Bravest of Brave Indian Soldier Abdul Hamid PVC

A soldier in the 4th Grenadiers of the Indian Army, he destroyed 7 Patton tanks of the enemy and went down fighting in the Khem Karan sector during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965

Emblazoned on one wing of an army building in the Cantonment area of Bangalore was the name, ‘Abdul Hamid Barracks’. A few years ago, due to renovation perhaps, the placard was removed. Who was Abdul Hamid, I asked myself. He was, it was apparent, a great soldier who had served his country faithfully and well. A little research yielded the moving and inspiring story of a very brave man — a modern-day hero.

Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid was a soldier in the 4th Grenadiers, Indian Army and went down fighting in the Khem Karan sector during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965. Even as a child, he was no stranger to the traditions and rigours of army life. His father was Lance Naik Usman Farooqi.

In 1965, when war broke out between India and Pakistan, Abdul Hamid had already completed ten years of service in the Indian army and won the Saniya Seva medal, Samai Seva medal and the Raksha medal. The enemy’s offensive was aimed at Aknoor in Jammu. Their goal was to cut off communication and supply routes to the Indian forces on the border of Jammu and Kashmir. The 4th Grenadiers occupied a vital area near Chima village on the road to Khem Karan. Firm hold of this area was essential for the Indian plan of defence. On September 8, the enemy made repeated attacks on the Grenadiers’ position, but was repulsed each time. The most serious assault came when the enemy advanced with a regiment of Patton tanks. So intense was the attack that a shell littered every yard of ground occupied by the Indian battalion. Hamid was in command of a recoilless gun detachment. He moved out to a flank with his gun mounted on a jeep.

Intense enemy firing did nothing to deter him. From his new position he knocked out the leading tank with accurate fire. Then changing position, he disabled another. By now the enemy had spotted him and employed machine guns and explosives to bring him down. As he hit another enemy tank, he was mortally wounded by a high explosive shell.

Throughout this blistering attack, he had inspired his comrades to put up a gallant fight. The enemy was routed. They never made it past Khem Karan. Approximately 97 Pakistani tanks were destroyed or abandoned during this battle.

Abdul Hamid did not live to see the next day or share in the joy of victory that came after three days of intense fighting. He was awarded the highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra, posthumously. His citation gives him credit for destroying three tanks. He had in fact destroyed seven.

Today he lies in a modest grave at a place commemoratively called Assal Uttar (‘Befitting Reply’). A fading plaque records his heroic deeds. He had stood up single-handedly in India’s most famous win in the 1965 War. According to the caretaker there, only a handful of visitors come on his death anniversary every September 10.

One can make a note some important developments, though. This decisive win exposed the vulnerability of the M 48 Patton Tanks. They had been supplied by the United States to Pakistan. They were withdrawn completely and replaced with M60 Patton Tanks. India set up a War Memorial in Khem Karan, where the captured Patton tanks are displayed.
 

भारतवर्ष के वीर सपूत अब्दुल हमीद, जिन्होंने अकेले दम पर पाकिस्तान के 7 टैंक नष्ट किये थे, के शहादत दिवस (10 सितम्बर ) शत-शत नमन

A stamp was issued in Hamid’s honour in 2000. A television serial featuring Naseeruddin Shah was also produced. But by and large, today Hamid is a forgotten hero. His spirit fortunately lives on. Very few are probably aware that the intrepid social activist, Anna Hazare, was present and active during this period of valour and glory. A comrade of Abdul Hamid, his assignment was to carry firearms and bombs to the border. In the fierce engagement all his fellow-soldiers became martyrs. He was the only survivor. It was an experience that affected him profoundly, making ‘Service to the Nation’ the moving force of his.  Article by -- Leela Ramaswamy

The Brave : Param Vir Chakra Capt. Gurbachan Singh Salaria

Two bullets had pierced his neck. The blood was seeping down and soaking his shirt. Right ahead he could see the gendarmerie running away. Some of his brave and gutsy Gorkhas were still giving chase.

