CHUSHUL SECTOR-HEROES OF REZANG LA

After retirement, I was packing my belonging to shift to new house as I had to vacate Government accommodation. I had collected lot papers and photographs during my years of service .A photograph of my visit to Chushul brought back memories of Chushul.

I had accompanied Mr Ram Vilas Paswan the then Miniser of Communication, on his visit to Leh and forward areas of Ladakh during first week of September 2000. Highlights of trip were visits to Siachen ,Thoise and Daulat Beg Oldi. Incidentally, Mr George Fernandes was also present at Thoise. After Inauguration of Satellite Earth station, we moved over to Daulat Beg Oldi. Here the programme was to hand over Inmarsat telephones to Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel posted at this remote post. Inmarsat phone would bring them in close contact with families and friends. DOT as a special gesture to armed forces in Ladakh had provided Inmarsat phones on normal STD PCO charges. Next day’s programme was to go to Chushul to handover telephones .Chushul as readers will recall was last village Chima had stopped due to stiff resistance offered by Indian Army.

Part Map of Ladakh(source Internet)

Battle of Rezang La in Chushul sector has a proud place in memory of Indians, who were demoralized by defeat at hands of Chinese in 1962. Chushul is remembered by Indians because of heroic resistance offered by Major Shaitan Singh and his jawans of 13th Kamaou Battalion .I did some research on Internet to bring out history of Battle of Rezang-La in Chushul sector.

Traditional welcome at Chushul air strip

Chushul is at height of about 4300 meters above sea level. It is a small village in a narrow sandy valley about 40Kms long and 6 Kms wide, flanked by mountains that rise to over 6000 m. At the northern end touches the Pangong Tso, a deep saltwater lake nearly a 160 Kms long. It is popular tourist destination for people visiting Leh. Near Chushul there is a gap in the mountains called the Spanggur Gap that leads to another beautiful lake called Spanggur Tso which also extends well into Chinese territory.

Pangong Tso

During the 1962 Indo-China conflict, 13 Kumaon was deployed in Chushul sector. The C Company of the battalion led by Major Shaitan Singh held a crucial position at Rezang La. The company area was defended by three platoon positions and the surrounding terrain isolated it from the rest of the battalion. This was a massive feature of 5180 metres. They were deployed over a 2 km frontage with a total of 118 men. The 3 platoons namely 7th was 3000 m north of the pass, 9th led was 1000 m south of 7th platoons position and 8th platoon was deployed a further 1400 m south with company headquarters behind them along with the 3 inch mortars. Although they were well entrenched they did not have mines as well as adequate overhead protection for the command posts.

Rezang La was attacked on November 18th in the morning. At 0500 hours when the visibility improved both platoons opened up on the advancing enemy with rifles, light machine guns, grenades and mortars. The survivors took position behind boulders and the dead bodies. The enemy subjected Indian positions to intense artillery and mortar fire. Soon about 350 Chinese troops commenced advance. This time, No.9 Platoon, which held fire till the enemy was within 90 meters opened up with all weapons in their possession. Within minutes, the enemy was reduced to a number of dead bodies.

Unsuccessful in frontal attack, the enemy comprising about 400 soldiers, attacked from the rear of the company position. They simultaneously opened intense MMG (medium machine gun) fire on the No.8 Platoon. This attack was restricted. The enemy then resorted to heavy artillery and mortar shelling.

An assault group of 120 Chinese then charged the No.7 Platoon position from the rear. However 3 inch Indian mortar killed many of them. When 20 survivors charged the post, about a dozen Kumaonis rushed out of their trenches to engage them in a hand-to-hand combat. Meanwhile, the enemy brought up fresh reinforcements. The encirclement of the No.7 Platoon was now complete. The platoon, however, fought valiantly till there was no survivor. No.8 Platoon also fought bravely to the last man and last round.*

Major Shaitan Singh, the Company Commander, displayed exemplary leadership and courage in the battle of Rezang La. He led his troops most admirably. Unmindful of his personal safety, he moved from one platoon post to another and encouraged his men to fight. While moving among the posts he was seriously wounded. But he continued to fight along with his men.

