Rezang La
Encyclopedia
Rezang La is a pass on the south-eastern approach to Chushul Valley in India. It is 3,000 yards long and 2,000 yards wide at an average height of 16,000 feet.
of the Ahirs of 'Charlie' Company of the 13 Kumaon
during the Sino-Indian War
in 1962. C Company was led by Major Shaitan Singh
, who posthumously won a Param Vir Chakra
for his actions.
Rezang La had a very serious drawback from the Indian point of view. It was crested to Indian artillery because of an intervening feature, which meant that the Indian
infantry had to make without the protective comfort of the artillery.
In this action, 114 Ahirs out of a total of 123 were killed. The casualties on the Chinese side have been estimated to be more than 1000. Most of the Indian soldiers came from the Ahirwal region of Haryana
(Rewari
and Mahendragarh
districts). A memorial was constructed near Dharuhera Chowk in Rewari city by 'Rezangla Shaurya Samiti' based at Rewari. Every year, memorial functions are held by the Samiti in collaboration with Distt administration and the Kumaon Regiment. Family members of those who sacrificed their lives at Rezangla are also involved in memorial functions.
Having been commissioned in 13 KUMAON (REZAG LA) and commanded the Battalion, I have the honour of "MARBLEISING" the sanctum
sanctorum at Chushul, where 95 Martyrs were cremated in one single pyre is yet another history by itself. I visited the top of
REZANG LA in Sep 1995 and found that the war-like stores still lie where they were left in 1962. With me were 25 soldiers who
were the sons of 1962 Martyrs visiting their fathers' footprints for the first time. The height is 18600 feet, oxygen is 50% of
Delhi, temperature drops 40 degrees below zero, that's where these 114 CHORRA'S made the supreme sacrifice. We found the
administrative dugout at the base of REZANG LA, conducted hurried digging and discovered the Identity Discs (both oval and
round) of Late Sepoy Ami Lal of then CHARLIE COMPANY, which are now displayed in a silver box in the Officers Mess of 13 KUMAON
for posterity. I now have goose pimples, more next time.
Another fact of History of REZAG LA Battle is that on that night of 18 November 1962, in one of the listening post ( Eyes and
Ears ) there were three AHIRS of steel, two brothers from the same mother and the third was the husband of their sister. All
three provided valuable early warning about the approaching Chinese in human waves and fought bravely to their supreme end thus
allowing their comrades to fight the battle to maximum possible time and imposing hundreds of casualties on Chinese. All three
lay dead fighting in their Fox Hole TOGETHER.
at young 60 years, I was at REZANG LA Memorial (CHUSHUL, LADAKH) on 17 Nov 2010 paying homage to 114 Martyrs of 13 KUMAON
(REZANG LA). On arrival we did photography in moonlight of the magnificiant Memorial and felt the minus 20 degrees Celsius in
the open and near actual conditions under which on 18 Nov 1962 actually 114 AHIRS "gave their today for our tommorrow". On 18
Nov 2010 at 10 A.M. a Guard of Honour was given followed by wreath laying ceremony and then a "POOJA" was the finale.I salute
the HEROS and will continue to physically repeat this minimum that I can do.
As promised at 61 years of age, I was again lucky to be at REZANG LA Memorial (CHUSHUL, LADAKH)on 17 Nov 2011 along with 13
KUMAON Officers, JCO's and soldiers in addition to other invitees of Indian Army. The most honourable were Shri NARPAT SINGH son
of Late Major Shaitan Singhji, PARAMVEER CHAKRA (POSTHOMOUS) and Havildar (Retired) Ranbir Singh,78 years old,he was in BRAVO
Company 13 KUMAON during the Battle of REZANG LA and was part of the team which in Feb 1963 brought the dead body of Late Major
Shaitan Singhji from the REZANG LA Post to the base down below. On 18 Nov 2011, we kick started the GOLDEN JUBILEE Celebration
of the battle which will be celebrated with full gusto at KOTA, India on 18 Nov 2012. The function started with wreath laying,
followed by visiting the REZANG LA Gallery where the remains of battle equipment and clothing of some of the martyrs of 1962
were displayed . This was followed by brief motivating words by some of us. The finale was that a copper urn was solmnely filled
with sacred sand collected from top of REZANG LA by Major Gussain and sand collected at the pyre site by Shri Narpat Singhji,
Havildar (Retired) Ranbir Singh, myself, Col Nikhil Srivastava CO, Sub Maj and soldiers. This urn will be taken to TRIVENI and
ashes of the Heroes will be immersed as part of Golden Jubilee Celebration. The Memorial which was marbalised in 1994 with white
marble of Makrana (Rajasthan, India) in 1995 has been degraded by severe elements of wind, snow and minus 20 degree celsius
temperature. It has been decided and Bn will soon replace the marble slabs with fresh marble with no change to design, place or
size before 18 Nov 2012. The honouring of 114 VEER AHIRS MARTYRS of The Battle of REZANG LA must continue for all future
generations. I hope to visit REZANG LA again till health fails me.
