A gallant warrior
In Major Parkash Singh, Victoria Cross winner, we have an example worth emulating of a man who dared death several times. He has left a legacy that coming generations of soldiers can be proud of, writes Major-Gen RS Mehta (retd)

Major Parkash Singh as Captain in 16 Sikh; Major Parkash Singh at a reception held by the Queen Mother at St. James Palace, UK, in honour of Victoria and George Cross winners

I was inexorably drawn to a recent unusually large, well laid out bhog and antim ardas notice in The Tribune. It informed readers of the death, in Jalandhar, of Mrs Raminder Parkash Singh, wife of the late Major Parkash Singh, Victoria Cross (VC) recipient. The VC is the coveted British precursor of the Param Vir Chakra, the highest gallantry award that can be awarded to an Indian soldier for showing bravery in combat. The notice listed her four daughters amongst the griefstricken. An ex-serviceman, I browsed the Internet, and later spoke to the Jalandhar-based Ms Alep Prakash Singh, the personable third youngest daughter of Major Parkash Singh. The story that follows is about cold courage; the recognition and respect that the British accord to VC winners, and, overall, about a life well lived, and with great family values.

The first Arakan campaign was fought in Mayu Peninsula, Burma (now Myanmar), during World War II. Havaldar Parkash Singh, 3/8 Punjab Regiment, was the second-in-command of a Bren-gun carrier platoon. He risked his life at Donbaik Beach on several occasions to rescue his comrades under very heavy enemy fire. On January 6, 1943, he drove his carrier forward and rescued the crews of two disabled carriers. Again, on January 19, 1943, in the same area, he rescued the crews of two more carriers, which had been put out of action by an enemy anti-tank gun. He then went out yet again and brought to safety another disabled carrier, containing two seriously wounded men, thus saving them from certain death.

He was awarded the Victoria Cross for these widely separated, repeated acts of sterling and selfless courage under murderous fire; a second award (a rare honour indeed), having been considered a distinct possibility by his CO.

A brief word on this rarest-of-the-rare awards. The VC was introduced on January 29, 1856, by Queen Victoria, to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. It is Britain’s highest and most prestigious award, which is given "for most conspicuous bravery, or some daring, or pre-eminent act of valour, or self-sacrifice, in the presence of the enemy" to British and Commonwealth forces. Since its inception, the medal has been awarded 1,356 times to 1,353 individual recipients.

The Original Royal Warrant states that the Victoria Cross "shall consist of a Maltese cross of bronze". It is a cross with triangular shaped arms. The colour of the ribbon is crimson. Indian troops became eligible for the award in 1911. Thirty Indian soldiers have been awarded the VC so far — 11 in World War I and 19 in World War II. The Indian Army was 2.5 million (25 lakh) strong when the war ended, with 87,000 Indian soldiers dying during it. These stark statistics underscore the great respect that should be attributed to the 30 bravest-of-the-brave Indian soldiers, who earned the VC during its tenancy.

Havaldar Parkash was 29 when he got his VC. He rose to the rank of Major, being seconded to 16 Sikh on Partition (8th Punjab Regiment was allotted to Pakistan, later becoming its Baluch Regiment). His daughter recalls with pride how happily married her father and mother were, throughout their lives. Humble, socially well adjusted and loving to a fault, Major Parkash kept his wife and daughters uppermost in his priorities. Post retirement, he became a leading potato farmer in the Jalandhar area, and counted leading citizens and intellectuals amongst his close friends; the famous writer Khushwant Singh being amongst them.

In ruddy health for most of his life, Major Parkash died of heart failure that developed from a badly treated dental infection, leading to cardiac complications. He died on March 23, 1991. He was 72.

His daughter recalls that when asked what his greatest assets in life were, he would proudly point towards his daughters. He spared no expense in educating them in the UK, letting them follow their chosen paths in their professional and personal lives. All this, she said, was captured in a seven-episode, moving documentary film titled For Valour commissioned on Major Parkash Singh and his family by Thames Television. It was sensitively directed by the late John Percival, and aired on prime time on Britain’s popular TV Channel 4 in July 1985, to critical and popular acclaim.

Alep recalls that the TV crew shot part of the film in India. The 1984 riots, however, put paid to its completion in India, and the balance shooting was done in London, with the film company graciously hosting the Parkash family there. She also recalls the huge public respect that her father and family commanded because of his VC. The award continues to be their passport to Britain’s pedigreed social circles, from Buckingham Palace downwards. War heroes of the first level (as also their dependants) command great official, social and public respect and interest in the UK. Alep recalls that one of Britain’s leading newspapers, The Guardian, wrote a lead story on her father, shortly before he died.

Mrs Raminder Parkash Singh continued her husband’s enviable legacy in her elegant and warm-hearted manner, for the 19 years that she outlived her husband. Ms Alep recalls with affection her mother’s droll, light-hearted outlook; her matter-of-fact way of looking at life, and her great relationship with her daughters, treating them as friends from the moment they stepped into adolescence.

In India we often hear of tales of iconic heroes that make for grim and soul wrenching reading. This is so because, unlike Britain, we do not respect our heroes the way we should. We recall their deeds fitfully; often with bad grace, as if performing an unpleasant, wearisome duty. We need to correct this institutional weakness in our national psyche and outlook.

In Major Parkash Singh (VC), we have an example worth emulating of a man who dared death several times to give the invaluable gift of life to his stricken, wounded colleagues. For them he faced "fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers and the temples of his gods." Beyond his deathless bravery, he also lived an impeccable personal life, leaving a legacy that coming generations of soldiers and citizens alike can indeed be very proud of.