Brij Mohan Kaul
Encyclopedia
Brij Mohan Kaul was the controversial General who resigned in the aftermath of the Indian military debacle against the Chinese
in the 1962 Sino-Indian War
. He was a distant kinsman of Jawaharlal Nehru
.He was the person responsible for raising and expanding Jammu and Kashmir militia which later entered Indian Army
as J&K Light Infantry.He was born in 1912 on Buddha Jayanti to an ethnic Kashmiri
family living in East Punjab
.His father was a teacher. His mother died when he was five and was raised by his step mother.
from Sandhurst
(1933), who was an Infantry
officer with the Rajputana Rifles (5th Battalion 'Napiers')(he did his British army attachment with the East Surrey Regiment), who later switched to the Army Supply Corps during the end of Second World War, because ASC was a higher paying job and he needed the money for treatment of his ailing stepmother.In October 1946, he became secretary to "Armed forces nationalisation committee"constituted by Viceroy.(Co-incidentally, it was led by N Gopalawami Ayengar, later defense minister, with members including future COAS Thimayya ,Muhammad Musa(future Pak Army chief) and future Indian MP H N Kunjru).In 1947, he was part of delegation sent to UN to raise Kashmir issue along with Sheikh Abdullah,N Goplaswami Ayengar and M C Setalwad. In 1953, he was deputed to arrest Sheikh Abdullah.His promotion to Lt. General attracted questions in parliament as it is believed to have triggered off the resignation of then army chief , Thimayya.(Kaul in his book "The Untold Story" has written that Thimayya himself told him that it is not true). He served as the divisional commander of 4th Infantry Division, Chief of General Staff and finally as the commander of IV Corps during the 1962 War.In aftermath of 1962 war,he resigned and was relieved in May 1963.His "special" relationship with and direct access to Nehru, his great personal courage,his project management abilities coupled with ability to rub people the wrong way made him rise superfast and then his eventual downfall.He remains a tragic figure in annals of independent india's history.From being mentioned as possible army chief,he died in 1972.
instituted by the Government in 1960.
His citation reads :
for successfully completing the project 'Amar' which entailed the construction of 1,450 quarters for troops in Ambala. This was the first project of its kind and was completed through hot weather and the monsoons in the face of numerous problems. Lt.-Gen. Kaul overcame these difficulties by dint of hard work and initiative of the highest order. He displayed organising ability, drive, and resourcefulness. It was by his determination, leadership and personal example that the task was completed by due date.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in the 1962 Sino-Indian War
Sino-Indian War
The Sino-Indian War , also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict , was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan...
. He was a distant kinsman of Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
.He was the person responsible for raising and expanding Jammu and Kashmir militia which later entered Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
as J&K Light Infantry.He was born in 1912 on Buddha Jayanti to an ethnic Kashmiri
Kashmiri people
The Kashmiri people are a Dardic linguistic group living in Kashmir Valley in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language...
family living in East Punjab
East Punjab
East Punjab was the part of the Punjab region that went to India following the Partition of the Punjab Province of British India between India and Pakistan in 1947...
.His father was a teacher. His mother died when he was five and was raised by his step mother.
Career
He was a King's Commissioned Indian OfficerKing's Commissioned Indian Officer
A king's commissioned Indian officer was an Indian officer of the British Indian Army who held a full king's commission after training at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, as opposed to the Indian commissioned officers , who were trained at the Indian Military Academy at Dehra Dun, and the...
from Sandhurst
Sandhurst
Sandhurst is a small town and civil parish in England of 7,966 homes and 20,803 inhabitants , primarily domiciliary in nature with a few light industries...
(1933), who was an Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
officer with the Rajputana Rifles (5th Battalion 'Napiers')(he did his British army attachment with the East Surrey Regiment), who later switched to the Army Supply Corps during the end of Second World War, because ASC was a higher paying job and he needed the money for treatment of his ailing stepmother.In October 1946, he became secretary to "Armed forces nationalisation committee"constituted by Viceroy.(Co-incidentally, it was led by N Gopalawami Ayengar, later defense minister, with members including future COAS Thimayya ,Muhammad Musa(future Pak Army chief) and future Indian MP H N Kunjru).In 1947, he was part of delegation sent to UN to raise Kashmir issue along with Sheikh Abdullah,N Goplaswami Ayengar and M C Setalwad. In 1953, he was deputed to arrest Sheikh Abdullah.His promotion to Lt. General attracted questions in parliament as it is believed to have triggered off the resignation of then army chief , Thimayya.(Kaul in his book "The Untold Story" has written that Thimayya himself told him that it is not true). He served as the divisional commander of 4th Infantry Division, Chief of General Staff and finally as the commander of IV Corps during the 1962 War.In aftermath of 1962 war,he resigned and was relieved in May 1963.His "special" relationship with and direct access to Nehru, his great personal courage,his project management abilities coupled with ability to rub people the wrong way made him rise superfast and then his eventual downfall.He remains a tragic figure in annals of independent india's history.From being mentioned as possible army chief,he died in 1972.
Param Vishisht Seva Medal
He was also the first ever recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva MedalParam Vishisht Seva Medal
Param Vishisht Seva Medal is a military award of India. It was constituted in 1960 and since then till 1980, it was awarded in recognition to peace-time service of most exceptional order.-External links:...
instituted by the Government in 1960.
His citation reads :
for successfully completing the project 'Amar' which entailed the construction of 1,450 quarters for troops in Ambala. This was the first project of its kind and was completed through hot weather and the monsoons in the face of numerous problems. Lt.-Gen. Kaul overcame these difficulties by dint of hard work and initiative of the highest order. He displayed organising ability, drive, and resourcefulness. It was by his determination, leadership and personal example that the task was completed by due date.