Overview
It was the site of the famous last standLast stand
Last stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. The defensive force usually takes very heavy casualties or is completely destroyed, as happened in "Custer's Last Stand" at the Battle of Little Big HornBryan Perrett...
of the Ahirs of 'Charlie' Company of the 13 Kumaon
Kumaon Regiment
The Kumaon Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army, including the two world wars...
during the 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...
in 1962. C Company was led by Major Shaitan Singh
Shaitan Singh
Major Shaitan Singh was an Indian soldier, who was awarded Param Vir Chakra, the highest wartime gallantry medal, posthumously, for his leadership and courage during the Sino-Indian War of 1962.-Background:...
, who posthumously won a Param Vir Chakra
Param Vir Chakra
The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. It can be, and often has been, awarded posthumously....
for his actions.
Rezang La had a very serious drawback from the Indian point of view. It was crested to Indian artillery because of an intervening feature, which meant that the Indian
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...
infantry had to make without the protective comfort of the artillery.
In this action, 114 Ahirs out of a total of 123 were killed. The casualties on the Chinese side have been estimated to be more than 1000. Most of the Indian soldiers came from the Ahirwal region of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
(Rewari
Rewari
Rewari is a city and a municipal council in Rewari district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located in south-west Haryana around from Delhi and from Gurgaon.- Etymology :...
and Mahendragarh
Mahendragarh
Mahendragarh is a town and a municipal committee in Mahendragarh district in the north Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Mahendragarh is located at...
districts). A memorial was constructed near Dharuhera Chowk in Rewari city by 'Rezangla Shaurya Samiti' based at Rewari. Every year, memorial functions are held by the Samiti in collaboration with Distt administration and the Kumaon Regiment. Family members of those who sacrificed their lives at Rezangla are also involved in memorial functions.
Memorial
There is a small memorial at Rezangla, which reads:Comments on the battle
- About this horrific battle, Major-General Ian Cardozo, in his book ‘Param Vir, Our Heroes In Battle’ writes:
- "When Rezang La was later revisited dead jawans were found in the trenches still holding on to their weapons... every single man of this company was found dead in his trench with several bullet or splinter wounds. The 2-inch mortar man died with a bomb still in his hand. The medical orderly had a syringe and bandage in his hands when the Chinese bullet hit him... Of the thousand mortar bombs with the defenders all but seven had been fired and the rest were ready to be fired when the (mortar) section was overrun.".
- General T.N. Raina said:
- "You rarely come across such example in the annals of world military history when braving such heavy odds, the men fought till the last bullet and the last man. Certainly the Battle of Rezang La is such a shining example."
- General K S ThimayyaK S ThimayyaKodendera Subayya Thimayya, PB, DSO was a distinguished soldier of the Indian Army who served as Chief of Army Staff from 1957 to 1961 in the crucial years leading up to the conflict with China in 1962. After the Korean War, Thimayya headed an United Nations unit dealing with the repatriation of...
remarked,
- "I had said many years ago that the Army must have a Ahir Regiment. The supreme sacrifice of the Charlie Company has fulfilled my expectations. I hope a suitable memorial will be built in Ahirwal in their memory so that the generations to come may seek inspiration from the immense courage and valour of their forefathers."
