The Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari
has
said that Brig. Mohammed Usman, the Hero of the
Battle of Naushera is one of the most inspiring
military leaders of Independent India, who demonstrated exceptional courage,
devotion to duty and and love for the motherland in
the finest traditions of our Army. Addressing at the “Birth Centenary
function of Late Brig. Mohammed Usman” organized
by Indian Army to commemorate his birth centenary here today, he said
that Brig Usman won the hearts and minds of one and
all during the partition, when he was vested with the responsibility of 50,000
Hindus and Sikh refugees as the Garrison Commander of Multan. He always
remained calm, religiously followed Gandhian
principles and delighted in spinning the Charkha, a gift from Bapuji. He wore khadi when not in uniform and enjoyed reading Gandhiji’s works.
Shri
Ansari said that Brig Usman’s
determination and commitment was legendary.
When Jhangar fell on 27 December 1947, he took
a vow not to sleep on a cot till he had recaptured Jhangar. True to his word, he slept on a mat during
the biting cold of the winter months in 1947-48. He redeemed his pledge when on 18 March 1948,
50 Parachute Brigade recaptured Jhangar after a
fierce fight. Prior to that he was instrumental in defending Naushera.
The Vice President hoped that the
heroic deeds of Brig Mohd Usman
would continue to inspire the Indian Army in the years to come. He called upon
the people to remember this national hero who was the senior most Indian
Officer to make the ultimate sacrifice during the Jammu & Kashmir
operations of 1947-48. As a war hero,
his name in the history of India and in annals of military history will always
be written in gold, he added.
Following is the text of the Vice
President’s address :
“It gives me great pleasure to
participate in today’s function organised by the Indian Army to commemorate the
Birth Centenary of Late Brig. Mohammed Usman. It is
also an opportunity to pay homage to a great son of India, and at a personal
level, to my cousin.
Brig. Mohammed Usman,
the Hero of the Battle of Naushera is one of the most
inspiring military leaders of Independent India, who demonstrated exceptional
courage, devotion to duty and and love for the
motherland in the finest traditions of our Army.
Brig Usman won
the hearts and minds of one and all during the partition, when he was vested
with the responsibility of 50,000 Hindus and Sikh refugees as the Garrison Commander
of Multan.
He always remained calm, religiously followed
Gandhian principles and delighted in spinning the
Charkha, a gift from Bapuji. He wore khadi when
not in uniform and enjoyed reading Gandhiji’s works.
Brig Usman’s
determination and commitment was legendary.
When Jhangar fell on 27 December 1947, he took
a vow not to sleep on a cot till he had recaptured Jhangar. True to his word, he slept on a mat during
the biting cold of the winter months in 1947-48. He redeemed his pledge when on 18 March 1948,
50 Parachute Brigade recaptured Jhangar after a
fierce fight. Prior to
that he was instrumental in defending Naushera.
The heroic deeds of Brig Mohd Usman will continue to
inspire the Indian Army in the years to come.
On the day of his birth centenary, let
us all remember this national hero who was the senior most Indian Officer to
make the ultimate sacrifice during the Jammu & Kashmir operations of
1947-48. As a war hero, his name in the
history of India and in annals of military history will always be written in
gold.
I thank the Chief of the Army Staff for
inviting me to this function.”
-----
Sanjay
Kumar/VPI/15.07.2012