The truth is out there

Manpriya Singh

There lie a lot many brave hearts of India about whom the textbooks, unfortunately, will never tell us anything. Brigadier Pritam Singh’s name, who rightfully earned himself the title Saviour of Poonch, figures right up there. Where the textbooks fail, cinema steps in. The docu-drama The Saviour Brig. Pritam Singh aims to celebrate his heroic and incredulous tale.

The hero, the sacrifice

Born in a village in Ferozpur, he was commissioned in the Royal Army in 1929 and got elevated to the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain and Major. A decorated military officer, in 1947-48, Brig. Pritam Singh was commanding the operations in Kashmir. After the victory in the battle of Shalltang 1 Kumaon (PARA), he was directed to save Poonch as a part of Poonch Brigade. Leading only 419 soldiers, he entered Poonch to rewrite the history of India, and redefine sacrifice and gallantry.

From saving dying refugees to maintaining law and order to fighting the enemies, he battled it all. Not to forget he was fair to the Muslim population and saved the lives of 40,000 Hindus and Sikhs. With the operation lasting one whole year before peace could be restored to Poonch. It was due to his outstanding leadership during the siege of Poonch, he was also titled Sher Bachha (son of lion).

From the director’s desk

Giving all the due credit to the producer Karanvir Singh Sibia, director Paramjeet S Kattu says how it’s a pure labour of love for everyone concerned. “Brig Pritam Singh’s career is full of dramatic stories. The battle of Poonch is just one aspect of it. Did you know he was wounded in the battle of Singapore in 1942 and became a POW and escaped the POW camp after a grueling six month journey through the jungles of Burma and Manipur?”

A doctorate in Punjabi literature, taking up a heavily research-based project was not a challenge for him. “Though doing justice to his great life was. Which is why we have divided the film into three aspects,” he adds, while sharing how the team travelled to Poonch to capture testimonies of his soldiers who are now in their 80s and 90s.

While the casting of the docu-drama is yet to be done, he claims to bring the project on screens by June end. Adds Sibia, “The film is a tribute to a man who is worshipped in the town of Poonch but has never got his due in the state where he was born.”

The court martial

The end of the war brought its own evils—petty and scheming officers fighting for medals. The mercurial and clueless Pritam Singh was dismissed from service for moral mis-demeanours of appropriating a carpet and Rs 10k. A petty charge for a commander with unlimited power, funds and resources at his disposal. General Thimayya, who was a defense witness, famously said, “Without Pritam, there would have been no Poonch, and with Poonch would have gone these carpets. Why are you crucifying this good soldier for nothing?”

The docu-drama also focuses on the court martial. Sitting at his house in Panchkula, Brig. Pritam’s son, Col. DP Singh (retd), also from 1 Kumaon, says, “I am glad. Brig. Pritam will be happy. He used to say, ‘I have done my duty to India and one day the truth will come out.’”

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