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Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry
Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
Much of the the Army's Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment and Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Regiment are made of recruits from Poonch, Rajouri and Doda villages.
The Jammu & Kashmir Rifles [J&KR] is a unique Indian Regiment raised in 1821, not by the British but by the Indian ruler Gulab Singh. Maharaja Gulab Singh, the man credited with the founding of Jammu & Kashmir State, was born in I792. Gulab Singh joined the Sikh Army as a common trooper under Jamadar Khushal Singh's command; he was later given his own command of a small force. He participated in one of the many assaults on Kashmir prior to its final annexation by the Sikhs in 1819. In 1820, the state of Jammu was given to Gulab Singh as a jagir. He soon persuaded the Maharaja that in order to collect the revenues and maintain order, he required an army. He was then permitted to raise a small force of his own and was granted the title of Raja. The initial force raised and trained by Gulab Singh in 1820 was the fore-runner of the present regiment of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.
The Sikhs ruled Kashmir until their defeat by the British. Thereafter, Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu paid Rs. 75 lakhs to the East India Company in 1846 in exchange for Kashmir and some other areas under a treaty later named as 'Treaty of Amritsar'. Jammu and Kashmir as a single entity was unified and founded by Maharaja Gulab Singh on 16 March 1846. Zorawar Singh, a General in the Dogra Corps of the Khalsa Army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, later led daredevil campaigns in northern areas like Ladakh, Baltistan, Gilgit, Hunza and Yagistan, consolidating smaller principalities and making the northern areas a part of the expanding dominions of Maharaja Gulab Singh.
The Maharaja of Kashmir maintained a larger number of State Forces than any other Ruler of an Indian State under the British Raj. These forces were organized into the Jammu and Kashmir Brigades. They comprised one Bodyguard Cavalry regiment, two Mountain Batteries, seven active and one training battalions of Infantry and a Transport unit consisting of both pack and mechanized transport. Several of these units served with distinction on the North-West Frontier of India and overseas during the Great War.
Conquerors Of Siachin
In 1984, JAK LI was deployed to the Siachen Glacier, during Operation Meghdoot. The 8th JAK LI earned great honour by capturing a Pakistani post at 21,000 feet at the Siachen Glacier in 1987. Naib Subedar Bana Singh, 8th JAK LI, earned the Param Vir Chakra for the Regiment in this battle. He is the first and only recipient of the PVC for the Regiment.Major VS Minhas won a Vir Chakra, for gallantry displayed during the same engagement.
The Pakistani post was at a height of 6500 metres, the highest peak in the Siachen Glacier area.From this feature the Pakistanis could snipe at Indian army positions since the height gave a clear view of the entire saltoro range and siachen glacier. The enemy post was virtually an impregnable glacier fortress with ice walls, 457 metres high, on either side. Naib Subedar Bana Singh led his men through an extremely difficult and hazardous route. He and his men crawled and closed in on the adversary. Lobbing hand grenades, charging with a bayonet and moving from trench to trench, he cleared the post.
Final Assault
A total of 162 people participated to the final operation. Two officers, 3 JCO and 157 jawans were selected. The operation was conducted in three phases on June 23, June 25 and June 26, 1987. A first platoon was sent under Major Varinder Singh on 23 June but unfortunately they had to come back. 22 soldiers were killed. The second platoon led by Subedar Harnam Singh with 40 jawans made an attempt on June 25. At that time, there was no problem with the rope, but due to some communication gap with us, the mission had to be aborted. The next day, on 26, Bana Singh and his team were told that they will try another attack and capture the Post from the enemy today itself. A message was passed from the Major General who was the Task Force Commander and they got the green light. The assault was in daylight and there was a heavy snowfall.There was a single bunker on the top.At the end, a total of six Pakistanis were killed. Their bodies were brought back and were later handed over to the Pakistanis authorities during a flag meeting in Kargil.The entire operation was completed by 5 pm.
Naib Subedar Bana Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the highest wartime gallantry medal in India, for conspicuous bravery and leadership under most adverse conditions on January 26, 1988. The peak which he captured was renamed Bana Top in his honour. At the time of the Kargil War, he was the only PVC awardee who was still serving in the Army.
