It is a well-known fact that many resources were proportionally divided between the two nations when Pakistan was carved out from our country. Similarly, coming to the Army Regiments, several battalions of the Punjab Regiment went to Pakistan while we retained a majority of them. I never knew about this fact until I delved into the history of my Punjab Regiment on commissioning. During various mock war games and exercises in the Young Officers’ course, the orbat (Order of the battle comprising of units) on the other side always had a few battalions of Punjab Regiment viz 4 Punjab, 10 Punjab, 12 Punjab etc. I, being from the Punjab Regiment always drew a smirk from all my course-mates sitting opposite me during a sand model discussion. This alwaysled me to think of soldiers of my Regimentwho started serving under a new flag with the crack of the new dawn.
Another thought which always crossed my mind pertained to all the Muslim officers in our various unitswho optedto serve underthe Indian flag. Of the many stories I know of, the most inspirational story I recently came across, is of Captain Syed Mahdi Hasnain. He was the Adjutant of the 1st Garhwal Rifles posted at Peshawar Cantt in August 1947. The unit had been ordered to move to Saharanpur. While travelling from Peshawar to Lahore, the unit was tasked with the protection of thousands of Sikhs and Hindu refugees who were also rushing towards safer havens on our side.
When the train transporting the unit reached Lahore, his Commanding officer, Lt Col McLean called him to his cabin and very hesitatingly asked him, ‘Son, you are a proud Muslim. Isn’t it time you decided your fate; where would you like to go- Pakistan or India?’I ask because should your choice be Pakistan, I suggest you should stay behind and say goodbye to your colleagues. Capt Mahdi Hasnain’s answer reflected that he had already thought deeply about his fate. ‘Sir I deeply respect your concern but for me, my prime duty lies in the safe move of my unit and I will never leave it mid-way’. He continued, ‘I am equally aware that nations created based onfaith will never last long. There will be instant euphoria which will last for some time but eventually, the nation which is created based on respect for all faiths is the one which will survive the acid test and continue to prosperfor all centuries to come. For me, the choice is India and that is where I am proceeding with my unit’. Lt Col McLean complimented him on not only deliberate and well-informed choice but also a confident reply by a junior officer. Capt Mahdi Hasnain continuedto perform the duties of adjutant as the unit continued its journey towardsSaharanpur.
Throughout the journey, it picked up hundreds of refugees. Among them was the patriarch of the Kapoor Family which later set up Kapoor & Co tailors at Indian Military Academy. Unfortunately, Capt Mahdi Hasnain never got to command 1stGarhwal Rifles but instead raised 4 Garhwal Rifles, now 6 Mech Inf. Capt Mahdi Hasnain rose to the rank of Major General and was the first Indian Muslim to command a Division in the Indian Army. He was approved for Lt Gen but age went against him. The son of Maj Gen Mahdi Hasnain was commissioned into the same unit as his father and rose to the rank ofLt Gen. Lt Gen SA Hasnain was the first officer from the Garhwal Rifles who rose to the coveted appointment of Corps Commander. I have been fortunate to have been trained by him professionally at the prestigious staff college in Wellington and attentively listened to his several lectures in various forums.
There are innumerable other cases of officers belonging to minority religions who have risen to higher ranks by sheer dint of their hard work. Several officers belonging to a minority community were commissioned into a pure Hindu Regiment yet commanded the unflinching loyalty of their troops. During their entire career, at all ranks, they have always inspired their troops based on their faith and prayed with them at the unit temple with a gusto that could match theirs. Even, the reverse is true with units belonging to minority religions being commanded by officers of different faiths.
The Indian Army remains the lodestar in these troubled times with several agencies working overtimein trying to cause an inter-faith rift amongst many religions in our country. We are a country of diverse faiths and let’s adopt the time-tested value system and ethos of the Indian Army.
He commanded 15 Punjab in Lebanon under the UN flag in 2006 and was picked up to command the Assam Rifles Sector as DIG in the most sensitive sector of Churachandpur in Manipur. For his outstanding command in Manipur, he was selected as ‘Brigadier Operational Logistics’ for the entire Western Command in 2015.