The Pune-based veterans of the Mahar Regiment of the Indian Army organised a ceremony on Saturday to honour the gallant action of Nine Mahar displayed on September 3, 1965 during the Indo-Pakistani War. It was on this day when under the leadership of the then Lieutenant Colonel, later Brigadier DN Singh, the Commanding Officer of Nine Mahar Regiment, the Battalion successfully defended the treacherous feature of Troti in Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir in Operation Riddle.
The 9th Battalion the Mahar Regiment was raised on October 1 in 1962 at Saugor as a Medium Machine Gun (MMG) formation. One year after raising, the battalion was converted into an infantry battalion and this involved changes in weapons, equipment, training, organisation and basic functioning of the formation.
In June 1965, Nine Mahar within just three years of its raising was deployed in the Samba Sector of Jammu and Kashmir. With commencement of hostilities, the battalion was moved overnight under 41 Mountain Brigade at Jaurian, Akhnoor and was ordered to guard the Troti feature dominating the main Chamb-Jaurian Road.
On reaching Troti on the intervening midnight of September 1 and 2, the battalion barely got four hours to prepare its defences when it faced heavy air attacks the next morning. On September 3, starting at 7 am, Pakistan used all its might to capture Troti, including bombardment by air, artillery and later in the night attacking the valiant Nine Mahar troops with overwhelming numbers of infantry supported by a regiment of Patton tanks.
The battalion under the leadership of Lt Col DN Singh and officers like Major SV Sathe and Major Vikram Chavan blunted the attack in a bloody battle of close support enemy fire, hand-to-hand fighting and trench warfare. Nine Mahar stood its ground resolutely and never gave an inch to the enemy. In this ferocious battle that lasted three consecutive nights, seventeen men made the ultimate sacrifice and helped the unit earn the prestigious battle honour ‘Jaurian Kalit’ and ‘Theater honour Jammu and Kashmir.’
Major General P Sherlekar and Brigadier Arun Adhikari, both veterans of Mahar Regiment, were present during the function to honour the two war heroes, Major SV Sathe and Lt Col Vikram Chavan, who were the examples of bold leadership in this battle under adverse conditions. To commemorate this function, Lt Gen Bansi Ponnappa, Colonel of the Mahar Regiment, released a social video message for the battalion and exalted the spirit of Mahar Regiment and its soldiers for their splendid performance in the Battle of ‘Jaurian Kalit’.