Units Of JKLI
1st Battalion
2nd Battalion
3rd Battalion
4th Battalion
5th Battalion
6th Battalion
8th Battalion
9th Battalion
10th Battalion
11th Battalion
12th Battalion
13th Battalion
15th Battalion
16th Battalion
17th Battalion
The following two battalions were formerly a part of this regiment:
7th Battalion - Now the 1st Ladakh Scouts
14th Battalion - Now the 2nd Ladakh Scouts
Kargil Conflict
In 1999, JAK LI earned honours in the Kargil War. The Chief of Army Staff made a special instant award of "Unit Citation" to 12th Battalion, The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry for their exceptionally gallant and sterling performance during the battles of Point 5203 on night 10/11 June 1999 and Point 4812 on night 30 June/01 July 1999 in Batalik Sector. The overall performance of the battalion during Operation Vijay was exceptional and marked with exemplary valour and grit in the face of the enemy.
Battle Honours
Laleali, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Picquet 707, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Shingo River Valley, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Gutrain, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Gallantry Awards
The following personnel of the JAK LI, have received the highest honors for gallantry:
Naib Subedar Bana Singh, 8 JAK LI, Operation Meghdoot, Param Vir Chakra
Lt Triveni Singh, 5 JAK LI, Ashoka Chakra
Lt Keishing Clifford Nangrum, 12 JAK LI, Posthumous, Kargil War, Maha Vir Chakra
Nb Sub Chuni Lal, Ashok Chakra (P), Vir Chakra, Sena Medal
Capt Vikram Batra - THE LION OF KARGIL
Captain Vikram Batra, 13 JAK Rifles, and his Delta Company was given the task of recapturing Point 5140. Nicknamed Sher Shah ('Lion King' in Urdu/Hindi) for his unstinting courage, he decided to lead the rear, as an element of surprise would help stupefy the enemy. He and his men ascended the sheer rock-cliff, but as the group neared the top, the enemy pinned them on the face of the bare cliff with machine gun fire. Captain Batra, along with five of his men, climbed up regardless and after reaching the top, hurled two grenades at the machine gun post. He single-handedly killed three enemy soldiers in close combat. He was seriously injured during this, but insisted on regrouping his men to continue with the mission. Inspired by the courage displayed by Captain Batra, the soldiers of 13 JAK Rifles charged the enemy position and captured Point 5140 at 3:30 a.m. on 20 June 1999. His company is credited with killing at least eight Pakistani soldiers and recovering a heavy machine gun
The capture of Point 5140 set in motion a string of successes, such as Point 5100, Point 4700, Junction Peak and Three Pimples. Along with fellow Captain Anuj Nayyar, Batra led his men to victory with the recapture of Point 4750 and Point 4875. He was killed when he tried to rescue an injured officer during an enemy counterattack against Point 4875 in the early morning hours of 7 July 1999. His last words were, "Jai Mata Di."
Decorations Of JAK Rifles
Defence of Chitral
The Great War: Megiddo, Sharon, Nablus, Palestine 1918, Kilimanjaro, Beho Beho, East Africa 1914-17
The Second World War: Kennedy Peak, Defence of Meiktila, Burma 1942-45
Punch, Skardu, Jammu and Kashmir 1947-48, Battle of Asal Uttar, Punjab 1965, Syamganj, East Pakistan 1971
Point 5140, 4875, Rocky Knob during kargil War,1999.
Note: Pre-1948 honours inherited from several battalions of Kashmir State Forces.
Decorations
Param Vir Chakra
Captain Vikram Batra, 13th Battalion - Kargil, 1999
Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, 13th Battalion - Kargil, 1999
Others
1 Padma Bushan
2 Ashok Chakras
3 Param Vishist Seva Medals
6 Maha Vir Chakras
11 Kirti Chakras
4 Ati Vishist Seva Medals
34 Vir Chakras
21 Shaurya Chakras
1 Uttam Yudh Seva Medal
97 Sena Medals
2 Yudh Seva Medals
31 Vishist Seva Medals
52 Mentioned-in-Despatches
243 COAS Commendation Cards and
101 Army Commanders Commendation Cards
Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
Balidanam Vir Lakshanam -Sacrifice is a characteristic of the Brave
Much of the the Army's Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment and Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Regiment are made of recruits from Poonch, Rajouri and Doda villages.
