Saluting soldiers: Indian Army commemorates Infantry Day

Infantry Day was commemorated in the Jaipur Military Station with military decorum on Saturday. Lieutenant General Cherish Mathson, GOC-in-C Sapta Shakti Command laid wreath at the “Prerna Sthal” to pay tribute to the martyrs in a military ceremony.

October 27 is celebrated as Infantry Day by the Indian Army as it was on this day in the year 1947 that an Infantry Company of the First Battalion of the SIKH Regiment was airlifted from Delhi to Srinagar to liberate Kashmir from the invading tribals who were supported by the Pakistan Army.

Pakistan Army had launched “Operation Gulmarg” in early October 1947 using tribals to annex Jammu and Kashmir. Hostilities began when a tribal rebellion was instigated in Poonch in South-West Kashmir. By October 20, the Pakistan Army entered the conflict in support of tribal forces.

As nearly 5,000 tribals supported by Pakistan Army invaded Kashmir Valley from Abbottabad on October 22. Subsequently, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession thus making the State an integral part of India after which the Indian Army launched an operation to evict the invaders. The entire campaign was predominantly Infantry centric and its commencement on 27 October 1947 is commemorated as Infantry Day.