My salute to arguably India's greatest military hero

[Judge]

Respect to the Shaheed.

 

[SarthakGanguly]

My salute to arguably India's greatest military hero - Rediff.com India News

My salute to arguably India's greatest military hero
January 08, 2015 11:20 IST

In super-human actions of valour, Havildar Abdul Hamid personally knocked out five tanks over two days, effectively derailing the enemy offensive in the 1965 Indo-Pak War.
'Decades later, I realised not only how much the nation owed this great son of India, but also that my entire family was probably alive thanks to him...' says Vijay Dandapani.
'In the New Year, perhaps the best testament India and all Indians can offer the memory of this brave soul is a renewed commitment that ensures Indians from all faiths are recognised for their contributions on the battle front as well as on main street.'

Image: Havildar Abdul Hamid won the Param Vir Chakra in the 1965 India-Pakistan War. The plaque announcing the location of his memorial near Amritsar. Photographs: Vijay Dandapani.
A mere 60 kilometers separates the tiny village of Asal Uttar from the Harmandir Sahib, Sikhism's holiest shrine in Amritsar. The village itself is as unremarkable as the flat plains abutting state highway 21 that connects it to Amritsar, but just a couple of kilometers short of it lies a memorial to arguably India's greatest military hero, Havildar Abdul Hamid.
Abdul Hamid's name is reasonably well known in military circles, but despite a documentary that details his legendary and near superhuman acts of valour during the 1965 war and sporadic eulogies from presidents and politicians, his legacy remains largely unsung.
It was a trip down memory lane early last year that took me to Abdul Hamid's shrine, built and maintained largely by the Indian Army.
September 10, 1965: The day Abdul Hamid died, was when the largest tank battle in post-second World War history took place.
In nearby Amritsar it was another day of ferocious air to ground attacks by F-86 Sabres on the beleaguered Indian Air Force unit commanded by my father. The unit was an early warning radar station that supplied critical advance information of enemy air raids deep into Indian territory.
As a child of nearly 8 years my memories of the daily onslaught revolve largely around the trench in the backyard of the family home in the cantonment area where we spent most of the day, our ears frequently battered by the sound of anti aircraft guns thundering at marauding enemy aircraft.
Although fierce ground battles were being fought less than an hour away, I had no idea that on the day of Abdul Hamid's death we came within hours of being over-run by the Pakistani onslaught led by hundreds of redoubtable Patton tanks.

Image: Vijay Dandapani at the military hero's grave. The day Abdul Hamid died, was when the largest tank battle in post-second World War history took place.
The strategy that led to the demise of the Pakistani advance was the brainchild of Brigadier Thomas Theograj and his two able deputies, Colonels Salim Caleb and Arun Vaidya who lured the tank formation into a marshy trap.
But it was Abdul Hamid who personally knocked out five tanks over two days, effectively derailing the enemy offensive.
After the war, before India relinquished captured territory as required by the Tashkent Agreement, I managed to get relatively close to the battle of Asal Uttar when I accompanied my father on a visit to the captured town of Dograi, just outside Lahore. However, Abdul Hamid's memorial had not been built and his deeds had not yet garnered national attention.
Decades later, while going through the largely fragmented and contentious accounts of the war, I realised not only how much the nation owed this great son of India, but also that my entire family was probably alive thanks to him.
I then decided to visit the scene of the battle in 1965 and landed on a foggy January morning last year in Amritsar and drove over to Asal Uttar. A brick red roadside plaque with the words 'Memorial of CQMH (Company Quarter Master Havildar) Abdul Hamid' announces the location of the memorial.
Inside a walled-in area of a little over an acre of land, a pathway lined by shrubs and trees leads to the actual memorial that houses his grave. An inscription on a tablet solemnly attests to his having given his life defending 'his motherland.'
Spurred by the visuals at the memorial, I sought to contact the family of the late Quarter Master. I found out that his widow, Rasoolan Bibi, lives near the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border in Dulhapur village. I also put together a fund to help her out financially.
Last October my wife and made a trip to Dulhapur to see the war widow. Most of her affairs are handled by her young grandson, Jamil-Alam, a dapper young man who works for the railways, but is always available to take the frail yet sprightly lady outside the confines of her village on her not infrequent forays outside to see leaders including the President and prominent politicians.

