Col Dilbag Dabas (Retd)

Param Vir Chakra (PVC), the highest military decoration for valour, is awarded for most conspicuous act of bravery or self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy, whether on ground, at sea or in the air.

The award was instituted on January 26, 1950, with retrospective effect from August 15, 1947. Among 21 PVC awardees till date, Maj Som Nath Sharma is the first recipient of the coveted award in Independent India.

A second generation soldier, Som Nath was born in Dadh village in Kangra district of then undivided Punjab. He was commissioned in the 8th Battalion of 19 Hyderabad Regiment on February 22, 1942. The 8th Battalion was reconstituted as 4th Battalion of Kumaon Regiment, referred to simply as 4 Kumaon on June 1, 1946. He belonged to a distinguished military family of Himachal; his father rose to the rank of Major General in the Army Medical Corps and one of his brothers retired as Chief of the Army Staff.

During his early career, Som Nath as Lieutenant fought the Japanese in Burma campaign during World War II and was awarded the ‘Mentioned in Dispatches’, but he was destined to earn for himself the highest gallantry award.

During partition, almost half of India was ruled by the princely states, the native allies of the British. By July 25, 1947, all states had acceded to the new dominion of India barring Hyderabad and Kashmir because their rulers assumed that their state was big enough to exist independently. Taking advantage of the wavering stand of the Maharaja of Kashmir, Pakistan, in connivance with the British officers, who chose to stay back and serve with Pakistan army, planned the annexation of Kashmir.

The execution of the nefarious plan began in late August 1947 and by the time the Maharaja signed the instrument of accession to the Indian Dominion on October 26, 1947, the Pakistan army, in the garb of tribal Lashkars, reached Baramula, 50 km from Srinagar, plundering, raping and killing innocent civilians. Noticing the evil designs of Pakistan, the government of India decided straightway to fly in an infantry battalion to Srinagar and send an infantry brigade by road to Jammu. On October 31, ‘D’ Company of 4 Kumaon under Maj Som Nath Sharma was airlifted to Srinagar and deployed near Badgam village, south west of Srinagar, to protect the airfield from the western approach as also to provide depth to Srinagar town. Badgam village is less than two miles from Srinagar airfield and the Lashkar lodged there could easily threaten it.

Around 3 pm on November 3, 1947, ‘D’ company of 4 Kumaon under Sharma was subjected to intense bombardment by the enemy heavy mortars followed by accurate machine gunfire from close range. Before Sharma and his men could retaliate, a sizable group of the Lashkar attacked the company from another flank. Initial attack was repulsed, but the attackers regrouped and attacked again after some time, heavily outnumbering the Kumaonis in strength. Now, Sharma with just about 80 men faced almost 700 well-trained and armed tribals. Air support by the Indian Spitfire and Harvard aircrafts inflicted casualties on the Lashkar, but could not thwart its onslaught on the depleting strength of the Kumaoni Company.

Though outnumbered almost seven to one, Maj Sharma was not the one to give up. Across the bullet-swept battlefield, he moved from section to section and from trench to trench and inspired his men to fight till last man and last round. Under assault from three sides, Maj Sharma was losing his men fast. When he discovered that heavy casualties on his men were affecting the uninterrupted firing by his light machine guns, Sharma, with a hand in plaster, filled the magazines himself and carried to the machine gunners. It was while he was occupied, a mortar bomb landed on the ammunition near him, killing him on the spot.

This is what he had conveyed to his Brigade Headquarters before death: “The enemy is only 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch, but will fight to the last man and the last round.”

Inspired by the tenacity of their commander, his men, even after his death, continued to fight and not only kept the Lashkar at bay till reinforcements arrived, but also broke the impetus of the attack. The incredibly courageous action by Sharma and his men prevented not only the fall of Srinagar, but of the whole Kashmir Valley. For his inspirational leadership, dogged determination and supreme sacrifice, Maj Som Nath Sharma was awarded the PVC.

As a young subaltern, Lieutenant Som Nath Sharma once joked that either he would die in battle earning the Victoria Cross (then the highest gallantry award) or would later become the Army Chief. Was young Som Nath really joking? Not too sure, however, both honours remained in the family; younger brother became the Army Chief and the elder earned for himself a Param Vir Chakra.

The saga of his bravery

On October 31, 'D' Company of 4 Kumaon under Major Som Nath Sharma was airlifted to Srinagar and deployed near Badgam village, to protect the airfield from the western approach as also to provide depth to Srinagar town. Badgam village is less than two miles from Srinagar airfield and the Lashkar lodged there could easily threaten it. Around 3 pm on November 3, 1947, 'D' company of 4 Kumaon under Sharma was subjected to intense bombardment by the enemy heavy mortars followed by accurate machine gunfire from close range. Before Sharma and his men could retaliate, a sizable group of the Lashkar attacked the company from another flank. Initial attack was repulsed, but the attackers regrouped and attacked again after some time, heavily outnumbering the Kumaonis in strength. Now, Sharma with just about 80 men faced almost 700 well-trained and armed tribals. Air support by the Indian Spitfire and Harvard aircrafts inflicted casualties on the Lashkar, but could not thwart its onslaught on the depleting strength of the Kumaoni Company. Though outnumbered almost seven to one, Maj Sharma was not the one to give up. Across the bullet-swept battlefield, he moved from section to section and from trench to trench and inspired his men to fight till last man and last round. Under assault from three sides, Maj Sharma was losing his men fast. When he discovered that heavy casualties on his men were affecting the uninterrupted firing by his light machine guns, Sharma, with a hand in plaster, filled the magazines himself and carried to the machine gunners. It was while he was occupied, a mortar bomb landed on the ammunition near him, killing him on the spot.

(The writer is a veteran Gunner, 6 Field Regiment)