Major Somnath Sharma ka janm 31 January 1923 ko Himachal Pradesh ke Kangra District mein hua tha. Major Sharma apne parivaar se Army mein serve karne wali third generation the, unke dadaji bhi British Indian army mein serve kar chuke the or unhke sabhi siblings bhi Indian Army mein the. Major Sharma ke Pita Amar Nath Sharma bhi Indian Army mein Major General the jo aage chalkar Indian Armed Medical Services ke pehle Director General bane the. Isliye hum keh sakte hai ki deshbhakti or Army mein serve karne ka junoon Major Sharma ko virasat mein mila tha. Major Sharma Bhagvat Geeta se kaafi jyada influenced the, vo humesha apni pocket mein Bhagvat Geeta rakha karte the. Major Sharma ne apni padhai us samay ke sabse prestigious college Sherwood College, Nainital se ki thi. Jiske baad Major Sharma ne Royal Military College, Sandhurst or fir Prince of Wales Royal Military College, Dehradun se apni padhai poori ki. 22 February 1942 ko Royal Military College se graduate hone ke baad Major Somnath Sharma ko British Indian Army ki 19th Hyderabad regiment ki 8th battalion mein commissioned kar diya gaya, jise azaadi ke baad Indian Army ki Kumaon Regiment ki 4th battalion mein convert kar diya gaya.
British Indian Army mein commissioned hone ke turant baad Major Sharma ko world War 2 mein ladne ka mauka mila, unhe Arakan campaign ke liye Burma bhej diya gaya jahan unhe Japanese forces se ladai ki. Arakan campaign ke dauraan Major Somnath Sharma ne Colonel K.S. Thimmayya ke under serve Kiya tha, jo aage chalkar year 1957 se 1961 tak Indian Army ke chief of Army staff bhi rahe the. Isi ladai ke dauraan hi Major Sharma ka Saathi ghayal ho gaya tha, tab Colonel Thimmayya ne Major Sharma se kaha “ ise chodo or tum vaapas apne base par jao”. Tab Major Somnath Sharma ne ye order Maan ne se bilkul mna kar diya or apne saathi ko apne kandhe par uthakar surakshit jagah lekar Gaye.
Bharat ki azaadi ke baad jab 22 October 1947 ko Kashmir ko lekar India aur Pakistan ke beech pehla war hua, jise first Kashmir war ke naam se bhi jaana jaata hai. To fir Pakistani army ke jawaab mein Indian Army ne bhi Kashmir mein apne troops ko deploy kar diya. Or isi deployment ke tehat 31 October 1947 ko Kumaon Regiment ki 4th battalion ki D company ko Major Somnath Sharma ki Command ke under airlift kiya gaya or Kashmir mein deploy kar diya gaya. Iss samay Major Sharma ke haath mein plaster chada hua tha, darasal kuch din pehle pehle Major Sharma ke hath mein chot aa gayi thi jiski vajah se unhe plaster chadhvana pada tha. Lekin iske baavjood Major Sharma ne apne seniors ko insist Kiya ki vo unhe combat mein apni Company ke sath hi rehne de. Or fir patroling duty ke liye 3 November ko Teen companies ke batch ko Badgam area mein deploy kar diya gaya, jinka objective North ki taraf se Srinagar aa rahe ghuspethiyon ko check karna tha. Lekin din ke 2 baje tak dushman ki koi bhi movement na dikh paane ki vajah se teen mein se do company vaapas Srinagar chali gyi thi, lekin Major Sharma ki company ko orders the ki vo apni position ko 3 baje tak maintain karke rakhe.
Sayad Pakistani ghuspethiye isi mauke ke intezaar mein the, jaise hi 2 company vaapas gayi vaise in ghuspethiyon ne attack karna shuru kar diya. 2 bajkar 35 minutes par D Company ke upar ek ghar se firing hone lagi, lekin Major Sharma ke pass us samay tak counter fire karne ke orders nhi the or esa isliye tha taaki koi innocent civilian na maara jaaye. Lekin Tabhi achanak se lagbhag 600 se 700 ke kareeb ghuspethiye Gulmarg ki taraf se Badgam mein aa gaye. Or dekhte hi dekhte un ghuspethiyon ne D company ko teeno taraf se gher liya, or D company ke upar tabadtod firing karne lage.
Ab Major Sharma aage kya karenge ? Kya vo rok paayenge itne saare ghuspethiyon ko ? Jaanenge iss blog ke agle part mein.