Naik Shishpal — first MVC awardee from Haryana

Col Dilbag Dabas (Retd)

“Ra Jaton, chadd jao post pe. Phahra do Tiranga mere maran tain pahlain” (O Jats, charge onto the post. Hoist the Tricolour atop before I die) were the last words of Naik Shishpal Singh during the last battle of his glorious military career during the war with Pakistan in 1947-48.

The Jhajjar, Rewari, Mahendragarh and Bhiwani belt of present day Haryana has been providing brave-hearts to the Army, including the British Indian army of pre-Independence days. It still is if the region-wise enrolled strength of the Indian Army is any indicator. This belt has produced many a military warrior, including the three brave-hearts who were awarded the Victoria Cross during the two world wars. It also gave Naik Shishpal Singh to the Indian Army who was the first from this region to be awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) during the  war with Pakistan in 1947-48. 

Shishpal was born at Bamla village in Hisar district of then undivided Punjab on June 26, 1920. Bamla is now in Bhiwani district. The youth from Bamla and the adjoining villages traditionally chose military as a career and they still do so with pride. Shishpal, son of Chaudhry Sheo Lal Grewal, had an athletic built and was a known wrestler in Bhiwani tehsil. As there was no school in his village or nearby, he could not have formal education. So, whatever he learnt was during his service in 2nd Jat Battalion. While in service, he earned many medals in wrestling for the battalion but no one was aware that Naik Shishpal Singh, in future, was destined to win a much bigger medal for himself.

During the 1947-48 war with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, three Indian Army brigades were concentrated in the Jhangar Naushera defended sector; 19 Infantry brigade and 50 Para Brigade in Jhangar and King Brigade at Naushera. 19 Brigade comprised of 1 Rajput, 1 Kumaon Rifles and 4 Dogra; 50 Para brigade had 1 Patiala (Rajindra Sikh) Infantry, 3 Para (Maratha Light Infantry) and 3 Para (Rajput) under command and King Brigade was composed of 2nd battalion of Punjab Regiment, 2nd battalion of  Rajputana Rifles and 2nd Jat battalion (Mooltan). 

With Jhangar recaptured and Naushera secured, the Indian Army planned an advance on Rajauri in early April 1948. But the advance onto Rajauri was not possible unless the strong enemy positions on the Barwali ridge and Pt 3831 north and northeast of Naushera were not eliminated. After 4 Dogra attacked and captured the Barwali ridge, 2 Jat made a thrust from the left flank of the ridge in their advance towards Rajauri, the terminal objective. After seven hours of bitter fight, more of it in close quarter with bayonets drawn, the Jats captured the enemy strong position at Pt 3831and a picket named ‘Rohtak’ was established onto it. It was during the capture of Pt 3831 that Naik Shishpal Singh of 2 Jat, for his conspicuous act of bravery and supreme sacrifice, was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. The summary of the gallant action of Naik Shishpal is available in the War Diary of 2 Jat as well as with the Jat Regiment archives.

Shishpal Vihar, an upscale Army Housing Complex in Gurugram, is named after this Haryanvi brave-heart.

Subedar Jagey Ram Grewal, an octogenarian and veteran of Jat Regiment, recalls with pride, “I was around 10 years’ old when Shishpal was martyred. His bravery and sacrifice inspired villagers so much that every mother named her newborn baby boy ‘Shishpal’. Almost every house had one Shishpal, most proudly being reared to follow in the footsteps of their village legend”.

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

The summary of the gallant action in War Diary of 2 Jat reads..

Naik Shishpal Singh was Platoon Havildar of 4th platoon of ‘B’ Company which was ordered to lead an attack on a feature known as Point 3831 on April, 9, 1948. During the initial stage of the attack, he was hit on the thigh by an enemy burst fire but refused evacuation. He just tied the wound with the first field dressing and continued to lead and inspire his men. When he noticed an enemy machine gun firing from a flank and causing casualties on his platoon, under intense fire from the enemy, Naik Shishpal crawled to it through undergrowth, seized the red hot barrel out and lobbed a grenade into the bunker, killing its crew. He then crawled back to his advancing platoon. When the platoon was within assaulting distance, he gave the battle cry “Jat Balwan” and with collective shout of “Jai Bhagwan”, the platoon charged onto the enemy bunkers with the bayonets drawn. Naik Shishpal was himself seen to bayonet three enemy jawans but in that do or die moment, he too was bayoneted in the abdomen and he fell. It was half an hour past first light. His platoon saw him fall but they also heard his last order “Ra Jato, chadd jao post pe. Phahra do Tiranga mere maran tain pahlain”. His platoon obeyed the last order of their Platoon Havildar in letter and in spirit. Shishpal died of grave wounds the next day but not before his platoon hoisted the National Tricolour on Point 3831, a feature which now is an Indian post on the Line of Control, 9 km north-west of Naushera, named ‘Rohtak’.