Bihar Regiment

Bihar Regiment
Bihar Regiment Insignia
Active	1941–Present
Country	British India 1941-1947  India 1947-Present
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	20 Battalions
Regimental Centre	Danapur Cantonment, Patna
Motto(s)	Karam Hi Dharam (Work is Worship)
War Cries	Jai Bajrang Bali (Victory to Bajrang Bali) Birsa Munda Ki Jai (Victory to Birsa Munda)[1]
Mascot(s)	Sidhu-Kanhu
Engagements	Burma Campaign, World War II Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Kargil War
Decorations	3 Ashoka Chakras, 1 Maha Vir Chakra
Battle honours	Post Independence Haka , Gangaw and Batalik. Theatre honours=Akhaura
Commanders
Colonel of the Bihar Regiment	Lieutenant General G.S Chandel[2]
Notable commanders	Lt Gen Sant Singh, Lt Gen K S Mann, Lt Gen A R K Reddy, Lt Gen O S Lohchab, Lt Gen Balbir Singh, Brig SC Johar, Col Umesh Kumar Bojha.
Insignia
Regimental Insignia	The Ashoka Lion

The Bihar Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment can trace its origins back to the British Indian Army. The Bihar Regiment was formed in 1941 by regularising the 11th (Territorial) Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment, and raising new battalions. The Bihar Regimental Centre (BRC) is located at Danapur Cantonment, the second oldest cantonment of India.

History

The Bihar Regiment traces its origins to the sepoy battalions raised in 1757 by Lord Clive of the British East India Company at Patna.^[3] These were formed by the men from the Bhojpur region of Bihar. Their success in combat impressed Mir Kasim, who began raising units trained in western combat techniques. Bihari battalions raised by Mir Kasim defeated the British in some engagements. The Bihari, or Purbiya, soldiers thereafter made up the backbone of the Bengal Infantry of the British Colonial Army. They mainly belonged to the Rajput and Bhumihar castes.^[4]

They were not only excellent soldiers, but also quick to learn and apply the tactical drills with initiative. They were disciplined when led by good officers, but capable of hostility when their beliefs and customs were disregarded. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the introduction of greased cartridges, was led by Bihari troops, who preferred being blown by the guns to losing their faith. Biharis thereafter were not encouraged to enter military service by the British until after World War I.^[5]

The Bihar Regiment was formed in 1941 during World War II by regularising the 11th (Territorial) Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment as the 1st Battalion Bihar Regiment. The 2nd Battalion was raised in 1942. The newly raised 1 Bihar saw action in the Burma Campaign, winning battle honours for gallant actions at Haka and Gangaw. 2 Bihar formed part of Operation Zipper for the reoccupation of British Malaya.

Thereafter, both battalions participated in the undeclared war in the Kashmir Valley during 1948-49.

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, 7 Bihar captured Bedori, paving the way for the capture of Haji Pir Pass.

By the start of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the Regiment had expanded to 11 battalions. The sixth, seventh, eighth, tenth and eleventh battalions participated in operations in the eastern sector. 10 Bihar was conferred the theatre honour 'East Pakistan' for the capture of Akhaura. On 15 December 1971, a seaborne expedition was launched at Cox's Bazar to prevent Pakistani troops from escaping into Burma. 11 Bihar formed part of this amphibious task force. In the Western theatre of the war, 3 Bihar captured Wanjal.^[6]

In the Spring of 1999, Pakistani soldiers posing as Kashimiri militants crossed the L.O.C. in Kargil and entered Indian territory. Operation Vijay was launched by the Indian Army to flush out the intruders. More than 10,000 soldiers and officers of the Bihar Regiment were deployed to Kargil. In a well planned operation in the Batalik sector, soldiers of 1 Bihar, in a fierce fight with the Pakistan Army, captured Point 4268 and Jubar Ridge on night 06/7 July 1999. 7 July 1999 is a red letter day in the history of the regiment, as the troops of the Bihar Regiment pushed back intruders from Jubar Hills and point 4268 in Kuker Thang area in the Batalik sector.

Units of the regiment have also served in UN Peacekeeping operations in Somalia (UNOSOM) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC).

Composition and Recruitment

The regiment gets its recruits from the Indian state of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Engagements

Deployments of units of the Bihar Regiment:

• Burma Campaign, World War II
• Operation Zipper, World War II
• Indo-Pakistan War of 1947
• Indo-Pakistan War of 1965
• Indo-Pakistan War of 1971
• UNOSOM
• Kargil War
• MONUC

Units

Regimental Battalions:

Distinctions

Battle Honours

• Haka, Burma Campaign, World War II
• Gangaw, Burma Campaign, World War II
• Akhaura, East Pakistan, Indo-Pakistan War of 1971
• Jubar Ridge, Kargil War

Gallantry Awards

War Memorial, Kargil Chowk, Patna

Maha Vir Chakra

• Capt Gurjinder Singh Suri, MVC (Posthumous), 12 BIHAR, Kargil War

Vir Chakra

• Major Mariappan Saravanan (Posthumous), 1 BIHAR, Kargil War^[7]
• Colonel M Ravi, 10 BIHAR, 1971 East Pakistan (Later Bangladesh)
• Lt Col K P R Hari, 1 BIHAR^[8]
• Lt. Col. P.C. Sawhney, 10 BIHAR,1971 East Pakistan (Later Bangladesh)
• Maj (Later Maj.Gen.) D.P.Singh, 10 BIHAR,1971 East Pakistan (Later Bangladesh)
• Maj Harpal Singh Grewal (Posthumous), 8 BIHAR, 1971 East Pakistan (Later Bangladesh)^[9]
• Sub Ghama Oraon, 1 BIHAR, Sri Lanka^[10]

Ashoka Chakra

• Lieutenant Colonel Harsh Uday Singh Gaur (Posthumous), 10 Bihar, Baramulla district, 1994^[11]
• Lieutenant Colonel Shanti Swaroop Rana (Posthumous), 3 Bihar, Kupwara district, 1997^[12]
• Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan (Posthumous), 7 Bihar (on deputation to NSG), Operation Black Tornado

References

Indian Army Infantry Regiments
Brigade of the Guards Parachute Regiment Mechanised Infantry Regiment Punjab Regiment Madras Regiment The Grenadiers Maratha Light Infantry Rajputana Rifles Rajput Regiment Jat Regiment Sikh Regiment Sikh Light Infantry Dogra Regiment Garhwal Rifles Kumaon Regiment Assam Regiment Bihar Regiment Mahar Regiment Jammu & Kashmir Rifles Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry Naga Regiment 1 Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment) 3 Gorkha Rifles 4 Gorkha Rifles 5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) 8 Gorkha Rifles 9 Gorkha Rifles 11 Gorkha Rifles Ladakh Scouts Arunachal Scouts Sikkim Scouts