Major Shaitan Singh was being evacuated by two of his comrades. The Chinese brought heavy machine gun fire on them. Major Shaitan Singh sensed danger to lives of his jawans and ordered them to leave him. They placed him behind a boulder on the slopes of a hill, where he breathed his last. In this action, 109 Kumaonis were killed. The Chinese suffered much greater losses. After the war was over, the body of Major Shaitan Singh was found at the same place. It was flown to Jodhpur and cremated with full military honours and later posthumously awarded Param Veer Chakra.

Major Shaitan and jawans succeeded in blunting the Chinese attack killing about 1000 Chinese. Thereafter, the Chinese did not push further towards Chushul. The story of valor of Major Shaitan Singh and his men brought sense of pride to Indians in those depressing days, when Indian armed forces were outnumbered and over run in many of battles in Eastern and Western Sectors. A small memorial has been erected at Chushul which says:

“How can a Man die Better than facing Fearful Odds,
For the Ashes of His Fathers and the Temples of His Gods”,

To the sacred memory of the Heroes of Rezang La,
114 Martyrs of 13 Kumaon who fought to the Last Man,
Last Round, Against Hordes of Chinese on 18 November 1962.
Built by All Ranks 13th Battalion, The Kumaon Regiment.

* Source : Battle of Chushul by L N Subramanian

Major Shaitan Singh

Citation for Award of Param Vir Chakra to

Major Shaitan Singh

CITATION

1.        Major Shaitan Singh was commanding a company of an infantry battalion deployed at Razangala in the Chushul Sector at a height of about 17,000 feet. The locality was isolated from the main defended sector and consisted of five defended platoon positions. On 18 November 1962, the Chinese subjected the company position to heavy artillery, mortar and small arms fire and attacked in overwhelming strength in successive waves. Against heavy odds, our troops beat back the enemy attack. During the action, Major Shaitan Singh dominated the scene of operations, and moved at great personal risk from one platoon post to another sustaining the morale of his hard-pressed platoon posts. While doing so he was seriously wounded but continued to encourage and lead his men who, following his brave example, fought gallantly and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. For every man lost by us, the enemy lost four to five. When Major Shaitan Singh fell disabled by wounds in his arms and abdomen, his men tried to evacuate him but came under heavy machine gun fire. Major Shaitan Singh ordered his men to leave him to his fate in order to save their lives.

2. Major Shaitan Singh`s supreme courage, leadership and exemplary devotion to duty inspired his company to fight almost to the last man.

Ramesh Lalwani

18.12 2005

CHRISTMAS in OLDEST CHURCHES in MUMBAI

I was in Mumbai during last week of December 2006. On 22^nd December The Times of India carried a special report on celebrations planned for Christmas by oldest churches in city .I was living in Colaba area so decided to visit two Cathedral namely St.Thomas Cathedral and Holy Name Cathedral and share photos with fellow members of mangalorean.com. Complete article by Anahita Mukherji can be seen at below mentioned URL.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Archive/skins/pastissues2/navigator.asp?login=ramesh_lalwani&AW=1167840629625

The Portuguese and the British, the two colonial powers who came and stayed in Mumbai, gave the city its oldest churches. Since the Catholic Portuguese preceded the Anglican British, the oldest churches were theirs, says Historic Churches of Bombay author Ragavendra Kannan. That is also why this article — about some of the city’s oldest Christian places of worship — mainly features Catholic churches. — Anahita Mukherji | TNN

MOUNT MARY’S BASILICA, BANDRA


Was pulled down after a plague
The first avtar of the church was built in 1570. There is a dispute about whether it stood on the same site as it does now or a little farther off. It remains one of the most popular basilicas. It has been pulled down and rebuilt a number of times. One instance when it was pulled down was after the 1896 plague. The present building came up in 1904.

