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five were taken prisoners as wounded—they all escaped—
and one was sent back to tell the story of the battle to the rest
of the world. And who sent him back? This Company's most
remarkable commander, Major Shaitan Singh, who got a
Param Vir Chakra for leading this battle. I am today in Rewari,
the area from where these jawans came... It was a Kumaon
battalion but this was an Ahir Company from Rewari in Haryana.
With me are two of those six survivors—in fact, only four re-
main with us now—Honorary captain Ramchander Yadav and
Havaldar Nihal Singh. So both of you were with Major Shaitan
Singh?
( Some more extracts from OP-ED Page of Indian Express
dated 20th October, 2012)
Even an incorrigible military history enthusiast like this writer
had nearly forgotten about what can only be described as a
truly fighting frontier of 1962, until a tragic personal event took
me to Rewari district in Haryana, 100 km south of Delhi. My
old driver Ram Kumar, so much a member of my family, sud-
denly died of a heart attack and it took ne to his village. He
was an Ahir, as Yadays are generally known in Haryana, and
the Rewari-Mahendergarh districts are their homeland. It is
then that a tiny memorial by the roadside in Rewari caught
my eye. Lost in shrubbery and garbage (sadly) was the tiny
column with the names of 114 soldiers of Charlie (`C') Com-
pany of 13, Kumaon regiment, who perished in the battle of
Rezang La, engraved on it. But why a memorial to martyrs of
the Kumaon regiment in Rewari? Because this was an Ahir
company. Almost all those who died were from a small clus-
ter of villages right here.
But you cannot appreciate the full story yet. Not until you know
Brahmarpan December 2012 Vol. 6 NO.6
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