Chinar Corps celebrates 80th Raising Day

PTI, Mar 20, 2021, 5:15 PM IST

Srinagar: Chinar Corps, the Indian Army’s strategic unit guarding the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, celebrated its 80th Raising Day at the Badami Bagh Cantonment here on Saturday.

General Officer Commanding of Chinar Corps Lieutenant General D P Pandey laid a wreath at the Badami Bagh Cantonment War Memorial to pay tributes to the heroes and their sacrifices for achieving successes in countless operations, a Defence spokesman said here.

The corps commander reminded the soldiers of the expectations of the nation from them in view of the extraordinary circumstances in which the unit is operating, the spokesman said.

He exhorted all ranks of the Chinar Corps to continue working hard towards peace and stability in Kashmir.

Chinar Corps was raised at Barrackpore in 1942 during World War II. As part of the 14th Army, the corps participated in the Burma Campaign at Arakan during World War II. Subsequently, the corps was shifted to Karachi.

In October 1947, the corps got tethered to Kashmir for the first time when its 161 Infantry Brigade was tasked to fight the invading Pakistani regulars and tribals.

All operations during the 1947-48 Indo-Pak conflict were controlled by the headquarters of the Jammu and Kashmir Force.

On January 4, 1955, the corps was entrusted with the role of complete security of the State of Jammu and Kashmir at Udhampur. The corps made commendable contributions during the Indo-Pak wars in 1965 and 1971.

On May 1, 1972, the Northern Command headquarters was established at Udhampur, and Chinar Corps was shifted to its present location at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar, the spokesman said.

Since 1989 when Pakistan launched its proxy war against India, Chinar Corps has been successfully maintaining the territorial integrity of the nation, he said.

Towards that end, the counter-infiltration operations along the Line of Control and counter-terrorist operations in the hinterland have been the mainstay, the spokesman said.

In the 80 years of its existence, the corps has been conferred four Victoria Crosses, four Military Crosses, 13 Param Vir Chakras, 20 Ashoka Chakras and numerous other gallantry awards and citations. These honours highlight the selfless sacrifices of its valiant warriors, he added.