{"id":827737,"date":"2025-02-17T13:12:39","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T19:12:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/17\/military-digest-mahavir-chakra-for-a-civilian-flying-hanuman-marching-tune-vignettes-from-indias-first-year-as-a-republic\/"},"modified":"2025-02-17T13:12:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T19:12:39","slug":"military-digest-mahavir-chakra-for-a-civilian-flying-hanuman-marching-tune-vignettes-from-indias-first-year-as-a-republic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/17\/military-digest-mahavir-chakra-for-a-civilian-flying-hanuman-marching-tune-vignettes-from-indias-first-year-as-a-republic\/","title":{"rendered":"Military Digest: Mahavir Chakra for a civilian, Flying Hanuman marching tune \u2013 vignettes from India\u2019s first year as a republic"},"content":{"rendered":"

On January 26, 1950, India became a republic and transitioned from being a dominion of the British Empire to a sovereign nation. The first year of the new republic saw many changes and prominent among them were those associated with the defence services, with new medals instituted and fresh marching tunes composed to replace the colonial ones.<\/p>\n

Not many are aware that among the first Maha Vir Chakras awarded for bravery immediately after the country became a republic was to a civilian attached to an engineer field unit in Jammu<\/a> and Kashmir. Dhobi<\/em> (washerman) Ram Chandar of 14 Field Company of Madras Sappers was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, the second highest honour for gallantry<\/a><\/strong>, for his coolness and courage under hostile fire.<\/p>\n

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Ram Chandar, son of Faqir Chand, was born in 1921 at Kot Kishan Chand in Punjab\u2019s Jalandhar<\/a>. He joined the Madras Engineering Group in May 1947.<\/p>\n

On December 18, 1947, Chandar was accompanying a convoy to Jammu when it was attacked by a strong tribal force that had blocked a bridge by removing its decking (wooden flooring). Chandar helped his Officer Commanding Lt F D W Fallon to replace the decking while the bridge was under continuous fire. When the Officer Commanding was wounded, Chandar took his rifle and held the enemy at bay with well-directed covering fire that enabled the officer and his vehicle to cross the bridge. In the process, Chandar also inflicted five to six casualties on the enemy.<\/p>\n

Cut off from the rest of the company, he helped the wounded officer \u2014 who was in a state of collapse due to blood loss \u2014 reach the nearest post located 8 miles away, ensuring that the way ahead was clear for the officer to move. The official citation making the award says: \u201cRam Chandar\u2019s devotion to the officer was far beyond the call of duty. His coolness under fire and courage were unequalled\u201d.<\/p>\n

Flying Hanuman and other marching tunes<\/h3>\n

In the months following the first Republic Day, the Army headquarters instituted six cash prizes of Rs 150 each for composers of indigenous martial music for the army. In response, 400 composers from India and abroad sent in their entries which were carefully scrutinised and, where accompanied by notations, were tried out on instruments. Most of them were, however, found unsuitable as marching pieces for want of musical metre or the necessary length, which should be 120 to 150 bars.<\/p>\n

However, the following six pieces were finally selected:<\/p>\n