers at the base 6 9 This left the 180 km route to Srinagar unguarded however instead of moving on towards Srinagar the raiders from Pakistan raided Muzaffarabad News of the raid only reached the Maharaja the next day On 22 October 1947 Maharaja Hari Singh gave his Chief of Army Staff Brigadier Rajinder Singh the order to defend the state until Indian troops arrived that he should fight till death in doing so save the state till the last man and the last bullet 6 9 Karan Singh was present in the room when Hari Singh gave Brigadier Rajinder Singh the command and remembers the incident Brigadier Rajinder Singh was given the order by my father and he just saluted and walked away 6 10 With 150 260 a men and officers from Badami Bagh cantonment and nearby establishments equipped with out dated weapons though some accounts add that the Brigadier had two 3 inch mortars and MMGs 13 and using private vehicles Brigadier Rajinder left Sringar at 6 30 pm and reached Uri at 2 am on 23 October 1947 Brigadier Rajinder Singh moved on with a small platoon and after fighting raiders in Garhi 14 he soon realized that his force was greatly outnumbered against the raiders who also had superior weapons 6 On 23 October Hari Singh sent a command to Brigadier Rajinder Singh through Captain Jwala Singh Brigadier Rajinder Singh is commanded to hold the enemy at Uri at all costs and to the last man Reinforcement is sent with Capt Jwala Singh On the night of 23 October Captain Jwala Singh arrived with a small number of reinforcements consisting of one platoon one section of MMG two guns and one section of 3 inch Mortars two tubes and Brigadier Rajinder Singh responded by giving first hand situation of front to Maharaja Hari Singh by telephone on 23 October from Baramulla 15 Brigadier Rajinder Singh ordered the destruction of Uri bridge on 24 October with a 25 pound charge by Subedar Major Hon Capt Barita Ram Sharma to slow down the raiders 16 However Rajinder Singh s men had to fall further back to Mahura for another defensive position reaching Mahura at 10 pm The defense at Mahura held when the enemy decided to resume the attack on the morning of 25 October Rajinder Singh also ordered men to blow up the bridges upstream but before the bridges could be destroyed some raiders had already crossed over Rajinder Singh once again ordered his men to fall back moving them to Rampur near Boniyar where defensive positions were created throughout the night On the morning of the 26th the enemy launched another attack The defence held effectively again and the raiders movement was again halted At dusk Brigadier Singh ordered a withdrawal towards Seri close to Baramulla 17 At 1 am on 27 October the retreating vehicles were attacked at Diwan Mandir Boniyar 18 and the convoy halted The Brigadier s driver was soon killed so the Brigadier drove himself however soon after he was also mortally wounded The Brigadier ordered his men to continue ahead with the planned defensive strategy and leave him where he was Nothing more was heard of Brigadier Rajinder Singh His men continued the fight until the next day but nearly all were killed soon after However the delay the Brigadier and his men caused the raiders a delay of nearly 4 days was enough for diplomatic decisions to be taken and for the Indian Army to arrive 6 13 11 19 Maha Vir Chakra edit On 30 December 1949 for his act of gallantry in Jammu and Kashmir Rajinder Singh was posthumously awarded India s first Maha Vir Chakra His wife Ram Dei received the medal from Army Chief Field Marshall K M Cariappa 6 The citation reads Immediately after the partition of the Indian Sub continent in 1947 thousands of raiders assisted by Pakistani regulars invaded the State of Jammu amp Kashmir all along its border The Jammu amp Kashmir State Forces stretched along a 550 mile long border deployed in penn packets with limited arms ammunition and supplies without road communications and heavily outnumbered fought tenaciously holding on to their positions Kohla Domel garrison fell to the invaders on 22 October 1947 The fate of the Valley as of the whole State hung precariously on a slender thread Brigadier Rajender Singh Chief of Military Staff took over the command of a relief column and proceeded to check the raiders Another column with all available troops nearly 100 was despatched on 23 Oct 1947 to join Brigadier Rajender Singh with orders from Maharaja Hari Singh C in C as follows Brigadier Rajender Singh is commanded to hold the enemy at Uri at all costs and to the last man Reinforcement is sent with Capt Jwala Singh Brigadier Rajender Singh and his band of soldiers carried out the orders of the Maharaja to the letter and spirit Fighting bravely for every inch of land they delayed enemy advance by