Sirijap - The Gorkha Spirit

Major Dhan Singh Thapa - Captured but Unbroken

Major Dhan Singh Thapa defended Sirijap against massive Chinese attacks. When his position was overrun, he fought hand-to-hand, then led survivors in a counterattack. Captured, presumed dead, he survived Chinese POW camps and returned home - one of the few living PVC recipients of 1962.

"Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali!"

Of all the battle cries in the world, few strike more terror into enemies than the Gorkha war cry:

"Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali!" ("Victory to the Goddess Mahakali, the Gorkhas are here!")

This cry has echoed across battlefields for over two centuries - from the hills of Nepal to the trenches of World War I, from the deserts of North Africa to the frozen heights of the Himalayas. When a Gorkha draws his kukri and raises this cry, he is announcing that retreat is not an option.

On October 20, 1962, at a remote outpost called Sirijap in Ladakh, Major Dhan Singh Thapa of the 1/8 Gorkha Rifles would add another chapter to this legendary tradition.

The Outpost at Sirijap

Sirijap was one of several forward posts established under India's 'Forward Policy' in Ladakh. It sat at over 14,000 feet, near the Chinese-claimed Aksai Chin plateau. The terrain was stark - rocky, frozen, with little cover.

Major Dhan Singh Thapa commanded the post with a small force of Gorkha soldiers. Their mission was to maintain Indian presence and observe Chinese movements.

But on October 20, 1962, observation turned to combat.

The Chinese Onslaught

The Chinese launched their offensive simultaneously across the entire frontier. At Sirijap, the attack came with overwhelming force.

The Chinese had planned meticulously. They knew exactly where Indian posts were and attacked them simultaneously to prevent mutual support. Sirijap was isolated - help could not come.

The First Defense

When the Chinese assault began, Major Thapa organized his defense with the calm professionalism that marked Gorkha officers. He positioned his men, ensured ammunition was distributed, and prepared for the attack.

The Chinese came in waves. The Gorkhas cut them down with disciplined fire. But unlike defensive actions where defenders have the advantage, Sirijap was too small and too isolated. The Chinese could afford losses; Major Thapa could not.

Wave after wave came. One by one, Gorkha soldiers fell. The ammunition began to run low.

Hand-to-Hand Combat

When the Chinese finally breached the perimeter, Major Thapa didn't order a retreat. Instead, he did what Gorkhas have always done when bullets run out:

He drew his kukri.

The kukri - the curved blade that is the symbol of Gorkha warriors - came out of its sheath. Around him, his surviving men did the same.

What followed was brutal hand-to-hand combat. The Gorkhas, though vastly outnumbered, fought with their traditional weapon against Chinese soldiers armed with rifles and bayonets.

Major Thapa himself killed several Chinese soldiers in close combat. His example inspired his men to fight even harder. The Chinese, despite their numbers, found that taking Sirijap from the Gorkhas would cost blood for every inch.

The Counterattack

Remarkably, after the initial position was overrun, Major Thapa led the survivors in a counterattack. This was extraordinary - a small group of wounded, exhausted soldiers attacking a much larger force that had just overrun them.

The counterattack couldn't retake the position, but it achieved something else: it showed the Chinese that these Gorkhas would not stop fighting as long as they lived.

Capture and Presumed Death

Eventually, Major Thapa was overwhelmed and captured. The Chinese had paid a heavy price for Sirijap, but they had finally taken it.

Back in India, Major Dhan Singh Thapa was reported as killed in action. His family mourned. The nation honored him posthumously.

Then came a surprise.

Survival in Chinese POW Camps

Major Thapa had survived. Badly wounded, he had been taken prisoner by the Chinese and transported to POW camps in Tibet.

The conditions were harsh. Cold, altitude, limited food, psychological pressure. Many POWs suffered greatly. But Major Thapa, drawing on the same resilience that had enabled him to fight at Sirijap, endured.

When the war ended and prisoners were eventually exchanged, Major Dhan Singh Thapa came home. The man who had been mourned as dead walked back to India.

The Param Vir Chakra - For a Living Recipient

Major Thapa's Param Vir Chakra had been awarded posthumously. When he returned alive, the award was simply confirmed - his actions at Sirijap more than met the criteria for supreme valor.

His citation reads:

"Major Dhan Singh Thapa was commanding a forward post in Ladakh at a height of 15,450 feet. On 20th October 1962, the Chinese forces subjected the post to intense artillery and mortar bombardment, and attacked it in overwhelming strength. Major Thapa, with complete disregard for his own safety, went from post to post and encouraged his men to fight. He moved about from trench to trench, directing fire at the advancing enemy and personally engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. When all his men were killed or wounded, he himself manned an MMG post and continued the fight until he was finally captured."

