Remembering the Braveheart: Major Somnath Sharma, PVC (Posthumous)

My salute to Major Somnath Sharma, the first Param Vir Chakra recipient on his Birthday, January 31, who saved the only available airport under dire circumstances thereby retaining the last hope to save Kashmir against Pakistani brute invasion. In this operation he unflinchingly laid down his life as an ultimate sacrifice, setting up the highest example of bravery for us to follow. Major Somnath Sharma’s name stands out among the heroes who are credited with saving Kashmir that is now part of India.

Major Somnath was born in the home of Major General Amarnath Sharma in the village of Dadh on January 31, 1922. (District Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh). The famed pilgrimage of Chamunda Nandikeshwar Dham is located some distance from his village. Young Somnath Sharma was brought up in a military family, where he grew up hearing stories of bravery and sacrifice. 

While his initial schooling was done in Nainital, he imbibed military ethos and personal discipline at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College in Dehradun. On 22 February 1942, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 4th Battalion of Kumaon Regiment. In the same year, he was assigned as Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General to the Burma front. He led his troop there with remarkable bravery and expertise.

On August 15, 1947, as we became independent, we also had to endure the tragic partition of the country. Maharaja Hari Singh, the current ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was in a dilemma and could not decide which side to accede to because he wanted to retain the status of an independent state for Kashmir. Two months passed due to the indecisiveness of Maharaja Hari Singh. Taking advantage of this, Pakistani soldiers infiltrated Kashmir under the garb of tribals.

Sheikh Abdullah, who was active in the state, wanted Kashmir to retain his fiefdom. The Indian government could not act without the princely state’s legal accession to India. It was then, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession with India when he saw Jammu and Kashmir slipping away from his hands to the treachery of Pakistan.

Indian Army was then activated on the orders of the Government of India. Major Somnath Sharma’s unit was flown in the valley with the task of securing the Budgam airport near Srinagar. He deployed himself there with his small force of barely 100 troops. On the other hand, over 700 Pakistani soldiers equipped with heavy armament closed in, outnumbering the valiant Major Somnath Sharma. Undeterred, he stood firm with his men for the defense of the airfield and meet the daunting challenge. His confidence was unshakeable which is evident from his message to his brigade headquarters, “as long as I had a drop of blood left in my body and I a single soldier left, I will fight”.

Both sides were involved in heavy exchange of fire incessantly. Despite having only a handful of troops left with him and limited stock of ammunition, Major Somnath Sharma effectively stopped the enemy from overrunning his position thereby retaining control of the airfield. As he was effectively leading his men from the front, a grenade exploded close to him that ripped him apart. Gallant Major Somnath was down but not defeated. He kept inspiring his men; “Don’t worry about me right now.  Keep vigil at the airport. Enemies should not advance’. It was November 3, 1947, Major Somnath Sharma sacrificed his life but not before leaving his men fully charged up to prove unconquerable to the assailants. His men charged with new vigor and drove the attackers away. The day for the Indian Army was saved. Had the airport been taken over, Pakistan would have effectively stopped the induction of the Indian Army into the Kashmir valley as the land route to the valley was closed. This would have resulted in the complete loss of Kashmir to Pakistan. Major Somnath Sharma was awarded the highest gallantry award ‘Param Vir Chakra’ posthumously.

Not many would know that the PVC did not exist when Major Somnath Sharma made his Supreme Sacrifice while defending the Srinagar airport from falling in the hands of Pakistan on 3 November 1947. It was instituted only on January 26, 1950. There is a heart-warming story behind designing of Param Veer Chakra.   

In 1932, 19-year-old Yvonne Maday de Maros of Neuchâtel, Switzerland ran away to India to marry an army officer; Captain (later Major General) Vikram Khanolkar, who she had met and fell in love with while he was training in the UK. Also falling in love with the country, Yvonne became an Indian, adopted the name Savitri Bai, and took a degree from the Nalanda University. After Independence, the army’s Adjutant General, Major-General Hiralal Atal, asked her to design the PVC medal.

Savitri Bai identified so closely with Hindu traditions and ideals, that her integration into Indian society was natural and effortless. She turned vegetarian, learned to speak fluent Marathi, Sanskrit and Hindi. She also learned Indian painting, dance and music. “Born in Europe by mistake” was her normal refrain when anyone dared to call her a foreigner. She was fascinated by Indian culture and read extensively from Hindu scriptures.     

Faced with the challenge of creating an Indian version of the Victoria Cross – the UK’s legendary gallantry award that was reputedly minted from Russian cannons captured during the Crimean War in 1855 – Savitri designed a medal with a simple purple ribbon. Imprinted on the medal face are four replicas of Indra’s vajra. Between the vajras is embossed the Ashok emblem. The medal is cast in bronze.

Interestingly, Major Somnath Sharma who received the first ever Param Veer Chakra was also Savitri Khanolkar’s daughter’s brother-in-law. He was awarded the medal retrospectively when it was instituted on India’s first Republic Day.