HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COLONEL GURBAKSH SINGH DHILLON SIR !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GENERAL GURBAKSH SINGH DHILLON SIR !

Netaji fought an actual war and the only one that secured freedom in the end. The internal dynamics within the nation stood in the way of his greater success but could not force him into isolation as planned post-Tripuri. That the forces, conflicting to begin with but circumstantially harmonised in the end with the view to achieving freedom, all eventually combined to precipitate a partitioned dominion status and then a republican sovereignty owed much to the INA assault on the eastern frontiers of British India, a historical fact that must be assigned due status in our texts and treatises that by the cartloads appear and preach a passive turn to the entire narrative of the struggle for freedom.

Today, 18 March, is the birthday of the one of the great heroes of the Indian National Army, General Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon, personally selected by Netaji to command the Nehru Brigade and hold the Irrawaddy River against the counter-offensive by the British Indian forces.

After the war was lost and the INA had surrendered, Dhillon, along with Shah Nawaz Khan and Prem Kumar Sahgal, were tried for treason against the King-Emperor at the Red Fort but, on better discretion by the British, released owing to the prevailing mass unrest that resulted from their conviction. The following popular slogan rent the skies of India those days :

Lal Qile se aaee awaaz,

Sahgal, Dhillon, Shah Nawaz,
Teenon ki ho umar daraz

[ From the Red Fort rings the cry,

Sahgal, Dhillon, Shah Nawaz,

Long live the trio, long long live,

Immortal heroes, never to die ! ]

Dhillon had met Netaji on 15 October, 1944 at his Rangoon residence and was appointed Commander of the Nehru Brigade on 26 October of the same month. Netaji could see the sterling element in this Sikh and trust him to carry out his charge which the latter did till the end of his life on 6 February, 2006, in Gwalior. Dhillon has left behind his memoirs in his 'From My Bones' which chronicles his epic saga in the INA and his interactions with its leader.

I bow down to the memory of this marvellous martial man who spent the flower of his life in pursuing his motherland's independence under the leadership of her brightest son, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whose radiance will continue to brighten our lives for ages to come.

Written by Sugata Bose

P.S. Given below are the links to some of the YouTube videos featuring Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu5QWWxMS4w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzjUXomx-lk&t=413s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcgLbAbzzGY&t=2699s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOEijhpOFko&t=558s https://www.jatland.com/home/Gurbaksh_Singh_Dhillon?fbclid=IwAR3Kh1l8nuhoSZUEmtnFF1jHmoSNkI2jhHWstkt1ceocDXRQ3l1mdAFDSPA

Sugata Bose Shubham Sharma, are you related to Col. Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon?

• Shubham Sharma Sugata Bose yes..
  Though not a blood relation but more than that..
  My youngest great grandfather was a Lt Colonel in INA and Great grandfather was revolt leader at Core of Signals Jabalpur following INA trials in red fort..
  Tatuji (Col GS Dhillon) is survived by two children at the moment- Sarvjit Dhillon and Dr Amrita Mehrotra Retired Dean GR medical college Gwalior.
  Tauji(Sarvjit Dhillon) lives in village Hatod district shivpuri (110 Kms from Gwalior) and my home is also in Gwalior MP.
  I still remember the eyes of Col GS Dhillon when he was on his death bed at JA group of hospital Gwalior Madhya Pradesh.
  

  Son in law of Col GS Dhillon Major RN Mehrotra, daughter Dr Amrita Mehrotra, grandchildren myself and all family members can be seen
• Shubham Sharma Sugata Bose at Col Dhillon's shrine on his 14th death anniversary dated 6th February 2020 village Hatod district shivpuri Madhya Pradesh.
  Sugata Bose Shubham Sharma Thanks for all these photographs. Do take the pains to submit a write-up on your association with Col. Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon and his kith and kin, here on this group page.