Confess and clean your souls
The basilica will be illuminated by thousands of bulbs by Christmas eve. And, with the onset of the season, sermons have started stressing on the importance of overcoming one’s pride and ego, spreading kindness and love and mending one’s ways. People have been asked to go for a special confession to cleanse their souls.

OUR LADY OF EXPECTATIONS (NOW HOLY NAME CATHEDRAL, COLABA)


Change of locale
The church was originally built in 1570 at the exact location where Victoria Terminus stands today. But the chapel was demolished in 1760 to build walls around the fort and was relocated to Azad Maidan. But this chapel, too, was pulled down in the 1940s and then relocated to Bhuleshwar. The new chapel, however, was also destroyed. Holy Name Cathedral in Colaba is looked upon as the successor of the old church.

Bridging the gap
A few days before Christmas, youngsters will sing carols on the streets of Colaba and a truck will carry a tableau depicting a scene from Jesus’s life. There will also be an inter-faith prayer meeting at the church.

GLORIA CHURCH, BYCULLA
An eventful past
Originally called the Nossa Senhora da Gloria (Our Lady of Glory) Church, it was built in 1590 in Mazgaon. But disputes between the Pedroado and Propaganda, two factions that ruled Catholic churches at the time, led to another church (Our Lady of the Rosary) being built near the original church. The government planned to build a railway line, where the church stood, in 1913 and the building was pulled down. The government funded the rebuilding of the church at Byculla.

Cribs with a message
A huge star is placed outside the church every Christmas. Crib competitions this year will concentrate on a message for families.

ST MICHAEL’S CHURCH, MAHIM


There since 1565
Traveller’s accounts say the church was built in the early sixteenth century but documented reports say the church was in existence since 1565. In 1854, when Bishop Hartmann lost control of the church, he raised funds and built Our Lady of Victory Church near St Michael’s. Both churches are still in
   existence. The current structure of St
   Michael’s Church was rebuilt in 1973.

A party for domestic workers
The youth from the parish will organise a dinner and dance programme along with an orchestra on December 29 . The social service wing of the church will organise a party for domestic workers in order to celebrate Christmas.

ST ANDREW’S CHURCH, BANDRA
Turn of the century
This popular Bandra church was built in 1600.

Giving joy to the homeless
Parishioners will gather in church and buy and sell items of use such as Christmas decorations. A little skit on the birth of Christ was performed on Thursday. A party for nearly 100 street children has been planned for the social outreach programme.

OUR LADY OF SALVATION (PORTUGUESE) CHURCH, DADAR


Designed anew
The church was originally built in 1610 but was rebuilt a couple of times since then. The structure, as we see it today, was designed by Charles Correa in 1973.

Helping the poor
One of the programmes this Christmas will involve feeding poor people in different zones. There will also be a Christmas party for children. A couple of days ago, there was a party for poor parishioners; they were given gift hampers with utility items.

ST THOMAS’S CATHEDRAL, FORT


An anniversary
The church opened its gates, for the first time, on Christmas day in 1718. The same structure stands today. The construction began in the 1670s, a decade after the British acquired Mumbai. But the construction was stalled when the city was attacked by the Siddis. H E Cox’s Story of St Thomas’s Cathedral says: ``The derelict building became a gathering place for badmashes and beggars.’’ But construction began again at a later date and was completed by 1718.

I first visited St. Thomas Cathedral in Fort area on 24^th morning. Here is a picture gallery of this church.

St. Thomas Cathedral Fort

St. Thomas Cathedral another view

Inside View

Choir practice in progress

Main Entrance

Altar

Sculpture

Stained Glass 1

Stained Glass2

Stained Glass 3

HOLY NAME CATHEDRAL

The second Cathedral I visited was in Colaba. As mentioned in TOI report it was shifted from Victoria Terminus and renamed as Holy Name Cathedral. Here are some photos showing interior.