Major Thapa became one of the rare cases where a PVC recipient survived to receive the medal himself.

The Gorkha Warrior Tradition

To understand Major Thapa's actions, one must understand the Gorkha warrior tradition that shaped him.

Origins in Nepal

The Gorkhas (also spelled Gurkhas) take their name from the Kingdom of Gorkha in Nepal. Under King Prithvi Narayan Shah, they united Nepal and established a reputation for fierce fighting that reached the attention of the British Empire.

The Anglo-Gorkha War

When the British East India Company fought the Gorkhas in 1814-16, they were so impressed by Gorkha valor that they offered to recruit Gorkhas into their own army. This began a tradition that continues today - Gorkha regiments serving in both the British and Indian armies.

The Kukri

The kukri is the Gorkha's signature weapon - a curved blade, heavy toward the point, designed for devastating cutting strokes. Legend holds that once a kukri is drawn, it must taste blood before being sheathed - if not enemy blood, then the wielder's own.

When Major Thapa drew his kukri at Sirijap, he was continuing a tradition that stretches back centuries.

The Gorkha Reputation

Gorkhas have earned a unique reputation in military history:

• In World War I, they fought in France, Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, Palestine
• In World War II, they served in North Africa, Italy, Burma, and Malaya
• They have won 13 Victoria Crosses (British) and multiple Param Vir Chakras (Indian)

Enemies who faced Gorkhas often noted their fearlessness, their skill with the kukri, and their refusal to surrender.

Life After Sirijap

Major Dhan Singh Thapa returned to duty after his repatriation. He continued serving in the Indian Army, eventually retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

He lived until 2005, passing away at age 77. Throughout his later life, he carried the memories of Sirijap - the battle, the capture, the POW camps, and the eventual return home.

His survival added another dimension to his story. Most PVC recipients are honored posthumously; Major Thapa could tell his own story. He became a living symbol of both valor and resilience.

The 1/8 Gorkha Rifles

Major Thapa's regiment - the 1/8 Gorkha Rifles - has a distinguished history:

• Raised in 1824 as the Assam Sebundy Corps
• Fought in Burma, Afghanistan, and both World Wars
• Remained with India after the Gorkha regiments were divided between India and Britain in 1947

The regiment carries the memory of Sirijap as part of its heritage. New recruits learn about Major Thapa and understand what is expected of them.

Lessons from Sirijap

1. Fight with What You Have

When ammunition ran out, Major Thapa switched to the kukri. He didn't stop fighting because circumstances changed - he adapted and continued.

2. Lead by Example

Major Thapa didn't order his men to charge - he led them. He didn't tell them to fight hand-to-hand - he did it himself, killing enemy soldiers with his kukri.

3. Resilience Beyond Battle

Surviving battle was one thing. Surviving POW camps required a different kind of strength - patience, endurance, psychological resilience. Major Thapa displayed both forms of courage.

4. Coming Home

Many soldiers who endure trauma struggle afterward. Major Thapa returned to duty, served out his career, and lived a full life. His example shows that even the most traumatic experiences need not define the rest of one's life.

The Living PVC Recipients of 1962

Major Dhan Singh Thapa was the only PVC recipient of 1962 who survived the war. The others - Major Shaitan Singh, Subedar Joginder Singh - all fell in battle.

For decades, Major Thapa carried their memory along with his own. He was a living connection to that terrible October, a reminder of what India's soldiers faced and how they fought.

When he passed away in 2005, a generation of soldiers mourned. But his legacy lives on in the 1/8 Gorkha Rifles, in the Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army, and in everyone who hears the story of Sirijap.

Conclusion

The story of Major Dhan Singh Thapa is remarkable for its completeness. It includes the desperate defense, the hand-to-hand combat, the capture, the POW experience, and the return home. Most stories of supreme valor end in death; his continues through survival.

But perhaps that makes his story even more inspiring. He showed that a warrior can face the worst - battle, defeat, captivity - and still come through. The same spirit that enabled him to draw his kukri and charge at Sirijap enabled him to endure the POW camps and return to serve again.

Today, whenever a Gorkha soldier raises the cry "Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali!" - he invokes the spirit of warriors like Major Dhan Singh Thapa. Men who fought until there was nothing left to fight with, and then fought some more.

The Gorkhas are still here. And the spirit of Sirijap marches with them.

Jai Mahakali!