Page 155 - Leadership in the Indian Army

courage during the attack on Tain Dhar. Seeing the never-ending swarms of
tribesmen attacking the pickets and the depleted strength of the Indian
troops, he picked up a rifle from a wounded comrade and began firing at the

enemy. When he ran out of ammunition, he snatched a sword from a
tribesman and killed three enemy soldiers. Another unique feature of the
operation was the role played by the Balak Sena (Boys’ Army), which had
been raised by Usman and comprised the orphaned children of Naushera.
Between 6 and 12 years old, these children could be found thronging the
men’s kitchen for leftovers. Usman formed them into a boys’ company, and
arranged for their education and training. They were given regular meals

and a place to live. Some of them were employed as apprentices in
workshops. During the battle of Naushera, they served as couriers carrying
messages, often under fire. After the operation, three of these boys were
honoured for their bravery during battle and presented with gold watches by
the Prime Minister.
The Battle of Naushera brought Usman into the limelight. Overnight, his

name was on everyone’s lips and he became a national hero. The Pakistanis
announced a prize of 50,000 rupees for his head. However, Usman
remained unaffected by his sudden fame. Soon after the operation, Major
General Kalwant Singh, GOC JAK Division, held a press conference,
giving full credit for the success at Naushera to Brigadier Mohd Usman,
Commander 50 Para Brigade. When Usman heard about it, he wrote to
Kalwant, protesting that the credit should go to the soldiers who fought so

valiantly and laid down their lives for the country and not to him as the
brigade commander.
After Naushera, it was decided to recapture Jhangar. This was planned to
be done in three stages. Initially, the focus would be on assessing the
enemy’s strength. This exercise was to last till the end of February, and was
to be followed by the capture of Ambli Dhar and Kaman Gosha Gala from

1–4 March. The third phase, code-named Operation VIJAY, involved the
recapture of Jhangar, between 5 and 18 March. As a prelude to the recapture
of Jhangar, 19 Infantry Brigade was inducted into the area. Commanded by
Brigadier (later Major General) Yadunath Singh, the brigade comprised 4
Dogra, 1 Rajputana Rifles and 1 Kumaon Rifles. In addition, 2 Jat was
moved from Beripattan to reinforce 50 Para Brigade. Major General
Kalwant Singh moved his tactical HQ to Naushera to direct the operations.