Blue_Eyes
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DULLAHAPUR (GHAZIPUR): Legendary Param Vir Chakra awardee Abdul Hamid is widely known as a destroyer of Patton Tanks, thus playing instrumental role in India's victory in 1965 war with Pakistan, but not many know that the braveheart killed an 'ashubh chiraiyyaa', whose sound was considered inauspicious in his native village in UP's Ghazipur district and was creating an obstacle in his wish to fight for the country.
Though he may not have read S T Coleridge's 'The Rime of The Ancient Mariner' in which a sailor invokes curse of the albatross by killing the bird, Hamid was ruffled by his family members desperately trying to stop him from going to the war front, because they had heard the cry of the 'ashubh chiraiya'. In 1965, a day before leaving home to join his regiment, Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid killed the bird in the wee-hours to escape the bad luck it was believed to bring.
Sharing fascinating tales of her husband (who would have been 82 now, if alive) with TOI, 85-year-old wrinkle faced, toothless, but ever smiling Rasoolan Bibi said, "Everyone from my father-in-law (Mohammad Usman) to others told him to shelve his departure as the cry of the bird signalled misfortune. But so adamant was he (Abdul Hamid) to join his fellow soldiers on the war front that he killed the bird to end the debate."
She added that following the killing of the bird, three unfortunate incidents took place. "While on his way to the railway station, Hamid's bicycle tube got punctured. Then, his Army bag got damaged and eventually he missed the train which was to depart at 2.30am and had to board the evening train," recalled the martyr's wife.
The news of Hamid joining Army during a recruitment rally in Varanasi too had evoked mixed response from his family members, as his father was reluctant to send one of his sons to the Army, but other members of the family rejoiced the achievement.
"My grandfather used to visualise himself in olive green uniform and it came close to happening when Hamid joined the Army. But he informed about the development to his family members only after a few months, and that too through a letter," said Shiraz, as his grandmother looked on.
Family members also recalled about his mysterious disappearance in the 1962 war. "The 1962 war with China was almost over, but there was no confirmation of the whereabouts of Abdul Hamid. Suddenly, after a gap of almost one-and-half months, he came back to his ancestral home in Dhullahapur, much to the relief of his parents and family members," recalled the war hero's wife, adding that he was even awarded by the government.
Destiny, however, had something else in store for Ghazipur's braveheart, who single-handedly destroyed nearly half-a-dozen US Patton Tanks in the battle field of Asal Uttar (located Khem Karan sector of Punjab).
The family members of Hamid came to know about the martyrdom of the PVC winner almost after 3-4 days of his passing away. "The family was shocked when we saw his colleagues arriving at the village with his cap, watch and boots. Every member of the family and the entire village went into a state of mourning and it was the largest mass mourning the village ever witnessed," narrated Rasoolan Bibi, as she recalled the incidents of 50 years back.
He killed the mocking bird to embrace martyrdom - The Times of India
On 10th September 1965 ,, he embraced Martyrdom for His country,, I salute Him!!
Though he may not have read S T Coleridge's 'The Rime of The Ancient Mariner' in which a sailor invokes curse of the albatross by killing the bird, Hamid was ruffled by his family members desperately trying to stop him from going to the war front, because they had heard the cry of the 'ashubh chiraiya'. In 1965, a day before leaving home to join his regiment, Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid killed the bird in the wee-hours to escape the bad luck it was believed to bring.
Sharing fascinating tales of her husband (who would have been 82 now, if alive) with TOI, 85-year-old wrinkle faced, toothless, but ever smiling Rasoolan Bibi said, "Everyone from my father-in-law (Mohammad Usman) to others told him to shelve his departure as the cry of the bird signalled misfortune. But so adamant was he (Abdul Hamid) to join his fellow soldiers on the war front that he killed the bird to end the debate."
She added that following the killing of the bird, three unfortunate incidents took place. "While on his way to the railway station, Hamid's bicycle tube got punctured. Then, his Army bag got damaged and eventually he missed the train which was to depart at 2.30am and had to board the evening train," recalled the martyr's wife.
The news of Hamid joining Army during a recruitment rally in Varanasi too had evoked mixed response from his family members, as his father was reluctant to send one of his sons to the Army, but other members of the family rejoiced the achievement.
"My grandfather used to visualise himself in olive green uniform and it came close to happening when Hamid joined the Army. But he informed about the development to his family members only after a few months, and that too through a letter," said Shiraz, as his grandmother looked on.
Family members also recalled about his mysterious disappearance in the 1962 war. "The 1962 war with China was almost over, but there was no confirmation of the whereabouts of Abdul Hamid. Suddenly, after a gap of almost one-and-half months, he came back to his ancestral home in Dhullahapur, much to the relief of his parents and family members," recalled the war hero's wife, adding that he was even awarded by the government.
Destiny, however, had something else in store for Ghazipur's braveheart, who single-handedly destroyed nearly half-a-dozen US Patton Tanks in the battle field of Asal Uttar (located Khem Karan sector of Punjab).
The family members of Hamid came to know about the martyrdom of the PVC winner almost after 3-4 days of his passing away. "The family was shocked when we saw his colleagues arriving at the village with his cap, watch and boots. Every member of the family and the entire village went into a state of mourning and it was the largest mass mourning the village ever witnessed," narrated Rasoolan Bibi, as she recalled the incidents of 50 years back.
He killed the mocking bird to embrace martyrdom - The Times of India
On 10th September 1965 ,, he embraced Martyrdom for His country,, I salute Him!!