two crucial days during which important decisions were taken The Indian Army joined the fight and the J amp K State was thus saved for India by Brigadier Rajender Singh He made the supreme sacrifice of his life on 26 October 1947 valiantly fighting the Pakistani raiders in Uri Rampur sector Gazette Notification 2 Pres 50 26 1 50 20 Legacy editFor his valiant rearguard last stand actions Brigadier Rajinder Singh is remembered as the Saviour of Kashmir 21 22 23 V P Menon an Indian civil servant had said of Brigadier Rajinder 24 25 He and his colleagues will live in history like gallant Leonidas and his 300 men who held the Persian invaders at Thermopylae It was but appropriate that when the Maha Vira Chakra decoration was instituted the first award should have been given posthumously to this heroic soldier Brigadier Rajinder s native hometown of Bagoona has been renamed as Rajinderpura A park in Bagoona Samba and Canal head Jammu have been named after Singh called the Brigadier Rajinder Singh Memorial Park and Jammu city has paid tribute by renaming shopping road street Rajinder Bazar in his honor 26 27 Both Brigadier Rajinder s birthday 14 June and day of martyrdom 26 October are celebrated 28 29 Locals honour Rajinder Singh s birth anniversary every year in his hometown 30 31 32 On 26 October 2018 the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Army paid tributes at Brigadier Rajinder Singh Chowk in Jammu 33 University of Jammu has an auditorium named after the Brigadier 34 while two schools in Samba district are also named after the Brigadier 35 Sainik Samachar reported that on 24 October 2018 a bust of Brigadier Rajindra Singh presented by his family was unveiled at the Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar Also at Badami Bagh Cantonment is the Rajindra Villa now the Signal Regiment Officers Mess 36 The entrance of the cantonment is also named after Rajinder Singh 37 Sainik Samachar also reported that the family visited Boniyar to pay homage at the Memorial where Brigadier Rajindra Singh died fighting 36 Over the years there have been calls to posthumously honour the Brigadier with India s highest gallantry award the Param Vir Chakra 38 39 40 In 1999 at the Rajinder Singh Pura Memorial George Fernandes the then Minister of Defence had said I am in agreement that he should have been given PVC 41 Notes edit Various sources give different figures between 150 and 260 men only about 150 men 6 150 men 11 around 200 soldiers 10 200 12 260 men 13 References edit a b Brig Rajendra Singh MVC TWDI Twdi in Retrieved on 27 November 2018 Jamwal Ayushman 15 August 2016 The 1947 War Hero Who Sacrificed His Life For Kashmir TheQuint Retrieved 21 August 2020 Service Tribune News Brig Rajinder Singh among greatest Dogra warriors MLC Tribuneindia News Service Retrieved 18 September 2020 First war hero of Independent India Brig Rajinder Singh State Times 28 October 2019 Retrieved 18 September 2020 Dogra honor demeaned Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir www earlytimes in Retrieved 18 September 2020 a b c d e f g h i j Chib S S 8 December 2001 The valiant Dogra who saved the paradise on earth The Tribune India Archived from the original on 19 February 2018 Retrieved 21 August 2020 Brig Rajinder Singh among greatest Dogra warriors MLC Tribune India 24 June 2017 Retrieved 23 August 2020 Prasad Shankar 2005 The Gallant Dogras An Illustrated History of the Dogra Regiment Lancer Publishers p 95 ISBN 978 81 7062 268 0 a b Jamwal Ayushman Singh 29 October 2017 Brigadier Rajinder Singh India s Unsung War Hero CNN News18 Retrieved 21 August 2020 independent India s first war hero my great granduncle Brigadier Rajinder Singh a b Singh Digvijaya 24 October 2018 Brig Rajinder Singh The Man Who Saved Kashmir In The 1947 War Himalayan Sentinel Retrieved 22 August 2020 Lt Gen L P Sen writes about Brigadier Rajinder Singh in his book Slender Was The Thread Kashmir Confrontation 1947 48 Available to him in Badami Bagh Cantonment was a total of 1 850 officers and men of the Jammu amp Kashmir State Forces of whom 500 were Poonchie Muslims In view of what had taken place he may have lost faith in the latter and decided not to put their loyalty to the test a b Cardozo Major General Ian 31 December 2003 1947 48 War in Jammu and Kashmir Battle for the Valley Param Vir Our Heroes in Battle Roli Books Private Limited ISBN 978 93 5194 029 6 Baines Richard Keyte Brian 1987 A Slender Thread An Anthology of Short Shories Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind Education Centre p 37 a b c Singh Jasbir 25 April 2013 Roar of the Tiger Illustrated History of Operations in Kashmir by 4th Battalion The Kumaon Regt in 1965 War Vij Books India Pvt Ltd pp 14 16 ISBN 978 93 82573 58 6 