He did not resist when an immense weariness enveloped him. He had lost too much blood. His task had been achieved and he was at peace. Closing his eyes, Capt Gurbachan Singh Salaria of 3/1 Gorkha Rifles, dropped his rifle and fell, drifting into unconsciousness from which he would never awaken.

Many years earlier, when Salaria had joined the Gorkha Rifles, he had been told that his regiment’s motto was: It is better to die than to be a coward: Kafar hunu bhanda marnu ramro.

Salaria had lived up to the motto. Salaria fancied himself a palmist. Before the Congo deployment in February 1961, he had visited Chotta Shimla for some work and run into an excise officer, who used to read people’s palms.

Reading Salaria’s hand, the officer told him that there was a star on his mount of Jupiter, which would bring him great fame. Salaria took the prediction very seriously and would often point it out to fellow officers in lighter moments.

Maj Gen RP Singh recalls Salaria showing him his own right hand. He pointed out the star on his mount of Jupiter. ‘Wait and see, this star will take me to great heights,’ he said. Singh had leaned over to feel the mount, but only out of politeness. ‘I just shrugged it off as I never took his knowledge of palmistry seriously,’ the general recounts.

‘I did not know that his day of reckoning and attaining fame was just a few days away. Or that he would never know of this fame since it would come when he was in his heavenly abode,’ he says quietly.

Gurbachan Singh Salaria was born on 29 November 1935 in a village called Janwal, near Shakargarh, now in Pakistan. The second of five children, he was a favourite of his grandmother, who would tie a black thread around his waist to keep the evil eye away from him.

Gurbachan’s father Munshi Ram was in the Armoured Corps of the British Indian Army and would move from one Army cantonment to another, coming home only on annual or casual leave.

When he did come home, it was celebration time. Friends and family would drop in to listen to his awe-inspiring tales of faraway places where soldiers performed great acts of bravery. Little Gurbachan and his siblings would listen to their father in rapt attention. Quite possibly this is how Gurbachan was inspired to be courageous.

Gurbachan would go to school regularly, but was always more occupied with games and outdoor activities rather than studying. He was a good kabaddi player, and continued to be good at sports even after he cleared the entrance to King George’s Royal Military College (KGRMC), Bangalore. Though he was initially rejected in the physical exam because his chest was found to be an inch less than the stipulated measurements, he was given a month to try again. He took the challenge head on, drinking one litre of goat’s milk every day and exercising passionately.

When he went back for his medical, he had managed to increase his chest by two-and-a-half inches and was immediately admitted. He joined the college in August 1946 as a cadet. In 1947, he was transferred to KGRMC Jullundur, which was closer to his village.

When he was in his second year, Gurbachan and a friend were once bullied and insulted by another cadet. Gurbachan’s self-respect took a blow but he challenged the bully to a boxing match the next day. He boxed with such fury that the bully was knocked out and had to apologise. The operation in Congo was very reminiscent of this incident; where Gurbachan took on a much bigger and better equipped enemy fighting force just because he wanted to teach them a lesson in war ethics.

Gurbachan went on to the National Defence Academy and then the Indian Military Academy. He joined 2/3 Gorkha Rifles in July 1954 where he was nicknamed Khan Saheb by his commanding officer because of his cropped hair cut and upturned moustache.

In March 1960, he received orders, transferring him to 3/1 Gorkha Rifles. And that was where General R P Singh, who was then the battalion adjutant, met him. General Singh found Salaria to be a simple man, spartan and very careful with money, unlike other young officers, many of whom had extravagant tastes. In fact, Salaria once told him, he recalled, that he was sending money home to finance the education of his younger brother Sukhdev, at college in Jammu.

Sukhdev is now 75 and lives in Pathankot. He is bedridden and has lost his sense of balance, but he remembers fondly how, when he and Gurbachan were little boys - Gurbachan was older by two years - they would go swimming in the small stream that ran across their village.

