HIMACHAL PRIDE - VICTORIA CROSS NAIK LALA RAM THAKUR - IMMORTAL RAJPUTS

Himachal Pradesh undoubtedly produces premium brands of apples, but the soil has also produced men of steel, warriors and bravehearts.

Among 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees post independence, three have been nurtured by this soil. The tiny state of Himachal with a population of just about 1.5 per cent of the Indian total is far ahead of other states in demonstrating valour by its soldiers. Among nine Indian winners of the Victoria Cross during the First World War (also referred to as the Great War of civilisation), Lance Naik Lala Ram Thakur(just Lala in official records), a son of the present day Himachal Pradesh, was one of the bravest of the braves.

Lala Ram Thakur was born on April20, 1876, at Parol village in Hamirpur District (then part of Kangra). His Father called Dhinga Ram Thakur was a landowner, despite recieving no schooling, Lala could read and write hindi, he joined thee indian army in 21st february 1901, Aged Twenty four. As there were no schools in the area, he could not have formal education. So, whatever he learnt was during his service in the battalion. To demonstrate ones valour in the line of fire, one doesn’t need a formal education. Lala belonged to the Dogra martial race, a clan associated with valour and unmatched bravery. Also, camaraderie, at any risk, is one attribute the Dogras are born with. One cardinal attribute of a Dogra soldier is ‘leave no comrade behind, dead or alive, even at the cost of your life’. In the best traditions of his clan, Sepoy Lala lived up to the attribute in letter and spirit and earned for himself the coveted Victoria Cross.

During World War I, the 41st Dogra (present day 3 Dogra) after fighting a 13-month gruelling battle in France was attached to 35th Brigade for the attack on Turkish entrenchments near the ruins of Al Orah on Tigris defenses in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq). The Dogras attacked the objective at 7 am on January 21, 1916, but soon came under intense and accurate Turkish fire, in which the battalion suffered many casualties, including two officers. It was at that time that Lance Naik Lala exhibited as to what stuff the Dogras are made of. Under heavy enemy fire, Lala displayed his Dogra attribute of camaraderie, which made him worthy of a Victoria Cross.  On May 13, 1916, Lance Naik Lala was invested with the Victoria Cross and was also promoted to the rank of Havildar. After serving for five years as Non Commissioned Officer, Havildar Lala was granted the Viceroy Commission and made Jemadar. Jemadar Lala Ram, VC, breathed his last on March 23, 1927.

After retirement when Lala was reminded by some that he won the award fighting a war which was not India’s war, the Victoria Cross awardee very aptly summed up saying: “Jenab, Hindustani sepoy ‘naam, namak, nishan aur desh ki shaan ke liye ladta hai (Sir, the Indian soldier fights for the name of his paltan, for loyality to his paltan, for the flag of his paltan and for the honour of his country)”.

Battle account of his valour

Lala was Involved in first world war from shortly after the conflict broke out in august 1914. He was in the first batch of indians that went to france and later he spent three months guarding the suez canal, he was serving as sepooy in hanna, Mesopotamia (now iraq), in the new year of 1916 hanna was close to the river tigris and was well defendeed by the turks who was entrenched north of river. the aim of the advancing allied force was to try to relieve General Charles Townshend's forces at kut-al-amara. On 21st january Lieutenant General Sir Fentom Aylmer VC attacked the turks but soon it became apparent that the preliminary bombardment had done little damage to the enemy's barbed wire defence. As a result attacker were driven back to marshy ground and with heavy casualties. Freezing temperatures and bitter wind that many of the wounded died of exposure. 

The battle account of his conspicuous gallantry during the action recorded in the War Diary of 3 Dogra Battalion and Dogra Regimental archives reads: “During 41st Dogra’s attack on Al Orah entrenchments on the morning of January 21, 1916, Lance Naik Lala was with the leading company. After advancing about 200 yards, the company was pinned down by accurate fire from the Turkish defenders and suffered heavy casualties.

In that fire fight, Lala noticed a British Officer of the neighbouring battalion lying wounded close to the enemy trenches. With total disregard to his personal safety, he crawled up and dragged the wounded into a temporary shelter, in which he already bandaged four of his wounded comrades. After nursing the wounded officer and bandaging his own wounds, he heard calls from the adjutant of his own regiment, who was lying in the open severely wounded. Lala prepared to crawl to his adjutant and dragged him back to the shelter, but was not permitted to do so since crawling a distance of 100 yards in the open under heavy fire amounted to certain death. Lala withheld his resolve, stripped of his warm clothing and draped on the wounded officer to keep his body warm and waited for the sun to go down. Shortly after dusk, Lala carried the first wounded officer back to the medical aid post. He then returned with a stretcher and, in the hours of darkness, under sporadic enemy fire, brought back his wounded adjutant to the medical aid post near the Battalion Headquarters in the rear”.

VC introduced by Queen Victoria’s Royal Warrant on Jan 29, 1856

Victoria Cross (VC), Indian equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), the highest pre-independence military decoration for valour in the face of the enemy, was introduced by Queen Victoria’s Royal Warrant on January 29, 1856. Indian soldiers had been fighting bravely and dying for the British in all overseas campaigns. But till 1911, the highest award they could receive for valour was the Indian Order of Merit (IOM). However, due to incessant calls to consider Indian troops for the award of the Victoria Cross, they were made eligible for it in 1911.

He was gazetted for the VC on 13th May 1916, though there is no record of an investiture. He later transferred to the 17th Dogra Regiment and ended his Army career as a Jemadar (First Lieutenant). He lost his original VC and had an official replacement issued to him in April 1924.

His last words were: "We fought true."

Lala died on 23rd March 1927 due to complications caused by polio. He was cremated at Parol Village, Hamirpur, Kangra District, India. His medals are privately held.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: NOT PUBLICLY HELD. 

BURIAL PLACE: CREMATED AT PAROL VILLAGE, INDIA. ASHES SCATTERED LOCALLY.

Vijay Thakur, 70, granddaughter of the brother of lance-naik Lala Ram, lives with her family in Hamirpur. Born much after he died, she has, nevertheless, heard the tales of his bravery from her mother and village elders. She wants a statue of the soldier in Bal Batika, which was Lal Batika (dedicated to the Victoria Cross winner) until renamed two decades ago. A children's park in the Hiranagar locality of Hamirpur, it is one of the most frequented places of the town near the official residence of the deputy commissioner.

"Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Yashwant Singh Parmar had named the government senior secondary school of Parol as well after my grandfather," said Thakur.