Anil Paba
James A. Garfield once said, “A brave man is a man who dares to look the Devil in the face and tell him he is a Devil”. Major Narain Singh is such a valiant name in the history of Indian Army that has not only earned honour and respect nationally but internationally too.
The love-hate relationship that India and Pakistan share is of global interest now. The boundaries they contest for and the wars they fought have been a history for both of them. Indian war heroes have earned golden words even in enemy’s books. Lion-hearted Major Narain Singh is one such son of Dogra soil whose name re-surfaced in the galleries of brave hearts when Pakistan appointed General Raheel Sharif as the Chief of Army Staff, who happens to be the younger brother of Late Major Shabbir Sharif of 6FF. General Sharif’s appreciation of the Indian soldier’s bravery freshened up the memories of martyrdom in 1971 war.
The Dogra brave-heart was born on 19th August, 1936 in Krimachi-Mansar village, some 14 KM North-west of Udhampur town to an army man Th. Kartar Singh and Smt. Dhan Dei of Bhatyal Rajput clan. Being the eldest son of the family, he was lovingly called Kaku.
The diligent boy completed his primary education from Krimachi, middle school from Udhampur and joined Army Boys Company from where began his career in Army. He was much disciplined and hard working besides being a very good artist. His leadership qualities made him distinguished, and earned good books of the senior officers of Army resulting in his getting commissioned in 4 JAT on 30th June, 1963. During the 1965 Indo-Pak war he was sent on deputation to Assam Rifles and was posted in North-East. It was on 9th Feb., 1966 he got married to Smt. Urmila , a daughter of another Army family and the couple was blessed with a son in 1968.
After General Sharif’s tributes to Major Singh’s valour, Indian media did discuss his bravery but only very superficially and perfunctorily as a half-hearted ritual only, without a due ballad to the warrior on the occasion. However, showering of praises by the author from Pakistan is a true recognition of the courage and valour displayed by the officer who proved his mettle facing the enemy fearlessly with unfaltering , undaunted and unflinching courage at Beriwala Bridge.
Fazilka town is testimony to one of the fiercest battles fought during 1971 Indo-Pak War ; its soil still sings the saga of Major Narain’s bravery. During 1971 in a surprise action, Pakistan made an attempt to capture Fazilka town. However, the grit, determination and courage shown by the brave Indian soldiers thwarted the enemy’s sinister designs and left him with a bleeding nose.
It was on the evening of 3rd December 1971 that the enemy ,disguised as civilians and under heavy shelling, infiltrated along with fleeing villages of Beriwala into Indian territory and captured Beriwala Bridge on Sabuna Ditch Cum Bundh (DCB). Pakistan attacked the Indian defense with approximately one infantry brigade of 2500 men and 28 tanks. Supported by heavy artillery fire, they captured village Pakka by the dawn of 4th Dec 1971. Thereafter the enemy headed towards Fazilka with tanks and heavy force. Their attacks however, were beaten back with heavy casualties. 4 JAT attacked valiantly from Gurumukhkhera village to prevent the enemy’s advancement further from Beriwala Bridge towards Fazilka. Fierce battle was fought for fourteen days to prevent the enemy from making any further gains. Both sides suffered very heavy losses in hand to hand fight around Beriwala Bridge.
In Pakistani folklore, it is one of the most talked about battles of 1971 war; one of the few operations glorified in an otherwise despondent time for the nation. It was the battle of Majors-one from each side, both hot-blooded and fierce-who wrestled for the control of a key bridge which finally ended in hand-to-hand combat. Major Shabbir Sharif, a company commander of the 6 Frontier Force who had already been decorated in the 1965 war, was asked to capture a bridge on the ditch-cum-bund(DCB) near the Indian town of Fazilka which he managed to do on December 3-4 by over running BSF positions on the border. The attack on Beriwala was a crucial Pakistani move on the western front in early December to divert Indian resources from the east where General Niazi’s men were facing a rout.
Major Narain Singh, a company commander of 4 JAT was chosen to launch a counter attack a day later and recapture the key bridge which could be used by the Pakistani Army for a strong armor attack. Pakistan Army’s Major Shabbir Sharif died in the battle in Punjab’s Fazilka sector. His heroics won him the Nishan-e-Haider, the nation’s highest gallantry award. Major Narain Singh, who led the Indian counter attack also laid his life in the battlefield; he was awarded the Vir Chakra.
Though these facts are well established but there are two contesting versions of what had actually happened in the battlefield. The Pakistani version, which was spread by word of mouth and also mentioned in a book ‘Pakistan’s Crisis in Leadership’ by Pakistan army Maj Gen(retd) Fazal Muqeem Khan which was written with an aim to make analytical introspection to find out why the nation lost the war against India in 1971. Major Gen Fazal Mukueen Khan, says: “In the ensuing hand-to-hand fight, this brave Indian Major Narain Singh was killed by another extremely brave company commander Major Shabbir Sharif. ” According to another Pakistani version, Singh charged on their positions with his company and lobbed a grenade at Sharif, injuring him slightly. When Indian soldiers prepared to fire at Sharif, Singh stopped them and opted for a ‘ man-to-man’ combat. He was killed by Sharif who died a day later at the same bridge after he was shot at by an Indian T54 tank.
