Maj Kushal Chand — Ladakh valley’s saviour

Col Dilbag Dabas (Retd)

Major Kushal Chand, elder son of Thakur Mangal Chand, ex-Wazir of Lahaul, was born at Gemoor Khar (Khar means a palace) on September 26, 1919. 

A Lahauli, Kushal was a second generation soldier. His uncle Rai Bahadur Thakur Amar Chand fought the Turks and Germans in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) during the World War 1. Kushal Chand was commissioned to the 2nd Battalion of the Dogra Infantry Regiment on September 15, 1941. 

It was the same battalion, wherein his elder cousin Thakur Prithi Chand was his three-year senior. Both cousins were deservedly awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for saving the Ladakh valley from Pakistan-aided tribal raiders and lashkars during February 1948.

Immediately after August 15, 1947, most of the princely states exercised their right of acceding to the dominion of India barring Hyderabad and Kashmir because their rulers assumed that their state was big enough to exist independently. (We leave Hyderabad for now and focus on Jammu and Kashmir, being contiguous to newly formed dominion of Pakistan). The Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, instead, signed a standstill agreement with both India and Pakistan. Taking advantage of the wavering stand of the Maharaja, Pakistan, in connivance with the British officers, who chose to stay back and serve with the Pakistan army, planned the annexation of Kashmir, including Ladakh valley. 

Leh, the hub of the valley, was its prime target. The execution of the plan began in late August 1947. And by the time the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession to the Indian Dominion on October 26, 1947, a lot of water had flown through Jhelum, Kishanganga and Indus rivers; the Pakistan army, in the garb of tribal Lashkars, captured Baramulla and were well on their way to Srinagar. Mirpur, Kotli, Poonch, Jhangar, Naushera and Bhimber in Jammu region were besieged or fallen to Pakistani lashkars. 

Though the Gilgit Scouts had become a part of J&K state forces on August 1, 1947, the 600-strong force commanded by Major Brown actually owed allegiance to Pakistan. In October 1947, Brown rose in open rebellion, arrested the governor appointed by the Maharaja, and raised the Pakistani flag on Gilgit Agency. Pakistan, thus, planned to capture Leh in February 1948. Earlier, Lt Col Sher Jung Thapa of the 6th J&K Forces had left Leh and reinforced Skardu, which the Pakistanis attacked on February 10. The absence of Indian troops around Leh made it a low hanging fruit and Pakistanis began the chase to grab Leh. 

But the three Chands — Major Prithi Chand, his cousin Major Kushal Chand and their uncle Subedar Bhim Chand — with just about two platoons of the state forces and a small band of dedicated volunteers from the 2nd Dogra Battalion outpaced the Pakistanis and saved not just Leh, but the entire Ladakh valley. The three brave Chands, all Thakurs from Lahaul & Spiti, were suitably awarded for their conspicuous act of bravery.

The daring exploits of Major Kushal Chand are well covered in the citation, which earned him the Maha Vir Chakra. In 1953, on promotion to the Rank of Lt Col, Kushal Chand, commanded the 9th Dogra Infantry Battalion for three years. After the successful command, he was deputed to serve with the UN mission in Cambodia. But Lt Col Kushal Chand, MVC, the savior of Ladakh valley, was destined to have a brief tenure abroad, for the aircraft in which he was travelling on duty, crash-landed over Laos and the brave-heart could not survive the crash.

Posterity still sings praises of this brave officer and his small band of brave men and even the future generations of Ladakh valley will always remain grateful to these men.

Lt Col Kushal Chand, MVC, is survived by his daughter and two sons. The younger one Thakur Ashok Chand, was an IAS officer, who retired as Secretary to the Government of India in 2014.

(Writer is veteran Gunner, 6 Field Regt)