Indian army celebrates 75th infantry day

• The army on 27 october held ceremonies at different formations across the Jammu region, including the northern command headquarters at Udhampur, while observing the 75th Infantry day.
• The Infantry Day is observed as a remembrance of the first military operations carried out by independent India when the Indian army repelled the first attack on its soil on October 27, 1947 in the Kashmir valley.

Landmark event of October 27, 1947?

• To protect Indian territory from external aggression, Indian infantry soldiers took part in an action to deter the enemy.
• On October 26, 1947, a day before the landmark event, the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh, inked the instrument of accession.
• This made the official entry of entire Jammu & Kashmir as an integral part of India and thus paving way for the Indian soldiers to be deployed in the state to fight against Pakistani invaders.
• On October 22, 1947, Pakistan poured thousands of regular soldiers in the grab of tribals as well as volunteers from the tribal areas of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) into J&K.
• The aim was to forcibly occupy the state into their territory.
• Initially the resistance to the invaders was done by the state forces of J&K.
• After the Maharaja signed the instrument of accession, India sent its troops and ward off the Pakistani invaders on October 27.

Valour of first battalion of the 1 Sikh Regiment

• 1 Sikh regiment of Indian Army, commanded by Lt Col Dewan Ranjit Rai, was the first Indian battalion which was airlifted and pressed into action in Srinagar.
• At that time, the battalion was stationed in Gurgaon.
• The battalion was intimated late at night on October 26 and swiftly moved to Palam airport in New Delhi, from there they were airlifted to Srinagar airfield the next morning.
• With one battery of 13 Field Regiment, an artillery regiment, was provided to 1 Sikh battalion to perform the infantry roles.
• All these troops assembled at Palam airport in the early hours of October 27.

Importance of Infantry

• Infantry have always contributed towards nation-building in the true traditions of the Indian Army.
• Infantry soldiers have also been intimately associated with humanitarian relief in natural calamities and shouldering additional responsibilities in peace-keeping missions to bring global peace on behalf of the United Nations.