The author regrets “… had soldier like Maj Narain Singh been with Pakistan army, the story would have been different.”
Col. (retd) Vijay Singh, the then adjutant of 4 JAT who received the body of Major Narain Singh on 18th December 1971 after cease fire, narrates a different story. According to him Sharif was killed by Major Narain Singh as it was a very brave and courageous battle between the two. He asserts that Maj. Narain did not die on the spot. He breathed his last while he was being taken by the Pakistani authorities to their medical room. “Major Singh managed to reach the Pakistani positions after going through a hail of fire but was badly injured by the time they invaded stronghold, ” he added . He recounted proudly that the Pakistani side treated Maj. Singh with respect. They picked up the unconscious Major and were taking him for treatment when he died. Singh’s official citation for the Vir Chakra also reflects this:
” Major Narain Singh led his men and charged the objective. In the process, he was hit by a burst from a machine gun but he continued to direct the operation during which he was mortally wounded.”
The counter attacks at this warfront have been discussed at various levels including visits by the Higher Command Course. The unit of Major Narain presented its version in 1979 at the actual location. There is no denying the fact that though the actions of Bravo Company find special mention in the said presentation, the heroism of Major Singh becomes synonymous with the B Company’s achievements. The counter attack launched on 5/6 Dec 1971 by B Company was the third by 4 JAT, the first two were on the nights of 3rd Dec and 4th Dec 1971.
Lt. Gen. BS Nagal PVSM, AVSM, SM (Retd) freshens up his memories that Major Narain Singh was his first Company Commander when he joined 4JAT in July 1970. “My introduction to him was in nature of directions through which I got to know the man in command. Thereafter I reported to him further for next set of directions. After a couple of days he gave a long list of duties and assignments which would make one familiar with the administration of the company, handling of personal problems, training of man, welfare measures to ensure transparency and preparation for training maneuvers due in the winters.”
Reminiscing the aura of his Commander, Lt Gen Nagal writes that he was very deliberate in his action, took his time to evaluate options but once he had made up his mind, he would demonstrate great resoluteness in completing them. This personality trait came to the fore during the counter attack where he had laid down his life in the service of the nation. “He opened up very gradually revealing some of his sterling qualities to us. He was not given to becoming familiar hastily, slowly but surely he made known his desire to excel in all that sought to be part of his career and personal life. He had a burning desire to be a winner in all that he did, be it a low level company issue or, as demonstrated by him, a National cause”.
Quoting an eye-witness Lt. Gen Nagal says that the counter attack that Major Narain Singh led on the intervening night of 5/6 Dec 1971 was a day after I was injured by a machine gun burst in the counter attack earlier night: “I came to know about his gallantry and bravery from injured JCOs and men of B Company who were admitted to the hospital along with me.” Though Major Narain Singh along with many others died in the counter attack, but Major Narain Singh was truly a very brave and daring person, with courage of conviction rarely seen amongst middle level officers. There is a famous quote ” Born to be remembered”, I with humility submit, it was he who knew that one day he would be in the league of such people.
Nodoubt the versions differ, but both the sides agree that the battle of Beriwala was one of exceptional bravery during the 1971 war and Major Singh fought it bravely, setting an example for the world to quote it to posterity. Though he too was one among those thousands of valiant soldiers who laid down their lives in the past 55 years during wars fought against enemy countries including Pakistan, yet what made him different from others was his audacious and enviable act of bravery which won the hearts and minds even of his adversaries who could not resist appreciating his gallantry, that too openly. Maj Narain’s wife Urmila Bhatial, who was only 22 when she lost her husband, added, “I am proud of the supreme sacrifices made by hundreds of martyrs, including my husband, while serving our mother land.”
Shaheedon Ki Samadhi is a monument of memory which is being maintained by the people of Fazilka at Asafwala village and a chowk has been named after the brave Major Narain Singh in Fazilka Army Brigade area. Every year on Baishakhi and Vijay Diwas (16 dec) Melas are being organized by civil society and Army at the Samadhi in remembrance of the brave Army men whose ashes have been preserved at the site.
Major Narain’s saga of supreme sacrifice though brings tears in the eyes on both the sides of LoC, yet the sense of pride that his martyrdom infused in the generations to come will always serve as a source of strength to those who value their country’s honour more than material pursuits. This is what our former Prime Minister Late Mrs. Indira Gandhi meant when she once said “Martyrdom does not end something, it is only a beginning.”
(The author is a social activist)
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