Jamwal Major General Retd Goverdhan Singh 2021 Valour amp Betrayal Sabre amp Quill Publishers pp 121 145 ISBN 9789391970024 Jamwal Major General Retd Goverdhan Singh 2021 Valour amp Betrayal Sabre amp Quill Publishers pp 142 143 ISBN 9789391970024 Jamwal Major General Retd Goverdhan Singh 2021 Valour amp Betrayal Sabre amp Quill Publishers p 207 ISBN 9789391970024 Jamwal Major General Retd Goverdhan Singh 2021 Valour amp Betrayal Sabre amp Quill Publishers p 173 ISBN 9789391970024 Sen L P 11 August 2019 In 1947 Gandhi told Lt Gen Sen that wars were inhuman but to fight for Kashmir with all means ThePrint Retrieved 22 August 2020 That position was held by the Chief of Staff who unfortunately had been killed at Diwan Mandir Chakravorty B 1987 Stories of Heroism Historical Section Ministry of Defence Government of India pp 18 19 ISBN 978 81 230 2594 0 At Uri the Jammu and Kashmir troops under Brig Rajendra Singh fought bravely against the invaders but had to retreat towards Baramula as they ran short of ammunition The Brigadier and his soldiers perished almost to the last man fighting gallantly against the superior force of the enemy He and his handful of men thus held up thousands of enemy raiders for four most valuable days and were instrumental in saving the Kashmir Valley from pillage and plunder Brig Rajendra Singh MVC The War Decorated India amp Trust Archived from the original on 28 January 2020 Retrieved 23 August 2020 Saviour of Kashmir remembered Tribuneindia News Service 26 October 2015 Retrieved 21 August 2020 Jammu remember Saviour of Kashmir Brig Rajinder Singh United News of India UNI 26 October 2017 Retrieved 21 August 2020 Joshi Col NN 16 31 December 2015 Rich Tributes Paid to Saviour of Kashmir Sainik Samachar Retrieved 23 August 2020 The four eventful days that decided the fate of Kashmir Raid on Kashmir last week of 1947 The Economic Times Retrieved 20 August 2020 Lal Dr Makkhan 4 July 2018 Kashmir Nehru s Idealism and Article 370 VIF India Retrieved 20 August 2020 Saviour of Kashmir s birth anniversary celebrated at Bagoona Scoop News Jammu Jammu and Kashmir 14 June 2020 Retrieved 21 August 2020 BJP paid rich triubets to Brigadier Rajinder Singh on his 114th birth anniversary Scoop News Jammu Jammu and Kashmir 14 June 2020 Retrieved 21 August 2020 119th birth anniversary of Brig Rajinder Singh celebrated Northlines Samba 14 June 2018 Retrieved 22 August 2020 Rich tributes paid to Brigadier Rajinder Singh Northlines Jammu Tawi 26 October 2018 Retrieved 22 August 2020 Brig Rajinder Singh s supreme sacrifice kept J amp K united with India Manjit State Times 15 June 2020 Retrieved 21 August 2020 JKFFA pays tributes to Brig Rajinder Singh on his birth anniversary Early Times Jammu and Kashmir 14 June 2020 Retrieved 21 August 2020 Tributes paid to 1947 hero Brigadier Rajinder Singh The Statesman 14 June 2018 Retrieved 21 August 2020 J K govt Army pay tributes to Brig Rajinder Singh The Week PTI 4 April 2020 Retrieved 22 August 2020 IIPA organizes 17th Veeranna Aivalli Memorial Debate Kashmir Images Newspaper 27 November 2018 Retrieved 23 August 2020 Brigadier Rajinder Singh remembered State Times 14 June 2018 Retrieved 23 August 2020 a b Bust of Late Brigadier Rajinder Singh MVC Unveiled Sainik Samachar 1 15 November 2018 Retrieved 22 August 2020 Army pays tributes to Brig Rajinder Singh Greater Kashmir 26 October 2015 Retrieved 23 August 2020 Announce Param Vir Chakra for Brig Rajender Singh NPP Daily Excelsior 25 October 2017 Retrieved 23 August 2020 JKNPP demands Param Vir Chakra for Brig Rajendra Singh India Today PTI 25 October 2017 Retrieved 23 August 2020 Saxena Hori Lal 1975 The Tragedy of Kashmir Nationalist Publishers p 520 Brig Rajinder Singh Jayanti to be celebrated on June 14th The Northern Herald 13 June 2019 Retrieved 23 August 2020 Further reading editShankar Prasad 2005 The Gallant Dogras An Illustrated History of the Dogra Regiment pp 94 97 Lancer Publishers with the Dogra Regimental Centre ISBN 9788170622680 K Brahma Singh 1990 History of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles 1820 1956 pp 234 236 Lancer International ISBN 9788170620914 Major K C Praval 1987 Indian Army After Independence pp 23 Lancer Publishers LLC ISBN 9781935501619 Major General Retd Goverdhan Singh Jamwal 2021 Valour amp Betrayal pp 121 143 Sabre amp Quill Publishers ISBN 9789391970024External links editOfficial Government of India website for gallantry awards gallantryawards gov in entry List of Maha Vir Chakra awardees on the official website of the Indian Army SNO 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rajinder Singh brigadier amp oldid 1219296894, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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