Tribute to Hussainiwala battle heroes

LAST month, on a late afternoon, a telephone call shook me from a deep siesta. On the other end was a highly respected veteran of my unit, 15 Punjab, Col RK Sharma, who had fought the Battle of Hussainiwala in 1971. Without any fuss, he extended me an ‘invite’ for the golden jubilee of the Battle of Hussainiwala, heroically fought by 15 Punjab on December 3, 1971. Since it was going to be a two-day event, as a reflex action, I immediately offered to contribute financially. He turned down the suggestion with a polite and firm reply.

He said, “This event is being proudly hosted only by the officers who fought this battle and are still surviving.” This handful of officers had also refused any support from the battalion which the serving Commanding Officer and the unit had generously offered. I was floored by the camaraderie and the esprit-de-corps of these veterans. It reminded me about the high-calibre, quality officers of yore of the Manekshaw era.

The two-day event was organised with an exceptionally unique flavour. It encompassed informal narration of first-hand accounts of their experiences of the battle of Hussainiwala (near Ferozepur) on the night of December 3-4, 1971.

At around 1800 hours on December 3, the enemy artillery had started shelling the company localities of ‘Perimeter’ and Samadhi ‘Bundh’ commanded by Maj Kanwaljit Singh Sandhu and Maj SPS Waraich, who were able to beat back repeated attacks by a full Pakistan brigade and one squadron of enemy tanks.

The same night, around 2200 hours, Maj Sandhu captured 12 Pakistani soldiers, disarmed them, and locked them up in a hut with clear instructions that they will not be killed despite the din of the battle. We need to salute his chivalry. Havildar Surjit Singh was tasked to deploy a medium machine gun atop the tower in the Samadhi area. His impregnable defence of this tower turned the tables of the battle and caused several fatal casualties in the attacking Pakistani brigade, thereby preventing the enemy to reach the Hussainiwala headworks.

This bullet-ridden tower with the gaping holes caused by several tank rounds fired by a Pakistani tank still holds testimony to the courageous deeds of Hav Surjit Singh. He valiantly achieved his mission, but not without his supreme sacrifice.

During this commemorative event, we were quite privileged and honoured when we found amongst ourselves five graceful women — Rupinder Waraich, wife of Maj SPS Waraich, and Simmi Waraich, his daughter; Jasbir Kaur, wife of Maj Kanwaljit Singh Sandhu; Minnoo Singh, daughter of the then Commanding Officer, Lt Col GBVL Sastry; and Minnie Singh, daughter of Maj Hardyal Singh.

What moved me, during the entire event, was the poise and equanimity displayed by these ladies during the entire function. They had undertaken a lot of efforts to attend this event and had travelled from all corners of India. The pride which glittered in their eyes was unmistakable. Unfortunately, following this historic battle, both Maj Waraich and Maj Sandhu were declared ‘Missing in Action’ immediately after the war.

The entire event was conducted at the memorial constructed by 15 Punjab at the battleground itself in March 2006 by my team during my command tenure. I felt proud and privileged to be a small part of the rich history of this great paltan. The battalion was awarded the much-deserved ‘Theatre Honour of Punjab’.