The Saviour: Brig. Pritam Singh
The main focus of the documentary is based on the adventures life of this gallant soldier Brig. Pritam Singh (Saviour of Poonch, Sher Baccha, nick named by residents of Poonch). who was born on 5th October 1911 in village Dina in district Ferozepur, Punjab. He was commissioned in the Punjab Regiment in 1937 and served during the 2nd World War in North Western Frontier Provence and Italy. He was posted in Singapore during 1942 and badly wounded in an air raid during the fighting and taken as prisoner of War by the Japanese.
Brig. Pritam Singh then Capt. along with Capt. G.S. Parab and Capt. Balbir Singh escaped from Singapore on 4th May 1942 during which time they travelled by land and sea covering a distance of 3000 miles via Siam (Thailand, Burma, Myanmar) through dense forest and under very difficult conditions they barely survived to reach Burma after six grueling months. All the three officers were awarded the Military Cross by Field Marshal and Commander-in-Chief in India Mr. A. P. Wavell on 31st March 1943.
From 1942 to 1945 he served in the Middle East with distinction and graduated from Staff College in 1945. On 31st of October 1947 when his unit was in Delhi to maintain law and order after the partition and riots he took over command of 1st Kumaon now 3 Para and reached Singapore the very next day on 1st November to safe guard Srinagar which was under attack by the raiders from Pakistan and Afghanistan who were almost about to take over Srinagar Airport if military assistance have not arrived.
He took part in the battle of Shellatang 7 kms. outside Kashmir where the raiders were defeated and pushed back making Srinagar secure from the enemy. On 21st November 1947 Lt. Col. Pritam Singh with 491 soldiers entered Poonch which was surrounded by Pakistan from all sides and where almost 40,000 civilian refugees had taken shelter along with 10,000 residents.
The Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru against the wishes of the Army top brass took a decision to save Poonch at all cost and realizing the responsibility and urgency of the situation Col. Pritam Singh got into action immediately and from the able bodied refugees and citizens raised two new battalions named 9 & 11 Militia which are today called J & K Light Infantry Posted in Srinagar.
Due to his efforts he built an airstrip at Poonch which made it possible for air commodore Baba Mehar Singh to land the 1st Dakota's which made it possible to bring in reinforcements, medical aid, food grains and also evacuate the refugees mainly elderly, women and children to Jammu and Srinagar since there were very limited rations and the onset of winters for which the inhabitants were not prepared.
The gallant officer was court martialed on very flimsy grounds and his case needs to re-visited so that he is exonerated of these charges. During the videography/shooting in Poonch we interviewed many ex-soldiers and residents who were of the same view as us.
Pakistani Commander Brigadier Sher Khan, who told Maj Gen. K.S. Thimayya DSO after J & K operations - "If I admired anyone at all on the Indian side, it was Pritam Singh who had fought very gallantly against an overwhelming force around Punch."
It is the story which needs to tell everyone, because it is story of the saviour, who saved motherland, who saved religion, who saved faith, who saved the Nature, who saved humanity, who saved more than 40,000 people of Poonch. It is story of inspiration, struggle and great survival. But he faced the court-martial and died as a forgotten soldier. Why? The people of Poonch gives the whole place of heart to Brig. Pritam Singh, they give the names of their child on his name, but the rest of the world don't know about the great hero. The documentary will be told all the narrative.