The Jammu & Kashmir Rifles [J&KR] is a unique Indian Regiment raised in 1821, not by the British but by the Indian ruler Gulab Singh. Maharaja Gulab Singh, the man credited with the founding of Jammu & Kashmir State, was born in I792. Gulab Singh joined the Sikh Army as a common trooper under Jamadar Khushal Singh's command; he was later given his own command of a small force. He participated in one of the many assaults on Kashmir prior to its final annexation by the Sikhs in 1819. In 1820, the state of Jammu was given to Gulab Singh as a jagir. He soon persuaded the Maharaja that in order to collect the revenues and maintain order, he required an army. He was then permitted to raise a small force of his own and was granted the title of Raja. The initial force raised and trained by Gulab Singh in 1820 was the fore-runner of the present regiment of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.
The Sikhs ruled Kashmir until their defeat by the British. Thereafter, Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu paid Rs. 75 lakhs to the East India Company in 1846 in exchange for Kashmir and some other areas under a treaty later named as 'Treaty of Amritsar'. Jammu and Kashmir as a single entity was unified and founded by Maharaja Gulab Singh on 16 March 1846. Zorawar Singh, a General in the Dogra Corps of the Khalsa Army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, later led daredevil campaigns in northern areas like Ladakh, Baltistan, Gilgit, Hunza and Yagistan, consolidating smaller principalities and making the northern areas a part of the expanding dominions of Maharaja Gulab Singh.
The Maharaja of Kashmir maintained a larger number of State Forces than any other Ruler of an Indian State under the British Raj. These forces were organized into the Jammu and Kashmir Brigades. They comprised one Bodyguard Cavalry regiment, two Mountain Batteries, seven active and one training battalions of Infantry and a Transport unit consisting of both pack and mechanized transport. Several of these units served with distinction on the North-West Frontier of India and overseas during the Great War.
Conquerors Of Siachin
In 1984, JAK LI was deployed to the Siachen Glacier, during Operation Meghdoot. The 8th JAK LI earned great honour by capturing a Pakistani post at 21,000 feet at the Siachen Glacier in 1987. Naib Subedar Bana Singh, 8th JAK LI, earned the Param Vir Chakra for the Regiment in this battle. He is the first and only recipient of the PVC for the Regiment.Major VS Minhas won a Vir Chakra, for gallantry displayed during the same engagement.
The Pakistani post was at a height of 6500 metres, the highest peak in the Siachen Glacier area.From this feature the Pakistanis could snipe at Indian army positions since the height gave a clear view of the entire saltoro range and siachen glacier. The enemy post was virtually an impregnable glacier fortress with ice walls, 457 metres high, on either side. Naib Subedar Bana Singh led his men through an extremely difficult and hazardous route. He and his men crawled and closed in on the adversary. Lobbing hand grenades, charging with a bayonet and moving from trench to trench, he cleared the post.
Final Assault
A total of 162 people participated to the final operation. Two officers, 3 JCO and 157 jawans were selected. The operation was conducted in three phases on June 23, June 25 and June 26, 1987. A first platoon was sent under Major Varinder Singh on 23 June but unfortunately they had to come back. 22 soldiers were killed. The second platoon led by Subedar Harnam Singh with 40 jawans made an attempt on June 25. At that time, there was no problem with the rope, but due to some communication gap with us, the mission had to be aborted. The next day, on 26, Bana Singh and his team were told that they will try another attack and capture the Post from the enemy today itself. A message was passed from the Major General who was the Task Force Commander and they got the green light. The assault was in daylight and there was a heavy snowfall.There was a single bunker on the top.At the end, a total of six Pakistanis were killed. Their bodies were brought back and were later handed over to the Pakistanis authorities during a flag meeting in Kargil.The entire operation was completed by 5 pm.
Naib Subedar Bana Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the highest wartime gallantry medal in India, for conspicuous bravery and leadership under most adverse conditions on January 26, 1988. The peak which he captured was renamed Bana Top in his honour. At the time of the Kargil War, he was the only PVC awardee who was still serving in the Army.
