The Kumaon Regiment - Battle of Rezang La 19.2.1988

The Kumaon Regiment is the most decorated infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army, including the two world wars. Kumaon gets its recruits from Kumaonis of Kumaon division and Ahirs from the plains.

The 13 Kumaon, an all-Ahir company of the regiment, made a last stand at the Rezang La pass on 18 November 1962 during the Sino-Indian War in 1962. It was led by Major Shaitan Singh.

The area assigned to 13 Kumaon was defended by three platoon positions, but the surrounding terrain isolated 13 Kumaon from the rest of the Regiment. The Indian artillery was located behind a hill feature, and could not train its guns on the target. Therefore, the Indian infantry had to fight the battle without the protective comfort of the artillery. The Chinese suffered no such disadvantage and brought on heavy artillery fire on the 13 Kumaon’s Charlie Company.

The Chinese attack, which was expected, came through a dry river bed. It was repulsed with heavy machine gun fire by the Indian soldiers. The Chinese regrouped and attacked persistently with more reinforcements. Major Shaitan Singh, the Company Commander, went from post to post raising the morale of his men and continued to fight even after being seriously wounded. The Chinese ultimately defeated the Indian side. 114 Indian soldiers out of a total of 123 were killed. There is a memorial in Rewari in the memorial of the Ahir soldiers,as many of the Ahir soldiers came from there,and the fact is that 1700 Chinese soldiers were killed in the battle.

Major Shaitan Singh posthumously won the Param Vir Chakra for his actions; this was the second instance of a Kumaon Regiment soldier winning this award ,the first being Major Som Nath Sharma. Other soldiers defending Rezang La who were awarded Veer Chakras were Naik Hukum Chand (posthumous), Naik Gulab Singh Yadav, Lance Naik Ram Singh (posthumous), Subedar Ram Kumar and Subedar Ram Chander.