Sher Singh, a distinguished Kadyan from historic Beri city

Col Dilbag Singh Dabas (Retd)

The historic city of Beri in Jhajjar district of Haryana, inhabited predominantly by the Jats of Kadyan gotra, is known as the 'Garh of Kadyan belt', with around 16 villages in its near vicinity. It came into prominence in the late 18th century, when Kadyans of Beri and the villages around joined together in September 1796 and defended the fort of Beri despite repeated onslaughts from the formidable fighting force of an Irish conqueror Gen George Thomas, who had by then captured the entire south east Punjab, then known as Hurrianah.

“Jauts (Jats) of Hurrianah (Haryana) troubled me the most during my conquests of areas between Jyjur (Jhajjar) and Hisar. If the Jauts who defended the Byree (Beri) fort were in my Expeditionary Force, I would have conquered the entire Punjaub (Punjab) for the Honourable East India Company", writes Gen George Thomas in his memoir published in 1805.

With a fauji in almost every household in Kadian belt having served or serving in the defence services, the martial legacy of this brave clan remains alive.

Sergeant (now Wg Cdr, retd) Sher Singh Kadyan is a second generation soldier in uniform. His father Ram Gopal was a veteran of World War II and was decorated for his distinguished services during Burma Campaign in 1944. Born on May 10, 1944 at Beri, Sher Singh passed his matriculation from the local high school and after pre-university from Vaish College, Rohtak, he joined the Indian Air Force as Airman on August 29, 1963. It was while serving with 501 Signal Unit of the Air Force that Sergeant Sher Singh Kadyan for his bravery of a high order, was awarded the Shaurya Chakra. 

Sergeant Sher Singh Kadyan, SC, steadily rose through the ranks and was commissioned into the Air Force on January 21, 1988, and after 38 years of commendable service, the air warrior retired from the Air Force in 2001 in a well-deserved rank of Wing Commander. Rajesh, his only son, carried forward the legacy and became the third generation Kadyan in uniform. Rajesh is now a serving Colonel in the Army Service Corps of the Indian Army.

The septuagenarian Wing Commander Sher Singh Kadyan, SC, known simply as Colonel Sahab (people in Haryana, especially in villages are not that well-conversant with Air Force and Navy ranks) has no time for himself, for he works tirelessly for the welfare of retired soldiers. Almost on a daily basis, the moodhas (round shaped cane stools) in well-maintained baithak of his ancestral house are occupied by the ex-servicemen and relatives of war widows, who come to seek his advice on their pension-related matters. And, he consciously helps them in whatever manner he can. He often drives down to Zila Sainik Board, Jhajjar, for the selfless service he renders to the ex-servicemen fraternity.

The account of his bravery reads…

“Sergeant Sher Singh Kadyan was on the posted strength of 501 Signal Unit since March 1979. On February 11, 1980, at 7.45 pm, a fire broke out in Tower A of the Signal Unit, where extremely sophisticated and expensive equipment had been stored. Within minutes, the entire deck of the tower was engulfed in thick smoke with toxic fumes. While the intense heat made it almost impossible to enter the deck, the thick smoke made it difficult to locate the source of fire. Sher Singh Kadyan, who was off duty, quickly reached the tower within minutes of hearing the fire alarm. Undaunted by heat and smoke, he picked up a fire hose, entered the deck and located the source of fire within a cabinet with panels secured by the screws. Realising that the water jet could not be effectively directed at the source of fire, Sher Singh ran down and brought a screw driver to unscrew the hinges to open the locked cabinet. While attempting to open the cabinet, he was coughing and gasping for breath but with total disregard to personal safety, he kept doing his duty in most hazardous environment. Although Sher Singh was almost overcome by thick swirling smoke and toxic fumes on opening the cabinet, he ultimately succeeded in bringing the fire under control. In doing so, and at grave risk to self, he not only prevented the fire from spreading to the adjacent block, but also saved the sophisticated equipment worth crores of rupees stored in the tower engulfed in flames. In this action, Sergeant Sher Singh Kadyan displayed the courage, determination, and devotion to duty of a high order, for which he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra.”

About the award

• Shaurya Chakra was established as the 'Ashok Chakra Class 3' on January 4, 1952, with the award effective from August 15, 1947. The statutes were revised on January 27, 1967, and the decoration re-named ‘Shaurya Chakra’
• It is awarded for gallantry of a high order other than in the face of the enemy. It is granted to the military personnel as well as to the civilians and may also be awarded posthumously
• The award of the decoration carries with it the right to use SC as a post-nominal abbreviation
• Among 1,997 Shaurya Chakra awardees throughout India to date, 126 are Haryanvi bravehearts

(The writer is a veteran Gunner, 6 Field Regiment)