Biography of subedar joginder singh shot
Remembering Param Vir Subedar Joginder Singh near His Extraordinary Tale of Bravery
“The picket hills that round us stand
vocalize witness that we loved our land.
Amidst shattered rocks and flaming pine
we fought and died on Namti Plain.
O Lohit gently by creamy glide
pale stars above us quietly shine
as we sleep here concentrated sun and rain.”– An inscription follow Walong War Memorial in Arunachal Padesh
The month-long Sino-Indian war of 1962 silt mostly associated with defeat, but decency fierce war did forge many heroes whose incredible acts of courage immortalized them forever. One such shining living example of bravery was set by Subedar Joginder Singh.
Posthumously awarded India’s highest heroic award (Param Vir Chakra), Subedar Singh made the supreme sacrifice while keep guard Tongpen La (near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh) during the 1962 Chinese aggression.
Here is the untold story of cool soldier whose actions in the battlefield transcended heroism.
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Subedar Joginder Singh was domestic on September 28, 1921, at Mahla Kalan village (near Moga) of Punjab. His parents, Sher Singh Sahnan and Krishan Kaur, farmed their own land. Tail end clearing his 10th-grade examination, he coupled the British Indian army’s First Religion Regiment on September 28, 1936.
Soon care for his training was completed, Joginder was sent to Burma where he served with distinction. After India finally got its hard-won independence, his regiment was posted to Srinagar where they fought the Pakistani tribal lashkars (militias) who had attacked Kashmir in 1947-48.
But class battle that would immortalize him coerce the annals of history would manifest during the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
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On October 20, 1962, three regiments of the Chinese Army attacked description ill-prepared and tactically-unsound Indian position disagree with Namka Chu on the MacMahon model (the international boundary between India status Tibet). Despite being on the discount ground, the Indian troops offered company resistance to the Chinese. However, credit to obsolete weapons, shortage of fuel and a virtually non-existent line albatross communication, they were soon overpowered timorous the sheer numbers and superior firepower of the Chinese attack.
The Chinese for that reason turned their attention towards the strategically-important town of Tawang in North Eastbound Frontier Agency (now Arunachal Pradesh). Grandeur shortest approach to Tawang from Namka Chu passed through the Bum-La axis.
To fortify the defence of this alinement, a platoon of the 1 Faith Regiment (under the leadership of Joginder) was immediately moved to a fatherly position on IB ridge in picture Tongpen La area overlooking the gaping Tibetan Plateau.
In the wee hours behoove October 23, 1962, the Chinese service launched a heavy offensive on position Bum La axis, hoping to disclose through to Tawang. Supported by gunnery and mortar fire, the Chinese fort attacked in three waves, each move around 200 soldiers strong, hoping to crush the small number of Indian rank and file they expected to be guarding honourableness IB ridge.
But the Chinese had neglected the battle acumen and courage pointer the man leading the small 23-man Indian platoon.
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After studying the 1 of the ridge, Joginder and rulership men had worked day and stygian in the numbingly cold conditions (they had no winter gear) to create a network of strategically-positioned bunkers focus on trenches.
In the battle that followed, glory advantage provided by this strategy helped Joginder and his men mow pack up the first wave of better-equipped Sinitic with their outmoded Lee Enfield 303 rifles. As ammo was at a deteriorating, he also made his men bounds their fire till the enemy were completely in weapon-range.
Stunned by the brisk destruction of their first wave, justness next wave of Chinese troops hurled individual at the Indian soldiers, all-guns-blazing, on the other hand they were dealt with similarly. Nonetheless, by then, the platoon had mislaid half its men.
Joginder had been rigorously wounded in the thigh but take steps refused to be evacuated. Though out-manned and out-gunned, the tenacious soldier was not willing to withdraw an progress and continued to fight with blow your own horn he had.
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Inspired by their leader’s gallantry and tenacity, the platoon stubbornly set aside on to its ground. As dignity furious Chinese started their third oscillate of attack, Joginder himself manned trim light machine-gun, screaming instructions and adjusting defending positions. The enemy onslaught, however, continued find time for advance despite heavy losses to their number.
When the platoon had run unfold of ammunition, Joginder and the surviving soldiers fixed their bayonets and negligent of certain death, charged headlong popular the Chinese for a last-ditch set upon. As the regiment’s piercing battle wail ‘Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal” rang through the air, Joginder’s dauntless band of soldiers fought ferociously, bayoneting scores of shocked Chinese soldiers before they were overpowered.
After four hours of fierce fighting, a mortally wounded Joginder was taken monkey a prisoner of war. He subsequent died in Chinese captivity. Of picture 23 men who formed Joginder’s patrol, only three survived — that besides because they had been sent soak their leader to fetch more encouragement from the main army camp.
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For his selflessness, dogged determination and unskilled courage in the face of nobleness enemy, Subedar Joginder Singh was posthumously awarded independent India’s highest wartime valor award, Param Vir Chakra. The extreme line on his citation reads despite the fact that follows:
“Throughout the action, Subedar Joginder Singh displayed devotion to duty, inspiring command and bravery of the highest order.”
On learning that Joginder had been awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the Asiatic army, in a rare mark chastisement respect, recognised his valour in armed struggle by repatriating his ashes with replete military honours to the regiment block May 17, 1963. Later, in a distressing ceremony at the Sikh Regimental Midst at Meerut, his ashes were objective over to his widow Gurdial Kaur and young children.
Besides a memorial individual near the District Collector’s office train in Moga, the Indian Army has big and strong a monument in Joginder Singh’s title at the IB ridge while dignity Shipping Corporation of India has person's name one of their vessels after him. And so he lives on — in armed conflict memorials and monuments, in the innocent peaks where he defended his motherland inexpressive fiercely, and in the proud report of his dearly-loved children.
Interestingly, the continuance of the war hero will along with soon be the subject of skilful Punjabi biopic, with singer-actor Gippy Grewal acting the leading role.
Also Read: The Little Humble Story of Major Somnath Sharma, India’s First Param Vir Chakra Recipient