The birth centenary on June 14 of the warrior, who has been presented the first gallantry award of independent India, remained largely ignored. Despite the Bharatiya Janata Party's claim about Shyama Prasad Mukherjee being the first martyr in Jammu and Kashmir, it is well-known in the State and armed forces that Brig Singh was the `Saviour of Jammu and Kashmir'.

Indeed, if he and his small band of soldiers had not held back the enemy for four crucial days, the State would havebeen lost.

He not only made a tactical withdrawl in the face of a 5,000-strong invasion by blowing up the Uri bridge to halt the enemy, but also drove a three-tonne truck when all the drivers were injured or had died fighting the invaders.

Soon after he took over as Chief of Staff of the J&K State Forces on September 24, 1947, Brig Singh was confronted with the problem of invasion on October 21. His problem was compounded by the fact that two companies of 4 J&K Infantry, comprising Muslims, deserted the forces and joined the intruders.

Alarmed by the magnitude of the problem, the then ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, himself volunteered to lead the forces. However, he was persuaded by his Chief of Staff to remain in Srinagar to finalise the accession with India while the Brigadier himself decided to lead the forces.

The Maharaja's order to hold the invaders ``at all costs and to the last man'' was not an easy one. Brig Singh had merely 100 personnel to take on 5,000 invaders. It was perhaps for the firsttime ever in military history that the head of State was fighting as a Company Commander.

Fighting with the handful of soldiers, he checked the march of the invaders. In the process, he was grievously injured and both his legs were fractured. Yet, he egged his troops on and tried to drive a truck as the drivers were either killed or wounded. After his attempts failed, he asked them to go ahead and check the intruders. The Brigadier asked his men to leave him by the roadside and save themselves for the action later. He told him he was under orders not to return and that he had promised the supreme commander that the enemies can can only come over his body. He was, therefore, left there with only a pistol in his hand. That was the last to be seen or heard about him but he had already done his duty.

Even as he lay on the roadside, the Army was on its way to Srinagar airport, where the first contingent landed hours later to save the Valley. For his exceptional valour, he was posthumously awarded the MahavirChakra.