INTERACTION WITH
SPARROW (15 AUG 2015)
===========================
Dosto,
Aaj ke swatantrata diwas pe, phir yaad kiya
ek Dil ne ek Dil ko…..Aur kya Dil thha wo !, Sher-e-Dil…Zoji La Sher
ka….Ek Bharat ma ke Veer ka….jise
ek nahi do
bar, jee haan
do bar Maha Vir Chakra se sammanit kiya gaya…Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen he was a
living legend MVC and Bar.
After my Grad from MSU Baroda(1978), I was in
Jullandhar Cantt for a year, prior to joining Navy. I was teaching in a private
college in the City, where I used to pedal to and fro on a bicycle. I got a
chance to meet and interact with Gen Sparrow,MVC and Bar (Retd), who was provided a Govt Bunglow in Cantt. He
requested me to impart tuitions to his grand children of St Lawrence Sanawar,
who had come on leave. Gen sparrow wanted me to join the Army and directed me
to Brig Sidhu, his neighbour for guidance. I cleared my CDS and Allahabad SSB
and was to join IMA in Jun ’79, call letter in hand. 10 days to go, I received
a telegram from NHQ for an option to join Navy as Avn cadet entry and to report
Varanasi for PABT…Destiny rewritten !!
This Independence Day Eve, I pay my
tributes and gratitude to the Zoji La
Tiger, Gen Sparrow, under whose guidance
and blessings I joined the Navy… My perfect Naval Salute to a Brave son of
India. JAI HIND !!
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Maj Gen Rajinder Singh (3 October 1911- May 1994), as per Wikipedia, was an Indian Army’s Brave officer and a two time member of the Lok Sabha,
the lower house of Indian parliament. He was nicknamed 'Sparrow'.
He served in the ranks of the Indian Army from 3 October 1932 to 31
January 1938. Attended the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun. Commissioned
onto the Unattached List, Indian Army 1 February 1938. Spent the next year
attached to a British Army regiment, then admitted to the Indian Army and
joined the 7th Light Cavalry 24 February 1939. Promoted Lieutenant 30 April
1939. He served during World War II.
He was awarded two Mahavir
Chakras, the second highest military decoration in India, first for his
role during the Indo-Pakistani
War of 1947, for
outstanding leadership during the advance and capture of Jhangar. and later for displaying gallantry in
the 1965
Indo-Pakistan war. During
the 1965 war he was GOC of the 1st
Armoured Division.
In
1948, Pakistani invaders occupied the 11000 ft high Zoji La Pass. It was found
difficult to dislodge them. Major General K S Thimayya, DSO decided to send
tanks to surprise the enemy. Lt. Col. Rajinder Singh, CO of 7th Light Cavalry
achieved the unique task of taking his tanks on the pass in spite of
overwhelming odds. The enemy was completely surprised and abandoned the pass.
This was a record of highest altitude for employment to tanks. Lt. Col Rajinder
Singh was awarded M V C.
During the Pakistan aggression in 1965 Maj Gen Rajinder Singh Sparrow was
General Officer Commanding I Armoured Division. As a result of his brilliant
handling of the Division, Pakistani Armoured Corps, pride of Pakistan Army was
defeated. Major General Rajinder Singh got a bar to his Maha Vir Chakra.
Held the appointment of
regimental Colonel of the 7th Light Cavalry from July 1959 to July 1969. After
retirement he joined politics and became minister in the short lived Gurnam
Singh ministry in 1967. Later
he was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 and 1985 from Jalandhar constantuency as a
candidate of Indian
National Congress.
The Brave son of India breathed his last
in May 1994, at the age of 83.
Gen Sparrow
The song that needs dedication to
the Zoji La Tiger, has to be a toofani song……To me it appears that He is
himself singing the Himalayan number……This wonderful song is written by Neeraj
and sung enthusiastically by Rafi & Manna Dey on the soulful beats of SDB….
Amen.
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