Frozen bodies holding guns: How 120 bahadur beat back 5,000 Chinese soldiers

India Today

4 hours ago

"When the Chinese attacked in an overwhelming number and death was written all over, these gallant Ahirs stood their ground to the last man, last round, although they had an opportunity to move back and roll down the reverse slopes of the ridge and save their lives. Nay, they did not do so," recalled Lieutenent General DD Saklani (retired). Lt Gen Saklani was the last Army officer to speak to Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, who was commanding the Indian forces in the Battle of Rezang La during the India-China War of 1962. In one of the greatest last stands in military history, 120 Indian soldiers fought a 5,000-strong invading force of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).advertisementFor his ultimate sacrifice in the Battle of Rezang La, Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, who led the gallants at a height of 5,000 metres in sub-zero temperature, was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest wartime gallantry award.In India's modern military history, only a few battles rival the raw courage shown by Indian soldiers at Rezang La, a mountain pass in eastern Ladakh. In the battle in November 1962, just 120 soldiers of Charlie Company of the 13 Kumaon Regiment of the Indian Army stood in temperatures of up to -40 degrees Celsius, blocking the path of an invading 5,000 force of the PLA.
"When Rezang La was later revisited, dead jawans were found in the trenches still holding on to their weapons. Every single man of this company was found dead in his trench with several bullets or splinter wounds. The 2-inch mortar man died with a bomb still in his hand. The medical orderly had a syringe and bandage in his hands when the Chinese bullet hit him," Major General Ian Cardozo (retired) later recalled.Led by Major Bhati, the Indian jawans, mostly from the Ahir community of Haryana, held the strategic pass with nothing but their rifles, grenades, and raw courage.By the end of the battle, 110 of them were martyred, most of them found in their trenches, bodies frozen, still holding their weapons, having fought to the last bullet. With their valour, the 120 bahadur (bravehearts) halted the Chinese advance and prevented the takeover of the Chushul airfield and a deeper Chinese occupation of Ladakh.While such tales of bravery and service to the nation need no occasion to be narrated, Farhan Akhtar's new film 120 Bahadur gives yet another reason to remember the heroism at Rezang La. The teaser shows Major Bhati and his 120 brave soldiers facing thousands of Chinese troops in the freezing heights of the Himalayas.From hand-to-hand combat to the pain of families left behind, the teaser for the film dropped this week, brings alive the immortal story of the sacrifice in the cold desert at 5,000 metres. Farhan Akhtar plays Major Bhati in the film 120 Bahadur, which is set to be released on November 21.Before we delve into the story of the Battle of Rezang La, it's important to first take a look at the backdrop and circumstances of how and why India and China were drawn into the bloody war in 1962.HOW CHINA CAME TO INDIA'S DOORSTEP IN 1962advertisementAfter Independence, India did not share a contiguous border with China until Mao Zedong's Communist Republic annexed Tibet in 1950. For centuries, Tibet served as a buffer, but the occupation brought Chinese troops directly to India's doorstep.In 1954, India and China signed the Panchsheel Agreement. They vowed peaceful coexistence. Yet, by 1956, China had begun constructing the Aksai Chin Road, connecting Xinjiang to Tibet through Aksai Chin, which was, and still is, an integral part of India.India's objection to the road was met with Chinese aggression. By the late 1950s, Chinese maps began to show Aksai Chin and large swathes of the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA, now Arunachal Pradesh) as Chinese territory.In response, India adopted a Forward Policy in 1960. It established posts in the frontier areas that Beijing claimed as its own. New Delhi hoped to assert sovereignty without provoking a war. But China perceived this as provocation.Tensions peaked in October 1962, when China launched simultaneous attacks on NEFA and Ladakh, which culminated in the India-China War.advertisementOutnumbered and poorly equipped, Indian troops were caught off guard. By the end of October, Chinese forces had overrun several Indian positions in Ladakh, setting the stage for