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Rezang La is a mountain pass on the south-eastern approach to Chushul Valley in Ladakh, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is 3,000 yards long and 2,000 yards wide, with an average height of 16,000 feet. La means a mountain pass in Tibetan language. If Ladakh is a part of this country today, it is because of the Veer Ahirs who fought to the 'last man, last round' at Rezang La (Chushul) on November 18, 1962. This battle is listed in the 8 stories of collective bravery published by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Rezang La was the site of the last stand of the 13 Kumaon, during the Sino-Indian War in 1962.[1] The company led by Major Shaitan Singh, who won a posthumous Param Vir Chakra for his actions.[2] From the Indian point of view, Rezang La had the drawback that an intervening feature blocked artillery operation, so that the Indian infantry had to do without artillery cover. In this action on 18 November 1962, 114 Indian soldiers out of a total of 123 were killed. A memorial in Rewari, where most of the Ahir soldiers came from, claims that 1,300 Chinese soldiers were killed in the battle. The Indian side was led by Major Shaitan Singh (IC 7990), who was later awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest gallantry award for conspicuous bravery or self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy. We salute those 120 brave Indian army soldiers who fought against 5000 soldiers and fought till the last bullet and sacrificed their life for India, Jai Hind.
