.JPG)
UDHAMPUR (J&K),The
Indian Army celebrated 65th Infantry Day with traditional solemnity and gaiety
all across the Northern Command today. On this occasion, Lt Gen HJS Sachdev,
the Chief of Staff of Northern Command, laid wreath on the “Dhruva Shahid
Smarak” in Udhampur, in remembrance and honour of all those members of the Infantry fraternity, who made the
supreme sacrifice for the honour and safety of the country in Jammu and
Kashmir. Similar memorial service were held all over J&K.
27 Oct, is celebrated as Infantry Day by the Indian Army as it
was on this day (27 Oct 1947) that a Company of Infantry ofThe First Battalion
of the SIKH Regiment was airlifted from Delhi to Srinagar, to liberate Kashmir
from the invading tribals supported by the Pakistan Army. This action was
ordered by PM Jawahar Lal Neharu after Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir
signed the Instrument of Accession, acceding his kingdom, “Jammu and Kashmir” to independent India. Another significance of
this day is that it was on this day in 1947 that India as an independent
nation was first time engaged in operations against an aggressor.
Infantry, It is the
largest fighting arm of the Indian Army, also popularly known as the
"Queen of the Battle”, it is the backbone of the Indian Army and
its soldiers bear the main brunt in any battle. Physical fitness, aggression
and discipline are the basic qualities required in these men. The Infantry
units of Indian Army have been modernized, equipped and trained to make the
Indian Army amongst the best in the world.
On this occasion it
would be pertinent to recollect that Pakistan Army had launched ‘Operation
Gulmarg’ in early October 1947 using tribals to annex Jammu and Kashmir.
Hostilities began in early October 1947, when a tribal rebellion was instigated
in Poonch in Southwest Kashmir. By 20thOctober the Pakistani Army
entered the conflict in support of the tribal forces. On 22nd October,
1947, a Lashkar of five thousand tribals invaded the Kashmir Valley from
Abbottabad. On 26thOctober 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh signed
the Instrument of Accession thus making Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of
India and the Indian Army was thereafter ordered to evict the invaders. The
entire campaign was predominantly Infantry centric and its commencement on 27
October 1947 is commemorated as ‘Infantry Day’.
The celebrations today
in the Northern Command were marked by laying of wreath at war memorials,
Sainik Sammelans and Sainik Bhojs. In his message to the Infantry, Lt Gen DS
Hooda, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (Army Commander) Northern
Command and senior-most Infantry officer in the region, complimented all
Infantrymen for their devotion to
duty and indomitable spirit while working under trying and difficult
conditions. He acknowledged their tremendous contribution in maintaining the
sanctity of the nation’s borders and fighting terrorism in J&K.
एक टिप्पणी भेजें