the battle at Rezang La in the southeastern part of the region.HOW REZANG LA SECTOR BECAME THE FACE OF INDIAN RESISTANCEThe mountain pass of Rezang La, at a height of over 16,500 feet (approximately 5,000 metres), is part of the larger Kailash Range overlooking the strategic Chushul Valley. It became a crucial sector in Ladakh that included an airstrip that was vital for logistics and reinforcements for the Indian forces.In early November 1962, as China paused operations in its western sector, Indian forces reorganised defences around Chushul. The Indian Army's 13 Kumaon Regiment, comprising mostly jawans from the Ahir community from Haryana's Rewari and adjoining areas, was deployed at Magar Hill and Rezang La as part of the 114 Infantry Brigade under Brigadier TN Raina.The Charlie Company (C-Company) under Major Shaitan Singh Bhati was tasked with defending Rezang La with just 120 men, without any armoured support, artillery backup, or adequate winter clothing. But what they lacked in equipment, they made up in courage, camaraderie, and absolute trust in their commanding officer, Major Bhati.advertisementHigh in the Himalayan freezing cold, the battle cry of Dada Kishan ki Jai resonated, as the 120 bahadur resolved to fight to the last bullet, to the last man.MULTI-DIRECTIONAL ASSAULTS ON REZANG LA STARTED AT DAWNAt 0400 hours on 18 November 1962, Indian soldiers detected a Chinese troop movement just below Rezang La."In a few minutes, the enemy's intentions were clear. All the Chinese soldiers were seen carrying 7.62 mm self-loading rifles as they made their way straight to the company's position. Once the enemy was around 50 yards away, Naik Hukum Chand ordered, 'Fire'," wrote Coast Guard officer-turned-author Kulpreet Yadav in his 2021 book 'The Battle of Rezang La'.By 0500 hours, the first wave of Chinese infantry attacked. But it was met with fierce resistance. Indian soldiers repulsed the initial wave and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy.Then began a relentless artillery and mortar barrage from the Chinese side. What followed was a fresh wave of attacks from multiple directions: the South, West, and Northeast.Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Indian troops repelled wave after wave of attacks with rifles, grenades, machine guns, and sheer determination.advertisementMajor Shaitan Singh Bhati moved fearlessly across positions, re-siting light machine guns (LMGs), encouraging troops, and even attempting a platoon counterattack. He was grievously wounded twice but refused evacuation, ordering his men to leave him behind to continue the fight.HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT BY INDIAN SOLDIERS AT REZANG LABy afternoon, two of the three Indian platoons were overrun, but the defenders held their ground until nightfall. A platoon typically consists of 30 to 40 soldiers.With radio communications severed and no reinforcements possible, the men fought to the last bullet. Some engaged in hand-to-hand combat, refusing to surrender."Tragically, Naik Singh Ram's gun fell silent as it ran out of rounds. Realising this, the last of the few Chinese soldiers slowly began approaching his hidden position. As soon as they were a few feet from Singh Ram, he leapt out and started to fight with them in hand-to-hand combat," wrote Kulpreet Yadav in his 2021 book."It was a sight to watch as the six-feet-two-inches-tall Indian jawan lifted the handful of Chinese soldiers and fought with them in the rocky terrain, visible at one moment and invisible at the next. Ram Swaroop and Gulab Singh's section gave him cover and brought down the enemies who were trying to fire at him, keeping him out of his reach. Within minutes, it was all quiet," Yadav wrote.But the silence would be shattered by the war cry of the remaining Indian soldiers who had positioned themselves in different areas."Dada Kishan ki Jai," the battle cry of the Ahir soldiers of the 13 Kumaon Regiment, rang out the next morning from Section One, where Naib Subedar Surja Ram and the others from Platoon 7 were holding their positions."Surja sahab. Humko peechhe nahi hatna hai (We should not step back)," Major Bhati told Naib Subedar Surja Ram."Sir, main aapko vachan deta hun, Platoon 7 ka ek bhi aadmi, ek kadam bhi peechhe nahi rakhega. Hamare pass ammunition kam hai, lekin uske khatam hone ke baad bhi hum bayonet ki ladai ladenge, par peechhe nahi hatenge (Sir, I promise you, no soldier from Platoon 7 will take even one step back. We don't have much ammunition left, and after it