Himachal’s pride — Lala Ram

Col Dilbag Dabas (Retd)

Himachal Pradesh undoubtedly produces premium brands of apples, but the soil has also produced men of steel, warriors and bravehearts. 

Among 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees post independence, three have been nurtured by this soil. The tiny state of Himachal with a population of just about 1.5 per cent of the Indian total is far ahead of other states in demonstrating valour by its soldiers. Among nine Indian winners of the Victoria Cross during the First World War (also referred to as the Great War of civilisation), Lance Naik Lala Ram (just Lala in official records), a son of the present day Himachal Pradesh, was one of the bravest of the braves.

At 19, enrolled in 41st Dogra battalion 

Lala was born in Parol village in Kangra district of then undivided Punjab and was barely 19, when he was enrolled in the 41st Dogra battalion of the then British Indian Army. As there were no schools in the area, he could not have formal education. So, whatever he learnt was during his service in the battalion. To demonstrate ones valour in the line of fire, one doesn’t need a formal education. Lala belonged to the Dogra martial race, a clan associated with valour and unmatched bravery. Also, camaraderie, at any risk, is one attribute the Dogras are born with. One cardinal attribute of a Dogra soldier is ‘leave no comrade behind, dead or alive, even at the cost of your life’. In the best traditions of his clan, Sepoy Lala lived up to the attribute in letter and spirit and earned for himself the coveted Victoria Cross.

During World War I, the 41st Dogra (present day 3 Dogra) after fighting a 13-month gruelling battle in France was attached to 35th Brigade for the attack on Turkish entrenchments near the ruins of Al Orah on Tigris defenses in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq). The Dogras attacked the objective at 7 am on January 21, 1916, but soon came under intense and accurate Turkish fire, in which the battalion suffered many casualties, including two officers. It was at that time that Lance Naik Lala exhibited as to what stuff the Dogras are made of. Under heavy enemy fire, Lala displayed his Dogra attribute of camaraderie, which made him worthy of a Victoria Cross.  On May 13, 1916, Lance Naik Lala was invested with the Victoria Cross and was also promoted to the rank of Havildar. After serving for five years as Non Commissioned Officer, Havildar Lala was granted the Viceroy Commission and made Jemadar. Jemadar Lala Ram, VC, breathed his last on March 23, 1927.

After retirement when Lala was reminded by some that he won the award fighting a war which was not India’s war, the Victoria Cross awardee very aptly summed up saying: “Jenab, Hindustani sepoy ‘naam, namak, nishan aur desh ki shaan ke liye ladta hai (Sir, the Indian soldier fights for the name of his paltan, for loyality to his paltan, for the flag of his paltan and for the honour of his country)”.

Battle account of his valour

The battle account of his conspicuous gallantry during the action recorded in the War Diary of 3 Dogra Battalion and Dogra Regimental archives reads: “During 41st Dogra’s attack on Al Orah entrenchments on the morning of January 21, 1916, Lance Naik Lala was with the leading company. After advancing about 200 yards, the company was pinned down by accurate fire from the Turkish defenders and suffered heavy casualties. In that fire fight, Lala noticed a British Officer of the neighbouring battalion lying wounded close to the enemy trenches. With total disregard to his personal safety, he crawled up and dragged the wounded into a temporary shelter, in which he already bandaged four of his wounded comrades. After nursing the wounded officer and bandaging his own wounds, he heard calls from the adjutant of his own regiment, who was lying in the open severely wounded. Lala prepared to crawl to his adjutant and dragged him back to the shelter, but was not permitted to do so since crawling a distance of 100 yards in the open under heavy fire amounted to certain death. Lala withheld his resolve, stripped of his warm clothing and draped on the wounded officer to keep his body warm and waited for the sun to go down. Shortly after dusk, Lala carried the first wounded officer back to the medical aid post. He then returned with a stretcher and, in the hours of darkness, under sporadic enemy fire, brought back his wounded adjutant to the medical aid post near the Battalion Headquarters in the rear”.

VC introduced by Queen Victoria’s Royal Warrant on Jan 29, 1856

Victoria Cross (VC), Indian equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), the highest pre-independence military decoration for valour in the face of the enemy, was introduced by Queen Victoria’s Royal Warrant on January 29, 1856. Indian soldiers had been fighting bravely and dying for the British in all overseas campaigns. But till 1911, the highest award they could receive for valour was the Indian Order of Merit (IOM). However, due to incessant calls to consider Indian troops for the award of the Victoria Cross, they were made eligible for it in 1911. 

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