Union Defence  Minister Rajnath Singh and  General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Defence staff of Indian Armed Forces today airdashed to the  Ladakh and along with other army officers and paid their tributes to the brave sons of India at the revamped Rezang La war memorial, who had secured the frigid Pass land from the Chinese troops in a heroic battle of Rezang La  that took place on November 18, 1962.

59 years down the line, the battle of Rezang La rings in the brightest memory in the annals of an otherwise unpleasant story of India-China war of 1962 in India that had fizzled out with Chinese beating a retreat, recall the old- time soldiers.   

In a tweet Rajnath Singh said, he went  to Rezang La  where he paid  tributes to the valiant soldiers of India who had made supreme sacrifice to defend the land from the enemies at the revamped  “Rezang Lal war memorial  Chushul- Ahir Dham”.  

Rajnath Singh was accompanied by General Bipin Rawat along other army officers, who paid their tributes to  “120 brave soldiers  of India who fought the strong force of over 5000 Chinese troops.

According to the available accounts, the  Indian soldiers were  bombed bullets, but they remained frozen fighting and  repulsed  the massive attack with all their might and finally secured Rezang La from Chinese in the  Indo-China battle of Rezang Lal on November 18, 1962.

As many as  “120 soldiers from the  Charlie company of 13 Kumaon battalion   led by Major Shaitan Singh had launched the counter attack on the strong 5000 Chinese troops from Rezang Lal in Ladakh sector.

 The accounts recorded in Books on Battle of Rezang La say that as many as “96 bodies of valiant soldiers almost frozen in tableau with their faces towards the east facing the enemies were recovered from the Rezang La” .

There was no eyewitness to the battle of Rezang La as all the troops died fighting the Chinese intruders.  A Ladakhi shepherd was the first Indian who visited Rezang La in February, 1963 and spotted the bodies of the fighting soldiers frozen in a tableau  on the mountain pass in  freezing temperature of minus 10 degree Centigrade, recorded Kulpreet Yadav, a naval officer,  in his book, Battle of Rezang La.  “The 120 Indian soldiers put a valiant fight against the 5000 Chinese troops in 1962 Indo-China war and prevented the possible occupation of Ladakh”.

 “The shepherd is the first Indian to witness  the closing states of the Battle of Rezang La turned into a frozen  tableau  in front of his eyes” still standing in their trenches with their weapons pointed towards the east”.

 The shepherd informed Indian army at Chusul, the base of the Charlie company and message reached Delhi headquarters.

 The search party led by Brig TN Raina and  red cross  trekked to Rezang La and reached the pass on February 10, 1963.  The team spotted the brave sons sleeping in eternal peace in a heavily bombarded place with their bodies wounded with bullets.

“The 96 bodies were recovered by the team from Rezang La and the search party performed their last rites  with full military honour at the spot. Brig Raina vowed to raise memorial in the name of brave sons of India there, who secured land from the Chinese”.

“The body of Major Shaitan Singh  was found at the same spot in action of a commander taking a bit of rest before getting up to destroy the Chinese,  where his loyal soldiers had left him. Next day it   was airlifted to his parental home at Jodhpur.”  

For his heroic valour Major Shaitan Singh was awarded the Paramvir Chakra, the highest military award and Brig Raina got the Mahavir Chakra. All the three platoon commanders- Naib Subedars Hari Ram, Surja Ram, Ram Chander  got Vir Chakras. Naik Ram Kumar, commander of the 3-inch mortar post, Naik Gulab Singh, Lnk Ram Singh of the platoon 7,  Nk Hukum Chand  and sepoy Dharam Chand Dahiya (nursing assistant of platoon 8)  also got Virchakras.  Chm Harpal Singh, Hav Jai  Narain, Phul Singh sepoy Nihal Singh were awarded Sena medals, Naib subedar  Jai Ram name was mentioned in the dispatches of (M-in-D).

The 13 Kumaon Battalion got the honour  of Rezang Lal Theatre Honour Ladakh.   The Charlie company has been renamed as Rezang Lal company ever since.

The commander of 13 Kumaon Battalion, Lt Col H S Dhingra had chosen the words which were inscribed on the Rezang Lal war memorial:

“And how can man die better than facing odds

From the ashes of fathers and the temples of gods”.  

(Kuldeep Chauhan, Editor and administrator, Himbumail).