Saga of a Valiant Regiment

 -ASHOK CHAUDHARY

Chamar Regiment Aur Anusuchit Jatiyon Kee Sena Mein Bhumika” (The Chamar Regiment and the role of SCs in the Army) is the first book of Hawaldar Sultan Singh. Through his maiden creative effort, the writer has sought to tell the world about the bravery of the jawans of a regiment which is no longer in existence. The cover page of the book reproduces an inscription on the martyrs’ memorial at Kohima: “When you go home, tell them that for their tomorrow, we gave our today.” The book has been written in the memory of the valiant soldiers who laid down their lives while battling with the enemy. Using official reference material, the author has revisited the valour and fearlessness of the jawans of the Chamar Regiment in the battlefield during the Second World War. They belonged to the same community, the members of which are now described as cowards and lacking in merit and are kept away from top position. Referring to the Battle of Plassey, the writer says that the British Army was made up of 3,000 jawans of SC communities while Mir Zafar’s army was 50,000-strong. But still, the British Army vanquished Mir Zafar. This stands testimony to the bravery of the soldiers of British Army.

The book is based on painstaking research done by the author. It is not a work of fiction. It tells true stories – stories which none can deny. The book is bound to spark debate about the prevalent myths regarding Indian Army and need to demolish them. The book not only talks about Chamar Regiment but about other aspects of the Army life and history. For instance, it tries to answer the oft-repeated question that what inspires a soldier to fight till his last breath. It also details the facilities available to soldiers and the right of every citizen to serve in the army. It also contains Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar’s views about army. To sum up, the book is a work of research, documenting the history of the army from the British era up to the present.

Title:                Chamar Regiment Aur Anusuchit Jatiyon Kee Sena Mein Bhumika

Author:            Hawaldar Sultan Singh

Price                Rs 150

Publisher:        Gautam Book Centre

Distributor:      Gautam Book Centre,

                        C-263A, Chandan Sadan, Hardevpuri, Shahdara,

                        Delhi-110 093

                        Phone: 22810380, 9810176367

Email:              gautambookcentre@gmail.com

                                                            (Published in  Forward Press,  May, 2013 Issue)