Habib ur Rahman (Indian National Army officer)
Fateh-e-Bhimber Habib ur Rahman | |
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Spouse(s) | Badshah Begum |
Children | Daughter, Son |
Habib ur Rahman (1913–1978) was an army officer in the Indian National Army (INA) who was charged with "waging war against His Majesty the King Emperor". He served as Subhas Chandra Bose's chief of staff in Singapore, and accompanied Bose on his alleged last fatal flight from Taipei to Tokyo, sharing the last moments of his life.[1] Rahman also played an important role in the
Early life and education
Habib ur Rahman, son of Raja Manzoor Ahmad Khan was born in the village of Panjeri, Mirpur District in Jammu and Kashmir, British India (now Bhimber District, Pakistan) on 22 December 1913. Born in a Rajput Musalman family, his maternal grandfather Raja Rahamdad served in the court of Maharaja Pratap Singh of Jammu and Kashmir He was educated in schools in Panjeri and went to obtain graduation in Jammu. Afterwards, Rahman was enrolled at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, Dehradun and subsequently the Indian Military Academy.[6][7]
Military career
Rahman was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on the Special List, Indian Land Forces on 15 July 1936 and was attached to the 2nd battalion of Duke of Wellington's Regiment from 10 August 1936.[8] He was appointed to the British Indian Army and was posted to 1st Battalion of the 14th Punjab Regiment, which was called "Sher Dil Paltan" on the 10 August 1937.[9][10] He was promoted Lieutenant 1 December 1937[11] His battalion moved from Lahore to Secunderabad in September 1940.
Overseas move
Soon after the second week of February 1941, Rahman and his battalion were ordered to move overseas. He left Secunderabad on 3 March 1941 for Penang Island and from there to Ipoh, north of Kuala Lumpur in Malaya. After about two months stay at Ipoh, their Battalion moved to Sungei Pattani in South Kedah as a part of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade under Brigadier Ragnar Garrett.
The 3rd Cavalry was allotted the defence of the Island of Penang. He disembarked at Singapore and reported at 7 MRC, Mixed Reinforcement Camp at Bidadari. From Singapore he was sent to Jitra situated on the main road to Thailand, 26 kilometres (16 miles) south of the border. He arrived in Jitra on 5 December 1941.
World War II
Following the attack on
On 13 December 1941 they arrived at Miami Beach near Penang. They were taken to 3 M.R.C. in Penang. At this time Penang was hurriedly evacuated . They were given the duty to guard a railway bridge at Nibong Tabol. They guarded the bridge for another two days till the arrival of the Japanese. Then they were ordered to withdraw to Ipoh where Rahman fell ill with malaria. He was hospitalised and sent to Singapore.
By the dawn of 9 February 1942, almost two divisions of the Japanese had landed on the soil of Singapore. On 10 February 1942, 7 MRC was moved to Raffles Square, a business area. By that time it was apparent that the surrender of Singapore was imminent. On 13 February 1942, Raffles Square was bombed. 7MRC suffered heavily with about 300 killed and many more wounded. The second-in-Command of 7 MRC, an English Major and Rahman had a difficult job disposing of corpses. They dropped them in the ocean. Singapore capitulated on 15 February 1942 and British Forces surrendered unconditionally to the Japanese.
The defeated and demoralised Indian soldiers collected themselves at Farrer Park in Singapore. Major Fujiwara addressing the POWs expressed that it was his firm belief that world peace and the liberation of Asia could not be achieved and maintained without a free and independent India. He further said that if Indian POWs in Malaya were prepared to fight British imperialism for the cause of achieving the independence of their motherland, the Imperial Japanese Government would advance all out-support. He suggested the formation of the Indian National Army. He handed over all the POWs in Malaya to Capt. Mohan Singh, the G.O.C. of the Indian National Army.
Indian National Army
Formation of the INA
At the stage on Farrer Park Capt. Mohan Singh addressed the POWs and decided to form an organised and disciplined power in the form of Indian National Army. The erstwhile POWs were to become now the soldiers of India's "Army of Liberation", the army that was to fight under its own leadership, with a real and just cause to wage war.
