Can anyone tell us how much of this is true? Or is it just a convenient propaganda piece against evil hindoos at a time when their people are hating on their army?
پاک فوج کا جنم, ePaper news May 29, 2023, لاہور, Page 5,
www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk
At the end of the Second World War, the strength of the British Indian Army was reduced from 22 lakh to about 400,000. Of this number, 60,000 were British and the rest were Indians. The total number of officers was around 22 thousand, of which 3500 were British officers and the rest were Indians. Muslim officers were however much less than Hindu officers. When the creation of Pakistan became inevitable, it was decided to divide the British Indian Army. On this occasion, the Hindu officers made another move which took the form of regular movement. That is, India's partition is acceptable. Of course, Pakistan will also be formed, but the Governor General of both the countries will be the same. The Commander-in-Chief should also be the same and the army should also be common. This proposal was rejected outright by the Quaid-i-Azam, but the Hindu officers continued their efforts.
These efforts can be estimated from these two examples that in early 1947, some Indian military officers were being trained in the British Staff College, Camberley, England. Among these officers, there were Hindus and Muslims as well. There, a Hindu officer, Major Bhagat (Victoria Cross), prepared a memorandum from Indian officers to the King of Great Britain, appealing not to divide the British Indian Army. Unfortunately for Major Bhagat, the Muslim officers refused to sign this memorandum and thus the plot failed. Brigadier Kari Appa, who later became the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, was also present at the Staff College, Camberley. He was probably an instructor there. He threatened that we will end the partition of India through military dictatorship. Similarly, when the army was divided, according to the military tradition, a farewell dinner was given to the officers going to Pakistan by the Indian officers on June 6 at the Delhi Officer Zammis.
Quaid-e-Azam also participated in this farewell dinner. A Hindu officer approached the Quaid and, after the customary chatter, strongly appealed that the army should not be divided. Quaid-e-Azam had this trait that he did not indulge in debates and lengthy explanations. He used to find the solution to the most difficult problem in a few words and explained the solution in such a way that the person involved in the discussion would have been speechless, so Quaid-e-Azam listened carefully to the Hindu military officer. When he was silent, the leader asked softly, 'What are you doing here? 'The Hindu officer explained his position and duties in detail. Quaid-e-Azam heard everything and said very patiently, 'Well done, you focus on your duties like a good officer and leave the work of others to others.' He remained with his mouth. Then no officer dared to discuss this subject.
During the Second World War, the Secretary of the War Department in the Indian Ministry of Defense was Mr. Chandolal Tarid Yui, a bigoted Hindu. This officer was highly qualified in terms of profession, even the then Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, knew him personally and acknowledged his merits.
He often said that Chand Vilal was the only Indian officer who was an expert in war affairs at the highest level. Since all military affairs and planning came under him, when the decision was made to divide the Indian Army, he skillfully spread the army units belonging to Pakistan in the southern and eastern parts of India to reach Pakistan. Therefore, they should be separated from long journeys and various problems, while Sikh units should be collected in Punjab so that when there is migration, these units can provide protection to their people and massacre Muslims to their heart's content. These units were allowed to keep their weapons while on the Pakistan side Personal weapons were collected from most of the incoming units saying that these people should not disturb the law and order. These people were sent unarmed from remote areas in small groups, who were attacked and killed indiscriminately by the Sikh soldiers in East Punjab. Civilian Muslim convoys from India were also attacked on a large scale and bloodshed with such brutality that humanity shuddered.
The first commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army, General Misravi, writes, 'I saw dead bodies everywhere on a small canal bridge in East Punjab. Innocent children were crushed to death. It appeared that the markers had been grabbed by their legs and forcefully crushed against the wall of their spiral. The bodies of none of the young women were unscathed, not even bothering to cover their bodies. Elderly men and women were killed with bayonets and machetes. It was a heart-rending sight in the darkness of the night by the light of the torch