Page 156 - Leadership in the Indian Army

By the end of February, the first phase of the operation had been
completed. In the second phase, which commenced on 1 March, 50 Para
was given the task of capturing Ambli Dhar. Ever since he had heard about

the plans for recapturing Jhangar, Usman had been in high spirits. He
wanted to average the loss of Jhangar by his brigade—the defeat continued
to rankle. His battalion commanders were soon infected by his enthusiasm,
and the operation for the capture of Ambli Dhar was completed without any
hitch by 2 Jat, assisted by 1 Rajput. By 5 March, 19 Infantry Brigade had
dislodged the enemy from Kaman Gosha Gala, and by 9 March was firmly
established astride the Handan ridge, after capturing Orange Hill and

Kataria Choti. By this time 50 Para Brigade had also taken Point 3030, west
of Shan da Mohra. Both brigades were now poised for the final thrust, and
on 10 March, Major General Kalwant Singh ordered the recapture of
Jhangar.
It was at this time that Usman issued his famous order of the day, in which
he quoted Lord Macaulay’s famous poem, ‘Horatius’.

Comrades of 50 Parachute Brigade Group,
Time has come when our planning and preparation for the recapture of Jhangar has to be put to
test. It is not an easy task but I am confident of success—because our plan is sound and our
preparations have been good. More so, because I have complete confidence in you all to do your
best to recapture the ground we lost on 24 December and to retrieve the honour of our arms.
The eyes of the world are on us. The hopes and aspirations of our countrymen are based upon
our efforts. We must not falter—we must not fail them.

To every man upon this Earth
Death cometh soon or late
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds
For the ashes of his fathers
And the temples of his Gods.

So forward friends, fearless we go to Jhangar. India expects everyone to do his duty.
Operation VIJAY was to commence on 12 March; however, it had to be

delayed by two days due to heavy rain. It began with 50 Para Brigade
advancing in the south of the valley and 19 Infantry Brigade in the north,
while a squadron of 7 Cavalry moved along the road in the middle. Under
the command of 50 Para Brigade were 3 Para MLI, 3 Para Rajput, 1 Patiala
and a company of 3/1 Punjab. 19 Infantry Brigade had 1 Rajput less a
company, 4 Dogra and 1 Kumaon Rifles. The heavy rain and slush had

turned the roads into a quagmire, making movement difficult and slow.
Field artillery could not move, but Kalwant decided to go ahead with the