is exhausted, we will fight with bayonets, but we will not step back)," replied Naib Subedar Ram.The battle raged with unrelenting ferocity, as neither side wanted to yield an inch, noted Major General PJS Sandhu (retired) in his 2013 piece in the Journal of the United Service Institution of India.This is how he described the unfolding battle at Rezang La.The PLA's assault was repeatedly repelled, forcing them to call in reserves. In the thick of the fighting, the Chinese Company Commander of No 8 Company was killed. When the initial Chinese offensive failed, the Chinese unleashed a relentless barrage of heavy artillery and high-intensity mortar fire on Rezang La.With sheer numbers and superior firepower, the position was eventually overrun by the advancing Chinese. Every Indian soldier fought to the last breath, dying in their trenches, noted Major General PJS Sandhu, (Retired) in his 2013 piece in the Journal of the United Service Institution of India.Though China claimed Rezang La and Gurung Hill on 19 November, their advance stopped short of Chushul. Indian artillery fire and swift defensive reorganisation by the brigade on Gompa Hill, ITBP Hill, and Tsaka La prevented further PLA movement.REZANG LA: FROZEN BODIES OF SOLDIERS TOLD TALES OF BRAVERYSepoy Dharam Pal Dahiya, the medical orderly, was found dead later, still clutching a morphine syringe and a bandage, trying to aid the wounded even as bullets rained.The Indian Army officers had initially refused to believe the survivors' account, that just 120 men, obeying the final command of their leader, Major Bhati, had faced nearly 5,000 PLA troops, and that only 10 had lived to tell the tale.Yet mother nature preserved the evidence of the last stand of these brave soldiers.When a search party arrived months later in Rezang La, they found an unforgettable sight, according to Yadav's book."Finally, in the first week of February 1963, a Ladakhi shepherd discovers the frozen bodies of Indian soldiers and informs the army. The search party, led by the brigade commander, Brigadier TN Raina, arrives in Rezang La on 10 February 1963 and is moved by the last man, last bullet stand of the Indian soldiers as they witness them frozen in their battle positions. The bodies of these brave hearts are then consigned to flames amid the chanting of Vedic mantras by the brigade commander himself. Major Shaitan Singh's body is discovered at the same spot where he had given his last order. The company commander's body is flown to Jodhpur where he is cremated with full state honours," Yadav noted in his book.Now, the senior officers had no doubts left. They had seen the scene with their own eyes and knew that every word the survivors spoke was the truth.BATTLE OF REZANG LA A TACTICAL VICTORY IN 1962 WARRezang La was not a large-scale battle in terms of number of days, but it was a defining one.Although the PLA captured the Rezang La on November 20, the battle proved costly for the Chinese. The 120 bahadur had delayed the PLA advance and prevented a deeper penetration into Ladakh.Though they had numerical and logistical superiority, the loss of hundreds of troops at the hands of Major Bhati's men delivered a psychological blow. The Chinese halted their advance the very next day, and on 21 November, they declared a unilateral ceasefire.While India had suffered a strategic setback in the larger 1962 War, Rezang La was a tactical victory. It demonstrated that Indian soldiers compensated with courage and willpower what they lacked in terms of critical weapons and ammunition.Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, who was a World War II veteran, was posthumously awarded India's highest wartime gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra.The 13 Kumaon Regiment earned the Battle Honour of Rezang La and Theatre Honour Ladakh for its valour. Its soldiers were decorated with one Param Vir Chakra (Major Shaitan Singh), eight Vir Chakras, one Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and four Sena Medals.Re-raised in 1963, the Charlie Company was renamed the Rezang La Company.In 1963, the Rezang La War Memorial was erected on the Chushul Plains, at an altitude of over 4,500 metres right on the Indo-China Line of Actual Control. In 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dedicated a renovated memorial to the Battle of Rezang La at the same spot.Inscribed on the memorial are these lines:"How can a man die better than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers, and the temples of his Gods."- Ends