Mohan Singh was from the same unit from which was Rahman. He was a close friend of Rahman. On 17 February 1942, Rahman decided to join the Indian National Army. Next morning Capt. Mohan Singh issued orders to march off all the units of various camps on the island where the units were to occupy their allotted accommodation. Rahman's unit was to proceed to
The Japanese Headquarters had asked the Supreme Headquarters to provide 200 officers to guard the British and Australian prisoners of war at
Shaping the INA
Rahman's health improved at
The first review of INA was held at Singapore Padang in front of the Municipal Buildings on 2 October 1942, Rahman attended this function as an observer. The progress in recuperating Rahman's health was slow. He was recommended a month's leave and sent to Penang. He returned to Singapore in the middle of November 1942. The Japanese had not yet ratified the Bangkok resolutions not recognised the INA as an independent army. General Mohan Singh had lost confidence in the Japanese. In the beginning of December 1942, the Japanese asked the INA Headquarters to dispatch an advance party to move to Burma so as to prepare camps and accommodation for the main body of INA. Meanwhile, differences developed between Mohan Singh and the Japanese. The Japanese arrested General Mohan Singh on 29 December 1942. There was a period of crisis due to suspense and indecision. On the advice of Rash Behari Bose Rahman continued in INA. They went all over the Island and up-country to urge men to remain in the INA.
Meanwhile,
The 5th Guerrilla Regiment
Rahman was appointed Second-in-Command in December 1943, and raised the 5th Guerrilla regiment at Bidadari in Singapore. Apart from helping in raising the regiment Rahman was responsible for training, discipline, morale and welfare of the troops. The 5th Guerrilla Regiment was formed as part of the 2nd INA Division, which was organised under the command of Col. N.S. Bhagat consequent on the 1st Division's move to the Front.
On 30 March 1944, the 5th Guerrilla Regiment moved to Ipoh in Perak state of Malaya. Rahman proceeded with the advance party to make necessary arrangements for the Regiment.
Move to Burma
Rahman was sent to front at
Subhas Chandra Bose
Rahman met
In the middle of December 1944, the
in south, both towns inclusive, and to hold the enemy crossing the Irrawaddy at those places.Rahman formed an advance party from 9th Battalion and left for Pagan on 29 December 1944. Rahman ordered the move of battalions to leave Myingyan by 4 February 1945 so as to be in their respective positions by 8 February 1945. Rahman ensured all the arrangements. The Nehru Brigade held the Irrawaddy as planned. Rahman kept his Headquarters at
Rahman reached Pagan on 17 February 1945. On 23 February 1945, Col. Shah Nawaz visited the Commander of Khanjo Butai and discussed co-ordination of Indo-Japanese operations in the Popa and Kyauk Padaung area. Col. Sahgal was given the task to prepare Popa as a strong base with the view to take up an offensive role. Rahman's Regiment, the 4th Guerrilla, was assigned the duty to check the enemy advance on to Kyauk Padaung from the west, where the British had established a strong bridgehead at Nyaungu. This was to be achieved by carrying out an extensive and persistent guerrilla warfare in the area between Popa, Kyauk Padaung line in the east and as far forward towards the Irrawaddy as possible as to deny the enemy the use of Nyaungu-Kyauk-Padaullg-Meiktila metalled road for supplying reinforcements and supplies to his forces fighting in the battle of Meiktila. Shah Nawaz arrived Popa on 12 March 1945 and relieved Rahman forthwith to join his regiment.
On 4 April 1945 his Division Commander, Colonel Shah Nawaz Khan, asked Rahman to return from Khabok to Popa. By then 4th Guerrilla regiment had been in that area waging guerrilla warfare for over five weeks. Mount Popa and Kyaukpadaung was one pocket of resistance, which had so far defied all British attacks. Under constant raids by INA the British forces were forced to use longer routes that caused the British loss of time, greater consumption of petroleum products and frequent breakdowns of vehicles.
