2024-08-26 21:42:27
Islamabad: The date was 15 August 1947. On this day India became independent, but was still divided into 565 princely states. At that time Pakistan had its eyes on Jammu and Kashmir. This province was Muslim majority, but was ruled by a Hindu king. In such a situation, Pakistan saw an opportunity and launched Operation Gulmarg to capture Jammu and Kashmir. Under this, Pakistan infiltrated about 15000 tribesmen into Kashmir. At that time the Army Chiefs of Pakistan and India were British. As soon as Pakistan’s British Commander-in-Chief Major General Douglas Gracey got this information, he informed his Indian counterpart Lieutenant General Sir Rob Lockhart about it on the afternoon of October 24, 1947. Lieutenant General Lockhart then informed Viceroy Lord Mountbatten. After this, this information was conveyed to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. In this long process, about six precious hours of retaliation were wasted.
How did India get the opportunity for military action
Pakistani tribesmen captured Muzaffarabad and Domel on 22 October. By 24 October, these tribal invaders reached just 35 miles from Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir. They cut the electricity line going to Srinagar and plunged the capital into darkness. This attack also shattered Maharaja Hari Singh’s dream of keeping Jammu and Kashmir an independent state. Later, in exchange for India’s help, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the document of merger on 26 October. With this, the Indian Army also got the opportunity to take military action in Jammu and Kashmir.
Why were the soldiers transported to Srinagar by plane?
At that time, the condition of the road from Jammu to Srinagar was very bad. Sending the Indian Army to Srinagar by road would have taken time, while the Pakistani tribal invaders were advancing every hour. In such a situation, a plan was made to send Indian soldiers to Srinagar by air. However, this task was not easy, because the airstrips of Srinagar and Jammu were only for the light and private aircraft of the royal family. There were no navigational or landing aid equipment there. There was also no facility to refuel the aircraft. The runways surrounded by high mountains were often covered with fog or clouds. Despite this, India started the operation to send troops to Srinagar through its first transport aircraft Dakota.
Why was it dangerous to land in Srinagar
The Dakota planes were also not bought by India, but were part of the 12th Squadron left by the British. Apart from being in a hilly area, the runway was not paved, so dust storms arose during every landing and takeoff. Due to this, nothing could be seen clearly for some time. Despite all this, the Indian Air Force’s Dakota planes had to fly continuously to transport the soldiers with their equipment to Srinagar. The pilots were also afraid that if any accident occurred on the runway, it would mean the entire operation would have to be called off. By this time the enemy had reached closer to Srinagar. On the first day of the operation, 27 October, 28 flights took off from Srinagar.
Mehar Singh led the operation
1 Sikh platoon was moved to Srinagar to fight the tribal raiders. An entire brigade of the Indian Army was moved in the next five days. Dakota aircraft were ferrying the troops while fighter bombers like Spitfires, Tempests and Harvards provided ground support to the Indian Army. Air Commodore Mehar Singh headed this operational group. He received the Distinguished Service Award for his courage during the Second World War. It was the only major award given to any Air Force officer at that time. Mehar Singh instilled confidence in his men as he believed in leading from the front. In the Second World War, he flew a British two-seater general purpose military single engine biplane Westland Wapiti and a British single seat fighter aircraft Hawker Hurricane.
Mehar Singh was an extraordinary soldier
During World War II, while he was on a mission in the North-West Frontier region attacking a tribal contingent, the fuel tank of his Wapiti aircraft was burst by enemy fire. This forced his biplane to make an emergency landing in a valley. Mehar Singh got out of the wreckage of the plane with his gunner and roamed around enemy territory in the dark without any map. Several hours later, he found a British military post which took him back to base, but he started flying again the very next day.
Mehar Singh’s leadership saved Kashmir
In 1947, when Mehar Singh was leading the No. 1 Operational Group, Srinagar was secured by a joint effort of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. In the very first operation after independence, the Indian Air Force not only fired rockets and guns but also dropped bombs on the enemy. Meanwhile, on November 3, Mendhar was captured by the Pakistani tribesmen and their next target was to capture Poonch, located south of the Haji Pir Pass. The Haji Pir Pass, which connects Uri to Poonch, is strategically very important, as the distance between Uri and Poonch through this road is only 56 km. The Indian Army also reached Poonch, but the Pakistani tribesmen had taken up positions well.
Mehar Singh also showed his talent in Poonch
There was a fierce battle between the Indian Army and Pakistani tribesmen in Poonch. The British generals of the time had advised to retreat from Poonch, but Nehru was adamant that Poonch would not be handed over to the enemy. There was no airstrip in Poonch. In such a situation, weapons, ammunition, food and medical supplies were airdropped for the soldiers and refugees. The Indian Army started work on a temporary airstrip to land the Dakota. Without any equipment, army soldiers and refugees built an airstrip on the Jammu and Kashmir Militia Parade Ground. It took six days to build the airstrip, while the Indian Air Force fighter jets kept an eye on the enemy.
Liberated Poonch from enemy occupation
In the second week of December, when the runway was being prepared, Air Commodore Mehar Singh landed the first Dakota aircraft carrying Air Vice Marshal Subroto Mukherjee and the necessary supplies. The runway was on the flat top of a hill, with rivers on three sides and a steep slope on the fourth side. In addition, there was a fear of enemy firing from all sides. In such a situation, the army demanded long-range field guns. An attempt was made to land the Dakota aircraft carrying 25-pound guns on the runway during the day, but the enemy firing was so intense that the aircraft had to be sent back. Later Mehar Singh decided to land the aircraft at night with the help of some oil lamps and managed to do it successfully.
Mehar Singh was born in Pakistan
Mehar Singh was born in 1915 in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad in Pakistan). Mehar Singh was so intelligent that he converted five Dakota planes into bombers. Dakotas were upgraded to carry 500-pound bombs in their cargo bays. Apart from this, cargo operators were also trained to drop the bombs on the targets. Due to these efforts, the Indian Army gained dominance in Poonch by November 1948. Mehar Baba was awarded the Mahavir Chakra, the second highest military honor in India. Baba Mehar Mehar Baba was also respected in Pakistan. Air Chief Marshal Asghar Khan, the head of the Pakistan Air Force, also praised him.