Holy Name Cathedral Colaba

Holy Name Cathedral Stained Glass

Altar

Holy Name2

Christmas Decoration

All photos copy right Ramesh Lalwani

04.01.07

AMBALA- A LEAF FROM THE HISTORY

 

By Ramesh Lalwani, New Delhi [ Published Date: December 4, 2005 ]

Saint Paul's Church

I first heard about St.Paul's church in September 1965, during the days when Indo Pak war had just started and Ambala airfield was their chosen target. 9 O’clock news on All India Radio reported the attack on Ambala Cantt. It reported that Pakistan Air Force bomb strike missed air field but bombs hit the St.Paul’s church and nearby Military Hospital. The church was badly damaged in the attack. I dont recall the loss of life due to bombing.

I recently went to Ambala and made a point to visit the church. Ambala Cantonement is 200 Kms from Delhi. Being an important railway junction and cantonment, the Tribune newspaper and Postal department shifted their operations to this city after Partition. After Chandigarh was developed, The Tribune shifted to Chandigarh. Ambala Cantonement has not changed much. Cantonment area has beautiful bungalows in large plots. One of the oldest structures is that of St. Paul’s church. I have captured few photographs from different angles showing damage to the structure.

I am reproducing an article which appeared in The Tribune:

A LEAF FROM HISTORY

A church steeped in history By Rahul Das (Tribune News Service)

St Paul’s Church in Ambala Cantonment is one of the oldest church in the region. St Paul’s church, which was consecrated on January 4, 1857, was bombed during the 1965 Indo-Pak war. The bombing by a Pakistani aircraft considerably destroyed the beautiful church building and today only the church tower remains.

Presbyter SM Bhatty said that the St Paul’s church sustained extensive damage due to the bombing. Since then, a portion of the parsonage is being consecrated and used as church. Previously, the church compound was spread over 21 acres of land and now a large area has been acquired by the Air Force authorities for a school and other purposes.

The church was bombed in September, 1965. It is believed that the aircraft which bombed the church was hit by Air Force ground fire. Later that month, Mrs India Gandhi visited the church. The heavy metal bell was, thereafter, shifted to near the Parsonage. The bell, which has been built in England, has been mounted on two columns. The bombed church is now within the Air Force school complex.

An interesting fact which has come to light is about the spelling of Ambala. In old documents, Ambala is spelled as “Umballa”. However, this correspondent noticed a plaque of 1884 which reads “In affectionate memory of Henry Wentworth Hughes, Lieutenant, Central India Horse, Son of General WT Hughes, CB, lately commanding the Sirhind Division, who entered into his rest December 1st, 1884. Deeply regretted by his friends in Ambala.” This is perhaps one of the first reference to Umballa being spelt as Ambala.

The work on the St Paul Cathedral began in 1855. The building work was carried out by the British Army who first built a wooden model of the church. During the first war of Independence in 1857, Britishers took refuge in the church.

On April 3, 1925, a meeting of 25 members was held. The meeting was presided over by Lt Col GC Hobson. After the meeting, it was shifted from Church of England to Lahore Diocese. In April 1925, Harold Spooner was made Chaplain of Ambala. Following partition in 1947, it was shifted from Diocese of Lahore to Amritsar Diocese. Thereafter, it was shifted from Amritsar Diocese to Diocese of Delhi.

Presbyter SM Bhatty said that Air Force authorities were planning to turn the bombed church into a war memorial chapel. He said that St Paul’s church was a garrison church as it was located in the cantonment. He stated that British troops used to offer prayers at the church before going on military campaigns.

MY PAKISTAN VISIT

D.J.SINDH COLLEGE

Market Scene

These days, visit of Mr. L.K.Advani to Pakistan and his home town Karachi has been has been in news and Hurryiat conference leaders have taken bus ride on Srinagar -Muzafabad route to visit POK.I can understand sentiments one has to visit place of birth. I, like people born in areas now in Pakistan ,always had a desire to visit the house where I had spent my first four years.

