Culture, tradition and heritage!
The idea is simple and the legacy absolutely staunch hang tough!’ Never, ever give up regardless of the adversity!
Welcome to the one and the one and only one, Rajput Regiment Indian Army where the rule set down the ages is there is no need to tell someone how to do his job because the officers and men know how to do it!
-‘Mad he was screaming? Just about everything, for just about everything was done wrong or it wasn’t done perfectly. Since nothing but perfection was acceptable. That is what a Rajput lady is all about and their sons who become soldiers also are similar. Nothing but perfection is the requirement! Nothing less than that is acceptable’! That is what the Regiment of the Rajputs is all about! They are a special band of brothers!’
-‘ Seeing 5 Rajput deployed somewhere in District Poonch and having a deeper gaze at the men at work on various frontline posts one can make out as to what the history of the great warriors has been down the ages. One look at the man standing with eyes not flinching or blinking yet smiling, one can understand that is a routine that has been set, ‘boys you have to be motors in combat, an example to be followed and a tradition to be maintained. Time is less; at maximum 28 years could be a couple more to create a space for yourself in the Rajputana from where legendary fighters came from!’
‘-I was not an extravagantly brilliant young boy but always backed by instincts! My dad in those days was posted in Bikaner, a great place to be extremely colorful with the grey sand adding to the flavor of the mammoth forts. They were the standing edifices of the legacy of the huge history of the legendary warriors beginning with Rao Bika and then the big lineage. The children of Army officials have their own band and so did we and for the next two years, add a few more some more got added to my huge friend list and one of them happened to be Aarti Rajput daughter of my dad’s course mate (a term about which I was to come to later in great implicit details). She was Sisodia Rajput, a warrior clan, extremely conservative and reserved and always loved talking to the point. I used to call her a ‘sharp nose’ (not because her nose was bad but because she probably knew everything about the land of the warriors. One day on a visit to one of the forts in Bikaner she remarked, ‘this fort had been built to defend against the raiders, of those who came with cold hearts to wield cold metal. We laid these stones with love. We build arrows strong and true. We built our armor to defend. And so we fight with the lion hearts and pray we will prevail.’ I kept looking at her and then standing in front of a massive portrait remarked, ‘we build our defensive fort strong and tall and place within it soldiers who are fathers. The heart educates. The heart makes us strong and wise. Those who fight with love are many times the worth of the cold hearted attackers, thus with them our chance of winning is multiplied many times.’ ‘Wow! Aarti you are superb in your knowledge about these forts and the fighters, from where did you come to know about all this! The reply from the sharp nose was, ‘that’s a family affair of we Rajputs and from my grandpa I learnt that your only desire should be to lead by example and let that example be multiplied’. Right throughout her life she has done it so far.’
-‘People of Poonch have seen 5 Rajput and many other battalions of this great regiment and they are unanimous on one aspect and that the officers and men follow the ten principles for success and strive to be great soldiers of character, competence, and courage.’
-‘Surprisingly I found that was exactly what Aaarti used to once tell me, lead from the front. say, follow me and then lead the way. Stay in top physical shape—physical stamina is the root of mental toughness. Develop your team. If you know your people, are fair in setting realistic goals and expectations, and lead by example, you will develop teamwork. Delegate responsibility to your subordinates and let them do their jobs. You can’t do a good job if you don’t have a chance to use your imagination or your creativity. Anticipate problems and prepare to overcome obstacles. Don’t wait until you get to the top of the ridge and then make up your mind. Remain humble. Don’t worry about who receives the credit. Never let power or authority go to your head. Take a moment of self-reflection. Look at yourself in the mirror every night and ask yourself if you did your best. True satisfaction comes from getting the job done. The key to a successful soldier is to earn respect—not because of rank or position, but because you are a leader of character. Hang Tough!—Never, ever, give up.! That is what 5 Rajput is all about and so are the other Rajput Regiment Battalions and the history is huge!
