Bum La - The Unyielding Position

Subedar Joginder Singh's Bayonet Charges

At Bum La in NEFA, Subedar Joginder Singh's platoon held a key position against multiple Chinese assaults. With only 20 men against waves of hundreds, he led bayonet charges when ammunition ran out. The same regiment - 1 Sikh - that produced Karam Singh in 1947 would produce another Param Vir in 1962.

The Spirit of the Sikh Regiment

In 1947-48, during India's first war, a soldier named Karam Singh of the 1 Sikh Regiment earned the Param Vir Chakra at Tithwal. He held a forward post against repeated Pakistani attacks, fighting hand-to-hand when ammunition ran low. Remarkably, he survived - one of the few living PVC recipients of that war.

Fourteen years later, another soldier of the same regiment would face a similar test. And like Karam Singh before him, Subedar Joginder Singh would prove that the spirit of the Sikh Regiment produces heroes in every generation.

The Defense of Bum La

Bum La is a mountain pass in what was then NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency), now Arunachal Pradesh. It sits at about 15,200 feet, guarding the approaches to Tawang - the culturally significant Buddhist monastery town that China claimed.

On October 20, 1962, China launched its massive surprise attack. In the NEFA sector, the main thrust came through passes like Bum La, where the terrain favored the attacker.

Subedar Joginder Singh commanded a platoon of 1 Sikh Regiment at a forward post near Bum La. His orders were to hold the position and delay the Chinese advance.

His platoon strength: 20 men.

The Chinese assault force: Hundreds of soldiers, coming in waves.

"Bole So Nihal!"

The Sikh Regiment carries one of the most stirring battle cries in military history:

"Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal!" ("Whoever utters shall be blessed, Truth is Immortal!")

This was not just a war cry. It was a declaration of faith - that truth and righteousness would prevail, that death in the service of dharma was blessed. When a Sikh soldier raised this cry and charged, he was invoking centuries of warrior tradition.

Subedar Joginder Singh would raise this cry three times on October 23, 1962. Three bayonet charges. Three acts of supreme valor.

The First Wave

The Chinese attacked in overwhelming numbers. Their tactics were simple: mass human waves, supported by mortars, designed to overwhelm small Indian posts through sheer numbers.