The Pride of Jammu-Jemadar Parkash
Singh, Victoria Cross

By Major General Goverdhan Singh Jamwal

On this day on 17 February, 1945, a great soldier died fighting the Japanese, the Burma War Front, who was awarded the highest gallantry award of the British Common Wealth, Victoria Cross'. He was Jemadar Parkash Singh of Hiranagar in Kathna district of Jammu region. He is the only recipient of the ‘Victoria Cross' in J&K State. I would like to remember him through the citation initiated by the British officers for his gallantry award.

This is to certify that his majesty the King emperor has awarded the Victoria cross to Jemadar Parkash Singh (IO 49170) 14th Bn, 13 Frontier Force Rifles, Indian Army.

At Kanlan Ywathit in Burma on the night of 16th 17th February 1945, Jemadar Parkash Singh was in command of a platoon of a Rifle company occupying a company defended locality. At about 2300 hours the Japanese in great strength and supported by artillery, mortars, machine guns and subsequently flame throwers initiated a series of fierce and bloody attacks on the position. The main weight of the attack was directed against Jemadar Parkash Singh’s locality.

At about 2330 hours Jemadar Parkash Singh was severely wounded in both ankles by enemy machine gun fire and was unable to walk about in his sector. His Company Commander, on being informed of this ordered him to be relieved and brought into a trench beside company Headquarters from where he kept shouting encouragement to all his men. A short time afterwards, owing to the relief having been wounded, Jemadar Parkash Singh crawled forward dragging himself on the hands and knees to his platoon sector and again took over command at 0015 hours, when his Company Commander visited the Platoon area Jemadar Parkash Singh was found propped up by his batman who had also been wounded firing his platoon 2" mortar, the crew to such had both been killed, shouting encouragement to all his men and directing the fire of the platoon. Having expended all the available ammunition (2" mortars) this V.C.O then crawled around the position collecting ammunition for his platoon from the dead and wounded. This ammunition he distributed himself. As one complete section of his platoon had by now become casualties. Jemadar Parkash Singh took over this Sections Bren Gun and held the section’s sector of the perimeter single handed until reinforcement were rushed up by the company commander. He fired the gun at this stage from a position completely in the open as he was unable to stand up in a trench, He was again wounded in both legs above the knees by a burst of machine gun fire. Inspite of intense pain and the loss of much blood from his wounds this Jemadar continued firing his Bren Gun and dragging himself from place to place only by use of his hands as his legs were now completely useless. At the same time he continued to encourage and direct his men, regrouping the remnants of his platoon around him so that they successfully held up a fierce Japanese charge which was launched against them. At 0145 hours Jemadar Parkash Singh was wounded for the third time in the right leg and was so weak from the loss of blood that he was unable to move. Blooding profusely and lying on his right side with his face towards the enemy, he continued to direct the action of his men, encouraging them to stay their ground. Although it was obvious that he was now dying. Jemadar Parkash Singh shouted out the Dogra Warery which was immediately taken up by the rest of the company engaged in hand to hand fighting within the perimeter of his locality. His example and leadership at this period so inspired the company that the enemy were finally driven out from the position. At 0230 hour Jamadar Parkash Singh was wounded for the fourth time, this in the chest by a Japanese grenade. He died a few minutes later telling his Company Commander not to sorry about him for he could easily look after himself.

Throughout the period of immense hand to hand fighting and heavy machine gun and grenade fire from 2300 hours until the time of his death at 0230 hours Jemadar Parkash Singh conducted himself with conspicuous bravery with complete disregard to his severe wounds and there is no doubt that his ceaseless encouragement of his platoon, his inspired leadership and outstanding devotion to duty though himself mortally wounded played an outstanding part in finally repelling the Japanese with heavy casualties.

London Gazette

Dated is May 1945

Parkash Singh was born in village Kana Chak near Hiranagar in Kathua District of Jammu region. Being second in the family of four, he just managed to reach the age of 18 years to become eligible to join the Army, a traditional profession of the Dogra. In the process he managed to study upto 5th class in a school, Pansar 8 Kms away. Frontier Force Rifles enrolled Dogra of Jammu. Many of our youngman who could not find employment in J&K State Forces joined Indian Army Regiments, Dogra, Punjab, Grenadiers and Frontier Force Rifles being the favourites. He joined the Frontier Force Rifles on Ist April 1930.

He is known to be a very simple, straight forward and honest young the natural qualities of a Dogra. These then were considered enough to get him berth in the famous Regiment. It was ten years before the 2nd World War started and the standards were high and training very tough. His Centre was located at Abbotabad, now in Frontier Province of Pakistan.

After usual training he joined 14th Battalion of the 13th Frontier Force Rifles and saw service at various places. He became Lance Naik at the age of 23 years with 4 years of service and Jamadar (now Naib Subedar) on 13 Jan 1944 and took over a platoon of about 40 soldiers, the lowest well knit Unit in the Army. In the meantime he had qualified in various courses and also obtained a number of medals viz 1939-45 Burma Star, Defence Medal and War Medal.

His unit went through series of operations from 1939 to 1945 in Waziristan in the Frontier and Burma which gave him the experience to lead troops which is proved by the fact that he earned the highest award in the World’. Unfortunately we have not given due recognition to this sacrifice, We have not even raised a small memorial to him. His family lives in the village Raj Bagh on National Highway near Ujh Bridge where his wife was given 50 acres of land out of which only a few kanals is left with the family. His wife died 12 years ago, his only son Multan Singh who has retire as Inspector from J&K Police died during May 2000. His two grand sons Mohinder Singh and Sunil Singh and great grand son Surinder Singh are the only curving male members of the gallant soldier.