-‘The 5th battalion fought in the Battle of Hong Kong. The action against the invading Japanese was short and swift with heavy casualties to the battalion. There is a legendary story of Captain Mateen Ahmed Ansari. The Japanese wanted Capt. Mateen Ahmed Ansari of the battalion to renounce his allegiance to the British, but he refused. For five months he was subjected to brutal beatings and treatment, as a result of which he could not walk. He was then sent to live with the other ranks instead of the officers. Capt. Ansari remained loyal to the regiment and organized a system for helping escapees. He was again put in jail and tortured but refused to be broken. In the end the Japanese executed him. Capt. Ansari was awarded the George Cross for his heroism.’
-‘The Rajput Regiment is one of the oldest infantry regiments of the Indian Army tracing its origins to 1778 with the raising of the 24th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry. The 1st battalion of the regiment was formed in 1798. Prior to independence, the class composition of the regiment was Rajput and Punjabi Muslims (including Niazi Pathans). The present regimental composition consists primarily of troops from the Rajput communities and lesser numbers from other communities (mainly Ahirs, Gujjars, Brahmins and Bengalis).’
By: MS. Nazki
(Additional inputs by Major Kulbir Singh)
Mendhar/Jammu:
-‘I’m a lover of my Nation and a fighter for the people. I fight for what is right and I am a fair person. Strength and love go together, so if you have honor, you have me as a friend. If not, oh well, I’ll just have to win. That is what I’m, a man from the Rajput Regiment, Indian Army!’
In the very beginning I said that the history of the Rajput Regiment is huge and therefore we decided to go one at a time because one is enough to know about the others so we will restrict to the 5th Battalion presently deployed in Poonch. The first chapters start from 1825 because the predecessor units were, 2nd Extra Battalion, Bengal Native Infantry (1825–1828), 70th Bengal Native Infantry (1828–1861), 11th Bengal Native Infantry (1861–1885), 11th Bengal Infantry (1885–1897), 11th (Rajput) Bengal Infantry (1897–1901) and 11th Rajput Infantry (1901–1922).
The Rajput Regiments have seen big wars, World War-I and II, Indo-Pak wars, Indo-Chinese war and violent face offs, insurgencies in North East and J&K, have been part of peacekeeping forces the prominent being the IPKF in Srilanka, Kargil war, rescue operations and you name it as and when they have been required to execute a job by the nation and its people. Since the 1980s a number of Rajput battalions have been involved in counterinsurgency operations in the North East, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. 5 Rajput formed a part of Indian Peacekeeping Force in Sri Lanka. The regimental motto is Sarvatra Vijaya, which means Victory Everywhere and the war cry is Bol Bajrang Bali Ki Jai, meaning Victory to Lord Hanuman.
The Rajput regiment boasts of 1 Param Vir Chakra, 3 Ashoka Chakra, 5 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 7 Maha Vir Chakras, 12 Kirti Chakras, 5 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 66 Vir Chakras, 20 Shaurya Chakras, 8 Yudh Seva Medals, 313 Sena Medals, 19 Vishisht Seva Medals, 1 Bar to Vishisht Seva Medal, 1 Padma Shri, Battle honours Post Independence Naushera, Zoji La, Khinsar, Madhumati River, Belonia, Khansama and Akhaura! This gives an insight as to what the great regiment is all about. There have been great heroes and the saga of their sacrifices for the nation and the people really swells the hearts with pride and one has to say that these guys are simply beyond the limits of imagination as far as bravery and courage goes!
Have a look at each and every soldier of 5 Rajput, you will as to what he is saying and it would be something like this, if you ever wish to see how much we love our native land, take a look at the legacy we built in Poonch or as a matter of fact wherever we went. To raise such a thing, the rock hewn by hand, is a feat of the heart’. Trust me you can feel it because that is what they have inherited from the land of the warriors the ‘Rajputana’!
The officers and men are loved by the people because of their small friendly gestures like on Diwali they gave a loveable message of unity by distributing sweets to the children of almost all villages and localities of Poonch border areas. What better than sweets to express love for the countrymen! This lesson was taught to me by my great friend ‘the sharp nose’ remember nothing is ever guaranteed. However, you adjust; you get used to the little things and hope for the best. That is what a soldier does and that is what the officers and men of 5 Rajput are doing!
