Several nations of the world hold an annual Armed Forces Day to recognize, venerate, and honor their military forces.After a successful political campaign based on a very unique and
distinctive methodology called “ahimsa” or non-violence India threw off
the colonial yoke and set in motion the decline and demise of the
British Empire. For a young nation with no colonial ambitions, and,
therefore, no militaristic traditions, she inherited a very young
military hierarchy as yet untested with the higher direction of warfare
but confronted almost immediately on the attainment of Independence with
an invasion in Jammu and Kashmir intended to undermine the principles
of Accession enshrined in the Independence Act by which Pakistan was
created.
As a consequence of this circumstance British officers continued to
preside over the top military posts in both countries leaving behind a
legacy that has continued to haunt both nascent countries to this day.
Five months after the UN mandated ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir the
Government of India replaced the last British Commander-in-Chief in
India Gen F R R Bucher with the first Indian to have been selected in
the first batch for training for the Kings Commissioned Indian Officer
(KCIO) at the UK Imperial War College. K. M. Cariappa held the rank of
Lt General and the post of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western
Command, and he planned the recapture of the Zojila Pass and Dras and
Kargil which enabled the Indian Army to push the Pakistani invaders
back. A biography describes his role as being instrumental in turning an
Imperial Army into a National Army. That is why the date of his
appointment — 15 January 1949 — is celebrated as Army Day.
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