New Delhi: In ThePrint’s Cut The Clutter episode 456 aired on 28 April 2020, Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta had mentioned a Mahar Regiment story while paying tribute to late General K. Sundarji, the former Chief of Army Staff, on his birth anniversary.
Quoting Sundarji, he narrated an incident from the first war of Kashmir in 1947-48 when one platoon of the Army regiment “ran away” after the raiders attacked, while another valiantly faced the enemy — with the General making a point that “fear is infectious, and so is courage”.
In response to the episode, Brigadier (retd) Vivek Sohal, on behalf of veterans from the Mahar Regiment, has written to ThePrint, saying the part from “this otherwise well conceptualised, researched and delivered programme has left the Mahar Regiment Fraternity in deep anguish”.
The letter said the episode picked up “an unsuitable parallel with an unfortunate narrative that is short on facts” on the history of the Mahar Regiment.
Here are relevant excerpts from the letter:
“The programme (Cut The Clutter episode 456) deals mainly with the topic ‘Why Oxford team breaks ahead of the pack in COVID vaccine race, its science & prospects’. A logical, comprehensive and much needed exposition on the subject, and suffice it to say, your talk has been very well received for it brings hope to humanity.
“However, towards the end of the programme, while paying tribute to Late Gen K Sundarji, PVSM you had, in the manner of motivating your viewership to shed fear for courage to face COVID 19, ended up picking an unsuitable parallel with an unfortunate narrative that is short on facts on the subject history of the Mahar Regiment. This narrative has caused a great deal of mortification and consternation amongst the Mahar fraternity that needs earnest correction.”
The Narrative…
We got talking about fear and courage…Gen Sundarji said that all the talks of the fighting abilities of martial races, certain nationalities or religions over others were not true…it all depended on the environment…he gave example of his Mahar Regiment…in 1947-48, in Poonch area, one platoon of the regiment deployed on a hill feature ran away once attacked by the raiders…another platoon of the same battalion on an adjoining feature faced the enemy because their JCO stood up and charged at the raiders…he was beheaded by the raiders with a sword…a legend was built amongst the troops that the JCO kept fighting even headless and that’s what gave them courage… Gen Sundarji made a pertinent point that “fear is infectious, and so is courage”.
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Flaws in the Narrative
In 1947-48, Mahar battalions were Machine Gun (MG) battalions. The Machine Guns, by virtue of their Long Range, Automatic and Rapid Rate of Fire, were deployed with Infantry troops to engage enemy at distances beyond the short range of weapons authorised to individual soldiers. The MGs were deployed along with regular Infantry Battalions in support role(s) for Offensive, Defensive and Withdrawal operations in war. Owing to their being an effective long range automatic weapon, the said MGs were deployed in detachments in support of Infantry. Hence they were never deployed in Platoons.
In no eventuality would a platoon of MG battalion be deployed together and compactly; leave alone two platoons being deployed on neighbouring hills.
Most of the battles in the first six months of the said war took place in Jhangar, Naushehra, Rajauri and Thana Mandi. Poonch Garrison, then occupied by state forces, were in a state of siege until regular army troops got inducted with effect from April 1948.
There is no instance recorded or recollected by the veterans where a JCO was beheaded while he was motivating his troops to repulse the attack by raiders. But there is definitely an instance of a sub-section commander, Hav Rawoo Kamble, who manned the MG after all his team members had got killed while Jhangar feature was under fierce attack from the raiders, and who continued firing till such time he was himself beheaded. His finger was found inside the trigger guard… The rigour mortis that had set in had ensured that they couldn’t remove his finger from the trigger. This was at the battle of Jhangar located amidst Naushehra and Mirpur.
It is grossly incorrect to quote or aver that any Mahar troops ever ‘ran away’ leaving their post. There had been instances, both in 1947-48 and in 1962, when the infantry troops, with whom the MGs were affiliated, withdrew either on the orders from top or of their own volition. “The MG detachments of the Mahar battalions had on all such occasions continued to, first, cover the withdrawal of infantry, and secondly, to fire at the enemy till the last man, last round or till they attained martyrdom”.
It is a well-known fact of history that the units and troops of the Mahar Regiment have never had any operational debacle nor had committed a disgraceful act of ‘running away from a post’ upon being attacked. As a matter of fact, the battalions of the Mahar Regiment have emerged to be the last ones standing in many an operation in all the wars.
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Hippocratic sickular and librando first count how many Gupta’s are in army against the numbers of Mahar and then publish derogratory artcles To remind you again you have no guts to give space to my earlier comment s ,500 mahars defeated the Brahmin peshwa at Bhima Koregaon ending the manuwadi system much before Mahar regi ment was formed .this much to increase your knowledge of the martial race.to which the father of the constitution Dr Ambedkar belonged.
Mahar is a martial race only 500 mahars boowed down the peshwas at the battle fought at Bhima Koregaon and the most heinous system of peshwai ended .But the manuwadi like shekar will not loose the opportunity to disgrace the dalit with concocted stories .To hide is so called sickular face Mr shekar you removed my earlier comment. Apologize.
I am a veteran from the illustrious MAHAR Regiment. I fully endorse the views and facts put forth by Brig Vivek Sohal, SM (Retd.). I appreciate and thank The Print for publishing his reply.
Leave alone the MAHAR soldiers, no soldier of the Indian Army will ever abandon his post / position in the face of the enemy. Gen Sundarji would have most likely narrated a notional incident to make and drive home a point, that has apparently been erroneously misquoted by Mr. Shekhar Gupta, out of context, fom his entire dialogue with Gen Sundarji.
The bravery and valour of the MAHAR Regiment speaks for itself. We are truly Vocal in our Deeds! Our actions and achievements speak for themselves.
The Print team, thank you for publishing the facts put forth. The letter from the veteran clearly brought out the role and function of the Regiment at that point in history. And therefore makes it clear that such a situation ( as said to be mentioned by the late General) could not have arisen.
I sincerely believe that the late Gen may have taken the liberty to attribute such an act only to reinforce his statement. And chose his own Regiment as a fictitious example.
In 1947-48 , MAHAR REGT was a specialist Regt and not a regular Regt. The merest I’ve in the article is incorrect and not based on facts. The Regt became regular infantry much later on. In 1947-48, it was employed in detachments not as section or even platoon. Pl research before publishing anything.
I being from the Mahar Regiment was shocked to hear. I agree with the views expressed by Brig Vivek Sohal, SM and condem the concocted story quoting great Sunder jee. Request regret and remove such adverse publicity.
Col Samar Vijay Singh
Bravery of Veer Mahar is well known a Mahar soldier is known for his simplicity and being Vocal In Deeds , since Independence Mahar’s has been in the forefront and displayed there valour in all wars . Mahar Regiment has second highest number of battle honours after independence to its credit among all regiments. Casting aspirations to its bravery should have been avoided, once the historical wrong was pointed it was expected that Mr Shekhar Gupta would have himself corrected it .
Totally agree with Brig Sohal. I do not believe that Gen Sundarji, a MAHAR officer himself, would have ever made such an erroneous statement.
The siege of Poonch lasted more than a year and the town was supplied for this period by a continuous airlift of the IAF . Citizens and officials and Army worked together to build an airstrip for our Dakotas to land and take off.
After Srinagar was made safe from the Pak raiders, Nehru ordered some troops to divert South to Poonch, against military advice, because it had a 90% Hindu population and was surrounded by raiders on the ridges above. The safeguarding of Poonch is a great saga of civil and military courage backed up by a dare devil IAF and was more dramatic than the much touted Berlin airlift of the Cold War.