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Showing posts with the label Sikh regiment

Understanding Kashmir

Kashmir Valley Kashmir has been at the heart of a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan ever since the two nations separated in 1947. Both claim Kashmir. In fact, Kashmir is divided into three political entities: Jammu & Kashmir under India (J&K) Azad kashmir or Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) China Occupied Aksai Chin (South Tibet) Kashmir Political Geograpy Bollywood movie - Kashmir Files (2022) has re-ignited this debate. The film is produced by pro-BJP Zee Studios, written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, and represents a fictional story line about the murders and final exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley during 1990s.  Origin of Kashmir In the  Rajatarangini , a history of Kashmir written by  Kalhana  in the 12th century, it is stated that the valley of Kashmir was a big lake, When the lake drained out through the passage of Varah-Moola (Baramula), the people began to settle there as it was a peaceful heaven f...

Bana Singh - A Living Legend

The bravery of Sikhs is known to us all and there are legends that we have heard from our grandparents, read in Sikh history, and documented by Indian Army. Even the British Army glorifies the brave Sikhs who fought the great wars of the world with professionalism. One such legend is Naib Subedar Bana Singh. This blog is my tribute to the brave Sikh soldier taking excerpts from previously published articles. Naib Subedar Bana Singh P.V.C. Subedar Major and Honorary Captain Bana Singh, PVC (6 January 1949) is a retired Indian soldier and a recipient of the nation's highest military award, the Param Vir Chakra. He led the team which conquered the highest peak in the Siachen area as part of Operation Rajiv. The peak was renamed as "Bana Post" in his honour. The Param Vir Chakra citation on the Official Indian Army Website reads as follows: CITATION NB SUB BANA SINGH 8 JAK LI (JC-155825) Naib Subedar Bana Singh volunteered to be a member of a task force const...

Invasion of Kargil - The Real Story

The Kargil War was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir along the Line of Control (LOC). In India, the conflict is also referred to as Operation Vijay, the name of the Indian operation to clear the Kargil sector of the Pakistani infiltrators. Indian Sikh soldier guarding the Kargil victory memorial  The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the LOC. The town of Kargil is located 205 km (127 miles) from Srinagar, facing the Northern Areas across the LOC. Like other areas in the Himalayas, Kargil has a temperate climate. Summers are cool with frigid nights, while winters are long and chilly with temperatures often dropping to −48 °C (−54 °F). An Indian national highway (NH 1D) connecting Srinagar to Leh cuts through Kargil. During the winter season, due to extreme cold in the snow-capped mountainous areas...