‘We had no worries then; we would splash around in the stream. What beautiful days they were. Now Gurbachan is gone and I can’t walk, but whenever I think of him that is the first memory that streams into my head,’ says the old man, sinking back into silence. He has more memories to recount but his strength fails him.

Source : New Indian Express

Param Vir Chakra TV Serial Episodes Stories

Param Vir Chakra is an Indian serial portraying the real life of Param Vir Chakra gallantry award winners, India's highest military honour. The serial was directed by Chetan Anand and aired on Doordarshan channel in 1980's.

Param Vir Chakra TV serial Episode 

Major Somnath Sharma

Major Somnath Sharma of the 4th Battalion, the Kumaon regiment, was the first soldier of Indian armed forces to be awarded the Param Vir Chakra. Though his left arm was in plaster he led his men to battle against Pakistani raiders to secure Srinagar airfield on 3rd November1947.His last message was:"The enemy is only 50 yards away from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I will fight to the last man and the last round." He was killed in an explosion shortly after sending the message, but his soldiers fought like men possessed and held on till reinforcements arrived, after which the enemy was beaten back. Major Sharma was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthomously in 1950, the year the award was instituted.

 

Param Vir Chakra TV serial Episode

Naik Jadunath Singh

Naik Jadunath Singh was in command of a forward post in Kashmir during the 1947-48 operation there. The enemy attacked early one Feb morning. Jadunath and his men beat back the attack but four of them were wounded. The second attack came shortly afterwards. The nine men in the picket were heavily outnumbered and soon all of them were bleeding from variuos wounds but Jadunath spurred them on with words of encouragement. When his gunner was hit he took over the gun himself and the accuracy of his fire power and his daring forced the enemy to withdraw. Jadunath Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously. When the third attack came, Jadunath rushed out firing from his sten gun. The enemy was taken back in surprise and fled in disorder. However two bullets hit Jadunath, one in the head and other in the chest. He died of his wounds but he had saved his picket from being overrun by the enemy.

Param Vir Chakra TV serial Episode 

 Lt RAMA RAGHOBA RANE

In April 1948 at the height of the Jammu and Kashmir Operations, the Indian advance towards Rajauri was held up by several enemy road blocks and mine fields. But over a period of two days, by the 10th of April, 2nd Lt. Ramaa Raghoba Rane and his men of the corps of Engineers had cleared the area of mine fields despite losing two sappers in the operation. Despite the injuries sustained by Rane and five others, they worked through all the night of 8-9th April preparing a safe lane for the armour advance. Next morning braving incessant enemy machine gun fire they cleared a huge road block surrounded by mines within two hours.When the Indian progress was held up by another roadblock 13 kms ahead, an unfazed Rane drove up to it in a tank and blasted the obstructions away. A day later he again worked for seventeen hours to open up the road to Chingas and beyond. Without the Herculean efforts, the Indian advances to Rajuari might never have happened. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his ' grim determination and tireless diligence.

 

Param Vir Chakra TV serial Episode 

Lance Naik Karam Singh

Lance Naik Karam Singh was in command of a forward post in the Tithwal sector during the Jammu & Kashmir operations in 1948. The enemy attacked the outpost again and again, eight times in all but despite being heavily outnumbered Karam Singh and his men beat back every attack. Though wounded Karam Singh crawled from place to place encouraging his men to fight on. He refused to be evacuated even when wounded a second time. At one stage whe it looked as if the enemy would break through, he drove him back with hand grenades. During one attack two enemy soldiers almost reached the trenches. If Karam Singh had fired he might have hit his own men so he leaped out of the trench and bayoneted the two men. Awed by his fury the other enemy soldiers turned and fled abandoning all the ideas of capturing the post. Lance Naik Karam Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his heroic defence of his post.

