Col J P Singh
Importance of Ladakh does not start with or end at granting an administrative Divisional or Union Territory status. To understand its importance for India, a historical perspective becomes unavoidable. During Maharaja Pratap Singh’s rule, British somehow got an opportunity to establish an Agency in Gilgit in 1889. A British Political Agent was stationed at Gilgit who reported to the British Resident in Srinagar. Initial purpose of the Agency was to keep watch on the frontiers and to restrain local Wazarats of Hunza and Nagar from dealing with Russians directly. Soon Hunza and Nagar were brought under the direct purview of the Agency. The J&K State Forces were stationed in a garrison at Gilgit which were used by the Agency to keep order. Later other Wazarats to the West of Gilgit such as Punial, Yasin, Ghizar, Ishkoman and Chitral were also brought under Gilgit Agency. Though under the suzerainty of Maharaja, the area was directly administered by the Agency. In the ‘Great Game Diplomacy’ for Central Asia, the Gilgit-Baltistan region had a strategic mystique. In 1913, British created and stationed a paramilitary force, the Gilgit Scouts, of 600 locals, commanded by a British army officer who was accountable to the British Army in Delhi. But in the run up to India’s independence, jurisdiction of Gilgit Scouts under Maj William Brown was transferred to Maharaja of J&K in June 1947. That story begins to justify strategic importance of Ladakh.
When Pak raiders entered J&K in October 1947 to capture Kashmir militarily, on Pak machinations, Maj Brown and Gilgit Scouts rose in revolt, hoisted Pakistani flag on Gilgit Agency Headquarters, arrested Brig Ghansar Singh, the Governor on the night of 31 October 1947 and massacred all non Muslim inhabitants of the Agency. Thus Gilgit-Baltistan was put into Pakistani lap even without a bullet fired. Maj Gen K S Thimayya, then GOC of Srinagar Division, was quick to grasp that the strategic advantage accruing to Pakistan would enable to operate unchallenged along Gilgit-Skardu-Nubra Valley axes to isolate and consolidate their control over entire Ladakh province with Gilgit providing them a firm base. Gen Thimayya had no option at this moment but to occupy Skardu to prevent further ingress. He ordered Maj Sher Jung Thapa posted at Leh to move to Skardu to thwart enemy entry into Nubra Valley and the Leh region. Maj Sher Jung, with 75 soldiers of his company of 6 Jammu Kashmir Infantry started from Leh on 23 November 1947. They reached Skardu on 3 December covering a distance of 137 kms in 11 days. They held on to Skardu till the ‘last but one man and last round’ to August 1948, which is another war epic story, written earlier and for another time later
Fully cognisant of Pak manoeuvers, Gen Cariappa and Gen Thimayya were of the unanimous opinion that fall of Leh will be a big strategic blow to India. Brig L P Sen, Commander 161 Inf Bde was directed to restore the military vacuum at Leh after Maj Thapa’s move. Brig Sen ordered 2 Dogra, commanded by Lt Col GG Bewoor, (later army chief) to occupy Leh. As it happens time and again in warfare, a bunch of brave hearts, fired with the ideals of honour of their country, devotion of duty and honour of their Battalion, volunteer for missions unmindful of the hazardous odds. 2 Dogra had 80 soldiers from Lahul – Spiti valleys who were best suited to take up the journey. Maj Prithvi Chand and his cousin Capt Kaushal Chand, both from a village under Baralacha Pass (16,700 ft) on the boundary of Lahul and Ladakh districts picked up the gauntlet. 