Page 356 - Leadership in the Indian Army

command of 323 Infantry Brigade at Dinanagar, and that Hanut should
move the regiment to its concentration area immediately. The regiment
began moving by road and rail on 10 October, and within four days had

concentrated at Sujanpur, a small village near Madhopur. After reaching its
new location, Hanut was called to HQ 39 Infantry Division and briefed on
his task.
Hanut learned that his regiment had been temporarily placed under
command of 323 Infantry Brigade for a defensive task. There were reports
of an impending attack by Pakistan in the general area of Gurdaspur–
Dinanagar, and 323 Infantry Brigade was to be deployed to contain this

thrust with 17 Horse in a supporting role. Hanut was subsequently briefed
by Brigadier G.S. Grewal, Commander 323 Infantry Brigade, who told him
to base himself at Dinanagar and select suitable dispersal areas for his
regiment. By the time Hanut reached the resthouse at Dinanagar, which he
had selected as his regimental HQ, it was almost 10 p.m. As he was
entering the resthouse, he sensed that he was being followed. He stopped

and loudly asked what was going on. It transpired that the men following
him were part of a reconnoitring party, led by an officer, from 36 Infantry
Division. On hearing the tanks of 17 Horse enter the area, they had assumed
that it was the spearhead of the Pakistani offensive. Hanut’s aquiline nose
and handlebar moustache had led them to mistake him for a Pathan. They
were profusely apologetic when they realised that they had been stalking
the Commandant of the Poona Horse instead of a Pakistani officer.

Next morning, orders were received that the Scinde Horse, which had just
arrived, would relieve the Poona Horse, which was to revert under
command of 39 Infantry Division and move to Malichak. After spending
almost a month there, the regiment moved to a forward concentration area
near Dinai, just short of Samba, on the Pathankot–Jammu road. By this
time, all personnel on leave, courses and extra-regimental employment had

rejoined, and the regiment was up to full strength. The period spent in
Malichak had been put to good use, in training and reconnaisance.
In 1971, the Indian Army’s main task was the liberation of Bangladesh,
then called East Pakistan. On the western front, it was decided to maintain
an offensive–defence posture, primarily because of the commitment of
troops in the east, where there was a possibility of Chinese intervention.
However, it was expected that Pakistan would undertake a major offensive

either in the Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, or Rajasthan. As part of his