Param Vir Chakra TV serial Episode 

Company Havildar Major Piru Singh

During an Indian offensive in the Tithwal sector in July 1948, a Company of 6 Rajputana Rifles came under heavy fire while traversing a mountainous path. Seeing his comrades mowed down by machine guns, Company Havildar Major Piru Singh was filled with rage. Shouting his battle cry"Raja Ramchandra ki Jai" he charged the enemy by post. Grenade splinters pierced several parts of his body but that could not stop him. He bayoneted the crew of the machine gun and occupied the post. Bleeding profusely he crawled to the next enemy gun post and on reaching it, leaped into the enemy trench and then fell down dead. On the night of 14/15 April ,1948, he marched his men 13 kms to launch a drawn attack on the enemy at Kopra which was defended by two companies with more in reserve. The surprise attack however evened the odds in favour of the outnumbered Indians. The enemy was routed. Company Havildar Major Piru Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for the extraordinary courage he had shown while confronting the enemy.

Param Vir Chakra TV serial Episode 

CAPTAIN GURBACHAN SINGH SALARIA

Captain Salaria was posthumously honoured with the Param Vir Chakra for his inspiring leadership and courage. In 1961,Captain Gurubachan Singh Salaria was part of a 3000-strong Indian Contingent, Deployed by the UN in Congo to end the Civil war. On 5 th December, a company of the Gorkha Rifles established a road block at a strategic roundabout. Captain Salaria leading a platoon that sought to establish a link up with the company, encountered heavy firing from well-entrenched rebel forces. The Captain and his men charged at the enemy with bayonets, Khukris and hand grenades. In the sharp and swift operation, 40 enemy soldiers were killed and two of their armored cars destroyed. The demoralized enemy fled from the scene of the battle. Captain Salaria, who was wounded in the neck a burst of enemy automatic fire, continued to fight till the very end. He succumbed to his injuries soon after but his gallant action had prevented the enemy from encircling the UN positions.

Param Vir Chakra TV serial Episode 

Major Shaitan Singh

Icy wings chilled the soldiers to their bone but they could not relax their guard. The enemy was coming. Then just before the dawn the Chinese attacked. Platoons 7 and 8 of C company of a battalion of the Kumaon Regiment, led by Major Shaitan Singh took the brunt of the attack.7 Platoon was encircled and wiped out. 8 Platoon too fought to the last man. The company Commander, Major Singh, unmindful of his personal safety moved from platoon to platoon to encourage his men even after he was hit by bullets.Two soldiers tried to move him to a safer place but when he sensed danger to them to leave him. They kept him behind a boulder on the slope of a hill. His body was found there after the war. Major Shaitan Singh was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his courage and leadership.

Param Vir Chakra TV serial Episode

Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid

During the 1965 Indo -Pak conflict the 4 Grenadiers occupied the vital position near China on the Khem Karan Bhikhiwind road. Its two-fold plan was to capture Pak, territory east of Icchogil Canal and repulse a possible enemy attack on Kasur-Khem Karan area. On the night of September 8 Pakistan repeatedly attacked the grenadiers position but was repelled. On September 10 an enemy regiment of Patton tanks attacked preceded by intense artillery shelling. Soon the Indian forward company positions had been penetrated. Seeing the precarious condition they were in Havildar Abdul Hamid moved out to a flank with his gun mounted on a jeep. Braving intense shelling he knocked out the leading enemy tank. Changing his position he knocked out another. Though spotted by the enemy who trained their guns on him, he kept up relentless firing. As he hit yet another enemy tank, he was mortally wounded by an exploding shell. His action inspired his comrades who fought hard and repelled the attack. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his defiant valour.

Param Vir Chakra TV serial Episode 

Major Hoshiar Singh

Deployed on India's western front in December 1965, the 3 Grenadiers led the advance into Shakargarh. Their task was to establish a bridgehead on the Basantar river. Commandeered by Major Hoshiar Singh, the Grenadiers attacked Jarpal, an enemy stronghold across the river. The Grenadiers came under intense artillery fire but the enemy was finally dislodged from jarpal after a fierce hand to hand struggle. The Pakistani retaliated with a strong armored attack. As the battle raged , Major Singh moved among his men , within the trenches, putting his life into risk.In second enemy Attack that followed the next day, Major singh was wounded as he moved in the trenches. When his crew manning the machine-gun fire, Major Singh took over the gun and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. Though In deep pain, Major Singh refused to be evacuated and held on till the cease-fire was declared. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his gallantry