I was born in Karachi. After Partition my parents, thought they could continue to live there but ugly turn of events in Punjab made Sindhis to rethink about their future and safety. There were riots in Karachi also so my parents decided to leave Pakistan.. We left Karachi for Bombay in Feb 1948 by ship which was safest passage to India. I still remember my first journey by ship .I was very excited and enjoyed the trip not realizing the consequences of being uprooted from motherland.

I was lucky to get a chance to visit Pakistan in 1989 as a member of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).The delegation was to visit Pakistan telecom factories in Islamabad . Trip to Islamabad was uneventful except a faux pas by some functionary in Telecom factory, who had hoisted Indian National flag upside down along with flags of other participating countries. I immediately noticed mistake and brought to notice of our hosts. This is a quite common happening. During recent visit of Pakistan President Gen Musharraf to Jaipur, his pilot had displayed our flag upside down. The mistake was corrected immediately after landing. Our host was Pakistan T&T Department .I was received at Islamabad airport by a Divisional Engineer Telegraph (DET). At that time Pakistan T&T Department was Government Department and had similar designation as Department of Telecom India i.e. Director General was head of department with ADET DET etc at different levels. They looked after delegates with utmost care and hospitality. They also arranged a trip to the famous hill station Murree close to Islamabad. For my return journey, I had booked ticket to Karachi ,so that I could visit my birth place and then to Bombay ,where I had fixed up a meeting. I was accompanied by delegates from Bangla Desh, who were traveling to Dhaka from Karachi. We were received by PTT engineers, who put us up in a hotel in Sadr area.My father Dr.Lekhraj Rochiram Lalwani F.R.C.S.;D.O.M.S had his clinic inSadr area opposite small causes court. In evening they showed us around and took us to famous Kulfi shop run by a Sindhi brother. Next day, I went Indian Consulate at Clifton. Clifton was a posh area, even before the Partition. Consulate was housed in a beautiful building. It was here, after meeting Mr.Sharma my worries started. I was told that Indians have to exit from port of entry only, as such I have to go back to Lahore. .I told Mr. Sharma that going back would cost me lot of money and I have to be Bombay for the meeting. Mr.Sharma was extremely helpful and went to police department. With great deal of effort and running around to different offices, he could get me relaxation letter to exit from Karachi .

Once I got the required letter. I embarked upon my aim to the trip to visit my birth place .I had collected some information about address from my elder relatives .I reached the area and I could go to park where I used to go play. It was called Ram Bagh but now it had become Aram Bagh. A large impressive masjid had also come up .It is believed by Hindus that Ram and Sita had spent a night here before proceeding to Hinjlai in Baluchistan. There was also a pond here along with a garden and a small Hindu temple. It was an important Hindu pilgrimage site .However, after Partition, with influx of immigrants in Karachi, empty spaces including that inside Ram Bagh, were quickly occupied .I learnt that this masjid came up in 60’s

Aram Bagh Mosque

I could locate a nearby Gur Mandir (Gurdwara) where my Masi ji used to go for prayers. In Sindh, Gurdwaras and Mandirs are co-located and all Hindu Gods and Sikh Gurus are worshipped. This Gur Mandir (Gurdwara) is presently sealed due to conflict between Hindus and Sikhs.

Gur Mandir

Author with Sewaks

Unfortunately, I could no reach my birth place. The building was called Chopsi building. My enquiries from local people were not fruitful, perhaps building had been demolished and some multistoried flats had been constructed. As you would have read in newspapers Advaniji, also could not show his house to his children, as building had been demolished and replaced by multistoried flats. At the end of visit, I was happy; at least I could reach close to my place of birth. I am also grateful to Mr.Sharma for assistance given to me.

Ramesh Lalwani

17.6.2005