Image: Abdul Hamid's wife Rasoolan Bibi at her village of Dulhapur in Uttar Pradesh.
The drive from Varanasi airport to Dulhapur is just over 70 km, but the poor condition of the road made it an arduous four hour long journey. The village, like in many other parts of UP, has Muslim enclaves, but Rasoolan Bibi lived in a mixed neighborhood in a modest two storeyed brick home with almost every neighbour aware of her hero husband's deeds.
While sitting in her tiny living room with a large garlanded portrait of her husband and scores of photographs with national and state leaders, a striking fact emerged. This tiny, largely Muslim hamlet had sent many a son to fight for India after Partition including a younger brother of Abdul Hamid who fought in the 1971 war.
While the latter proudly recounted his brother's valour to me I had to pry out details of his own highly praiseworthy effort.
On returning to New York while reflecting on my childhood in the services where festivals of all religions were celebrated with equal vigour, I wondered if those inclusive mores still persist.
The two major wars of 1965 and 1971 saw Muslim officers and men across ranks and services acquit themselves creditably in keeping with the traditions of the Indian armed forces giving the lie to the false narrative advanced prior to Partition: That their careers were best advanced by moving to Pakistan.
In the New Year, perhaps the best testament India and all Indians can offer to the memory of this brave soul is a renewed commitment that ensures Indians from all faiths are recognised for their contributions on the battle front as well as on main street.
Vijay Dandapani is President, Apple Core Hotels, a chain of five midtown Manhattan, New York City, hotels.

I don't like attaching 'best' or 'greatest' as titles. It is demeaning to the others who also exhibited exemplary bravery. I salute him and his sacrifice. I met his younger brother at a convention, very shy.

 

[Guynextdoor2]

PVC guys are always really bad a$$es

 

[The_Sidewinder]

Read his story when I was in class six. Salute to the PARAM VEER.

 

[vsdave2302]

Taking blessing from AH's wife and honoring her as a chef minister of Gujarat.
Our sicular media will never show that.

 

[Major Shaitan Singh]

India's highest gelentry award winner

Param Vir Abdul Hameed

"His citation gives him credit for three tanks destroyed; in fact he had destroyed no less than 7 enemy tanks [1]. This is because the citation for Abdul Hamid's PVC was sent on the evening on 9 September 1965 but he destroyed 3 more tanks on the next day, plus the seventh one which also killed him."

Captain Haneef Uddin

"Cutting across the snowy peaks to push for the enemy-held heights, Haneef soldiered on despite artillery bombardment. Outgunned and outnumbered, he and his unit fought to the end. His body was not recovered from the perilous ridges of Turtuk, until the war was over. "As a soldier Haneef served his country with pride and dedication. There cannot be a greater statement on his valour than his death which came fighting the enemy.

India's gallantry award Vir Chakra was awarded to Captain Hanif-u-din on 15 August 1999 for the bravery and courage in the Kargil war."

 

[vsdave2302]

I remember a lesson in our primery Hindi text book on AH and his brevary and how he destroyed Pakistani Tanks.

 

[@RV]

Salute From Bottom of My Heart.

 

[third eye]

 

[utraash]

I have been saying this for a very long time.... Nevertheless he deserves more than a salute...... I came across about unsung heroes in my childhood days while watching very old show of Doordharshan name "Param Veer Chakra" some 15-20 yrs back......

 

[Agent Smith]

I think that Abdul hamid and Lt. Arun Kheterpal are the greatest heroes of Indian military.

 

[vsdave2302]

I think that Abdul hamid and Lt. Arun Kheterpal are the greatest heroes of Indian military.

The award is granted for phenominal contribution. However I can bifurcate this in two.

1) is for smart offense and,
2) for Raw bravery.

I think Hamid's award goes in 1st catagory.

Award to VIkram Batra can be classified in second catagory.

 

[Levina]

Salute to the brave soldier!!

His widow had requested ex President Pratibha Patil to convert Hamid's home in Dullapur into a memorial. I'm not sure if that was done but a mausoleum was constructed on his grave by the 4th Grenadiers at Asal Uttar and each year a "mela" is organised on the date of his martyrdom.

This is was released in 1979

A book that was also released in his name recently called "Veer Abdul Hamid" by vice president Hamid Ansari.

