Jammu Jottings
Squadron Leader Anil Sehgal
No Indian soldier, except Brigadier Mohamed Usman, has received a state funeral with full honours attended by the Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, the President Dr Rajendra Prasad, and the Governor General C. Rajagopalachari.
Let me take you down the memory lane and recall the martyrdom of this brave officer of the Dogra Regiment.
Pakistan came into existence on 14 August 1947. One of the first things the newborn country did to announce her birth was to invade Jammu & Kashmir, within a week of her existence.
On 22 October 1947, Pakistan sent tribal irregulars into the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in an attempt to capture it and accede it to Pakistan. These tribal irregulars were soon joined by the regular army men. At that point of time, the State of Jammu and Kashmir was still undecided and deliberating who to join : India or Pakistan.
Jammu and Kashmir had very limited and highly insufficient state forces to repel the Pakistani invasion. Under these testing times, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the instrument of accession with India, on 26 October 1947.
Immediately, Indian armed forces were rushed to the State. In the ensuing battles, the Pakistani forces were forced to retreat, with the help of Indian armed forces.
Those days, Brigadier Mohamed Usman, an Indian army officer, was the Commander of 77 Para Brigade, located at Nowshera, in Jammu region. He was given the charge of 50 ( Independent ) Para Brigade at Jhangar.
Despite strong resistance from the Indian troops, the Pakistani Army captured Jhangar on December 25, 1947. That day, Mohamed Usman took a vow that he would not sleep on a bed until he recaptured, from the Pakistani army, Jhangar from where he had to withdraw. He started sleeping on a mat laid on the floor.
During the months of January and February 1948, Usman repulsed fierce attacks on Nowshera and Jhangar, both highly strategic locations in Jammu and Kashmir.
During the defence of Nowshera, India faced overwhelming odds and numbers, but, still the Indian forces inflicted heavy casualties on Pakistan.
There were around 2000 casualties on the Pakistani side ( about 1000 dead and 1000 wounded ) while Indian forces suffered only 33 dead and 102 wounded.
His fierce defence of the strategically vital region earned Brigadier Usman the nickname Lion of Nowshera. Embattled by his imaginative and inspiring tactical leadership, Pakistani forces announced a prize of Rs 50,000 for his head. Today, this amount is nearly three crore Pakistani rupees !
Regardless of the praise and adulation, Usman kept on leading his soldiers with strong motivation, unabated.
The enemy was eventually driven from the area, and within three months’ time, Jhangar was recaptured, thereby fulfilling the vow taken by Usman. Jhangar is located at the junction of roads coming from Mirpur and Kotli. It was of high strategic importance.
On 16 March 1948, the day he was to lead his troops to recapture Jhangar, Brig Usman had issued this inspiring order to his troops :
” ORDER OF THE DAY
By Brigadier M Usman,
Commander 50 (Indep) Para Brigade
Comrades of 50 (Indep) Para Brigade Gp !
” Time has come when our planning and preparation for the recapture of Jhangar is to be put to test. It is not an easy task but I am confident of success-because our plan is sound and our preparations have been good. More So, because I have complete confidence in you all to do your best to recapture the ground we lost on 24th December and to retrieve the honour of our arms.
” The eyes of the World are on us. The hopes and the aspirations of our countrymen are based upon our efforts. We must not falter-we must not fail them.
” To everyman upon this Earth
Death cometh soon or late
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his father,
And the temples of his Gods.
” So forward friends, fearless we go to Jhangar. India expects everyone to do his duty. JAI HIND
( Personally signed by Brig M Usman )
Under his command, the brigade halted the advance of Pakistani tribals at Nowshera against all odds.
Following Jhangar’s win, once again, Pakistan reinforced her regular forces in May 1948. Jhangar was once again subjected to heavy artillery bombardment, and many determined attacks were launched on Jhangar by the Pakistan Army. However, Usman frustrated all their attempts to recapture it.
It was during this defence of Jhangar that Usman was martyred on 3 July 1948, by an enemy 25-pounder shell. He was 12 days short of his 36th birthday. His last words were “I am dying but let not the territory we were fighting for fall for the enemy”. For his inspiring leadership and great courage, he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously.
He eventually became the highest ranking Indian army officer to make the supreme
sacrifice on the battlefield, defending the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mohamed Usman was born in Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh on July 15, 1912. He received his military training at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, United Kingdom. He was commissioned in the army at the age of 23, in the Baluch Regiment.
During the partition of India, Brig Usman, being a Muslim officer in the Baluch Regiment, was under intense pressure from the Pakistani leadership to opt for the Pakistan Army.
He was even promised a future position as the Chief of the Pakistan Army , but he was not allured. A true patriot that he was, he declined the offer and chose to serve the country of his birth, an epitome of secularism and patriotism.
When the Baluch Regiment was allotted to Pakistan, Brig Usman was transferred to the Dogra Regiment.
Renowned writer, film maker and journalist, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, wrote about his martyrdom thus : a precious life, of imagination and unswerving patriotism, has fallen a victim to communal fanaticism. Brigadier Usman’s brave example will be an abiding source of inspiration for Free India.
Today, two historical buildings stand in the cantt area of Jammu. One is called the Topi bungalow. It was constructed to house the inspection officer of Kashmir Imperial Service Troops. Facing it stands the building once known as Fair View. We know this building as Usman Officers’ Institute
Fair View used to be the residence of the Chief of Staff of the State forces of the erstwhile Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, before the State acceeded to India.
After the Independence of India and accession of Jammu and Kashmir thereto, Fair View was converted into Army Officers’ Club. But, in 1957, this was renamed as Usman Officers’ Institute ( UOI ), as a tribute to the valour of the martyred officer.
Carrying on the Usman traditions of ” service before self “, this institute is perhaps the only army officers’ club in India where a veteran is respected as much as a serving officer, if not more.
Colonel G M Tripathi, the Secretary of UOI, ably aided by Naib Subedar Mukesh Kumar Yadav and Sepoy Ankit Kumar, among others, provides exemplary care to the veterans, almost with kid gloves.
A few interesting facts about Brigadier Mahamed Usman, MVC :
Brig Usaman was a bachelor when he attained martyrdom at age 35. Large part of his salary would be spent in providing education to poor children. He was religious, yet a staunch loyalist.
Serving with the Dogras in Burma, he had turned a vegetarian.
He exhorted his men to keep a fast on Tuesdays so that the food thus saved could be distributed to the villagers who needed it more.
During the battle at Nowshera, about 50,000 tribal raiders had taken refuge in a mosque and our troops were hesitant in firing at the religious structure.
Usman reached there personally and ordered fire to be opened. He told his troops that the place no longer remained religious as it had been occupied by marauders.
Brigadier Mohammed Usman remains one of the finest soldiers and inspiring military leaders India has ever produced.
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