Battle Of Garhi Narrated by Maj Gen Goverdhan Singh Jamwal

Battle Of Garhi :-

When it became apparent that Maharaja Hari Singh would not join Pakistan on his own, Pakistan prepared to annex it by force. It got together about 10,000 tribesmen from the North-West Frontier Province and an equal number of Muslim locals from the border areas, arming them. They were accompanied by regulars from the Pakistani Army. Armed and with the license to loot, rape and kill the operations in the Jammu Sector and Poonch started on October, 15 1947 and in the Kashmir Valley on October, 20 1947 with the aim of capturing Srinagar by October 26, 1947.

The OPERATION GULMARG started with attacks along two routes along the main road and the northern axis on October 20, 1947. The main column of the raiders consisting of 4000 to 5000 raiders started from the small border town of Garhi Habibullah astride the Muree – Dommel ­Muzaffarabad – Uri – Baramula – Patan – Srinagar Road. Dommel was captured without a fight on the first day. The battalion of State Forces located at Muzaffarabad put up resistance but were overpowered. Muzaffarabad fell on Oct 23rd.

The Raiders moved forward and reached Uri. The Dogra soldiers of the State Forces at Uri under the personal leadership of Brigadier Rajinder Singh Jamwal though hampered by the desertion of Muslim troops, fought gallantly to the last man and last round. Uri fell after two days of bitter combat on October 25.

The retreating State Forces blew up the Uri Bridge. Brigadier Rajinder Singh Jamwal attained Veergati in battle and was awarded Independent India’s first Maha Vir Chakra. He has also been rightly called ‘Saviour of Kashmir’.

The destruction of Uri Bridge by Dogras of the State Forces was critical, not only preventing the fall of Srinagar but also holding up the enemy for another day, allowing for the Indian Army to land in Srinagar.