Unbelievable Tale of How 123 Kumaon Battalion Soldiers Fought Thousands of Chinese Troops
The battle of Rezang La began in the early hours of November 18 as hordes of Chinese attacked the Indian outpost that was meant to guard the airstrip
Editorial Staff
Unbelievable Tale of How 123 Kumaon Battalion Soldiers Fought Thousands of Chinese Troops
The Sino-Indian war of 1962 remains a sore spot for most of us. Several analyses have attributed the defeat of the Indian Army at the hands of the People’s Liberation Army of China to Pandit Nehru’s ‘Forward Policy’. As per the policy – and much against the Army’s own analysis of the situation – ill-equipped, fund-starved and underprepared soldiers of the Indian Army were positioned along the border to ‘throw out the Chinese’. The scars of the war continue to haunt us more than half a century later. However, stories of valour and determination have also come out from this ill-fated war. One such story is that of the Battle of Rezang La that took place at the height of 16,000 feet in the southeastern approach of the Chushul Valley in Ladakh. The battle of Rezang La is the stuff of military legends where 123 soldiers of the Charlie Company of the 13 Kumaon regiment put up a brave last stand in the wee hours of November 18, 1962. Of those positioned at the outpost, 114 died a soldier’s dea…