He died on 17th February 1945. In fact he died four times on that night and yet he will live for ever. It is a saga of supreme bravery, our true heritage which gives us pride. It is upto us to make him live and continue inspiring us as he Inspired his man in battle. Within one month his younger brother NK Shankar Singh, who was also in same battalion was killed in action what a tradition of Dogra soldering of Jammu Dogras.

There is a proposal of installing his statue at National Highway By-pass junction, Kunjwani and to name it 'Parkash Singh (Victoria Cross Chowk) and the By-pass at Parkash Marg. Let his memorial show to our future generations the light of supreme sacrifice for the country. It will be befitting memorial to him which will also serve as a beacon to the great Dogras to emulate his sacrifice for the defence of the country.

Trade and Regional Blocs

By K R Sudhaman

Regional grouping assumes sig-nificance particularly in the era- of globalisation where competitiveness and bargaining power count in the trade negotiations. Unfortunately, South Asia seems to have become a prisoner of the past that it is finding increasingly difficult to forge an effective Free Trade Zone due to the Indo-Pak stand off.

It is not that there are no political differences in other regional groupings. But they have been able to circumvent them for the common economic good of the region. Take for example, European Union. France and Germany do not see eye to eye. The French and English have ego clash. But still they came together to form a Common Market, which subsequently became European Union.

Infact, trade has helped the European Union establish closer links with its immediate neighbours and has helped in increasing economic activity through which political differences have considerably narrowed down improving the quality of life for all in the region in the face of reduced tension among themselves. Free movement of people has helped further in understanding each others sentiments and culture narrowing down the differences and friction.

Though the South Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) came into being decades ago, it has not taken off in the real sense of the term. There is already South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA). In every SAARC summit time-table is fixed for launching South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) only to be postponed in next meeting.

It is really sad that Pakistan cannot see beyond Kashmir as vested interest has developed over the issue which has become crucial for very survival of any ruling establishment be it military or political. As a result any attempt to forge ahead on forming a regional trade bloc gets sabotaged. The unofficial trade between India and Pakistan is over three billion dollars annually but still there is stiff resistance in the Pakistan establishment to improve bilateral and regional trade.

While India has granted Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan, Islamabad has not reciprocated although it is mandatory under the WTO agreement. Even as late as the Agra Summit, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had said the core issue in Indo-Pak relations is Kashmir and once that is resolved all other pending issues could be resolved. Because of this stand-off there is very little progress in regional cooperation While every other region has moved towards establishment of common market like European Union, Association of South-East Asian nations, North American Free Trade area South Asian Free Trade area seems to have been virtual non starter.

The declaration at the SAARC summit at Kathmandu in January last year has underscored the need for finalisation of SAFTA framework treaty by the end of 2002. SAARC countries also proposed to accelerate cooperation in core areas of trade, finance and investment to realise the goal of an integrated South Asian economy in a step by step manner. The document also spoke of SAARC members voicing determination to make full use of regional synergy to maximise the benefits of globalisation and liberalisation and to minimise their negative impacts on the region.

But unfortunately the declaration has remained only on paper and very little progress has been made towards this. Even the SAARC summit, which was to be held in January this year in Islamabad, has been postponed indefinitely.

European Union has always said it was for encouraging regional groupings as it helps promoting not only inter-regional but also intra-regional trade. For example, due to the Indo-Pak standoff, Islamabad prefers to import sugar from as far away places like Cuba and Brazil, paying through their nose for transportation rather importing from its neighbour India which has surplus production. This defies all economic logic. Though Maruti 800 is produced in India at a much cheaper rate, the same car is still assembled in Pakistan with imported Japanese Suzuki components at a much higher cost.

Who loses, as a result? It is the, consumers in Pakistan rather than the industrialists in India. The Indian businessmen would benefit no doubt by direct trade between India and Pakistan, but they are benefitting otherwise also by the informal trade which is routed through Singapore or Dubai. Indian onions and movies go to Pakistan through Dubai at a higher price hitting hard the Pakistani consumers. The Indian-businessmen, infact, gains as he earns more through the indirect trade.

Trade is certainly a binding factor and helps in narrowing the political differences. China and Taiwan do not get along well. China feels Taiwan is part of it and that Taiwan should be which is being stoutly opposed by Taipei. But when it comes to economic cooperation there are no hurdles and infact Taiwan has invested over 100 billion dollars in mainland China and there is virtually a free trade between the two.

One fails to understand why South Asian region could also do the same. Infact, various regions particularly East Asia and South-East Asia have moved ahead by several decades mainly because of the economic cooperation. In the sixties, Pakistan and South Korea were almost on the same footing as far as their economies were concerned. Today, South Korea has leapfrogged in economic development and Pakistan has remained where it is if not deteriorated.

There is, often the complaint of 'big brother' approach of India, particularly by the smaller countries, like Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh but this seems to be getting resolved with of free trade agreement with them. There are some differences with them but they are not insurmountable as is the case with Pakistan.

Infact, the adamant posturing by Pakistan has forced India to enter into bilateral free trade agreements with other neighbours and was now even forging a grouping of Bay of Bengal rim countries called ‘BIMSTEC', comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Regional grouping also help in improving bargaining power in multilateral trade negotiations. For example on the issue of geographical indication for basmati, India and Pakistan were able to put up a stiff resistance as they fought the issue together. Textiles are another issue in which all the South Asian countries would benefit in the WTO-negotiations if only they represented as a group.

Better late than never, it is time Pakistan saw the merits of forging ahead on SAFTA for the mutual benefit of all in the region. The longer the delay, the more it would hurt as it is Islamabad which would be isolated and not New Delhi.