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Some Lesser Known Facts About Dhan Singh Thapa

• Lieutenant Colonel Dhan Singh Thapa was an Indian Army Officer and the recipient of India’s highest army ornament ‘Param Veer Chakra’ who was born right into a Nepali household in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
  

  Young Dhan Singh Thapa

• China acquired independence from the Britishers just a few years after India in 1949. At that point, each India and China had been in a broken state. The then Prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, authorised the “Forward Policy” plan over disputed borders of Himalayan areas as a result of there had been a protracted disagreement between India and China. This “Forward Policy” plan known as for the institution of a lot of small posts going through the Chinese.

• In 1962, through the Indo-China warfare, the first Battalion at Sirijap (a small plain space within the southern a part of the Aksai Chin area which is managed by China however claimed by India) and Yula areas, strategically established an outpost which was on the Northern financial institution of Pangong Lake to save lots of the Chushul Airfield (southeastern Ladakh, well-known for Pangong Lake) which was unfold over 48 sq. kilometers. The D firm with 28 troopers underneath the management of Major Dhan Singh Thapa got the duty to safeguard it. Meanwhile, the Chinese Army arrange three posts round it.
  

  Dhan Singh Thapa commanding the first Battalion of 8 Gorkha Rifles at Pangong Lake in Ladakh

• In October 1962, the Chinese elevated their actions close to the three outposts arrange by the first Battalion of The Indian Army that was surrounding the Sirijap. One of the posts was guarded by Thapa’s firm. On 19^th October 1962, China made it clear by deploying an enormous Infantry that an assault on The Indian Army was imminent. Dhan Singh Thapa anticipated the assault and ordered his military males to dig quick and deep trenches.

• The Chinese attacked with heavy artillery and mortar hearth at 4:30 am on the early morning of 20^th October 1962. This assault lasted for 2 and half hours and there was no counter help of artillery from the Indian aspect, due to this fact, Major Dhan Singh Thapa and his males needed to wait which allowed round 600 Chinese troops to enter inside 150 meters of the rear of the put up.

• On the sight of the Chinese, the Indian troopers began firing with mild machine weapons (LMG) and rifles on the enemy and killed a number of Chinese troopers. But, the chances had been by no means within the Chinese favor. Artillery assault by the Chinese army was steady that killed a number of Indian military troopers. The Chinese got here inside 50 yards of the outpost and Indian troopers used solely small arms and hand grenades to cease additional harm. It additionally broken the communications of D Company with the remainder of the battalion.

• During this Chinese assault, along with his second-in-command, Subedar Min Bahadur Gurung, Major Dhan Singh Thapa saved motivating and boosting the morale of their troopers and tried to regulate their positions whereas transferring from place to put. The Chinese began attacking the put up with incendiary bombs to smoke out the Indian troopers. The Gorkhas saved attacking with their hand grenades and small arms hearth. Subedar Gurung additionally buried underneath the bunker when it collapsed on high of him. He managed to tug himself out of the particles of the collapsed binker and killed a number of Chinese troops till being ultimately killed.

• Next, the Chinese troopers got here in with heavy machine weapons and bazookas and Major Thapa was nonetheless holding the command with the remaining 7 troopers. In the meantime, battalion headquarters despatched two storm boats to search out out the standing of Sirijap 1. Both the boats attacked the Chinese Army. One of the boats badly broken and the second sank. All the occupants within the sunk boat died whereas the opposite boat dealt with by Naik Rabilal Thapa managed to flee.

• Dhan Singh Thapa jumped into the trenches and killed many Chinese intruders in a hand-to-hand battle earlier than he was managed, overpowered, and brought prisoner by the Chinese army officers. Naik Thapa instructed Indian Army that Sirijap 1 had no survivors. The final three survivors of this battalion had been taken prisoner by the Chinese military.

