It was a hot and humid morning in July 1979 in village Bahadurpur of Meerut
district. Subedar Major (SM) Hukam Chand was ready to undertake a journey for the one last
time. Hukam Chand was a frail man ,81 years
of age and knew that his end was near. His 4th son Lt Col Suresh Kumar had come to the
village on his annual leave along with his 09 year old son Subodh Kumar. SM Hukam Chand wished to show them his legacy of World Wars that he had fought for the British Empire. The three boarded the twice a
day bus to the village Mubarakpur which lay 40 miles away from Bahadurpur.
Young Subodh Kumar was excited about this journey as he clutched his
grandfather's hand all through the dusty and bumpy ride to Mubarakpur.
Hukam Chand was born into a peasant family and left
his house to join the Royal British Artillery in 1913 at the age of 15 years.
His father wanted him to be a teacher but Hukam Chand had a dream to become a
soldier. His induction into the Indian Army was at the time when the World was
coming under severe Geo-political crisis. Hukam Chand soon found himself on a
ship to France. The World War-1 erupted on 28 July 1914. Although a resurgence
of imperialism was an underlying cause, the immediate trigger for the war was the
28 June 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the
throne of Austria-Hungary, by Yugoslav nationalist
Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo. This set off a
diplomatic crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia, and international alliances
formed over the previous decades were invoked. Within weeks, the major powers
were at war and the conflict soon spread around the world. Hukam Chand became
one of the over one million soldiers that India contributed to the European,
Mediterranean and the Middle East theatres of war. Hukam Chand soon converted into a tall strapping young man even as his Artillery Regiment saw first action in
France. He transformed with his rich experience during the War and traveled
extensively to various theatres of War.
Hukam Chand came to be regarded as a Gunner
of repute and soon was a master handler of the 10 pounder guns, 15 pounder guns
and 3.7 inch mountain Howitzers. He rose in ranks and within
World War-1 scenario, traveled extensively to various Indian Army locations to
train and qualify the troops. At the end of the WW-1, Hukam Chand returned to
India and continued his trysts with the Royal British Artillery. He got married and raised a large
family of 04 sons and 01 daughter. Hukam Chand saw difficult and tough action
during the War. Setting off on a British cruiser with land legs, he saw men
around him huddled together as the steam Ship tossed and turned in the sea
storms and narrowly escaped prowling enemy Submarines. The food habits had to be altered to withstand the rigors of new
climate in France and other foreign destinations. The only connect with his family back home was an occasional
letter, whose contents would outlive their relevance by the time the letter
arrived to New Delhi from Meerut. Almost 60,000 soldiers around Hukam Chand
lost their lives in WW-1 and many were grievously injured. Hukam Chand kept his
nerves as many around him perished and as the "Chief of Smoke", he would
ensure obscurement of the battlefields with his mastery on his guns fire power.
Hukam Chand did not rest after the World War 1 was
over. Soon he saw himself leading his men onto World War-2. The Royal
British Artillery had come to be known as "The Indian Regiment of
Artillery" in 1935 and Hukam Chand by then was a respected Subedar. He
fought valiantly at every front in World War-2 and finally rested his uniform
at the end of World War-2 in Egypt when the Indian artillery was christened as
"The Royal Indian Artillery". For one last time, Hukam Chand began
his journey again on a Steam Ship back to India. He was by then a Subedar
Major. His eyes welled with tears when for one last time he looked at his
favorite powder and guns and his battery men saluted him for his love,
affection, tutoring, mentoring and guidance.The British Empire honored Hukam
Chand with a 300 Bigha Jagir 40 miles away into the Village Mubarakpur!!
Hukam Chand reached his village Bahadurpur
in early 1946 and by then the winds of freedom were castling the air all over
India. The Quit India Movement was at its peak. Hukam Chand by now was a tired man. He
had left his home in 1913 and had spent almost 33 years away from
his near
and dear ones. He had responsibility to fulfill for his kith and kin.
His wife Neelam Devi had toiled hard to bring up their children as Hukam
Chand toiled away in the big Wars and he was now the big feather under
whom she wanted to rest. The land decree arrived at his home in July
1947 and Hukam Chand
had a look at the Jagir allotment orders. It was a hot and humid July
afternoon
and Hukam Chand had no strength to travel 40 miles to secure the land amidst
the ongoing partition frenzy and then to travel to Meerut to claim the lands!!
He signed a document and gifted the lands to his childhood friend Mehar Singh. He
requested him to take charge of the lands if he could secure and claim them.
Mehar Singh claimed the lands in his own name 40 miles away from Hukam Chand's resting abode
and began his life afresh with his family.
The July's afternoon sun was at its zenith
when Subedar Major (Retd) Hukam Chand arrived at village Mubarakpur with
his
son Lt Col Suresh Kumar and grandson Subodh Kumar. The three looked at
the vast
tract of land which lay ahead of them but for which they had no rights
of
claim. The gallant soldier survived both the World Wars and traversed
miles and
miles on land, sea and even air to meet the commitments of his Regiment
but the
last 40 miles proved to be much bigger and harder than any other
distance.The
Jagir was his but he was not the Jagirdar. As he clutched young Subodh's
hand,
he said," Promise me that you too shall serve the Indian Artillery and
make me proud." The master "Chief of Smoke" had again fired his
big cannon into the impressionable mind of his young Grandson. The Jagir
was
gone but Hukam Chand remained the true Jagirdar who had motivated countless men to fight for the Nation's pride.
Today, Subodh is a third
generation Artillery Officer in the Indian Army. This July,Subodh and I
traveled the
distance of 111 miles from New Delhi to re-visit the Jagir of Subedar
Major Hukam Chand. As the July sub reached its zenith, Subodh and I
reached Mubarakpur. As we stood at the edge of the Jagir lands, Subodh
picked up the soil from the lands that lay
ahead of us and then let it go, As the soil fell back, Subodh
exclaimed,"I am proud of my
Grandfather, Sir. "
Salute the true Indian Soldier for his large heart, cultural values, moral courage
and ethos.
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