2nd Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal

Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, son of Brigadier M L Khetarpal, was born on October 14, 1950, in Pune, Maharashtra. He was commissioned in the 17 Poona Horse on June 13, 1971. During the 1971 Indo-Pak War, the 47 Infantry Brigade, with the 17 Poona Horse under command, was ordered to establish a bridge-head across the Basantar River in Shakargarh sector. Khetarpal fiercely attacked the enemy strong points and captured many enemy soldiers and recoilless guns at gunpoint. He destroyed several enemy tanks. In the thick of the battle, Khetarpal's tank also received a shot and burst into flames. But realising the useful role of his tank in preventing a breakthrough, he set about destroying the remaining enemy tanks. At this stage his tank received a second hit. The brave Officer met his death denying the enemy the intended breakthrough. For his conspicuous gallantry, Khetarpal was honoured with the highest wartime gallantry medal, the Param Vir Chakra, posthumously. 

Major Dhan Singh Thapa , 1/8 Gorkha Rifles 

Major Dhan Singh Thapa Major Dhan Singh Thapa, born on April 10, 1928 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, was commissioned in the 8 Gorkha Rifles on August 28, 1949. The Sirijap valley, north of the Pangong Lake in Ladakh, was considered vital for the defence of Chushul airfield. The 1/8 Gorkha Rifles had outposts there to thwart any enemy encroachment in the area. One of these outposts named Sirijap-1 was held by a platoon of 'D' Company under the command of Major Dhan Singh Thapa when the Chinese attack came on October 21, 1962. Major Thapa repulsed the attack, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. For his gallant act, Major Dhan Singh Thapa was honoured with the highest wartime gallantry medal, Param Vir Chakra.

We will add Remaining Episodes of Param Vir Chakra As soon As Possible ...

Param Vir chakra TV Serial Theme song - Doordarshan - शान तेरी कभी कम न हो INDIA

शान तेरी कभी कम न हो

SHAAN TERI KABHI KAM NA HO
AYE WATAN , MERE WATAN INDIA

शान तेरी कभी कम न हो
ए वतन ए वतन मेरे वतन मेरे वतन
आन तेरी कभी कम न हो
 ए वतन ए वतन मेरे वतन मेरे वतन
हम तराने तेरे प्यार के मरते मरते भी गाते रहे
 तेरे दीपक की लौ कम हो
इसलिए खून बहाते रहे
 तेरी धरती को चूमे गगन
 ए वतन ए वतन मेरे वतन मेरे वतन
तेरे आशिक दुआ कर चले,
हुस्न तेरा दमकता रहे,
सर हमर रहे न रहे,
तेरा माथा चमकता रहे तेरा महके हमेशा चमन
ए वतन ए वतन मेरे वतन मेरे वतन
शान तेरी कभी कम न हो
ए वतन ए वतन मेरे वतन मेरे वतन 

The Grenadiers - Sarvada Shaktishali (Ever Powerful)

The Grenadiers
Motto : Sarvada Shaktishali (Ever Powerful)

The Grenadiers are an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It has distinguished itself during the two world wars and also since the Independence of India. The regiment has won many battle honours and gallantry awards, with three Param Vir Chakra awardees in three different conflicts.

Param Vir Chakra Recipients

1. Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid, 4th Grenadiers - 1965.
2. Major Hoshiar Singh, 3rd Grenadiers - 1971.
3. Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18th Grenadiers - 1999. 

Battle Honours : Gurais, Assal Uttar, Jarpal and Chakra.
Honours & Awards : 3 Param Vir Chakras, 2 Ashok Chakras, 7 Maha Vir Chakras, 4 Kirti Chakras, 2 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 2 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 2 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, 33 Vir Chakras, 16 Shaurya Chakras, 3 Yudh Seva Medals, 71 Sena Medals and 27 Vishisht Seva Medals.