Una’s gallant Dogra who inspired his men

Col Dilbag Dabas (Retd)

In valour, Dogras are to Himachal what Jats are to Haryana – unbeatable (s). 

Lance Havildar Sukhdev Singh, a Himachali Dogra, is one among the unbeatable Dogras, who was nurtured by the Himachal soil, that produces not just the best variety of apples but also the bravest of the braves. 

Lance Havildar Sukhdev Singh, son of Teja Singh, was born on January 1, 1941, at Mawa Kalan village in Una district of present day Himachal Pradesh. Education or no education, a Dogra awaits his 18th birthday only to become a Dogra in uniform, preferably in Dogra Regiment and on February 9, 1959, Sukhdev Singh proudly became Sepoy Sukhdev Singh of the 13th Dogra Infantry Battalion.

The third round with Pakistan started at 4:45 pm on December 3, 1971, when Pakistan launched pre-emptive air strikes at 12 Indian forward air bases in western theatre. India responded as planned and the rest is history.

In the east, Pakistan army chose a defensive strategy so as to delay the ingress of the Indian Army and prevent the fall of Dhaka till active support from China and the US and the intervention by the UN materialised. In the west, it adopted an aggressive strategy with a view to capture maximum chunk of Indian territory to compensate for losses, if any, suffered in the east. To meet the challenges of war on two fronts, India chose an aggressive strategy in the east to facilitate the return of the East Pakistani refugees to their homeland. In the west, the Indian Army adopted defensive strategy to prevent Pakistan from occupying the Indian territory.

The swift decisive offensive launched by the Indian Army on December 4, 1971, culminating in the surrender of the entire Pakistan Eastern Command (93,000 officers and men) within a mere 14 days is surely the greatest military feat in our history. After the 1971 war, India emerged as a superpower. Her geostrategic interest now encompasses not only the Indian Ocean, but areas adjacent to and beyond its land borders.

During war in East Pakistan, the 13 Dogra Battalion was part of 32 Infantry Brigade, ex 9 Infantry Division, advancing on axis Byra-Jessore-Khulna with Khulna as terminal objective. Having been unable to withstand the continued onslaught of the Indian division, Pakistanis withdrew from Jessore, the commercial capital of East Pakistan, on December 7, only to give one last determined fight at Shyanganj-Siramani defended area to delay the Indian advance on to Khulna. The 13 Dogra Battalion was tasked to capture heavily defended Siramani area by the first light December 17, 1971.

It was during the capture of Siramani that Lance Havildar Sukhdev Singh, for his unmatched gallantry, was awarded the Vir Chakra. 

Lance Havildar Sukhdev Singh, Vr C, retired from the Army in 1991 in well-deserved rank of Honorary Captain.

Battle account of his bravery in the digest of service of 13 Dogra...

“On December 16, 1971, the attack on enemy position at Siramani was launched by A and C companies of 13 Dogra. During the attack, Lance Havildar Sukhdev Singh was one of the leading Section Commanders in No 7 platoon of C Company. Undeterred, Lance Havildar Sukhdev Singh led from the front under enemy’s heavy artillery and small arms fire and by his personal example, inspired courage and confidence in his men. When his section was nearing the assault line, one of the heavy machine guns of the enemy opened up and started taking heavy toll on the assaulting troops. Sukhdev saw his men falling and decided to act, at any cost. With utter disregard to his safety, Sukhdev crawled forward under heavy fire, managed to reach behind the enemy machine gun bunker, lobbed a hand grenade inside and silenced the heavy machine gun. He then led the remaining men of his section on the cry ‘Jwala Mata Ki Jai’, assaulted two neighbouring bunkers and bayoneted the enemy inside. The onslaught took the enemy by shock. This determined and most courageous effort of Lance Havildar Sukhdev Singh instilled stupendous inspiration in his comrades, who overran the objective with terrific momentum. The gallant action of Lance Havildar Sukhdev Singh paved the way for the capture of the objective by C Company even before the first light on December 17, 1971. Lance Havildar Sukhdev Singh displayed courage, determination and devotion to duty of a high order. For this act of gallantry, he was awarded the Vir Chakra.”

(P.S. The writer was one of the gunner officers, who provided artillery fire support during the successful capture of Siramani by 13 Dogra)