- Brigadier Ved Pal Singh writes:
Having been commissioned in 13 KUMAON (REZAG LA) and commanded the Battalion, I have the honour of "MARBLEISING" the sanctum
sanctorum at Chushul, where 95 Martyrs were cremated in one single pyre is yet another history by itself. I visited the top of
REZANG LA in Sep 1995 and found that the war-like stores still lie where they were left in 1962. With me were 25 soldiers who
were the sons of 1962 Martyrs visiting their fathers' footprints for the first time. The height is 18600 feet, oxygen is 50% of
Delhi, temperature drops 40 degrees below zero, that's where these 114 CHORRA'S made the supreme sacrifice. We found the
administrative dugout at the base of REZANG LA, conducted hurried digging and discovered the Identity Discs (both oval and
round) of Late Sepoy Ami Lal of then CHARLIE COMPANY, which are now displayed in a silver box in the Officers Mess of 13 KUMAON
for posterity. I now have goose pimples, more next time.
- Brigadier Vedpal Singh writes:
Another fact of History of REZAG LA Battle is that on that night of 18 November 1962, in one of the listening post ( Eyes and
Ears ) there were three AHIRS of steel, two brothers from the same mother and the third was the husband of their sister. All
three provided valuable early warning about the approaching Chinese in human waves and fought bravely to their supreme end thus
allowing their comrades to fight the battle to maximum possible time and imposing hundreds of casualties on Chinese. All three
lay dead fighting in their Fox Hole TOGETHER.
- Brigadier Ved Pal Singh writes:
at young 60 years, I was at REZANG LA Memorial (CHUSHUL, LADAKH) on 17 Nov 2010 paying homage to 114 Martyrs of 13 KUMAON
(REZANG LA). On arrival we did photography in moonlight of the magnificiant Memorial and felt the minus 20 degrees Celsius in
the open and near actual conditions under which on 18 Nov 1962 actually 114 AHIRS "gave their today for our tommorrow". On 18
Nov 2010 at 10 A.M. a Guard of Honour was given followed by wreath laying ceremony and then a "POOJA" was the finale.I salute
the HEROS and will continue to physically repeat this minimum that I can do.
- Brigadier (Retired) Ved Pal Singh writes:
As promised at 61 years of age, I was again lucky to be at REZANG LA Memorial (CHUSHUL, LADAKH)on 17 Nov 2011 along with 13
KUMAON Officers, JCO's and soldiers in addition to other invitees of Indian Army. The most honourable were Shri NARPAT SINGH son
of Late Major Shaitan Singhji, PARAMVEER CHAKRA (POSTHOMOUS) and Havildar (Retired) Ranbir Singh,78 years old,he was in BRAVO
Company 13 KUMAON during the Battle of REZANG LA and was part of the team which in Feb 1963 brought the dead body of Late Major
Shaitan Singhji from the REZANG LA Post to the base down below. On 18 Nov 2011, we kick started the GOLDEN JUBILEE Celebration
of the battle which will be celebrated with full gusto at KOTA, India on 18 Nov 2012. The function started with wreath laying,
followed by visiting the REZANG LA Gallery where the remains of battle equipment and clothing of some of the martyrs of 1962
were displayed . This was followed by brief motivating words by some of us. The finale was that a copper urn was solmnely filled
with sacred sand collected from top of REZANG LA by Major Gussain and sand collected at the pyre site by Shri Narpat Singhji,
Havildar (Retired) Ranbir Singh, myself, Col Nikhil Srivastava CO, Sub Maj and soldiers. This urn will be taken to TRIVENI and
ashes of the Heroes will be immersed as part of Golden Jubilee Celebration. The Memorial which was marbalised in 1994 with white
marble of Makrana (Rajasthan, India) in 1995 has been degraded by severe elements of wind, snow and minus 20 degree celsius
temperature. It has been decided and Bn will soon replace the marble slabs with fresh marble with no change to design, place or
size before 18 Nov 2012. The honouring of 114 VEER AHIRS MARTYRS of The Battle of REZANG LA must continue for all future
generations. I hope to visit REZANG LA again till health fails me.