40 of that ilk, volunteered for the adventure into unchartered territory. Two nursing orderlies, three wireless operators and Sub Bhim Chand, maternal uncle of officer cousins, made up a sub unit called ‘Leh Det’. Crossing two Himalayan Passes above 11,000 ft, at sub zero temperatures, frequented by snow blizzards reached Leh on foot covering 315 kms in 9 days. Besides his personal weapon, each soldier was given a bandolier of 50 rounds of ammunition and one extra rifle and two month rations hoping that after sometime air supplies to Leh will resume. On 16 February 1948, ‘Leh Det’ left for Sonamarg on unit transport. On 17th February, straddled their loads on local ponies, they set out from Baltal for Leh. As the pony owners came to know of going to Leh, they vanished. Due to heavy snow at Zojila, Maj Prithvi Chand was asked to abandon all provisions and the extra rifle and somehow reach Kargil where they will be replenished by the stocks of the state forces. With experience of snow at Lahul -Spiti, Maj Prithvi Chand decided to cross Zojila at mid night hours by using drum beat vibrations of empty utensils to trigger avalanches. Accordingly on the night of 24 February, Zojila was crossed without any loss of life. This was herculean achievement as they had none of the specialized snow clothing and accessories. In Brig Sen’s words, “it called for unbound courage, determination and stamina to do so”. They rested at Kargil till 2 March, arranged porters / ponies and 200 Rifles from State Forces Armory with food provisions and set out for Leh, covering 249 kms to a rousing welcome by locals by sundown on 8th March 1948. Knowing that their mission was too big for their strength, they integrated 25 soldiers of the state force left behind by Maj Thapa. They also persuaded 200 able bodied Ladakhis to undergo training in the use of rifles. By mid April, they created what is today ‘Ladakh and Nubra Scouts’. Maj Prithvi Chand simultaneously involved civilians to clear an open and broad ground patch between Leh town and Indus River. By end April, Maj Prithvi Chand was able to report to Gen Thimayya of readiness of an Air Strip. Little did he know than that Gen Thimayya himself will land there in the very first sortie of a Dakota piloted by Air Commodore Mehar Singh on 24 May 1948 and create an enviable landmark in the world of Aviation History.
Pakistan remained obsessed with the capture of Skardu. Maj Thapa rebuffed all their attempts to invade Skardu. So in May 1948, enemy diverted a sizeable force to capture Kargil-Zojila Ridge line to block all avenues of reinforcements to Leh. Aware of presence of enemy in Kargil, Maj Prithvi Chand dispatched Capt Kaushal Chand with few soldiers to defend the only bridge over Indus at Kaltse, the gateway to Leh. The enemy showed up on 22 May 1948. Capt Kaushal, finding numerically hopelessly outnumbered set ablaze the centuries old wooden Bridge and gained valuable time. On May 28th, Air Commodore Mehar Singh led four Dakotas to land a Company of 2/4 GR at Leh with its support weapons, adequate ammunition and logistical wherewithal. This was unprecedented military advantage to Leh Det’s three month long singular stand in Ladakh.
Meanwhile Sub Bhim Chand, with 80 armed local militia men checkmated and inflicted heavy casualties on enemy intruders, estimated 900, in Shyok and Nubra valleys in two nail biting actions. He was awarded much merited Vir Chakra with Bar. Maj Prithvi Chand and Capt Kaushal Chand were awarded MVC. During the time when Capt Kaushal Singh was engaged in lighting the Bridge afire, Nk Bir Singh kept the enemy at bay, got fatally wounded and was awarded Vir Chakra posthumous. The moment of honour also belonged to Sep Togbe, the first Leh Militia volunteer who showed boundless courage in the Shyok valley encounters. He too was awarded Vir Chakra. Gen Thimayya, the GOC paid this tribute, “the Leh Det, One Force Too Many” and placed on record that “their deeds and acts of gallantry against very superior enemy in the Ladakh valley will go down in the annals of the Indian Army as one of the greatest feat’. Today when we are feeling cold and shivering in Jammu and around, let us stretch our imaginations to climatic conditions in Ladakh. But for the madness of Leh Det, Ladakh would have been Pak Occupied Ladakh. Hence let us stand up in salute to the Leh Det’s spirit of devotion to duty and unflagging vision of field commanders who gifted Ladakh to India.
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