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MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU daily Excelsior Established 1965 Remembering Gen Zorawar Singh Founder Editor S.D. Rohmetra Maj Gen Goverdhan Singh en all the training till he left him he had gifted entire Ladakh to pacha. Besides inflicting heavy whose kingdom was only 15 and his soldiers came out of the Jamwal on some misunderstanding and Gulab Singh. This is considered loses on Botis, Dogras captured miles from Taklakot, came to defences and met them in the bat- joined Maharaja Gulab Singh as one of the greatest victories of the enemy 'Colours'; the Chinese Zorawar for negotiations. At tle of To-Yo. When the hand to Liquor scam needs oday the 13th April we Forces who put him in the Reasi Gen Zorawar Singh. Yet another Flag which the Dogras named as about the same time on the insis- hand battle was going on, just celebrate as General Fort where he acquitted himself challenge lay to the Northwest of Mantalai Flag which is the proud tence of British, Maharaja Sher then a Tibetan horseman came TZorawar Singh Day. It is in whatever was entrusted to him. Ladakh. The challenge was passion of 4 JAK Rifles (Fateh Singh is said to have issued with- charging and thrust his lance thorough probe a Regimental Day. It is entered in In fact it is here that he showed Baltistan. Zorawar Singh Shivji) proudly displayed in their drawal orders to Zorawar Singh. through his chest claiming the the history of Jammu and Kash- his ability by suggesting to But by then it was too late. The honour of killing the greatest war- n simple parlance, at the outset, a single Rupee mir Rifles, the erstwhile J and K Maharaja Gulab Singh whenever negotiations could be concluded rior of the time. On the death of of revenue due to be earned by the Government State Forces raised in 1820 by he met him that the State should and withdrawal executed the their commander, his troops were must be received by it and any type of manipula- Maharaja Gulab Singh. not issue rations in kind but winter had set in and all the pass- thrown in disorder. I The Regiment had planned to cooked meals. This had very es had closed. Zorawar Singh This was a big blow to Dogra tions at any level whatsoever, must be dealt with celebrate its Bicentenary on 13 good effect, there was no thus withdrew to Tirathpuri for General's advancing forces. sternly. That should be the first principle as revenue and 14 April 2020 but Corona wastage, no theft and the soldiers the winters. Due to continuous Hence the saga of military adven- being its income, no Government can function with- intervened. However we shall health improved. After the occu- intense rains, snow, and extreme tures of 'Napoleon of the East' out having its due and accrued 'income'. If deliber- first deal with Corona and then pation of Kishtwar in 1821, cold many of the soldiers lost ended on the 12th December ately, as a result of a conspiracy and by employing celebrate the Bicentenary of the Maharaja Gulab Singh made him their fingers and toes to frostbite. 1841 soon after the Dogra sol- Regiment which had established Hakim of Kishtwar and awarded In the meantime Kahlon diers had avenged the death of fraudulent measures, loss of crores of Rupees of a great Dogra Empire, the chief him the title and appointment of Surkhang followed Zorwar with their commander by executing revenue is caused to the public exchequer, the mat- architect of which was General Wazir. a large force via Mayum Pass the enemy commander and forc- ter becomes all the more serious as, prima facia, Zorawar Singh. To recount Gen Zorawar which soon closed entrapping the ing Tibetans into a peace treaty. appears in the liquor scam in the UT of Jammu and Remembering him as my Singh's achievements, a look to Tibetan force. Kumedan Baste Ram Mehta, inspiration to join the Army. I the East of Kishtwar is Entrapped Kahlon offered to from Kishtwar and the first Com- Kashmir. Terming it as mere irregularity in procedur- decided to give a talk on General inescapable. To the East of Kisht- retreat and vacate the areas con- manding Officer of Fateh Shivji, al conduct of issuing of liquor licenses and renewal Zorawar Singh in the Defence war were the snow clad moun- quered by Dogras. But another the unit he led in action in Tibet, of such licences is tantamount to camouflaging and Services Staff College Welling- tains and valleys of upper pass Mastang La, close by, was took over the command in Tibet. diluting the seriousness of the matter. Is there a ton in October 1961, just a year Himalayas. Several principalities still negotiable through which Serving and Ex-Servicemen powerful liquor mafia at