 

[vsdave2302]

Taking blessing from AH's wife and honoring her as a chef minister of Gujarat.
Our sicular media will never show that.

Also Look at the politeness and feeling of respect on modi's Face.

Had Shahezada been in his place, we would have been seeing an opposite picture.

 

[Major Shaitan Singh]

Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid (July 1, 1933 – September 10, 1965) was a soldier in the 4 Grenadiers, Indian Army, who died in theKhem Karan sector during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, and was the posthumous recipient of the Republic of India‘s highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra. The award was announced on 16 September 1965, less than a week after the battle that cost his life.

During the India-Pakistan war Vir Abdul Hamid had blasted several tanks of the enemy country. For his bravery, Hamid was awarded posthumously with the country’s highest military decoration Pram Vir Chakra.. The award was announced on 16 September 1965, less than a week after the battle that cost his life..The award was presented to his spouse, Shrimati Rasoolan Bibi by Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, then President of India during the 1966 Republic Day Parade.

The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self sacrifice, in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea, or in the air. The decoration may be awarded posthumously.


Abdul Hamid was born in a MuslimDarzi family at Dhamupur village ofGhazipur District of Uttar Pradesh on July 1, 1933, the son of Mohammad Usman, who was also a wrestler.
He was enrolled in the 4 Grenadiers on 27 December 1954. In the 1988 Television serial Param Vir Chakra by Chetan Anand, Abdul Hamid is played by actor Naseeruddin Shah.
Born
July 1, 1933
Dhamupur village of GhazipurDistrict in Uttar Pradesh
Died
September 10, 1965 (aged 32)[1]
Chima, Khem Karan Sector,Tarn Taran Sahib
Allegiance
India
Service/branch
Infantry, Indian Army
Years of service
1954–1965
Rank
Company Quarter MasterHavildar
Unit
4th Battalion, The Grenadiers
Battles/wars
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Awards
Param Vir Chakra(posthumous)

The tank battles of 1965 form part of military history as the most intense armored battles between the end of World War II and the 1991 Gulf War. Close to a thousand tanks, on both sides, took part in the pitched battles and offensives. At the start of the war, Indian strength was limited to one armored division and one independent armoured brigade, along with six armoured regiments supporting infantry divisions. Pakistan had two armored divisions, with the then very modern M-48 Patton tanks. India had an equivalent tank in the Centurion, but their strength was limited to only four armored regiments.

Patton Nagar
Near the Bhikhiwind village, a strip of land was called Patton Nagar for a short while in 1965.It was here that more than 60 tanks of the Pakistani armywere displayed at the end of the September India-Pakistan conflict. The Pakistan Army tanks were captured at the Battle of Asal Uttar by India's 4 Mountain Division and it became a memorial to the Pakistani tanks being bogged down in the marshes during the 1965 War. The tanks were displayed for some time after which they were shipped to various cantonments and army establishments in India for display as war trophies.

97 tanks captured at Assal Uttar
The Indian Army managed to capture 97 Pakistani tanks as a result of the botched assault by the 1 Armoured Division of the Pakistan Army at the Battle of Assal Uttar on 10 September 1965.Six Pakistani Armoured Regiments took part in the battle, namely the 19 Lancers (Patton), 12 Cavalry (Chaffee), 24 Cavalry (Patton) 4 Cavalry (Patton), 5 Horse (Patton) and 6 Lancers (Patton).
The Indian forces in the field that day consisted of three Armoured regiments with tanks of varying quality, the Deccan Horse (Shermans), 3 Cavalry(Centurion) and the 8 Cavalry (AMX- The battle was so fierce and intense that at the end of the war, the Pakistani 1st Armored division had lost about 97 tanks in destroyed/damaged or intact condition. This included 72 Patton tanks and 25 Chaffees and Shermans. 32 of the 97 tanks, including 28 Pattons, were in running condition. The Indian 4th division lost 32 tanks, mostly Sherman tanks, fifteen of which were captured by the Pakistan Army.


KHEMKARAN
The 1965 Indo-Pakistani War was witness to the largest tank battle in military history since World War II. This battle led to the creation of Patton Nagar (or Patton City) at the site of the battle viz., Khemkaran. This is because many Patton tanks fielded by the Pakistani forces were either captured or destroyed at the scene.