Mahar Regiment
The Mahar Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Although it was originally intended to be a regiment consisting of troops from the Mahar community of Maharashtra, today the Mahar Regiment is composed of different communities from mainly states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
Regimental Centre: Sagar, Madhya Pradesh
Motto(s): Yash Sidhi
Success & Attainment
War cry: Bolo Hindusthan Ki Jay
(Say Victory to India)
Regimental Insignia: A pair of crossed Vickers medium machine guns, mounted on a tripod with a dagger. The dagger was initially the Pillar of Koregaon, where the combined British and Mahar troops defeated the overwhelming Peshwa Army. The pillar was subsequently removed and was replaced with a dagger.
In 1947–48, Mahar battalions were Machine Gun (MG) battalions. The Machine Guns, by virtue of their Long Range, Automatic and Rapid Rate of Fire, were deployed with Infantry troops to engage enemy at distances beyond the short range of weapons authorised to individual soldiers. The MGs were deployed along with regular Infantry Battalions in support roles for Offensive, Defensive and Withdrawal operations in war. Owing to their being an effective long range automatic weapon, the said MGs were deployed in detachments in support of Infantry. Hence they were never deployed in Platoons.
In no eventuality would a platoon of MG battalion be deployed together and compactly; leave alone two platoons being deployed on neighbouring hills.
Most of the battles in the first six months of the said war took place in Jhangar, Naushehra, Rajauri and Thana Mandi. Poonch Garrison, then occupied by state forces, were in a state of siege until regular army troops got inducted with effect from April 1948.
There is no instance recorded or recollected by the veterans where a JCO was beheaded while he was motivating his troops to repulse the attack by raiders. But there is definitely an instance of a sub-section commander, Hav Rawoo Kamble, who manned the MG after all his team members had got killed while Jhangar feature was under fierce attack from the raiders, and who continued firing till such time he was himself beheaded. His finger was found inside the trigger guard. The rigour mortis that had set in had ensured that they couldn’t remove his finger from the trigger. This was at the battle of Jhangar located amidst Naushehra and Mirpur.
It is grossly incorrect to quote or aver that any Mahar troops ever ‘ran away’ leaving their post. There had been instances, both in 1947–48 and in 1962, when the infantry troops, with whom the MGs were affiliated, withdrew either on the orders from top or of their own volition. “The MG detachments of the Mahar battalions had on all such occasions continued to, first, cover the withdrawal of infantry, and secondly, to fire at the enemy till the last man, last round or till they attained martyrdom”.
It is a well-known fact of history that the units and troops of the Mahar Regiment have never had any operational debacle nor had committed a disgraceful act of ‘running away from a post upon being attacked. As a matter of fact, the battalions of the Mahar Regiment have emerged to be the last ones standing in many an operation in all the wars.
Some Facts about Mahar Regiment
1. At one point of time the Mahar constituted one-sixth of the Bombay Army of East India Company.
2. Formed as a regiment of troops exclusively from Mahar community, it now consists of members from all communities and regions.
4. In 1818, the members of the Mahar community joined forces with the British against the Peshwas.
5. The Mahar troops had also helped the British in the Anglo-Maratha wars.
6. The British, however, betrayed the loyalty of the Mahar when they disbanded the regiment in 1892 in favour of “martial classes”.
7. Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who opposed the discriminatory policies of the British, supported the demand of the Mahars to be taken back into service.
8. It was only when World War I broke out that the British realised they needed more men and so recruited one battalion of Mahar troops the 111th in 1917.
9. In 1921, the British again disbanded the battalion. It was only in 1941, during World War II, that the Mahar regiment was reintroduced.
10. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar too was in favour of the Mahars joining the British Indian army and advocated for their inclusion.
11. Four battalions of the Mahar Regiment were raised between 1941 and 1942. Today there are 19 battalions.
12. In October 1946, the Mahar Regiment became one of the first in the British Indian Army to be converted to a machine gun regiment.
13. The Regiment has earned the following honours: 1 Param Vir Chakra, 4 Maha Vir Chakra, 29 Vir Chakra, 1 Kirti Chakra, 12 Shaurya Chakra, 22 Vishisht Seva Medals and 63 Sena Medals.
14. The new logo, as in use, shows two crossed Vickers machine guns over a dagger.
15. One of the bravest Mahar Regiment soldiers was Sepoy Anusuya Prasad who laid down his life after just 10 days of service in 1971 Indo-Pak war.
16. The regiment produced two Army Chiefs i.e General K.V. Krishna Rao and General Krishnaswamy Sundarji.
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