Bal K. Gupta
By August, 5, 2020, Gurkhas of Jammu have finally been given citizenship of Jammu and Kashmir which they deserved long time ago. Gurkhas living in and around Jammu city have a glorious past in saving Jammu & Kashmir from Pakistani invasion in 1947. Like Brigadier Rajinder Singh a Gurkha major Ram Saran Karki also laid down his life in defending Jammu and Kashmir. In 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh’s army, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAK Rifles)consisted mainly of three clans: The Hindu Dogras of Jammu, the Muslim Dogras of Jammu, and the Hindu Gurkhas from Nepal. Dogras are a martial community of Jammu and Gurkhas are a martial community of Nepal-most of them join the Indian army and British Army. After Pakistani invasion of October 22, 1947, the majority of the Muslim Dogras deserted the JAK Rifles and joined the Pakistan army. This happened all over the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and the situation in Mirpur was no exception. Thus, the total number of Hindu soldiers defending Mirpur was reduced to 800 due to desertion by the Muslim soldiers. Half of those 800 soldiers were Gurkha. Mirpur was defended by remnants of 2 JAK Rifles and 3 JAK Rifles consisting of Hindu Dogras and Hindu Gurkhas. And their commander was Major Ram Saran Karki, also a Gurkha. Following are excerpts from my book “Forgotten Atrocities: Memoirs of a Survivor of the 1947 Partition of India”.
On October 17, the Pakistani army launched a concerted attack on various towns of the Mirpur district. Jammu and Kashmir army commanders in Mirpur determined that defending the Hindu and Sikh population in small towns was impossible under the constant artillery fire from Pakistanis. Therefore, they ordered the outposts of Chechian and Alibeg to withdraw to Mirpur bringing with them the Hindu and Sikh civilians of the area. On this occasion, Major Ramsaran Karki offered to relieve the besieged towns. With his military skills and bravery, he outwitted the Pakistanis and safely extricated the whole company of Jammu and Kashmir soldiers and the Hindu and Sikh civilian refugees from Chechian and Alibeg to Mirpur City.
On October 17, the Pakistani army attacked with full strength garrisons at Chaumukh Hill and Dadyal. They also blocked all roads and tracks, suspending vehicular traffic to and from Mirpur City. After the fall of Alibeg and Chechian, the Jammu and Kashmir army commanders in Mirpur asked their troops to concentrate on the town of Dadyal.
The Pakistani army, estimated to be three companies, surrounded the lone company of the Jammu and Kashmir army at Dadyal. The Jammu and Kashmir army did not have any communications with headquarters at Mirpur City. They had neither food nor rest, and the Pakistani Army had blocked all withdrawal routes to Mirpur City. We, the people in Mirpur City, could hear heavy firing at Dadyal. The Jammu and Kashmir army in Dadyal resisted successive Pakistani army attacks until October 21. On October 21 and 23, the Jammu and Kashmir Army commanders in Mirpur dispatched two army columns to relieve the beleaguered town of Dadyal, but neither of these two columns was able to break through the Pakistani army blockade.
Finally, Major Ramsaran Karki volunteered to go out to relieve the besieged garrison. On October 24, Major Karki collected a number of volunteers from different companies of the Jammu and Kashmir army and left Mirpur City for Dadyal at 2:00 A.M. By 7:00 A.M., on October 25, the relief column of Major Karki joined them in Dadyal and the two columns jointly fought their way to Mirpur city, reaching headquarters at 10:00 A.M. At this time, about one thousand Hindus and Sikhs of Chaumukh and Dadyal also left for Mirpur City. I witnessed the arrival of buses full of Hindu and Sikh refugees coming from the town of Dadyal and from the Poonch River side.
On November 25, the Mirpur defenses fell to the onslaught of the Pakistani army and Pathans. At that time, the Jammu and Kashmir army commanders of Mirpur left behind a rear guard company to engage the Pakistani army and prevent them from pursuing the caravan (column) of refugees. This company was under the command of Major Ramsaran Karki.
They fought the Pakistanis with the full fury of Gurkhas and Dogras, killing many Pakistani soldiers and Pathans in the process. On November 26, the Pakistanis heavily engaged Major Karki and his company. A large number of Pakistani soldiers and Pathans surrounded their positions and the lone company of the Jammu and Kashmir army ran out of ammunition. Hindu Gurkha and Dogra soldiers fought to the “last man and last round.” The notable soldiers, who laid down their lives on November 26, were Major Ramsaran Karki, Captain Pramod Singh, Captain P.N. Kanwar, Lieutenant Kishan Singh, Sargent Major Saran Dass, and fifteen other rank soldiers.
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Follow our WhatsApp channel