Units Of JKLI
1st Battalion
2nd Battalion
3rd Battalion
4th Battalion
5th Battalion
6th Battalion
8th Battalion
9th Battalion
10th Battalion
11th Battalion
12th Battalion
13th Battalion
15th Battalion
16th Battalion
17th Battalion
The following two battalions were formerly a part of this regiment:
7th Battalion - Now the 1st Ladakh Scouts
14th Battalion - Now the 2nd Ladakh Scouts
Kargil Conflict
In 1999, JAK LI earned honours in the Kargil War. The Chief of Army Staff made a special instant award of "Unit Citation" to 12th Battalion, The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry for their exceptionally gallant and sterling performance during the battles of Point 5203 on night 10/11 June 1999 and Point 4812 on night 30 June/01 July 1999 in Batalik Sector. The overall performance of the battalion during Operation Vijay was exceptional and marked with exemplary valour and grit in the face of the enemy.
Battle Honours
Laleali, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Picquet 707, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Shingo River Valley, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Gutrain, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Gallantry Awards
The following personnel of the JAK LI, have received the highest honors for gallantry:
Naib Subedar Bana Singh, 8 JAK LI, Operation Meghdoot, Param Vir Chakra
Lt Triveni Singh, 5 JAK LI, Ashoka Chakra
Lt Keishing Clifford Nangrum, 12 JAK LI, Posthumous, Kargil War, Maha Vir Chakra
Nb Sub Chuni Lal, Ashok Chakra (P), Vir Chakra, Sena Medal
Capt Vikram Batra - THE LION OF KARGIL
Captain Vikram Batra, 13 JAK Rifles, and his Delta Company was given the task of recapturing Point 5140. Nicknamed Sher Shah ('Lion King' in Urdu/Hindi) for his unstinting courage, he decided to lead the rear, as an element of surprise would help stupefy the enemy. He and his men ascended the sheer rock-cliff, but as the group neared the top, the enemy pinned them on the face of the bare cliff with machine gun fire. Captain Batra, along with five of his men, climbed up regardless and after reaching the top, hurled two grenades at the machine gun post. He single-handedly killed three enemy soldiers in close combat. He was seriously injured during this, but insisted on regrouping his men to continue with the mission. Inspired by the courage displayed by Captain Batra, the soldiers of 13 JAK Rifles charged the enemy position and captured Point 5140 at 3:30 a.m. on 20 June 1999. His company is credited with killing at least eight Pakistani soldiers and recovering a heavy machine gun
The capture of Point 5140 set in motion a string of successes, such as Point 5100, Point 4700, Junction Peak and Three Pimples. Along with fellow Captain Anuj Nayyar, Batra led his men to victory with the recapture of Point 4750 and Point 4875. He was killed when he tried to rescue an injured officer during an enemy counterattack against Point 4875 in the early morning hours of 7 July 1999. His last words were, "Jai Mata Di."
Decorations Of JAK Rifles
Defence of Chitral
The Great War: Megiddo, Sharon, Nablus, Palestine 1918, Kilimanjaro, Beho Beho, East Africa 1914-17
The Second World War: Kennedy Peak, Defence of Meiktila, Burma 1942-45
Punch, Skardu, Jammu and Kashmir 1947-48, Battle of Asal Uttar, Punjab 1965, Syamganj, East Pakistan 1971
Point 5140, 4875, Rocky Knob during kargil War,1999.
Note: Pre-1948 honours inherited from several battalions of Kashmir State Forces.
Decorations
Param Vir Chakra
Captain Vikram Batra, 13th Battalion - Kargil, 1999
Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, 13th Battalion - Kargil, 1999
Others
1 Padma Bushan
2 Ashok Chakras
3 Param Vishist Seva Medals
6 Maha Vir Chakras
11 Kirti Chakras
4 Ati Vishist Seva Medals
34 Vir Chakras
21 Shaurya Chakras
1 Uttam Yudh Seva Medal
97 Sena Medals
2 Yudh Seva Medals
31 Vishist Seva Medals
52 Mentioned-in-Despatches
243 COAS Commendation Cards and
101 Army Commanders Commendation Cards
