Page 145 - Leadership in the Indian Army

and were deployed on internal security duties. Thimayya had foreseen the
need for deployment of the brigade, and had sent Brigadier Paranjpe to
carry out a reconnaissance of the area as soon as he was apprised of the

situation in Kashmir. On 28 October, 50 Para Brigade began to move to
Kashmir and by 4 November had concentrated in Jammu. It was charged
with protecting the road from Jammu to Srinagar, and also to assist in the
maintenance of law and order. Soon after it reached Jammu, 1 Para Punjab
was flown to Srinagar, where the situation had become critical. By mid-
November, after the battle at Shalateng had restored the situation in the
valley, the battalion returned to Jammu.

At this time, the borders of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State were
manned by elements of the State Forces. There was a brigade each at
Mirpur, Jammu and Punch. The HQ of the Mirpur Brigade was at Jhangar,
with a battalion at Kotli, two companies at Naushera, and a company at
Mirpur. These troops had no artillery, and the battalion had 400 men, while
the company had 100. By the beginning of November, Pakistan had invaded

the sector in strength. Mirpur, being very close to the border, had been
encircled, Jhangar was besieged, and Kotli was threatened. On 7 November,
Rajauri was captured and 30,000 Hindus were killed, wounded or abducted.
Over 1,500 refugees were slaughtered at Chingas. There were fervent
appeals from the Military Adviser of Jammu and Kashmir to the Defence
Minister, and from Mehr Chand Mahajan, the State’s Prime Minister, to
Jawaharlal Nehru, to relieve Kotli and Mirpur and save the State troops, as

well as thousands of civilians from being massacred. Due to a paucity of
troops and the operations in progress in Kashmir, little help could be given,
until after the capture of Uri by Indian forces on 13 November 1947.
At that time, Major General Kalwant Singh was GOC JAK Division.
When 50 Para Brigade reached Akhnur on 13 November, Kalwant issued
orders for the relief of Naushera, Jhangar, Mirpur, Kotli and Punch on 16

November. According to his plan, 50 Para Brigade was to relieve Naushera
by 16 November, Jhangar by 17 November, Kotli by 18 November and
Mirpur by 20 November. Another column from Uri, comprising two
battalions of 161 Infantry Brigade under Brigadier L.P. ‘Bogey’ Sen, was to
move on the Uri–Punch axis on 16 November, reaching Punch the same
day. The task of protection of the line of communication was to be taken
over by 268 Infantry Brigade.