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The United Service Institution of India (USI) was founded in 1870 for
the furtherance of interest and knowledge in the art, science and
literature of National Security in general, and of the Defence
Services in particular. It is the oldest institution of its kind in
Asia.
The Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research (CAFHR) was
established in December 2000 under the aegis of the USI after due
consultation with the three Service Headquarters. The Centre aims at
encouraging the objective study of all facets of the history of the
Indian Armed Forces. The book is its maiden publication.
The Indian Army has a rich and fascinating history. Once known as the
'sword arm' of the Raj, it is today a professional national army, that
is truly representative of the composition of the nation, and
showcases the secular nature and integration of its people.
This book provides a brief overview of the history of the Indian Army.
A more comprehensive narrative would take many volumes. One of the
objectives of this account is to encourage the reader to delve more
extensively into this important and fascinating subject. The
contributors are retired officers of the Indian Army, distinguished in
their respective fields, and who have been participants or witness to
many of the events described in this book.
This book, which has over 130 illustrations, covers the participation
of the Indian Army in all wars fought since earliest times to the
present day. Apart from the history of the Army, due emphasis has been
given to the various intangible elements that contribute towards
making it the unique and fascinating institution that it is. These
include the ethos, culture and values of the Army and its contribution
to nation-building since Independence.
The book highlights a number of incidents, both fascinating and
awe-inspiring. Take for instance the battle of Dograi which showcases
the fighting spirit of the Indian soldier. Subedar Pale Ram who
captured his objective and silenced a machine gun after taking six
bullets in his body was found getting dressed and ready to leave
hospital after the cease-fire when someone told him that Pakistan had
restarted the war. Or take the case of the Pakistani JCO who, after
the surrender in Bangladesh, asked as to how Indian officers were
without blankets, and was told that 'How could officers have blankets
when the men were without them?' He thereupon saluted and said that if
his army had officers like the Indian Army he would not have seen this
fateful day; or the battle of Rezangla in Ladakh, where soldiers of
the Kumaon Regiment led by the intrepid Major Shaitan Singh drove back
overwhelming waves of Chinese soldiers with heavy casualties till, low
on ammunition, they were over-run by sheer numbers. When their bodies
were recovered, they were found frozen at their posts - defiant unto
death; or the case of Subedar Joginder Singh who defended Bumla to the
last man; or the men of the regiment now known as 4 Guards, who handed
down bits of the regimental colours from father to son with the
unspoken covenant to capture the Fortress of Bharatpur which their
fathers had failed to take. The sons did so many years later, thus
vindicating the honour of the Regiment. Those, and many similar tales
are left for the reader to discover and enjoy.
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Maj Gen Ashok Kalyan Verma, AVSM
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Ch. 1. Genesis and Evolution |
Major General Ashok Kalyan Verma was commissioned
in June 1956 into the 2nd Battalion, the Rajput Regiment. He commanded
18 Rajput during the Indo-Pak War of 1971. An account of the
performance of these battalions figures in his book Rivers of Silence.
He commanded a Brigade in Ladakh and a Division in J&K and was
appointed Colonel of the Rajput Regiment. His second book was the
widely acclaimed Kargil: Blood on the Snow. A keen shikari turned
conservationist, General Ashok Verma now resides in idyllic
surroundings in the Kullu-Manali valley.
Lt Gen VK Singh, PVSM
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Ch. 2. The World Wars Prelude and Independence |
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Ch. 5. Winds of War The 1962 & 1965 Conflicts |
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Ch. 7. Times of Trial |
Commissioned into the Madras Regiment in December
1955, Lieutenant General VK Singh is a graduate of the National
Defence College. He has taken part in the Sino-Indian War of 1962 and
in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak Wars. He has held the crucial
appointment of Director General, Military Operations and Military
Secretary besides other important command and staff assignments
including Colonel of the Madras Regiment. He writes extensively on
Service matters and is a member of the Governing Body of the Institute
for Defence Studies and Analyses.