• Major Thapa was captured on the finish of the warfare by the Chinese military as a prisoner of warfare (PoW) and the Indian Army acquired the data a lot later that Thapa was alive and had been taken as PoW by China. The checklist of prisoners of the warfare was introduced by the Chinese companies on the radio. On listening to Major Thapa’s title everybody in India stunned and rejoiced. He was imprisoned by the Chinese military for killing the Chinese troopers through the Indo-china warfare and likewise for refusing to make statements towards The Indian authorities and its military. However, he was launched from imprisonment in China after the warfare led to November 1962.
  

  Gorkha Rifles written assertion on Dhan Singh Thapa

•  The ‘Param Vir Chakra’ was awarded to Major Dhan Singh Thapa for his gallantry actions on 20 October 1962, the award quotation learn:
  

  Major Dhan Singh Thapa was answerable for a ahead put up in Ladakh. On 20 October it was attacked by the Chinese in overwhelming energy after being subjected to intensive artillery and mortar bombardment. Under his gallant command, the significantly outnumbered put up repulsed the assault, inflicting heavy casualties on the aggressors. The enemy attacked once more in better numbers after heavy shelling by artillery and mortar hearth. Under the management of Major Thapa, his males repulsed this assault additionally with heavy losses to the enemy. The Chinese attacked for the third time, now with tanks to help the infantry. The put up had already suffered massive numbers of casualties within the earlier two assaults. Though significantly decreased in quantity it held out to the final. When it was lastly overrun by overwhelming numbers of the enemy, Major Thapa acquired out of his trench and killed a number of of the enemy in hand-to-hand preventing earlier than he was lastly overpowered by Chinese troopers. Major Thapa’s cool braveness, conspicuous preventing qualities and management had been within the highest traditions of our Army.”

  —Gazette of India Notification.

  

  Major Dhan Singh Thapa receiving PVC from the President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

• Dhan Singh Thapa retired from the Army service on 30 April 1980. After retirement, Thapa settled down in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh, India) and served as a director with Sahara Airlines (Now Jet Airways (India) Ltd, an Indian, worldwide airline based mostly in Mumbai, India) for a brief interval. On 5 September 2005, Thapa died.
  

  Dhan Singh Thapa’s spouse Mrs. Shukla Thapa with daughters Poornima Thapa and Madhulika Monga

• Once, an inspection of his unit was scheduled and the exact same day he was sick and couldn’t even transfer. He known as his Four troopers who helped him to achieve his automobile, he himself drove the automobile to the workplace and accomplished the inspection. He was very devoted to his duties.
  

  Lt. Col. Dhan Singh Thapa throughout Inspection on responsibility

• After Thapa’s retirement, he cherished to attend each Army Function. Major Dhan Singh Thapa went to attend his final republic day parade regardless of affected by kidney failure. If anybody used to ask him how he was feeling, he would give a delightful smile and reply “I’m fit and fine.” He was a decided particular person.
  

  Brave son of India Lt. Col. Dhan Singh Thapa

• Major Thapa was a legend and his tales are popularly recognized. Several roads in states like Shillong, Assam, and Nepal are named after this courageous Gorkha’s contribution to the Indo-china warfare in 1962.
  

  Road named after Dhan Singh Thapa

• In 1984, to honor the legacy of Major Dhan Singh Thapa, the Shipping Corporation of India named a cargo vessel (an Oil Tanker) in his title. This cargo vessel phased out after working for 25 years. The Shipping Corporation of India is a Government of India enterprise that works underneath the Ministry of Shipping.
  

  Oil Tanker of Shipping Corporation of India Named after Dhan Singh Thapa

• Major Dhan Singh Thapa’s statue can be constructed at Param Yodha Sthal (a spot the place the busts of all of the 21 recipients of the ‘Param Vir Chakra,’ India’s highest army honor, are made), Delhi after his loss of life.

  

  Major Dhan Singh Thapa’s statue at Param Yodha Sthal, Delhi.