Bollywood film 120 Bahadur spotlights a forgotten battle from 1962 India-China war

A latest Bollywood movie has put the highlight on a largely forgotten battle from the 1962 warfare between India and China.

Referred to as 120 Bahadur – Hindi for courageous hearts – the movie tells the story of Indian troopers who fought valiantly to defend the Rezang La move within the freezing Himalayan mountains of Ladakh.

The movie, with Farhan Akhtar as Main Shaitan Singh, failed on the field workplace however succeeded in spotlighting a battle typically described as the one silver lining in a warfare India misplaced.

“We felt it was crucial that this story should he advised, we wished to honour the individuals who lived the story,” dialogue author Sumit Arora advised the BBC. “We now have taken some cinematic liberties, however our movie stays very true to historical past.”

The warfare got here as the connection between India and China had been souring over border tensions and conferences to resolve the disputes had been unsuccessful. Beijing was additionally sad over India giving refuge to the Dalai Lama who had fled Tibet after the 1959 rebellion.

The month-long warfare began on 20 October with China attacking India. Beijing mentioned it was “a self-defence counter-attack” and accused Delhi of “aggressively encroaching on Chinese language territory and violating Chinese language airspace”.

By the point China declared a unilateral ceasefire a month later – pulling again troops and releasing prisoners of warfare – India had misplaced about 7,000 troopers and 38,000 sq km of territory. The 2 nations have been later separated by an ill-defined 3,440km (2,100-mile) Line of Actual Control, marked in locations by rivers, lakes and snowcaps.

Beijing has mentioned little formally in regards to the warfare, past claiming its troops eradicated all Indian positions within the battle zones, and has by no means commented on the battle of Rezang La.

Fought at over 16,000ft (4,900m), it was one battle in a wider warfare China gained. In India, nevertheless, it’s remembered as an “epic battle” and “one of many biggest final stands” and impressed books and movies.

The battle happened on the evening of 18 November from 3:30am to eight:15am.

The move was near Chushul airstrip, which was “the first nervous centre at a time when highway community connecting the area with the remainder of India was largely absent”, Yadav says.

Solely 5 of the 120 males survived. Main Singh, who was among the many useless, was posthumously awarded India’s highest navy honour Param Vir Chakra for his braveness and management. Twelve different troopers obtained gallantry medals.

However initially when the survivors advised their superiors about their audacious final stand, “tragically, no-one believed them”, says Kulpreet Yadav, former navy officer and writer of the 2021 e book Battle of Rezang La.

“The morale was low, we had bitterly misplaced the warfare, hundreds of our troopers, together with a brigadier, have been taken by China as prisoners of warfare. So, no-one believed such a heroic last-stand was attainable,” he provides.

It was broadly believed that the troopers posted at Rezang La had both run away from the battle or had been taken as prisoners of warfare.

“It was solely three months later when the warfare was behind us, {that a} shepherd chanced upon the destroyed bunkers, empty shells, used gun-cartridges and our bodies frozen in snow. And for the primary time, an correct account of the battle might be created.”

The troopers – from the C (Charlie) Firm of 13 Kumaon battalion – have been deployed on the move underneath Main Singh’s command.

He had been suggested by his superiors to think about tactical retreat in case they ran out of ammunition, however when he mentioned it along with his males, they advised him, “We’ll battle until final man, final bullet”, Yadav says.

“When Chinese language troopers attacked the move, C Firm was ready for a battle. However the Indian submit was quickly overwhelmed.”

It was a lopsided battle: 120 males going through hundreds. Whereas China hasn’t declassified 1962 warfare paperwork, Indian estimates recommend a minimum of 3,000 Chinese language troops attacked the move.

“They’d entry to superior weapons and have been nicely kitted out, whereas Indians have been poorly outfitted with semi-automatic rifles and a restricted provide of 600 bullets for every soldier,” he says.

In her 2014 e book on Main Shaitan Singh, journalist Rachna Bisht notes that C Firm, from the plains, had by no means seen snow and lacked time to acclimatise.

Subedar Ram Chander, a survivor, recalled, “The climate was horrible; we lacked correct winter garments and footwear.

“The jerseys, cotton trousers and light-weight coat we have been issued may hardly preserve us heat in these freezing winds. The troopers would get horrible complications and the nursing assistant would rush from submit to submit doling out medicines,” he mentioned.

On the evening of the battle, with snow falling and temperatures round −24°C, Subedar Ram Chander advised BBC Hindi earlier, “I advised my superiors it was the day we had been ready for.”

Bisht writes that C Firm repelled the primary wave, however Chinese language mortar fireplace destroyed bunkers and tents, inflicting heavy casualties. The lethal third wave worn out a lot of the males.

Subedar Ram Chander’s account of Main Singh’s bravery is heartbreaking.

“He had taken a number of bullets in his abdomen. As he lay bleeding, in excruciating ache and drifting out and in of consciousness, he gave me directions on find out how to keep it up the battle.

“Then he advised me to go and be with the battalion. I advised him, I can’t depart you. ‘You must go. It is my order,’ he mentioned.”

In February 1963, after the our bodies and bunkers have been found, a senior military official led Pink Cross personnel and media to Rezang La, discovering the battlefield “precisely because it had occurred, frozen in snow”.

Writing in regards to the discovery in her e book, Bisht says, “Each single soldier they discover is useless from a number of bullet wounds, shell accidents or splinters. Some lie useless of their bunkers, buried underneath boulders, others are nonetheless holding on to the butts of blown-off rifles.

“The nursing assistant has a syringe in his hand and a roll of bandage, the soldier working the mortar holds a bomb. Main Shaitan Singh is mendacity by a rock, a blood-stained bandage on his left arm, his abdomen ripped open by a machine gun burst.”

In a warfare “largely remembered with disgrace,” Bisht writes that Main Shaitan Singh and his males achieved nice glory. C Firm was later renamed Rezang La Firm and a memorial was in-built Rewari – the city from the place the troopers got here.

After the ceasefire, the move turned a no-man’s land and is a part of the disputed territory.

Yadav says if the C Firm hadn’t fought so valiantly, India’s map would look very completely different immediately.

“If it was not for these troopers, I believe India would have misplaced half of Ladakh. China would have captured the airfield and Chushul.

“This battle was the one silver lining for India within the 1962 warfare.”