varnam

Oct 27 is celebrated as Infantry Day to mark the accomplishment of the Indian Army in its first ever engagement just two months after independence. On Oct 21/22, Pakistanis invaded the independent state of Jammu and Kashmir with the aim of annexing it, even though the Maharajah had signed a standstill agreement with them.

From New Delhi the Dakotas flew 30 more sorties carrying further reinforcements of 1 SIKH. The 161 brigade was constituted at the Srinagar airfield on October 29, 1947. The brigade fought in the most adverse of conditions against the raiders pushing them back inch-by-inch without any outside help since the only land route_ the Banihal pass_ was closed with heavy snow. During the campaign, the army lost 76 officers, 31 JCOs and 996 other ranks. The wounded totaled 3152 ranks including 81 officers and 107 JCOs. The J&K statesâ?? forces lost 1990 men. The IAF, which flew then as Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) lost 32 personnel, including nine officers. The army won five Param Vir Chakaras, the highest gallantry award, and 284 Vir Chakras.

This major feat, however, would have been impossible without the help of some intrepid civilians who fought shoulder- to- shoulder with the army and guided them in the hostile terrain. One of them, Maqbool Sherwani, played a pivotal role when he and his supporters misled the raiders about the presence of Indian army and locations of certain key installations and Srinagar airport. That proved decisive as it allowed the Indian army enough time to land at Srinagar and consolidate the defences of Valley. Sherwani, however, was caught and killed brutally. To mark the triumph of October 27, the day is celebrated every year as Infantry Day. The day not only marks the accomplishment of the Indian army in its first ever engagement after independence, it also highlights how history of Kashmir was shaped by those critical moments and perhaps that of India, too. [October 27: When raiders came to annex Kashmir - By Tariq Bhat]