Infantry Day
Every year, the Infantry Day is celebrated on October 27. The day is celebrated by the Indian Army.
Why is Infantry Day celebrated on October 27?
On October 27, 1947, the first Battalion of the Sikh regiment landed in Srinagar airbase. They showed extraordinary courage to thwart the Pakistan Army that invaded Kashmir with the help of the tribals. This regiment acted as a Wall to protect the Indian borders. The Infantry Day is celebrated to remember this first military event of India.
What led to the October 27 event?
On October 26, 1947, the then Maharaja (ruler) of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession with the Government of India. The Instrument of Accession is a legal document that was introduced in Government of India Act, 1935. After independence, it was used to enable the rulers of princely states to join either India or Pakistan. As Jammu and Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession with India, it comes under Indian dominion. Earlier to this, on October 22, 1947, Pakistan deployed thousands of soldiers and volunteers from the tribals in Jammu and Kashmir to capture the state forcibly. This is why Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession with India. Following the Instrument of Accession, India sent its troop on October 27, 1947 to counter Pakistan.
What happened?
On October 26, 1947 night, it was first decided to send a brigade-level force. But as the road link from Pathankot to Srinagar was not in good condition, the Sikh regiment was rushed in Dakota aircraft. The brigade level troop then followed by road. Around seven Dakota aircrafts were assembled. Out of these seven, only two were from Indian Air Force. The rest were from private airlines. This included the aircraft of Biju Patnaik (former chief minister of Odisha). The troops were assembled in the night and airlifted at sunrise. All the planning was done in a single night!
Infantry of Indian Army
The Infantry of Indian Army is one of the largest in the world. It is also called the “Queen of the Battle’. The Infantry is the backbone of the Indian Army. The soldiers in the Infantry bear the major brunt during wars. Aggression, physical fitness and discipline are the basic qualities required in these men.
Infantry Day, 2021
In 2021, the Indian Army celebrated the 75th Infantry Day. During the 2021 celebrations, the vintage aircraft “Parashurama” was recalled. The Parashurama is one of the refurbished Dakotas. They played a major role in transporting the Sikh Regiment to Srinagar. Dakota is Douglas C-47 Skytrain. It is a military transport aircraft. Its origin is United States.