From the beginning of April 1945 the strategic situation began to change rapidly. The enemy launched a three-pronged attack on Mount Popa and Kyaukpadaung area. On 5 April 1945 Rahman was allotted the defence of Kyaukpadaung, south of Popa. In the second week of April there was daily bombing from air. Under the cover of this barrage the British forces advanced in their heavy tanks and armoured vehicles. There were very heavy casualties. The INA could not organise any defence. 2nd Division of the INA was to withdraw to
In the meantime, the Burmese army has declared war against Japan, and as such, the villagers did not co-operate with INA. Their retreat was fully under the control of General
Rahman was the only Indian accompanying
Surrender of the INA
On 17 May 1945 the enemy encircled the Indian National Army. So they surrendered without any surrender ceremony. They were put into prison at
Trial
At the conclusion of the war, the government of British India brought some of the captured INA soldiers to trial on treason charges. The prisoners would potentially face the death penalty, life imprisonment or a fine as punishment if found guilty. After the war, Lt. Col. Shahnawaz Khan, Col. Habib ur Rahman, Col. Prem Sehgal and Col. Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon were put to trial at the Red Fort in Delhi for "waging war against the King Emperor", i.e., the British sovereign. The four defendants were defended by Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhulabhai Desai and others based on the defence that they should be treated as prisoners of war as they were not paid mercenaries but bonafide soldiers of a legal government, the Provisional Government of Free India, or the Arzi Hukumate Azad Hind, "however misinformed or otherwise they had been in their notion of patriotic duty towards their country" and as such they recognised the free Indian state as their sovereign and not the British sovereign.
The historical trial of Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon, Prem Kumar Sahgal, Shah Nawaz Khan and Habib ur Rahman at the Red Fort began on 5 November 1945 by a General Court Martial for the charge of waging war against the King. When the trial began a mass demonstration was going on outside the Red Fort. People gave voice to their resentment on the trials by shouting:
Lal Qile se aaee awaz,
Sahgal Dhillon Habib Shah Nawaz,
Charoon ki ho umar daraz(Meaning – Comes the voice from the Red Fort Sahgal, Dhillon, Habib, Shah Nawaz, May the Four live long)
New Year's Eve, 31 December 1945, was the last day of trial. The trial marked a significant turning point in India's struggle for Independence and Col. Rahman along with his three colleagues Col. Prem Kumar Sahgal, Col. Dhillon and Maj. Gen. Shah Nawaz Khan became symbol of India fighting for freedom.
The verdict of trial came on 1 January 1946. All four were found guilty of waging war against the King Emperor. Having found the accused guilty of the charge of waging war, the court was bound to sentence the accused either to death or to deportation for life. No finding or sentence by court-martial is complete until confirmed by the Commander-in-Chief, Claude Auchinleck. Auchinleck, taking into consideration the prevailing circumstances, decided to treat all four accused in the same way in the matter of sentence, and decided to remit the sentences of deportation of life against all of the three accused, and they were later released.
The incidence of release the four members of the INA was of momentous significance at national level. The unprecedented publicity in the national papers and the media during the proceedings of trial enhanced the credibility and legitimacy of the freedom struggle launched by Indian National Army. On the following day of the release, 4 January 1946 the whole of Delhi and its neighbourhood had gathered to participate in a rally never organised in the history of Delhi.
Enquiry into Bose's death
In 1956, the government constituted a committee to look into the circumstances around
First Kashmir War
After Independence Muhammad Ali Jinnah was delighted with Rahman joining the government service and advised him in writing to visit and report about the current situation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar. Following this request he went to visit the Prime Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Ram Chandra Kak and Maharaja Hari Singh to better understand their views on the State of Jammu and Kashmir joining Pakistan, as Jammu and Kashmir was a Muslim majority state. In 1947 it was clear that an alternative plan was needed to bring Kashmir under Pakistan's control. Rahman tried his best to organise all of the ex-army people to wrest control of Jammu and Kashmir. Rahman led many battles against the Dogra forces, particularly in Bhimber and Kotli. Under the leadership of Rahman the Muslims of Bhimber rose against the Dogra rulers and separated Bhimber from the state of Jammu & Kashmir.[12]
A GHQ Azad (General Headquarters of Azad Kashmir) was formed in
Administrator
Following the
Awards and honours
In recognition of his contribution to the "independence movement" the
- Fateh-e-Bhimber (Liberator of Bhimber).
- Fakhr-e-Kashmir
- Ghazi-e-Kashmir
The Degree college of Bhimber is named after him.