work and for how long? Who before the Chinese attacked us. of this region were tributary to the another strong Tibetan force of the Jammu Kashmir Rifles After I had finished my talk Gyalpo (king) of Ladakh. In 1834 descended and surprised the remember the warrior every year are the touts and conduits of the said liquor mafia? one senior officer Maj William one of these, the Raja of Timbus, Dogras at Taklakot in early by celebrating his successes and Is it possible that any type of serious hanky- panky from the United States Army sought Gulab Singh's help against November 1841 and invested it. commemorating his glory. in the Excise Department can be kept under the car- asked me weather whatever I had the Gyalpo. Gen Zorawar Singh The situation became desperate An assessment pet for a considerable period of time? Has there said about General Zorawar probably was waiting for an for Zorawar Singh. Zorawar's General Zorawar Singh after been regular periodic audits and inspections in the Singh's campaign / story was a opportunity to excel himself in only hope lay in recapturing Tak- he made up his mind he started myth like Ramayana or a real sto- warfare. The Rajputs of Jammu lakot and effecting link with preparing for the task. It was not UT Excise Department and whether any finding in ry. I told him that neither and Himachal had traditionally Baste Ram's force at Chi-Tang. an easy task and could not be the audit note and report been highlighted let alone Ramayana was a myth nor the excelled in fighting in the moun- On 3 Dec 1942 he divided his planned at the spur of the attended and rectified? Are suspected employees story of General Zorawar Singh. tains. Having trained them him- force in five columns and moment. There is no doubt that it relieved of their present duties and their 'tables' For General Zorawar Singh you self harshly, Gen Zorawar Singh attacked Taklakot in waves. was a Dogra policy to expand read Ladakh by Cunningham or had no problem in crossing the Tibetans being far superior across the Himalayas. Gulab changed to safeguard and tampering of important Founding of Jammu and Kashmir mountain ranges and entering numerically, Dogras were forced Singh could not discuss this with papers, files and documents prevented? These are State by Panikar. That is the type Ladakh through the Suru River to fall back after suffering heavy the British nor with the Sikhs who some of the questions which require clarification of operation conducted by Gen- where his 5000 Dogra soldiers annexed it with the help of the son Officers Mess. Gompo fled to casualties. Determined to reach were not in favour of expansion followed by a deep analysis. eral Zorawar Singh and his Dogra defeated an army of local Botis. of Baltistan ruler and Ladakhi Taklakot. Tibetan Gen Pi-his also Chi-Tang, he personally led a across the Himalayas. It was well However, it is learnt that Excise Commissioner, Army from 1834 to 1841 which After subduing the landlords soldiers. fled to Taklakot. determined attack on the strong conceived thoroughly executed a hundred years later people along the way, Zorawar Singh Having consolidated his hold Gen Zorawar followed them. Tibetan positions. Gen Pi-his from the selection training and Jammu and Kashmir has ordered an inquiry into would not believe that this had received the surrender and sub- in the Northwest, Zorawar Singh The fort was stormed on 6 Sep- withdrew to the vicinity of To-Yo execution till the whole of grave malpractices in issuing and renewing of liquor actually happened. mission of the Ladakhis. But turned his attention to Eastwards, tember and entire Taklakot was where he laid an ambush. Most Ladakh and Gilgit and Baltistan licences going on unabatedly for years together. Had It was General Zorawar Singh Tsepal Namgyal, the Gyalpo, sent towards Tibet. He had recruited occupied by a Dogra Unit led by unsuspectingly Dogras walked were added to Jammu Raj which he not conducted, at random, routine scrutiny of who under Maharaja Gulab Singh Gen Banko Kahlon to cut off Ladakhis for the invasion of Kumedan Baste Ram Mehta by straight into the ambush on 12 after 1841 after the annexation of records of the Department, he would have other- extended the frontiers of the Zorawar Singh's lines of commu- Baltistan, he recruited Baltis in the middle of September. With December 1842. Kashmir became the Dogra Country across the Himalayas to nications. The astute Dogra Gen- his Army for the invasion of this victory, entire Tibet West of A furious hand to hand battle Empire of Jammu, Kashmir, wise not come across blatant instances of violations include Ladakh and parts of Chi- eral rushed back to Kartse where Tibet.