Maj Gen LS Lehl, PVSM, VrC
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Ch. 3. A Nation Divided and the 1947 Indo-Pak War |
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Ch. 4. Army of the Republic - The 1962 & 1965
Conflicts |
Major General Lachhman Singh Lehl, was commissioned
in the Regiment of Artillery in July 1943 and retired from the Army in
1978. He was an Instructor, Gunnery at the School of Artillery,
Deolali and a graduate from the National Defence College. He saw
active service in Burma during World War II and in the J&K 1947-48
operations, where he was wounded and awarded the Vir Chakra for
conspicuous gallantry. He commanded a mountain division during the
Indo-Pak War, 1971 in what is now Bangladesh and was awarded the Param
Vishisht Seva Medal for outstanding leadership in battle. He is
Vice-President of the War Decorated Association. He is the author of
Indian Sword Strikes in Bangladesh, Victory in Bangladesh and Missed
Opportunities - 1965 Indo-Pak War. Maj Gen Ian
Cardozo, AVSM, SM
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Ch. 6. The Finest Hour - 1971 & the Liberation of
Bangladesh |
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Ch. 11. Ethos, Values, Training |
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Ch. 12. Contribution to Nation Building |
Commissioned into 1/5 Gorkha Rifles (F.F.) in June
1958, Major General Ian Cardozo has taken part in the Sino-Indian War
of 1962 and the Indo-Pak Wars of 1965 and 1971. He was disabled in the
1971 war but subsequently commanded a battalion, brigade and division
setting a precedent for other war disabled officers. He was the first
cadet to be awarded both the gold and silver medal at the National
Defence Academy, the first to be awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry
on a patrol on the Sino-Indian border in 1960, and the first disabled
officer to be approved for command of an infantry battalion. He was
Colonel of the Regiment of 5 GR (FF). He works presently for the
rehabilitation and empowerment of persons with disability and is
Chairperson of the Rehabilitation Council of India.
Maj Gen Ashok Krishna, AVSM
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Ch. 8. Counter Insurgency and Internal Security |
Major General Ashok Krishna, was commissioned into
4/8 Gorkha Rifles in 1957 and commanded the battalion in the 1971 War.
In 1974, he took command of 1/8 Gorkha Rifles, now 3 Mechanised
Infantry. In 1988, he was appointed Colonel of the Regiment of the 8th
Gorkha Rifles. He has been actively engaged in counter-insurgency
operations at company and brigade level. He has held important
instructional and staff appointments including in the Military
Operations Directorate, Army Headquarters. After retirement he has
been a senior fellow at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses
and Dy Dir at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. He has
authored India's Armed Forces: Fifty Years of War and Peace and
co-edited another book, Kargil: The Tables Turned.
Lt Gen Satish Nambiar, PVSM, AVSM, VrC
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Ch. 9. India's Role in UN Peacekeeping Operations |
Commissioned into 20 Maratha Light Infantry, the
General Officer commanded two battalions of the Regiment, a Mechanised
brigade group and a Mechanised Division. A graduate of the Australian
Staff College, he served with training team in Iraq and was on the
faculty of the Defence Services Staff College. He served as Military
Adviser at the High Commission of India in London and as Director
General of Military Operations. He was the first Force Commander and
Head of the United Nations forces in the former Yugoslavia and retired
as the Deputy Chief of the Army Staff. He was awarded the Vir Chakra
for gallantry in battle in 1971. He is now the Director of the United
Service Institution of India. During 2002/2003 hew was adviser to the
Government of Sri Lanka on certain aspects of the peace process and is
on the international advisory council of the Folke Bernadotte Academy,
Sweden. On 4 November 2003 he was appointed by the United Nations
Secretary General to a 16 member high level international panel set up
to study global security threats and recommend measures for effective
collective action.
Col N Kumar, PVSM, KC, AVSM
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Ch. 10. Adventure and Sports |
Colonel Narinder Kumar was commissioned in 3rd
Kumaon (Rifles). For 30 years he was involved in big time adventure
activities in India. Of the 14 peaks climbed above 24,000 ft, nine
have been climbed under his leadership. He was also deputy leader of
the successful Indian Everest expedition in 1965. He was the first to
cross the Siachen Glacier from snout to the source. He was principal
of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, National Ski School
and Commandant High Altitude Warfare School. He has written five books
on Mountaineering, Skiing and Rafting. He has been awarded the Padma
Shri, the Arjuna Award and the Indian Mountaineering Federation's Gold
Medal. At present he is Vice-President of the Indian Olympic
Association and Chairman of the Winter Games Commission.
Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi PVSM, AVSM, VSM
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Ch. 13. A Glimpse of the Future |
Lieutenant General Vijay Oberoi was commissioned in
the Maratha Light Infantry in 1961. He took part in the 1965 Indo-Pak
War where he was wounded. A graduate of the United States Army War
College, he served as Defence Advisor at Kuala Lumpur and has had the
rare distinction of having commanded an Armoured Division as an
infantry officer. He has commanded a Strike Corps and also was the
Director General of Military Operations. He was Colonel of the Maratha
Light Infantry, GOC-in-C, Army Training Command, and GOC-in-C, Western
Command. Subsequent to retirement, he has devoted himself to the
rehabilitation of war-wounded personnel and is the President of the
War Wounded Foundation of India. He has also been appointed by Army
Headquarters as Director of the Centre for Land Warfare Studies.
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