Government of Pakistan awarded him the civil and military honours:
- Sitara-e-Pakistan
- Nishan-e-Imtiaz (military),
- Tamgha-e-Imtiaz
- Tamgha-i-Khidmat (military)
Death
Rahman died and was buried on 26 December 1978 in his ancestral village of Panjeri, in
References
- ^ Sungei is not a known town documented today, possible going by a different name, it may not be specific/complete enough or a writing mistake and misunderstanding of language by a foreign army, Sungei may possibly not actually refer to a town name
- ^ Kawashi is not a known town documented today, possible going by a different name, it may not be specific/complete enough or a writing mistake and misunderstanding of language by a foreign army, Kawashi may possibly not actually refer to a town name
- ^ Bose, His Majesty's Opponent 2011, pp. 302–303.
- ^ Bose, His Majesty's Opponent 2011, pp. 324.
- ^ Zaheer, The Times and Trial of the Rawalpindi Conspiracy 1998, p. 113; Zaheer, The Times and Trial of the Rawalpindi Conspiracy 2007, pp. 145–146: "GHQ Azad, originally called the Planning Cell, was created in October [1947] and located in Rampiari Palace, Gujrat. It was headed by Major General M. Z. Kiani, who was designated C-in-C Azad Kashmir Forces, and manned by Brigadier Habibur Rehman as the Chief of Staff, and other senior officers."
- ^ Suharwardy, Tragedy in Kashmir 1983, pp. 140–141: "Habibur Rehman was already apprehensive of the dark designs of the Dogras and wanted to do something. He was in possession of reliable information from a relative, Captain Afzal, that the Dogra Commander of the Brigade at Nowshera had received secret instructions from the Maharaja to clear the border belt of Muslims.... Yet he did not lose courage and collected a band of dedicated men from Bhiring village of Bhimber tehsil and other areas inhabited by ex-servicemen.... armed with Frontier-made rifles, Habibur Rehman wanted to push out the Dogra garrison at Bhimber town..."
- ^ Nazir Salehria, retired Pakistani Army officer, in ISPR, Defence and Media 1991, p. 127: "Brigadier Habib ur Rehman organised us into a regular force and 15 Azad Kashmir battalion was raised. Unfortunately this battalion has not been mentioned anywhere."
- ^ a b Effendi, Punjab Cavalry 2007, p. 156.
- ^ July 1938 Indian Army List - UK/India Government National Archives
- ^ October 1936 Indian Army List - UK/India Government National Archives
- ^ October 1937 Indian Army List - UK/India Government National Archives
- ^ July 1938 Indian Army List - UK/India Government National Archives
- ^ July 1938 Indian Army List - UK/India Government National Archives
- ^ Indian Army Personnel: Indian Army Officers, Raja Habib Ur Rahman Khan, Ghulam Mansoor, Satish Nambiar, Kirori Singh Bainsla, Bhawani Singh Books, LLC, General Books LLC
- ^ Zaheer, The Times and Trial of the Rawalpindi Conspiracy (2007), pp. 145–146.
Bibliography
- Bose, Sugata (2011), His Majesty's Opponent, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-04754-9
- Effendi, Col. M. Y. (2007), Punjab Cavalry: Evolution, Role, Organisation and Tactical Doctrine 11 Cavalry, Frontier Force, 1849-1971, Karachi: Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-547203-5
- Defence Media 1991, Inter Services Public Relations, 1991
- Suharwardy, Abdul Haq (1983), Tragedy in Kashmir, Lahore: Wajidalis
- Zaheer, Hasan (1998), The Times and Trial of the Rawalpindi Conspiracy, 1951: The First Coup Attempt in Pakistan, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-577892-2
- Zaheer, Hasan (2007) [1998], The Times and Trial of the Rawalpindi Conspiracy, 1951: The First Coup Attempt in Pakistan, Sang-e-Meel Publishers, ISBN 978-9693519921
- Zaheer, Hasan (2007) [1998], The Times and Trial of the Rawalpindi Conspiracy, 1951: The First Coup Attempt in Pakistan, Sang-e-Meel Publishers,
Further reading
- Shohaab Nama By Qudarat-ulah-Shohaab
- The Bleeding Kashmir By Major Iqbal Hashmi
- Mirpur Before 1947 By Sayad Sultan Shah
- The Kashmir By Khalid Mehmood Kokhar Adocate Kotli
- Maghribi Jammu Main Jang-e-Azadi By M. Latif